The Library

Dixon Carter Lee

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Nov 22, 1999
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The New York Public Library had always seemed magical to me, from its glass encased Medieval Bibles, to its marbelled columns, to the the two Gothic Lions which guard its entranceway. And inside, one of the greatest research Libraries in the word; a treasure-trove of historical material gathered from the four corners of the world, and from the annals of history. I could spend days inside its halls, haunting the shadowy shelves, reading volume after volume beneath the green lamps, unearthing lost cities, traveling to Panama with Teddy Roosevelt, exploring the African coast with the Portuguese, matching wits with Hercule Poirot, introducing Maro Polo to the Great Khan, raising Mephistopholes for Dr. Faustus, discovering radioactivity, laughing with Petruchio, and inventing the telegraph. To me the New York Public Library was a virtual world in itself.

A world which soon became too real. Much too real.

My name is John Smith. No lie. If dreary were a virtue my parents would be deacons of the church. They couldn't come right out and call me "Dull as Dirt" so they named me John Smith instead. They were farmers, though, for the life of me, I can't tell you what it was we actually farmed. I never saw anything come off that land except dust. That's what we were, a family of dust. We ate dust, talked dust, looked like dust, and slept in tight little balls of curled up balls of dust, like bunnies under the divan waiting to be swept away.

Somewhere around my tenth birthday I got a copy of "Huckleberry Finn" and suddenly found myself flying down the Mississippi River and meeting up with con men and having all kinds of spectacular excitements. Suddenly the world wasn't dusty. It was glorious and sunny and full of adventure. From that time on I did nothing but read, read and read, every chance I could, whenever I wasn't forced to spend an afternoon in the fields with Pop tilling the dust.

I moved to New York as fast as I damn well could and took a job as a librarian in one of the midtown branches, though I dreamed of working in the main library. I'd visit it every weekend. Somehow, books "read" better there.

I wouldn't say I didn't have any friends (outside of Pip and Fagin and Christopher Columbus), but if I did I can't tell you their names. I had my books, and that's all I needed. I didn't much care for characters of flesh and blood. They never quite behaved the way I thought they ought to, and always seemed to want to know things about me, about how many children I had in my family and what did I think of the new shortshop that just got traded and whether I liked Pop or Jazz better. I found that if I carried a book with me I could retreat fairly well with the excuse, "I've just got to finish this chapter."

And so I had more or less retreated from the real world, to the more glorious world I found within the volume filled stacks of my church. And so there I was, praying over a copy of "Ivanhoe", when I saw Professor Guilgood approach. He was another library haunter, like me, and we often spoke about whatever new books or research we happened to come across. The Professor was forever trying to find some mystical holy grail he called "The Twin Orbs", an apocryphal pair of spirit stones from some tale he found in an obscure book on Hopi magic.

"How goes the search, Professor?" I asked as he sat beside me.

"My boy!" he said, excitedly. "I've found them! I've found them! Buried beneath the Arizona desert, just outside of Flagstaff, exactly where you thought they might be.

"Me?"

"You were the one who suggested pre-European burial sites." He said, clapping me on the back. "It took some doing, but I managed to find a site where some of the earliest members of the Hopi nation were buried. Thirty feet down I found them – the Stones! Just as the texts described them!"

"Shh!" said a woman nearby, trying to read some tiny paperback she'd brought with her.

"That's amazing." I whispered. "I'd love to see them."

"I have them my boy! I have them here!" said the Professor, not trying at all to be quiet, and taking two stone balls out of his satchel. They may have been painted at one time, but 10,000 years beneath the Arizona desert had turned them black.

"They just look like, well, round, rocks." I said.

"The inscriptions on the stones we found near them tell us exactly what they are." said the Professor, excitedly. "They're 'Journey Globes'. Not quite sure what the Hopi used them for, only that they're quite ancient, and were supposed to be quite potent."

"How do they work?" I asked.

"According to some of what I've read they're supposed to work upon contact. You just touch them, you see, and you're instantly transported."

"Where?" I asked.

The Professor shrugged. "Who knows? I've been holding them for two weeks now, and the only place I've gone is to the Newark Airport."

"I suppose they send you on a Vision Quest, or something like that." I surmised. "If the balls send you away, what brings you back?"

"Only one ball sends you away." explained the Professor. "The other brings you back. At least I think that's how it goes. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I have them! I HAVE them!"

"Shhhhhhh!" said the woman, deep into her Jackie Collins.

"Can I have a look?" I whispered.

"Certainly my boy. I was hoping you'd be here today. Take one."

I grabbed one of the stones. It felt heavy and cold in my hand.

And in the next instant I was standing in a field on a grassy hill. A tribe of Masi warriors were killing an antelope beneath the canopy of a nearby forest. Above me a Pterodactyl slid through the air cawing for its young. A volcano rumbled in the distant, ashing the azure sky with a grey plume of smoke. A castle rose over a nearby hill. And beside me a wide river tore through the landscape, its lapping waves carrying a small boy on a raft.

"Hallo." said the boy, poling his way over to the bank. He was smoking a corn pipe and had a face so full of freckles they looked like the were about to push each other off his face. "I'm Huck." he said. "Who are you?"

In my hand I held one stone ball. Something told me that I'd better find the other one – and soon.
 
All i can say dixon is....wow.....i have never seen such a begining! THIS IS INCREDABLE! now can u give me some kind of forum to get in this i can tell it can be a doosie!
 
Gary was at the computer table. Eight hours of studying straight, and he still didn't know anything about the roman culture.
Gary decided he would get a drink, take a rest, and start all over again, hopefully it would stick this time.
He walked to the other side of the library. There was a fellow student, catching up on the quantuim theories. He saw a woman, deeply into a book, must have been one of those stupid romances. Then there was a man, floating into a book, and another older woman who seemed to be...
Floating into a book?
Gary looked back. There was a book, and a small swirl of smoke. The man wasn't there.
There was another man sitting where he used to be. Gary recognized him as Professor Guilgood. He had sit in on a couple of his lectures at his local college.
The professor looked around. Gary walked up to him, "Where did he go?"
The professor looked deep in thought, he was trying to think, "I guess he must have gone into the book."
The book? How in the world, Gary looked at the book, wondering what this was all about. There, was a blank page. It had only one line, and it seemed to keep going, as if on some sort of conveyor belt. He read it aloud.
"freckles they looked like the were about to push each other off his face. "I'm Huck." he said. "Who are you?"
Gary realized the shock of it as soon as he read it.
"You mean this guy is in the book, Huckleberry Finn?"
The professor looked back at him, realizing that this was the work of the stones, "No, I don't think so, but you are on the right track. Yes, I see now. I understand."
Gary was glad some one did, this was starting to confuse him.
"We need to get in there, and help him. Come on."
"Wait," Gary said, he didn't think jumping around in books, saving some guy was exactly what he had in mind, besides he had to study.
"Come on," the professor grabbed his hand, then touched the book. Gary felt instantly like he was in limbo. He was weightless, yet then he felt something pull him towards it. Faster and faster until...
Gary could see he and the professor were on a grassy hill. The place was beautiful, he couldn't help but wonder at it's
Two people came running right towards them. One, a mere boy, with a corn pipe in his mouth, and another man.
"Run," he said, passing them, "Come on guys, Run."
Gary did as he was told.
 
Vixen sat in a tree overlooking a grassy hill. She was enjoying a bit of peace and quiet, the sunshine warm on her face. Suddenly she tilted her head and frowned. She stood up on her branch, clearly comfortable with her balance, she climbed higher and looked out into the distance. As her gaze focused, she saw four people running towards her. She pondered this... "hmmm... I could have sworn I heard the sound of... " the thought trailed off as she saw what was coming after them.

"DAMN!" She cried out... "and I thought today was going to be quiet!" She slide down to the main bow of the tree and did a neat sommersault, landing lightly on her feet on the ground. She whistled shrilly, and immediately her horse Tridant came galloping from a short distance away. She ran towards him and jumped easily onto his bare back. "Okay boy, looks like we're gonna have to warn the village ahead... " she grinned to herself, wondering if those four people were gonna make it to the township in before... the others did. She kicked her Tridant up into a gallop and let out a whooping cry, to warn the village of the approach.
 
Wosolla had been the headman of the village for only a cycle. His dream of becoming a great ruler, lost in the demands of daily survival. The people must have food, shelter and protection. His imposing height and musculature aided his judicial duties. His strength kept the enemies at bay. But nothing he did could make it rain. The crops were dying. A new illness had taken 7 children while he watched helplessly. Now the mountain was a flame.

Sitting cross legged by the fire, he sites a lone rider heading toward the village. Wrapping a blanket around himself and putting a headband on to hold back is long hair, he stands to met the rider.
 
Stats:
Name: Genjaro
Proffesion: Warrior(not mage, okay?)
Weapon: Dual knightly swords, mace, bow and arrow
Armor: Encahnted shield, Armor of Light
Description: Muscled, intelligent, blonde hair, black eyes, he is a pro. He is not invincible! He is not a mage! He is a human mortal!

IC:

Genjaro raced after the thieves, soon catching up with one and shattering his skull with a mace. He put the bloody mace away, and spurred his horse for more speed. When in range, he pulled out his bow and put an arrow into the scum's heart. Both thieves lay on the ground, completely dead, he searched their bodies and found the jewels they had stolen, after returning them to the woman, he wiped away the sweat of training. After asking where the next nearest village, he mounted his horse, Avatar, and sped off.
 
Vixen reigned in her steed as she saw a tall man stand watching her arrival. She slipped off the horse easily and flicked her long dark hair over one shoulder. She walked smoothly, a slight wiggle to her hips as she approached him. He noted her smile and her warm brown eyes sparkling. "Greetings Sir," her breath was only slightly puffed from her exhuberant ride. "I've just come from, oh... two leagues from here. I saw a large party of horsemen coming at great speed in your direction. Unless you were expecting them, I think perhaps, you should look into your defenses." She looked around, clearly thinking to herself that their best defense might in fact be fleeing as the four lone figures on foot had been when she left her tree.

She looked back up at the man and realised she hadn't introduced herself, although most around here knew of her. "My name is Vixen Sir... I'm sorry if I'm the bearer of bad news..." she was cut off as her horse nudged her determinedly from behind. "Tridan!" she gasped in frustration, "what IS it?" The horse whinnid and both herself and the man looked to see the four lone figures running frantically into the village.

"Ah..." Vixen almost laughed, "seems those four made it, much faster than I gave them credit for really."
 
Gary was running out of breath. Two years of nothing but studying, and now he had to run for his life? This wasn't his idea of a study break.
"So,"he said, between deep breaths, "We are in a fictitious world, where every book, novel and story all come together?"
The professor looked back at him, he obviously wasn't used to this either, "In rude, lamens terms, Yes."
Thats all Gary needed to know, he had stopped trying to figure this out as soon as he saw that other man, John was his name, just disappear into the book.
Gary looked behind them, the Masi warriors were gaining, and he was about to keel over and pass out.
"And what about you, Huckleberry? Anything else to add to our wonderful picnic in magical land?" sarcasm was his way of dealing with things, so sue him.
Huck just looked at him, "How 'bout a little less talkin, and a little more runnin'."
Gary got the point. Up ahead was what seemed to be a small village. If somehow they could only make it there Gary was sure...
The cramp snuck up on him, all of the sudden Gary layed on his side. The pain was horrible. He couldn't get up, he couldn't move.
The other three kept running. He was behind, to face the slaghter from the warriors. He tried to get up, but the pain doubled, sending him sprawling to his back.
"Someone is getting a call from my lawyer," Gary said, holding onto his stomache. It felt as if it were going to explode.
 
Woslooa eyes the woman suspiciously. He expects no visitors, but he expected no warning.
"I AM the village defense,..Vixen. Why do you bring me this warning?" He stares deep in her eyes, searching for her heart. His facial tattoos appearing to spiral out from his eyes, deep and dark.
"Seemed the thing to do," staring back at the man, "Now I'm wondering why I bothered!"
"I'm sorry for my abruptness." He sees her heart is true. "I see now that you mean us well. My name is Wosolla. I am the headman of this village. We are poor in wealth and arms. If these riders mean harm to my people, I must face them." The headman walks to a nearby hut and grabs a long thick staff. It has iron shod and pointed ends. Standing at the edge of the village he sheds his blanket and stands akimbo dresses only in a loincloth. He whirls the staff testing it's weight, and drives one end in the ground.
"Know you these others?' Wosolla says pointing to the 4 runners approaching them.
"No, but I think they need some defense also."
 
Vixen eyed Wosolla clearly thinking he was insane. He was going to face them with a staff? She shook her head and watched as only three runners continued forward. She squinted and saw the one other was on the ground. She frowned, what was he doing? She thought.

Exasperated, and feeling very put out at her relaxing day being shatter she jumped onto Tridant and urged him back out towards the fallen man and the oncoming warriors. With an incredible display of flexibility, she slide across the horses back as she neared the man, seeming to only hold onto the horse with one strong leg. She clutched the man's shirt and pulled hard just as her steed responded to her subtle leg movements and turned, the momentum pulled the man groaning to his feet. "GET UP DAMN IT!!" Vixen yelled at him. He managed to grab Vixen's arm securely. She pulled, feeling him grab at her waist ineffectively.

"DAMN!... " she thought, "what's wrong with him?" She tugged with all her might and finally managed to get him across Tridants back. He lay stomach down across the horses back. He could see the slender leg of the rider right near his face and then he moaned in pain as the horse moved. Each pounding movement pushing the air out of his lungs...
 
Yet another Roland Referance! LOL!

OOC: this reference im using isnt a book ok
IC:
Rei: as i was walking along Yarll road i noticed somthing was happening in the town of McNeil...i ran up the road and ran into Peco who was running down the road with fear in his eyes..i ran towards the town and saw a giant energy portal with a scene of a small town in it....i saw all the villagers cowering away from it...i whipped out my knives and the people cheared! i ran and jumped in the portal to see what evil is happening. there hasent been this much exitement scince i left rolando for this place. i went through a huge tunnel and landed in the village..i looked over to the road where i had heard a huge sound and saw with pure amazement....
"Vixen!"
 
Aline heard a noise; she was meant to be researching for her novel- she was trying to break into the writing market, but sadly fantasy was a genre that was dying... she had hopes that she would eventually leave her job working in Starbucks and have a nice, classy aparment just like Rachel's and Monica's... and have the 'friends' that went with the flat too. But that was another dream.
So she followed the noise, feeling very much like one of her characters in her stories, except she had no powers or bravery that went with it. She screamed when she saw what was ahead of her, but the rest of the library was completely oblivious to what was going on. The did not hear he get sucked into another world...
...with a faintly organic sound she landed on something soft. It whimpered pathetically as she landed on it...
 
MacKenzie:

she walked around the library picking up books people seemed to lazy to put away. It's your job Mac, a voice whispered in her head.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it," she mumbled to no one.

She only had this job to put herself through college and pay for the kickboxing lessons her mother had insisted on. She was moving to a big city by herself, her mother wouldn't have offered to help her out with money if she hadn't promised to take kickboxing lessons while she was here. She had to admit it payed off. It gave her 5'8 frame the thin toned look of some supermodels, except she had hips and breasts to accompany it. With long raven locks and eyes that could be ice blue or steely silver, she was quite a hit with the men. But she was more interested in getting through school so she could become one of those big business bitches.

She picked up a left over book on a table, blinked, and was all of a sudden in a clearing. WHAT THE HELL!? MacKenzie started walking towards what looked to be many men on horseback, riding toward a village.

What other choice did she have?
 
Joe walked into th Library. She knew Professor Guildgood hade come in here lokking for some guy named John. Who if I fid I'm gonna kill, she thought.
Joe was 18 and this was her third year as the"Mad" professors teaching aide. Because she had graduated so early in life no college would let her teach until she was 21. So she had gotten a job as guildgoods assistant. Oh joy Oh rapture.
Joy spotted the Professors bag sittig on a table with a stack of books. A woman looked in one of the books next to her and was sucked into the book. Joe lookedin the Professors bag for.....Wait a minute! People don't get sucked into books!
"Professor!" she groaned. In his bag was the seond stone. Joe looked at the papers beside the book. John Smith.
Great, she thought, I'm going to have to go bail the Professor out again. Joe picked up the bag andlokked at the book. Shew felt something grab ahold of her. Suddenly she was falling throught theair. She landed on someone.
"Ump"
Joe olled off the man. She looked around. "Hmmmm. I'm guessin I'm not in Kansas any more." e reached down to help the man she had fallen on up." Thanks for breaking my fall." She looked around the...village? She spotted the object of her iternal eadache.
"PROFESSOR!"
 
Woslooa stood firm in front of his village. People kept appearing between him and the horde. He calmly waved to them.

"Come into the village. Hurry the horde is closing. In the village come! There is safety here!" He walked to the fire and grasps a flaming brand. Returning to his post again he urges the people on.

"Come, there is safety in the village."
 
Vixen and Tridant made it back to the village in time to hear Woslooa's words. Vixen felt safe hearing them, she had to shake her head to clear it. Was she crazy? One man against a horde? She dumped the man's body in front of his three companions. She heard the "ooomph" as he fell and this was enough for her to assure he was still alive at least. She looked back seeing the horses getting closer. Should she and Tridant leave this village? Clearly an attack was immenent. "Okay" she thought to herself, "go then... off ya go..." She wasnt moving. Why wasn't she moving? Since when did she have this overwhelming need to stay and make sure everything was alright?

She scowled to herself and resigned herself to the fact she was here to stay. At least for now.
 
MacKenzie:

She ran toward the village and had almost made it, but one of those men on horseback nabbed her, shoving her face down onto his horse. She had always liked horses, but this wasn't how she wanted to ride one. She would have used her kickboxing but he didn't really give her much of a chance. He kicked his horse into a gallop and headed toward the village. MacKenzie had to use all her strenghth just to stay on the damn horse.

She took some deep breaths. She had to think of some way to get out of this, but nothing seemed to be coming. She would just have to wait until the horse stopped and the rider got off.
 
Gary fell with a plop on his ass. The wind knocked out of him.
He couldn't believe it was HER. Vixen, the one from the Vixen Chronicles. He had every one of the books, especially the lost book where it showed Vixen's terrible past and revealed her secret from long ago. Gary had loved the short lived t v show, which after one year went into sindication on 3 in the morning on the Sci Fi channel. Garret even had two copies of the movie, Vixen. The original, and the director's cut. He looked at her adoringly.
One thing popped into his head. She looked nothing like Brooke Shields or Dorothy Alden, she looked exactly like he had pictured her in his mind when he first read The Night and the Sword.
She was a goddes, to him, at least. He couldn't believe that now, he actually got to meet her, and touch her, she wasn't just on paper, she was real.
Gary tried to get a hold of himself, he went over to the professor.
"Ok, I believe you have some explaining to do."
 
Rei:"uh excuse me young man..." i tapped gary
"why were you eyeballing Vixen overthere?"
 
Gary looked at him. For some reason he looked familiar too. Something he had read long ago, Gary couldn't put his finger on it.
"I was just, ummm... ," lying wasn't as easy as he thought, "I was just admiring the woman who saved my life."
Then it hit him.
"Wait a minute. Stephen King, you are Roland the gunslinger. I remember you. Wow, can I have your autograph?"
Gary pulled out a piece of paper, there were tons of celebrities here.
Gary chuckled as he gave him the paper, "This is awesome, hey guess what I remembered the face of my father."
Gary was in heaven, he couldn't believe the famous character was right next to him.
Gary wondered how he got here?
 
OOC: thats Revolver the Gunslinger. buuuut i can let it slide. also it was REI that tapped you not Rolando he comes later ok?
 
OOC: I have read the books, his name is Roland. And I didn't get a bio of Rei, so I assumed that it was the same as Roland
 
OOC: oooh i see! i get it now. If you want a bio of rei here it is OK?
Name: Rei Tigero
Height: 6'3
weight: 220
HomeTown: McNeil
Reference: Video game BOF3
Quote: Dont That just beat all?

you are using the book version of Rolando. i c.....well then i am gonna use Rei because of this ok? im not totaly familiar with the book version because i havent read it in a while.
 
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