Lost: A Ghost

Why Are You Like This?

DAY 7

Click.

...Did it just--?

I peeled an eye open and glanced down at the black block in my lap.

Holy Yvrack! I actually did it!

I couldn't help the stupid grin creeping across my lips as I pried the cover open at long last.

...

Wait, what?

The first page...was blank!

No-No-No-No--that can't be right!

I tore frantically through the pages of the book--scoured it from front to back and back again.

Blood and ashes! This was a grelklorking waste of time! I seethed. The yvracky thing is grelklorking empty!

Blood boiling, my anger bubbling over, there was no restraint in my strength as I hurtled the book at the wall.

Crash!

Thump!

The book slammed against the solid surface with a loud bang before clattering noisily to the floor.

Yvrack! Hope no-one heard that. I cursed myself, leaping up to survey the damage I'd caused.

Luckily the wall wasn't too badly dented--it would be easy to fix later--but the book had definitely seen better days.

I picked it up to inspect the damage to the spine, only to watch as a crinkled, yellowed page slipped out.

Yvrack! Araes's gonna kill me if he finds out! I groaned, carefully closing the book before retrieving the lost page.

...hold on a second...

I turned the older looking paper over to find the back soaked in dark ink.

This ones' got writing!

My eyes widened.

Small, curved black letters bloomed across the top of the page.

This is...ancient dragonic?

I jumped at my desk and fumbled through the drawer for a scrap of paper. I slapped the papers down on the desk and yanked the cap off my ink pot. Cursing silently, I wiped ink from my hands and got to work translating the runes on the page.

Wha--what is this? I frowned down at my paper, convinced there was an error in my translation.

"Eep!" A shiver shot up my spine and my claws reflexively flexed out at the sudden knock on the door.

"Excuse me? Sorry to bother you, but is everything alright? I heard a loud noise," a sweet voice--the voice of a younger girl--called softly through the door.

I frowned down at my shredded paper as I retracted my claws.

"Yes, everything is fine," I answered, slipping over to the door.

I wiped my ink-stained hands on my shorts again before cracking open the door.

"Did you need anything else?" I asked, glancing over the green scaled lamia in the hall. She was taller than me.

The girl pressed her hands together and her scales rustled against the floor as she shifted her tail.

"Um...no, I was just-- it sounded like something broke so I wanted to make sure you were ok," she mumbled, looking uncomfortable; she refused to meet my eye.

"Well, if there's nothing else..." I stepped back to close the door.

The girl suddenly stopped me, shoving her tail in the door.

"Hold on!" I gave her a look and she fidgeted again." S-sorry! I just--the runes on your desk--sorry! It's none of my business! I'll just go."

The girl hung her head and turned to go, but I found myself stopping her.

"Wait. You can read dragonic runes?"

She nodded," I know a fair amount."

"Mind helping me for a second?"

I didn't give her a chance to answer before pulling her into the room.

I sat her down at the desk and handed her the paper with the original runes.

"Can you translate this?" I asked, handing her a clean quill.

"U-Um...well, I can try. You don't mind?"

I nodded and sat back to watch her work.

A few minutes passed before I heard the girl sigh.

I looked up from my book as she leaned back in her chair and handed me the paper she'd written on.

"...Are you sure this is right?" I asked after glancing over the page.

The girl nodded, rubbing her eyes," I don't really get it either, but I'm positive my translation is accurate."

"That's hard to believe," I mumbled, frowning at the letters on the page.

"What once was lost now is found. The key of hope lies beneath the gone crown," the girl stretched her arms over her head." So, do you know what it means? I'm assuming it's a riddle of some kind."

"No clue, but I do know someone who might," I answered, carefully folding the page into my pocket." Thanks for the help..."

"Oh--! My name's Nina. Nina Redwood," the green haired lamia smiled, revealing a sharp set of fangs as she offered me a hand.

"Jivrai," I said, shaking her hand.

"Well, I guess I'll be going now," Nina slid off the chair." See you around?"

"Sure."

I watched her leave, and, when the hallway was quiet again, I slipped the book from under my ink-spotted pillow and shoved it into my bag.

After tugging on a shirt, I grabbed my bag and slipped out into the hall.

My bare feet pattered softly against the stone floors as I made my way through the dorm building.

By the light of the moon growing higher in the sky, I crept silently across the yard to the faculty building. Slipping around to the back of the building, I secured my bag on my back and carefully started scaling the side of the building.

I crawled up to the third floor and slipped a claw under the hallway window. Popping it open, I ducked inside and shut the window softly behind me.

Glancing around the dim hallway, I started making my way down to the end of the hall where I knew he'd be.

When I got to the only room on the floor, I jiggled the handle on the door. Unsurprisingly, it was locked.

Well, I guess it's a good thing I kept this, I smirked to myself, pulling my master key from my bag.

The door opened with a quiet click and I stepped inside.