The library was covered in sparkles, bright purple sparkles.

Every surface was dusted with them.

It sort of explained why the Callums, too, were variants of purple sparkles. She didn't know what that meant for the magic in this library, but the Callums must have been able to manipulate it because they were of a similar vein.

It looked a lot bigger on the inside then it did on the outside.

The walls were lined with shelves, there was a grand staircase that led to a second floor. There were free standing bookshelves that formed rows, as far as she could see. But in the middle of the library was a desk, this circular desk in which books were sitting, displayed outward. Each sparkling with a different color, a very, very, light purple, almost so light it was white.

"Okay, stay close to the walls, and test your steps," Stephanie told her. "Oh, and don't take any books from the reception."

"Why?"

"Why what?" Stephanie asked her.

"Why... I unno, all of it?"

"The floors aren't that solid. And nothing good happens when you mess with reception."

Alright fair.

Though someone should have told her, before coming in here, that the floors could give way.

"Right. Okay, I can do that," she said and then carefully looked around. "Where exactly are we going?"

Stephanie pointed out towards the stacks.

"We're going there, but we have to shuffle along the wall to get there."

Kelly nodded made sense. So why was she looking up at the second floor?

It was this haze of sparkles. She could just see the crest of them, she couldn't see what was emitting them, she could just see them. And she had never seen black sparkles like that before. That was a completely different colour. The only person in town that came close was Elsa, but her sparkles were this glossy shiny black that you saw in polished stones.

This black was a dull sort of ash color, and it seemed to spreading out like ash would, and, well, she had never seen that before. Sparkles colored things, they sometimes hung in the air, but they didn't aura out like that, nor did sparkles fall like snow from the sky.

So what was making those sparkles? What was that?

Stephanie followed her gaze. "No, we don't go to the second floor."

"What? Why?"

"The stairs aren't safe." Well that explained that. "Come on, let's go... carefully..."

Together they shuffled, back against the walls, all the way to the far corner. Once they were there, Stephanie pushed away from the wall and began to move across the floor. With each step she'd pause. She'd kinda bounced up and down as if testing her weight. Then she'd bring her other foot to that one and start the process all over again with a different step.

Eventually they made it to the back stacks, and while Stephanie was sort of testing her steps she wasn't as wary. So maybe this area was a little more sturdy then the rest of it.

Stephanie handed her a list. "Look for these. There should be five of each copy, when you find it, put it in your backpack."

"Does the library automatically restock?" Kelly asked excitedly.

"It does. It also orders its own books. If you see anything that looks new or interesting pick it up to show me, okay?"

Kelly nodded happily before moving off to look for the books it wanted.

"And watch where you step!" Stephanie called after her and Kelly just waved back.

She was going to be careful. There was nothing Stephanie had to worry about, though she was sure that Franklin was the reason that Stephanie was being so hyper vigilant with her.

The found two of the books on the list, she put all the copies she could find in her bag, but there were more than five. Her backpack was definitely full and definitely way heavy.

Maybe they should have brought someone stronger.

She was fully planning on returning back to Stephanie when she caught sight of that twinkling again. It was taunting her now, reflecting in the dusty windows. Which should have been impossible, but just staring at that black glittering sparkling in the windows, watching as it sort of drifted through the air and down, but never landing on the ground, she felt the pull in her chest.

It was very similar to what she felt when she noticed the harpy's necklace, except even stronger.

This was a totem, she knew it.

Why else would it be calling for her? You know?

She figured if she did the step testing thing then everything would be okay. The only problem? The chain she was attached to didn't go that far.

The pull was getting stronger. It was like a siren's call at this point. She shrugged that backpack off and went for the stairs.

She tested each step like Stephanie had told her too.

"Kelly where are you?" she heard Stephanie call, but she ignored her.

She knew what she was doing was against the rules, but she couldn't stop herself. The closer she got to those stairs the stronger the pull got and the brighter the sparkles were.

She just had to get up the steps and she'd see what it was. She'd break someone else's curse. She'd prove finding Veera's totem wasn't a fluke.

She was safe so far, obviously the floor was much more stable here.

But she got one step up on those stairs and heard the creaking underneath her. She froze because she knew then that she had fucked up, she was starting to think that the black sparkles were a trap, and black meant death.

Stephanie appeared by the mouth of the stacks her eyes scanning the library until she spotted Kelly.

"Oh my god!" she cried.

Kelly was still frozen, though. "Stephanie... Uh... I can hear it cracking... what... what should I do?"

She had asked so softly she was certain that Stephanie wouldn't be able to hear her, but she was in luck, Stephanie had cat like hearing.

"Okay! Stay calm! Just stay there, I'm going to come get you," she called and then paused. "Wait... did you take the back pack off?"

This was not the time, the creaking was getting louder and she instinctively knew that if she moved in any direction it was going to give way.

God why had she done this to herself?

Stephanie was going to tell Franklin and if she managed to survive, he was going to yell at her. He was never going to trust her again.

Hell, Kelly wasn't going to trust herself again. Clearly she could not be trusted in a magic library. She was clearly an easy mark in a magic library.

And what was going to happen if she didn't make it? Who would take care of Sammy?

At least, with her gone, and Sammy stuck here, there was no way for Carolyn to find him. He'd forever be safe from her. He'd just... he'd just always be stuck here.

"Okay," Stephanie said suddenly and Kelly jumped. She hadn't heard her get close to her, but she was behind her now. Somewhere. She wasn't sure where exactly behind her, but she was there.

"Okay, so don't move. I'm gonna try to move forward. I'm going to try and grab you..."

Kelly turned only her head, her feet were firmly planted, but beneath her the wood began to groan even louder, the splintering becoming more apparent.

It was like the library heard the rescue plan and chose to speed up the breaking.

Before either of them could say anything though,before Kelly could try to jump back and away, the wooden steps beneath her gaveway and she plummeted down into the darkness below.