Magic Library

• Akshara Siddu, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2020

The dust sprinkled me like snowflakes as I reached over to brush the ceiling with my ragged broom that must have been one hundred years old. After I finished, I carefully looked at my handywork around the room, feeling pleased. Knock, knock, knock, the beautiful wooden carved door unbolted revealing a woman with thousands of lightly dented lines and a big turquoise full-sleeved silk dress that was decorated with silky teal bows and ribbons. Her curly charcoal black hair was done up in a tight bun.
‘Now go to your filthy room and DO NOT come out!’.
She hissed out as soon as she saw me. As I promptly walked past her, she pulled out her 3 metres long cat skin whip from her side pocket and lashed out on my legs. I could feel tears surge from my eyes. I bit my lip and my fingers curled into white balls of fists as I loped out of the room. The pain was burning hot fire dancing around my legs.
My name Is Emma and I am 12 years old. This family took me in when they found me at their doorstep at the age of one and started to treat me like a worthless piece of rubbish at an early age. It was apparent that I was unwanted, but I was useful for one thing. Housework. I was given stale bread every day with a small wooden bowl of water.
As I opened the door to the attic, little mice scurried to hide in shadows. I then bent over to gently massage my legs, then leaned on the brick wall next to the tattered mattress I slept on as a tear trickled down my cheek.
Click! I fell backwards through the wall into a sitting position. There was gap in the shape of an archway through the attic brick wall. My stomach did a flip, and my heart was beating rapidly as I slowly turned around. I could have fainted, but the sight was too good to miss. As I got up and tip-toed forward, I was bathed in the warmth of sunlight. Suddenly a flick of hope and awe was lit in my heart. It slowly spread around me, giving warmth and energy to me. It was wonderous, amazing, magnificent, brilliant, glorious. It was magical. The floor and the high ceiling were marble, and millions and millions of shelves made of brass. There were books all sizes. There were at least 5 levels of books and shelves. In the middle of the room there were three soft and thick chairs with three spheres, each resting on three-legged stands, in between the chairs. They each had a map of countries all around the world and they all glistened with a stunning golden aura. It was a library. I was unwanted at this house. I would not be missed. There was only one thing in my mind that made me finally get up from the last eight painful years. Hope.