The Library - Ninth Story

Stories

Gwen dragged her feet through the desert, walking behind No. 5 to the tequila barrel, when she noticed what looked like the corner of a trap door barely covered by dirt.

She stopped to get a closer look and by the time No. 5 noticed her absence; he was too far to stop her from sweeping off the dust to uncover it.

“Hey,” she waved at him. “Hey! Over here! I found something.”

“Leave it alone, Gwen, it’s getting late, we need to get back.”

“It’s a door!” She said emphatically.

“We don’t have time for that now, come here.”

“Might be important! What are you talking about? What if it’s provisions, or tools, a clean change of clothes? Help me open this,” she started pulling at the handle in vain, because the solid metal door was very heavy.

“You won’t be able to open that. It has an electronic lock and you don’t have the code. Leave it alone,” No. 5 engaged in a failed attempt at persuasion.

“You know what’s inside?”

“We’re not supposed to talk about it.”

“Is it a secret government facility?”

“No.”

“An alien artifact warehouse?”

“No.”

“A nuclear bunker?”

“No.”