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~THE CRY OF THE NIGHT~
CHAPTER THE FIRST
Ryan was not sure how long the night had been crying.
Could have been weeks, could have been months.
Maybe it’s all just in his head.
But for as long as he could remember, the night cried out like hundreds of souls were trapped with nowhere to go.
He shifted between the various objects in the boot of the car, trying to find a comfortable position.
He didn’t.
It had been like this for the last few weeks after he ran away.
His method was simple:
Hop on a car. When the car stops, run into whatever place the car brought you to. Find a hidden place to rest and store whatever crumbs of food you have. Manage the hideout to be more homely. Remember the spot, and then go find some food.
The only reason he moved from his old place was because he was caught trying to steal some food, and was chased by the police.
He didn’t have time to grab anything from his hideout, so he was back to square one.
Even though the case ended half an hour ago, his heart was still hammering away at his ribs. It was so loud that he was beginning to worry that the driver would hear it.
The car swerved and skidded. Whoever was driving was not very good at their job.
Bang!
Suddenly the car went over a speed bump, and everything was jostled.
It was barely anything, but for Ryan squashed between a bunch of random objects, it hurt.
Something metal slammed into his forehead, and before his brain could retake control of his mouth, he cried out.
“OW!!” He yelped, and clapped his hand over his mouth.
But it was too late.
Ryan felt as the car slowed down and stopped. He heard the car door slam as the driver walked over to the boot…
Okay, thought Ryan. You’ve done this before. Leap out of the boot screaming. Maybe push someone over. Big. Threatening.
He could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer…
Finally, the boot opened.
“ARRRR-“ Bellowed Ryan, throwing his arms up.
The driver yelped and threw a sharp punch at Ryan’s jaw.
His bellow turned into a cry as he tumbled out of the boot clutching his mouth.
“Oaaahhh.” Moaned Ryan.
“Whuh yuh doo daaat?”
Then he looked up into the bright green eyes of another child.
He bugged out his eyes, opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue.
“Whuh yuh doo daaat?” He mimicked in a funny tone.
“Uh, first off,” He said, in his normal voice, “I didn’t hit you that hard. Second, you just jumped out of the boot of my car screaming your head off. I think I can be forgiven for letting a fist fly.”
“Your car?!” Ryan said.
The boy smirked.
“Okay, granted, it wasn’t mine to start with, but it is now.”
So that’s why he was such a bad driver! Thought Ryan.
He barely knew how to drive!
The strange boy grabbed Ryan’s hand and pulled him up.
He looked at Ryan for a while, seemingly deciding wether to trust him or not.
“Name’s Martin. What’s yours?” He said finally.
Ryan gulped. “I’m Ryan. Are you homeless as well?”
Martin barked a laugh.
“I barely know the definition of the word home!” He exclaimed as he climbed back into the car.
“I’ve been an urchin as long as I can remember.”
He said, climbing out of the car with a tattered bag.
“Right.” He said in a commanding tone.
“Let’s go.”
Ryan was confused.
“Go where?”
“Anywhere.” Martin called over his shoulder.
The duo walked for quite a while. Eventually, they passed a large building. A sign stood a few meters away:
“The State Library Of NSW” Is what it said.
As they drew nearer to the Library, Ryan felt more and more uneasy, as if something was trying to force itself into the workings of Ryan’s mind.
Suddenly, it felt as if Ryan had this struggling form in his mouth, like he had just eaten a large frog. He opened his mouth, but instead of coughing and retching, he said,
“Hey, Martin. How about we sneak into the library and rest in there? It’s open to the public, and we won’t be constantly battling the elements.”
Martin thought for a moment.
“Hey, that’s not actually that bad of an idea.”
Martin strolled briskly past and disappeared into the state library.
It was a clear and quiet night, but Ryan could still hear the mournful sounds of the night crying out into the blackness.
The State Library seemed ominous at night. It was completely dark, and quiet.
Way too quiet.
The massive columns looked like teeth, and the windows looked like eyes, like the library was gnashing its teeth at him.
The gargoyle on top of the roof seemed to be glaring at him…
Wait. Gargoyle?! There was no Gargoyle there before!
Ryan’s head snapped around to look at the gargoyle, but it had disappeared.
He heard an odd flapping noise above him, and a horrible, rasping screech. The pushing feeling at his head, like something was messing with the very workings of his brain was back again. He grimaced and massaged his temples. Suddenly, an agonising streak of pain burned up his spine. His head throbbed one more time and then…
It stopped.
He surveyed his surroundings again. It wasn’t so bad. The library didn’t look aggressive. The columns looked like teeth. A big, jolly smiling mouth. And as for the gargoyle and the flapping noise and the screech…
An owl.
It was an owl.
Ryan chuckled at himself for being so silly.
What was he doing dawdling out here when there was so much fun to be had at the library.
“Martin! Wait for me!”
CHAPTER THE SECOND
“This looks like a good place.” Said Martin as they entered a large, grand room.
It had long desks and tables lined up with a few computers sitting on them, and around the edges rows and rows of books.
Ryan didn’t know it, but this was the Mitchell Library Reading Room.
“This place looks pretty cool.” He remarked to Martin.
“Yeah.” Muttered Martin.
His head was throbbing again-and the sobs of the night were even louder-he wondered if these things were connected.
Suddenly, he felt that strange, frog-in-mouth sensation.
He tried to resist it, but it didn’t work.
“How about we look through the library, like we give ourselves a tour, and then decide which room we should sleep in?” He blurted.
Martin scoffed.
“Bro, this place has a million rooms.”
But Ryan still thought it was a good idea, and now he found himself wandering the hallways.
He came to a door marked ARCHIVES, and stood there, listening. The cries of the night seemed to be coming from in there.
Ryan shuddered. He didn’t want to go in there. Who knows what lurked behind that door.
But… then again…it would be nice to discover the source of the moans and groans that kept him up at night.
Yes, it really would be.
Ryan opened the door and stepped inside.
It was dark and spooky in the archives, and all he could do was wonder along the endless rows of shelves and chests.
Finally, he came to the end of the aisle.
He was just about to swing to the left and go into the next aisle, but something stopped him.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.
He suddenly felt so sad, and so lonely, that he could simply curl up somewhere and cry and moan, and it wouldn’t matter, because no one would hear him.
He slowly turned around…
And what his gaze fell on would change his life forever.
CHAPTER THE FIRST
Ryan was not sure how long the night had been crying.
Could have been weeks, could have been months.
Maybe it’s all just in his head.
But for as long as he could remember, the night cried out like hundreds of souls were trapped with nowhere to go.
He shifted between the various objects in the boot of the car, trying to find a comfortable position.
He didn’t.
It had been like this for the last few weeks after he ran away.
His method was simple:
Hop on a car. When the car stops, run into whatever place the car brought you to. Find a hidden place to rest and store whatever crumbs of food you have. Manage the hideout to be more homely. Remember the spot, and then go find some food.
The only reason he moved from his old place was because he was caught trying to steal some food, and was chased by the police.
He didn’t have time to grab anything from his hideout, so he was back to square one.
Even though the case ended half an hour ago, his heart was still hammering away at his ribs. It was so loud that he was beginning to worry that the driver would hear it.
The car swerved and skidded. Whoever was driving was not very good at their job.
Bang!
Suddenly the car went over a speed bump, and everything was jostled.
It was barely anything, but for Ryan squashed between a bunch of random objects, it hurt.
Something metal slammed into his forehead, and before his brain could retake control of his mouth, he cried out.
“OW!!” He yelped, and clapped his hand over his mouth.
But it was too late.
Ryan felt as the car slowed down and stopped. He heard the car door slam as the driver walked over to the boot…
Okay, thought Ryan. You’ve done this before. Leap out of the boot screaming. Maybe push someone over. Big. Threatening.
He could hear the footsteps getting closer and closer…
Finally, the boot opened.
“ARRRR-“ Bellowed Ryan, throwing his arms up.
The driver yelped and threw a sharp punch at Ryan’s jaw.
His bellow turned into a cry as he tumbled out of the boot clutching his mouth.
“Oaaahhh.” Moaned Ryan.
“Whuh yuh doo daaat?”
Then he looked up into the bright green eyes of another child.
He bugged out his eyes, opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue.
“Whuh yuh doo daaat?” He mimicked in a funny tone.
“Uh, first off,” He said, in his normal voice, “I didn’t hit you that hard. Second, you just jumped out of the boot of my car screaming your head off. I think I can be forgiven for letting a fist fly.”
“Your car?!” Ryan said.
The boy smirked.
“Okay, granted, it wasn’t mine to start with, but it is now.”
So that’s why he was such a bad driver! Thought Ryan.
He barely knew how to drive!
The strange boy grabbed Ryan’s hand and pulled him up.
He looked at Ryan for a while, seemingly deciding wether to trust him or not.
“Name’s Martin. What’s yours?” He said finally.
Ryan gulped. “I’m Ryan. Are you homeless as well?”
Martin barked a laugh.
“I barely know the definition of the word home!” He exclaimed as he climbed back into the car.
“I’ve been an urchin as long as I can remember.”
He said, climbing out of the car with a tattered bag.
“Right.” He said in a commanding tone.
“Let’s go.”
Ryan was confused.
“Go where?”
“Anywhere.” Martin called over his shoulder.
The duo walked for quite a while. Eventually, they passed a large building. A sign stood a few meters away:
“The State Library Of NSW” Is what it said.
As they drew nearer to the Library, Ryan felt more and more uneasy, as if something was trying to force itself into the workings of Ryan’s mind.
Suddenly, it felt as if Ryan had this struggling form in his mouth, like he had just eaten a large frog. He opened his mouth, but instead of coughing and retching, he said,
“Hey, Martin. How about we sneak into the library and rest in there? It’s open to the public, and we won’t be constantly battling the elements.”
Martin thought for a moment.
“Hey, that’s not actually that bad of an idea.”
Martin strolled briskly past and disappeared into the state library.
It was a clear and quiet night, but Ryan could still hear the mournful sounds of the night crying out into the blackness.
The State Library seemed ominous at night. It was completely dark, and quiet.
Way too quiet.
The massive columns looked like teeth, and the windows looked like eyes, like the library was gnashing its teeth at him.
The gargoyle on top of the roof seemed to be glaring at him…
Wait. Gargoyle?! There was no Gargoyle there before!
Ryan’s head snapped around to look at the gargoyle, but it had disappeared.
He heard an odd flapping noise above him, and a horrible, rasping screech. The pushing feeling at his head, like something was messing with the very workings of his brain was back again. He grimaced and massaged his temples. Suddenly, an agonising streak of pain burned up his spine. His head throbbed one more time and then…
It stopped.
He surveyed his surroundings again. It wasn’t so bad. The library didn’t look aggressive. The columns looked like teeth. A big, jolly smiling mouth. And as for the gargoyle and the flapping noise and the screech…
An owl.
It was an owl.
Ryan chuckled at himself for being so silly.
What was he doing dawdling out here when there was so much fun to be had at the library.
“Martin! Wait for me!”
CHAPTER THE SECOND
“This looks like a good place.” Said Martin as they entered a large, grand room.
It had long desks and tables lined up with a few computers sitting on them, and around the edges rows and rows of books.
Ryan didn’t know it, but this was the Mitchell Library Reading Room.
“This place looks pretty cool.” He remarked to Martin.
“Yeah.” Muttered Martin.
His head was throbbing again-and the sobs of the night were even louder-he wondered if these things were connected.
Suddenly, he felt that strange, frog-in-mouth sensation.
He tried to resist it, but it didn’t work.
“How about we look through the library, like we give ourselves a tour, and then decide which room we should sleep in?” He blurted.
Martin scoffed.
“Bro, this place has a million rooms.”
But Ryan still thought it was a good idea, and now he found himself wandering the hallways.
He came to a door marked ARCHIVES, and stood there, listening. The cries of the night seemed to be coming from in there.
Ryan shuddered. He didn’t want to go in there. Who knows what lurked behind that door.
But… then again…it would be nice to discover the source of the moans and groans that kept him up at night.
Yes, it really would be.
Ryan opened the door and stepped inside.
It was dark and spooky in the archives, and all he could do was wonder along the endless rows of shelves and chests.
Finally, he came to the end of the aisle.
He was just about to swing to the left and go into the next aisle, but something stopped him.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickled.
He suddenly felt so sad, and so lonely, that he could simply curl up somewhere and cry and moan, and it wouldn’t matter, because no one would hear him.
He slowly turned around…
And what his gaze fell on would change his life forever.