Library of memories- A #MidWeekFlash short

This was written in response to the picture prompt by @PurpleQueenNL for the midweek flash challenge Week 293. See the picture here.

‘Well, this is unexpected.’

Eleanor’s head snapped up in surprise as Thomas wandered into the library. She was perched on a step halfway up the elaborate staircase that took up the centre of the room. Her mouth opened as if to say something but she was still too much in shock. She clutched a book to her chest as Thomas approached. He couldn’t see it fully but it was one of memories.

Thomas paused at the bottom of the stairs, leaning on the handrail. Most people looked different in the dreamscape. On his wanders he had come across many people he knew and they all tended to make themselves a little taller, a little thinner, just a little more anything. In the dreamscape you could bend reality to your will, within reason. It was how he could wear such a dramatic coat, there was no way he could afford this in real life but here, he could look as sharp as he wanted. Eleanor on the other hand, looked exactly as she had when she had left yesterday; she was even wearing the same clothes.

‘Didn’t make this place easy to find did you.’ He smiled but she was still eyeing him warily.

‘Apparently not too hard though.’ She squinted, trying to check it really was him. That was the other problem in the dreamscape, it wasn’t impossible to make yourself look like another person completely.

‘It’s me, honest. When you left you said you were going to check the stacks.’ That seemed to put her slightly at ease. ‘When you said you had a memory palace, I didn’t think you’d actually built one in the dreamscape.’

‘It’s safe, it cannot be accessed unless I’m here.’ She put the book on the step beside her mistaking his awe for chastisement.

‘It’s incredible. A little grand.’ He smiled with a cock of the head as he gazed round at the shelves. ‘So everything you’ve learned is here. And your memories.’ A playful smirk crossed his face. ‘Is there a section about me?’

Eleanor stood up abruptly. ‘This is private Thomas. Why are you here?’ He paused, not missing her sudden discomfort, so there was a shelf about him. He supressed his intrigue and tried to bring himself back on track.

‘Because when you heard about Traxos you went white as a sheet and clammed up completely. And the first chance you got, you hightailed it out of there claiming you needed to do research.’ He watched as she started shifting on the spot, gripping the handrail too tightly. ‘You know something, something that scared the living daylights out of you last night but still you couldn’t tell us. Sunita or Frederick I’d expect that from but never you. So what had you running straight for this place?’

Eleanor looked down to her side, clearly weighing up her options. Thomas was still reeling from the scale of this place. Everyone carved out their own little corner of the dreamscape that they could go ‘walk’ in but he’d never seen anything so permanent, so real. It must have taken so much time and energy. Movement drew his attention back to her. She leaned down and picked up the book before holding it out to him.

‘You better read this.’