Page 88 of Midnights
The deeper we go, the more…offeverything feels. A strange tingling spreads through my fingertips, like the air around us is charged. There's a faint humming static that lingers against my skin as I rub my arms.It’s probably just old wiring.
I don't know what happened, but it feels like something is curling up my spine or like someone is watching me.
I look at Rachel and she’s totally unbothered, strolling like we’re window-shopping instead of wandering into what is definitely the start of a horror movie. It is obviously just me.
We round a corner and the walls are lined with old paintings staring right at us.
The only thing that would make this moment perfect is if the paintings started moving.Hogwarts, here I come…
I swear to God… the eyes follow us as we pass. I tilt my head, squinting, trying to get a better look but it's all in my head.
The dim light overhead flickers slightly, casting warped shadows against the floor. The easy hum of life from the library fades into an eerie, stretched out silence. A chill shoots down my spine again and I shiver.
“You get the feeling we shouldn’t be here?” I murmur.
Rachel hums thoughtfully. “Nope.”
I arch a brow. “Even when the walls are literally watching us?”
She side-eyes the paintings, then shrugs. “Maybe they’re just jealous.”
I choke on a laugh.Of course that’s her response.
She tosses me a look that says get over it and keeps walking. Meanwhile, I keep my eyes on the paintings a little longer.Just in case.
We round another corner and at the end of the hall, there's a door that's slightly open. It's not open enough to see inside, but it's enough to be tempting. My steps slow as the prickling nervousness creeps up the back of my neck again.
There’s something about this place…
I look around, taking in the space with fresh eyes. The vases lining the walls, the faint smell of something like aged wood and the barest trace of cologne. It’s subtle, but unmistakable.
“Does this place not seem like someone actuallyliveshere?” My whisper barely cuts through the stillness.
Rachel looks around and her brow furrows as she picks up on the same details. “Now that you mention it… yeah. Itdoes. Maybe someone stays here part-time?”
She pauses, narrowing her eyes. “Camdidsay they owed him a favor. Maybe that’s why we’re allowed to wander alone?”
Rachel pushes the door open, and the moment we step inside, I forget everything else and gasp.
It’s a greenhouse. And not just any greenhouse, it’s the most stunning one I’ve ever seen.
The humidity wraps around us like a blanket, rich with the scent of fresh dirt and blooming flowers. The entire space is bathed in gold lightthat filters through the towering glass walls and ceiling. Vines twist along the beams overhead and their leaves sprawl in lush, cascading waves. There's vibrant flowers that are bursting in wild colors from towering planters, and everywhere I look, the plants seem to be alive in a way that makes the whole space feel… untamed.
“Holy shit.”
Rachel lets out a whistle and wanders ahead, completely at ease. Meanwhile, I stay rooted in place, overwhelmed in the best way.
I take in a slow breath, inhaling the delicate scent of something floral. Jasmine, maybe? Or lavender? It blends with the smell of damp soil and it’s perfect.
I can’t explain it, but there’s something about this place.
I look over at Rachel, strolling around like she’s looking for something. Maybe I’m just being weird, reading into things that aren’t there. But I can’t shake the feeling that we don’t belong here.
Still, I can’t help but smile.
“Someonedefinitelylives here if they have plants like this,” I say, already feeling a strange connection to the plants. My fingers trail along the cool edge of a stone planter, running over the leaves.
Rachel hums in agreement, crouching down to look at one of the plants on the ground.
