Doors to Everywhere

Ch 2

     A bright light was the first sensation when stepping through the threshold. Not just a light but a blinding white light that swallowed all visual objects around it. Lyra let her feet carry her into the brightness with no signs of hesitation, the door closing shut with an air of finality.
     The light soon started to melt away, like ice melting into a puddle. The light seemed to pool and spread at her feet, bathing the circular room into focus. The walls were lined with large arching doors. Their construction was the same but that's where the similarities ended. Each door was unique and told a story of its own. She spun slowly on the spot taking each one in.
Some were foreboding or unwelcoming, with images of dying vegetation or dark thorn brambles. Others seemed fanciful with illuminated forests or lush meadows beyond.      
     Was she meant to enter one of these doors? She shook her head, how would she choose just one of these doors to enter? At least in the woods, there was only one option. She spun once more around before her eye caught on one door in particular. The image upon the door was that of a book collector's hoard. Messy stacks of books seemed to go on and on, scraps of paper poking out of the pages.
     Lyra stepped toward this door, it seemed to be the most interesting of the lot. Getting closer made the image seem to come to life, the pages rustling with an unfelt breeze. This was the one, no other seemed to call to her. She had made her choice.
     Approaching the door she saw no knob or handle. Tilting her head she closed her eyes and softly touched the door, hoping to feel the realness of books beneath her fingers... And she did. With a start she opened her eyes, the room was gone. Like she had never been in the circular room at all. She was now surrounded by piles of volumes and tomes, some stacks even taller than she was. It was disorienting to move from one place to another without taking a single step. It was becoming increasingly clear that the world she just stepped into was nothing like the one she had just left.
     Determined to find something or someone to help her determine where she was she started weaving through the piles of books. A book may help her but there were so many littering every surface around her that she wouldn't even know where to start. There should be someone here, right? What's the point of having limitless knowledge all around without a single soul to study it?
     "Hello? Is there anyone here?" She called out as loud as she dared. She didn't want to startle anyone, but a small crash made her suspect that she had failed in that aim. Following the noise, she found a girl crouched over some books. This was no human, her skin was the color of a freshly picked peach and her hair was only a few shades darker than that. The main feature that took Lyra aback was the girl's eyes. They were the color of uncut rubies as if that was used to craft this unlikely person.
     "Hello! I'm sorry, I'm not sure how exactly I got here-" Lyra wasn't even able to complete her sentence as the girl stood excitedly and got close to her, investigating like Lyra was a book.
     "Oh! oh OH!" The girl exclaimed, giddy with excitement as she took a lock of Lyra's dark hair in her hand, feeling it. Whoever she was, personal space was not her strong suit. "You didn't come through the door, that I would have heard! There is a bell on the door, but that's the only way in! So how did you do it? the doors are barred and you aren't itsy enough to fit. That leaves only one option! you want to tell me about it or do I have to guess?!" The girl had a way of talking that was akin to a machine gun with unlimited ammo, but other than that her voice was quite lovely. Soft and not too high-pitched.
     "Uhm- Well, I was in a forest near my home and I found this door. It wasn't connected to anything. I wanted to enter, well I did enter. I was confronted by a snake before I-" Her words interrupted yet again.
     "Wait a snake? Massive? Oh my goodness You met Amaru?! I haven't even met him! oh goodness, you are an outsider! Did he send you straight here or did he send you to the alter of choosing? Oh, you lucky Zambite! I've always wanted to visit the altar of choosing! Usually, only outsiders go there! Never us native folk."   She sighed dramatically, Lyra was pretty sure that was the first breath she had taken. "You are born and raised in Alura and you get cheated out of seeing the best parts! that place is one of legend! but you saw it didn't you?!"
     "If you would let me finish I would tell you everything!" Lyra scowled at the silent girl, staring wide-eyed. She nodded, obviously giddy and Lyra continued. "Okay, well. The snake didn't speak to me, he just nodded or shook his head when I asked him questions. He knew me, but I had never seen a snake that big in my life. Only little ones. I played in those woods all of my childhood, so that would mean he has always known me. I went inside and I was in a room filled with lights and doors. Some were terrifying, but one seemed full of books. I touched the door and ended up here. I have no clue where here is. I am done."
     The girl nodded slowly as if taking in the information that was presented to her. The silence was new, Lyra wasn't sure she liked it. Grabbing her hand The stranger drug lyra, weaving through multiple stacks. Pulling a seemingly random book from a stack she ushered Lyra to a table near a window. Lyra paused before sitting down. Behind the bars on the window was a picturesque view of a serene pond. The sound of a nearby waterfall could be heard.
     "It's a nice view today." the girl's voice snapped Lyra back to the situation at hand.
     "Is it not nice every day? How could this not be nice?"
     "The library moves. That's why I get so little in the way of visitors. Most people only find it one time in their life. I am the caretaker here. I'm Uline. I'm sorry I didn't let you talk before. I don't get many guests, I got a tad bit carried away. Come sit. I can give you some background."
     Lyra sat taking in the girl, who had calmed significantly. Her face scrunched up in thought. Hopefully this would atleast help her find out where she was, and maybe even help her establish some sort of goal.