We slowly made our way down the center aisle of the library and up the treacherous wooden stairs that Mother Ester hated.
“This is wonderfully creepy. I would love to film a horror movie here,” I chuckled and glanced over my shoulder at Father Garrett.
I could barely see him in the glow of his phone light.
“Someone actually did. I remember watching it in high school. I think it was called ‘All Freshmen Must Die.’ So many freshmen lost their lives falling down these stairs in that movie. There was a lot of blood, screaming, nudity, jump scares, and plot holes, but no one watched it for the plot.”
“Ah, why did you watch it if not for the plot?”
“No comment.”
I grinned as we stepped onto the upper landing. It was even darker since it didn’t have any windows. It used to be a loft until they expanded the library and added electric lights and more bookshelves. The wind, rain, and thunder were noisier closer to the roof.
“There it is. Behind the printing kiosk.”
I pointed at the half-opened door with my phone light. It barely illuminated the darkness beyond. My battery icon was red, warning me of impending failure.
“You go get the flashlight since you know where it is. I’ll wait here. Scream if you see any ghosts or serial killers. That will give me a chance to run.”
“Wow, thanks, Father Garrett. I feel so safe with you. My biggest fears are rats and spiders. They make me scream too.”
I approached the heavy door and shoved it open more, and it almost pushed me back. I quickly kicked the wooden door stopper into place to keep it from knocking me down. I stupidly allowed it to close with me inside once and got trapped. I had to call Candice to help me get out. Once I was sure the door wasn’t moving, I carefully stepped into the closet, feeling my way towards the back. I used my phone light to discover fresh spiderwebs before walking through them. The closet was twice as deep as it was wide, and the spare flashlight was on the rear shelf. I ran my fingers along the shelf to my right and accidentally knocked a cup of pencils to the floor. They scattered in all directions.
“Shoot,” I muttered and bent down to pick them up.
I knew I missed a few, but there was no finding them with my pitiful phone light, and it was about to leave me in the dark. I stood and turned to put the cup back, but I crashed into Father Garrett instead. I dropped the pencil cup again. It rolled across the floor as I shined my light in the father’s face.
“What’s taking so long? Where’s the flashlight?” he asked.
Suddenly, the door squeaked behind us as it swung closed with a thump.
“Oh crap, you kicked the little wooden block out from under the door, didn’t you?” I grumbled.
I stepped around him and tugged at the door. It didn’t budge. The humidity from the spring rain made sure of that.
“What are you talking about? Are we locked in?” he asked in distress.
He tried the door next, and it didn’t budge for him either.
“Damn, we are. I’ll call for help,” he mumbled and looked at his phone. “Never mind, I have no service. Do you have any bars?”
“No. My phone is also about to die.”
Suddenly, an explosion of thunder shook the building. I gasped and clapped my hands over my ears. Father Garrett flinched, but he kept his cool better than I did.
“Great,” he sighed. “Well, it could be worse. At least we’re not trapped here with Mother Ester.”
Chapter 9: Awkward Places
I searched the back of the closet for the flashlight before my phone died. I pulled it off the top shelf and turned it on, allowing us to see each other and the closet’s contents a little better. It wasn’t a massive improvement, but it was better than nothing.
“What a mess. Maybe we should organize the closet while we’re stuck in here,” Father Garrett suggested as he examined a stack of tattered books to his left.
“No thanks. I would rather be lazy.”
“I like that idea better,” he nodded as he picked up a book and flipped through it.
I leaned on the rear bookshelf and admired Father Garrett in the dim light. My heart and stomach were over-reacting already, especially after his confession of admiration. His hair and face were pleasant to look at. The shadows made him more alluring. I wondered what he looked like under the black robe. He admitted to visiting the gym at least three times a week, but he didn’t say what he did there. He could be playing shuffleboard with Father Douglas for all I knew. He glanced at me and smirked to see me staring.
“Do I have something on my robe?”
“No,” I smiled.
“Wow, this is awkward.”
“It’s not that bad,” I shrugged.
He closed the book and put it back on the shelf. Then he crossed his arms and leaned against the door to stare at me, making me very self-conscious. I frowned at him, and he smiled.
“Okay, it is a little awkward.”
“Yes, it is,” he nodded.
He straightened up and tried the door again. He even put his foot on the frame for leverage, but the humidity had expanded the wood and glued it shut.
“I hate these ancient doors,” he grumbled.
“You’re a priest. Maybe you can pray it open.”
“Not helpful, Zoe.”
“Sorry,” I grinned. “Let’s pull it together.”
Father Garrett stepped aside so we could both grip the industrial-sized handle with both hands. We counted to three and pulled with all our might. Something popped, then we both stumbled backward and crashed to the floor. Father Garrett was still holding the door handle.
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