Day 543

Our story today sits in a library half forgotten in the rural maze of dilapidated English council estates. It was on the second floor of a small series of shops, mostly food based with the exception of a tanning salon and nail bar. The shelves well stocked in all areas - overstocked in some, but empty in the children's section.

That particular section was little more than a series of rumours to the local children that included such delights as the books were made of human skin and the librarian was a corpse. They weren't too far from the truth though none of them ever dared to go there and find out. In fact the CCTV records for the shop across the street show only three people going in and out like clockwork on their set days and times. Nobody seems to recognise them and they have no online presence - they are modern day ghosts.

The library itself sits squashed between  "Declan's fish & chip" shop and "Nailz", both as worn as the nearby houses. A grubby door between them and a steep staircase lead to what looks to be an old lounge of some sort. Torn couches sprawl along one wall and a small labyrinth of books cover the remaining area, crammed to the brim but for a corner with five plastic stools that had seen better days, surrounded by empty shelves and a box of filthy stuffed animals.

The air is permeated by the stench of grease, it clings to the wall on the chip shop side and runs down in thin brown rivulets, congealing on the floor leaving large puddles that are in the process of engulfing the entire carpet.

Now the three patrons, the absolute unknown people wandering in and out of the library ignored by all. Not so much as a whisper in the playgrounds about them or why they are the only ones to go into the library each week to some unknown schedule. They all wear long brown coats with a hoodie underneath, their faces absolutely obscured. One thing I noticed from the CCTV footage was their complete lack of a shadow.

I once went to meet one of them. I waited by the library door five minutes before their usual time of arrival and ended up staying their for over an hour. footage showed that they walked right past me, waved and seemed to have a conversation that I have no recollection of. I remember waiting and then getting bored and going to the chip shop for a snack.

The footage shows they went in with me. The footage shows them walking beside me for the next few days, right by my side. It showed them following me to the security room I'm in now, reviewing the footage and writing my notes.

I still can't see them but I saw their shadow in the library yesterday. In the children's section.