Page 53 of The Missing Pages
“What’s that in the tote?” Theo playfully tugged at her bag. “A Monopoly game?”
“Not quite.”
Violet could feel Theo’s eyes trying to make out the lettering on her board.
“What is it then? Come on, just tell me.” Violet just kept silent and increased her pace.
They finally reached level C. The low ceiling and dim lights made it feel as though they were in a catacomb for books. Violet was so eager to get her research materials and return to her dorm, she nearly sprinted to the shelves that contained the Ghost Trinity books.
“Hey, slow down, I need to figure out where my book is…” Theo pulled at the strap of her tote, and stopped her. His eyes now peered down into her bag.
“A Ouija board?”
“I knew you would make fun of me.” Violet pulled away. “Just leave me alone, okay?”
“Come on. I’m not making fun of you. I don’t even know anything about them.”
“Yeah, well, the Ouija board didn’t work anyway.”
They were now standing alone in one of the long lengths of metal shelving. Books with their white call numbers sticking out from their spines.
A cool ripple of air moved through the vent. Every book on each shelf had a bookmark-sized slip of paper with its call number protruding from it. Now all the papers rippled in unison. Violet shivered.
“That was weird,” Theo remarked. “I’ve never seen that happen before. Kinda makes you think there could be a ghost down here.” He laughed.
But Violet didn’t laugh back. She stared at him, wondering just how much she could really trust him.
It was Theo, and not Violet, who suggested they find a space deep in the stacks where no one else would spot them.
“Let’s try it one more time,” he urged after she had confided to him how the one time she had tried in her dorm room had failed.
“You have me curious now,” he implored. “The ghost of Harry Widener?”
“I know it sounds crazy,” she said.
“I thought you were going to tell me you were trying to communicate with Hugo.”
“That would make more sense,” she sighed. “But that feeling I get that someone is there with me only happens when I’m in the library, particularly when I’m in the Memorial Room. It’s like Harry is watching me or something.”
Theo paused, but didn’t say anything.
“You think I’m nuts, don’t you?”
“No, Vi. I don’t. I guess I should also fess up and let you know my mom visits a psychic every now and then. It drives my dad nuts. But I think it’s kind of cool.”
Violet smiled.
“Thank you.”
“Well, come on, let’s see if that board of yours works…” Theo said. “It can’t hurt to try it one more time.”
“Are you sure?” Violet was heartened to find Theo so open-minded. “It’s probably just going to be a waste of time.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” he said and followed her toward the stacks.
They found a spot past the study carrels, deep in one of the corridors filled with a section of books that Violet believed were not very popular.
“Medieval toolmaking doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic, in my experience,” Violet joked.
