“Anthro..podermic... bibliopegy” I slowly whispered to myself, while sitting at one of the large wooden tables in the dusty old library’s main room. I gently pushed a strand of my long dark chestnut hair behind my ear, as my large green eyes intently raced across the pages of an old yellowed manuscript.
It was my first time being in this particular library, and I had been instantly smitten with its archaic aesthetics upon entry. The outer architecture of the beautifully constructed large stone building had been inspired by the Castello di Miramare in Italy. Which is why it was named “The Maple Miramare Library.” On the inside, it was lined with finely carved dark oak and cedar detailing the archways, railings, and stairwells.
The main room was split into two levels. The lower level had a maze of bookshelves and a checkout desk. A short spiral staircase led to the upper platform, which was more like a balcony, where there was plenty of seating and tables for people to study at. Decorative wooden panes outlined the large windows, revealing a peaceful view of a winding stream with a small man-made waterfall. A variety of trees, which were just starting to change into their autumn colors, shaded the flowing water and stretched up into the afternoon skyline. There weren’t too many other people here at the time, so I practically had the whole upper level to myself.
I had just transferred to Mount Graybirch, a historical bucolic college which was hidden away in the middle of a panorama of lofty New England mountains, in a small town called Sycamore Valley. It was my junior year, and I came here not because I had chosen this particular campus, but because I was unexpectedly offered free tuition to compensate for the untimely death of my late Aunt Elowynn. She had been a guidance counselor for the school and had mysteriously died in a freak accident inside of this very library.
I was currently studying for one of my first literature assignments, which was to write a paper on unusual literary practices. I, being the weirdo that I am, chose to write it on the art of binding books in human skin. Yes, it’s disturbing, I know. But, I had been inspired by my late Aunt’s odd obsession with a particularly creepy occult book. One that so happened to be bound in human skin. My aunt and I were close before she passed and her strange curiosities had always fascinated me.
I sat there, peacefully reading and scribbling down my notes. The sounds of birds pleasantly chirping outside, and the distant whispers of others lingering down below softly resounded through the room. I’m not sure what suddenly came over me, but I began to get an anxious feeling as if I were being closely watched. It felt like I had just been joined by an eerie unseen presence, which sent an unsettling shiver up my spine. I looked around and saw nothing unusual. No one was even looking my way. So, I shook my head trying to regather my thoughts and continued my work in silence.
About an hour had passed, and the early autumn sun had begun to hang low on the horizon, casting its golden evening light over me. I was about to pack up my things and leave, when all of a sudden, a large figure eclipsed the rays of light from my face, casting a darkened shadow over me that felt like a foreboding premonition. I looked up in confusion, and my heart nearly stopped, causing me to almost fall right out of my goddamn chair.
Holy smokes...
There, seated before me, was probably the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes upon in all of my life. His long raven black hair fell around his perfect masculine ethereal face and cascaded down the length of his torso. The dark color beautifully contrasted his stunning ivory skin tone. He had a jawline that was literally sharp enough to slice me right in two and dusted with just the right amount of stubble, which grew slightly longer around his chin. Everything he wore on his large muscular frame, from his jacket to his boots, was adorned in solid black, and I think if he were standing he’d reach to be about 6′6.
His eyes were what really mesmerized me though. They glittered a beautiful amber-gold color, mirroring the golden rays of the late sun shining behind him, with irises ringed in black. They were the most gorgeous eyes I’d ever gazed upon, and, they were looking right at me so intently they could have burned an actual hole through my head.
I quickly looked back down at my papers trying to ignore him. He was just way too fucking hot to even look at. My heart pounded in my chest and butterflies danced in my stomach.
“Ehem.” He said while covering his mouth as if he were coughing, very obviously trying to get my attention.
Oh shit. Is this hotter than a hopping jalapeno guy actually going to talk to me?
I curiously peeked up at him, not wanting to seem as flustered as I felt.
“Hello, I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve been doing a lot of studying over here.” He said matter of factually the moment our eyes met while looking me up and down with a sly smirk. His mesmerizing voice was deep and silky.
I remained silent and frozen in place, trying desperately to remember how to verbally respond. Had he been the one watching me?
“Yeah, I- I suppose have been.” I shyly managed to stammer back, while barely even looking at him. My cheeks flushed a deep rubescent, as my mind scrambled for something to add to that... I came up with nothing.
His golden eyes inquisitively raced across my face, as if he were carefully searching for something inside of me. I could tell that he was struggling to add to this “conversation” as much as I was, and I certainly wasn’t making it easy for him.
“Well...” He grabbed one of my papers and swiftly pulled it up to his face. “...Gwendolyn, what is it that you’re studying about?” His gaze stayed glued to my assignment while he spoke. It was as if he were desperately seeking an answer to some unknown question.
Okay... That was really odd. Couldn’t he have just asked for my name?
“I’m sorry, um, who are you?” I asked, feeling slightly surprised by this guy's intrepid behavior and lack of introduction, but also still intimidated by how smolderingly sexy he was.
He didn’t answer. He slowly lowered my paper back down, and sat there, frozen perfectly still, blankly staring me directly in the eyes for a long awkward moment. All of a sudden, he quickly snatched another one of my papers from the table, reminding me of a snake striking its prey, and boldly started looking it over.
His eyes lit up as if he had finally found whatever it was he was looking for. “Anthropodermic bibliopegy, the art of binding books using human skin? Well now, that’s certainly an interesting topic.” He let out a low chuckle and seductively smirked at me, causing heat to suddenly swim between my legs.
“What the!? Give that back!” I snapped, with my shy demeanor flying right out the damn window. “It’s for an essay I’m writing.” I whispered, remembering where I was. It was becoming quite apparent that this guy was kind of a weirdo, but I still didn’t want him thinking that I was some sort of a psychopath or anything.
Seriously though, Who the fuck does this incredibly alluring stranger think he is? The nerve of him to sit down so close to me uninvited, then swipe up and read my papers without asking. Who even does that!?
I couldn’t quite read the look on his face. Mischief? Excitement? Cunning and evil? Whatever it was, it looked like he wanted something from me, and it was a bit unsettling.
He held out my paper, which I swiftly snatched back. With a wicked grin twisting across his downright sinful-looking lips, he leaned over the table, inching his face closer to mine. It was as if he was planning to tell me some deep dark secret. A few strands of his silky hair fell forwards, coiling on the smooth wooden surface. The closer he got, the wider my eyes grew, as his shadowy frame loomed over me.
“Between you and me, I’ve heard that this library may contain a human-bound book. Perhaps, it would be of use to you for your studies. Although, no one has seen it in years, so you might have to ask around for it.” He tapped his chin as if thinking.
I awkwardly cleared my throat. “Oh really? Is that so?” I asked while trying to hide the fact that I was now feeling slightly nervous. My hands lightly trembled as I started to hastily gather my things. I was intrigued by what he had to say, but this interaction was sort of bizarre, and I was starting to seriously get the creeps.
He noticed my eager attempt at packing up and frowned. “You’re leaving so soon?” Strangely, he seemed genuinely disappointed.
“Yeah, I need to get home. I have hungry cats to feed and stuff...” I trailed off not wanting to seem rude and pulled my bag over my shoulder.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you around then, Buttercup.” He said while leaning back into his chair with a wide grin and a flirtatious wink.
Buttercup?
I gave him a quick side glance with a confused expression. “Well, goodbye then.” I said before quickly walking out of there, not once looking back... What a fucking weirdo.
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