The moment I found it I was certain that was my destination
A tiny room just behind the massive bookshop
You would always pass by it unnoticed
I always passed by it and it remained unnoticed
But today I saw it, I found it and I’ve been a different person ever since
I took some quick and determined steps towards it
It was exactly as I envisioned, square, velvet colored (I love velvet by the way), it had a little wooden door
I pushed the door and it opened
It was still and quiet inside, the air was chilly almost stuffy
I looked around and noticed a desk and a chair just in the center of the room and a large bookshelf right behind it, it seemed the bookshelf was saying to the chair “I’ve got my eyes on you”
Tons and tons of books lay idle on the shelf, much had gathered dust, they seemed centuries old
I dropped my backpack on the tiny desk and it gave a loud thump, I thought that was weird, the desk was made of fragile wood
Glad I didn’t break anything, I quickly busied myself with the volumes of books on the shelf
Minutes passed by, maybe hours and I stood as if transfixed, these were secrets laid bare before my eyes
I knew I wasn’t supposed to read what I was reading and at that moment it felt so wrong to be there…but then, I couldn’t help but wonder, why was the door open…for me?
My hands quivered as I held on to the books trying to figure out what to do with what I had seen and read…it’s in my head and I can’t possibly just delete them
Just as I turned around to leave, I saw a weary old man standing by the desk, he seemed almost ethereal, his very presence commanding some absurdity
As if to emphasize my point, he flashed a wide toothy grin at me, and all I could think of was “what in the world! How did he even get here without me noticing?”
Like a trained wrestler, he did something like a triple flip and landed right beside me, before I could say a thing (supposing at that moment I could say a thing), he stretched forth his hand, “he’s demanding a handshake”, I told my exhausted brain…
I returned the handshake, with a firm grip he looked into my eyes and said something so mind evoking and gut wrenching…
I’m afraid I can’t account for his words, and I’m dreadfully sorry if by any means I have wasted a bit of your time by giving this account of my experience, it was necessary I write about it
But this one thing I’m allowed to say, “behind the bookshop, there’s a little secret room, ensure you do not pass by it without noticing it, it has a lot of things you should know”