Waterstones’ Blogger Mystery – Day Five

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 Dear Diary,

I’m still here at the mansion, the whole place is on lock down and I’m growing very tired of it all. I’m longing to get home and back to normality.

Over the last few days we’ve hardly seen the Librarian. He’s been locked away in his study and failed to join us at meal times. Speaking of food, there always seems to be plenty of it around and yet the chef never stops to talk.

Today we decided that it was time we checked in with the Librarian. We ventured into the study and were met with a dark room which was lit only with a couple of candles. The fire was on its last legs. Papers, books and notes were sprawled all across the room. I stepped into the room and the Librarian turned from his chair. He looked frail and very pale, think Mr.Burns. He acknowledged our presence and turned back to his work.

I had a strange feeling that we weren’t welcome in the study but Becky headed across to one of the tables and began to move his paperwork around. The plan was to find a space to work, help the Librarian and then ask about leaving the property. After all, we both had commitments and thought that the police should really focus on the last couple of days. I held the books as Becky continued to pile up the notes but all of a sudden the calm of the room was disturbed when she accidentally knocked over a candle. I dropped the books and ran over to help but within seconds the fire spread across the paperwork on the floor.

The Librarian screamed with horror and sprung from his chair. He gazed into the flames and quickly backed up against the nearest wall. His eyes were wide and he looked in pain. Becky dashed across the room to comfort him, but I was quickly aware that this hadn’t been a good move. The Librarian freaked out as soon as she got near to him, he lashed out at her and it was almost as though he was some strange creature with a super-human strength. All of a sudden the Librarian launched at Becky and with a single punch, splat.. that was the last of Becky.

I quickly realised that all these crazy events that had happened in the mansion were very real. The girls were dead and I was left with the Librarian who was still lashing out, convulsing and shapeshifting right in front of my eyes. I grabbed the nearest chair, which was partially alight from the fire, and moved quickly towards the Librarian.

I used the chair as a shield as we fought amongst the flames, trading blows between fist and chair. The librarian continued to contort, growing taller and more menacing with every blow. His body began to tear apart, giving way to a dense nest of pulsating tentacles that began grasping fruitlessly at the smooth chair legs. I soon realised that this wasn’t the Librarian I was fighting with, but a forgotten menace.

The fire was spreading quickly and with one last shove of the chair the Librarian momentarily lost his, no its, composure. Seizing the opportunity to flee I swung ’round and thrust the chair into the nearest window. With smoke choking the hallways, and no way of seeing which way to run It was the only way of escaping the mansion. I clambered through the broken glass, not caring if I came away with a scratch or two, rolled over the bushes and ran across the grounds of the house.

I made it onto the lawn and finally turned back to look at the mansion and catch my breath. The fire had spread quickly and the ground floor was alight with flames and bellowing thick, black smoke. Another good photo opportunity, but not quite the appropriate time. I glanced at my phone, one bar of signal, at last! I called the fire brigade and then the police before falling to the ground. I could hear a terrible shrill and distressing shrieking sound coming from the mansion, whatever was in there was burning to death. At last, it was going to be gone.

You can read my first entry here, find out how you can win a £50 voucher and keep up to date with the latest clues on Twitter.