The Cedar Hollow Library Mysteries

"Libraries don’t lose people. People lose themselves.

But the night I followed Elena’s library card, I realized—some disappearances are by design."

1. The Checkout That Shouldn’t Exist

The library’s ancient computer system hummed in the dim glow of the after-hours desk. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, my breath shallow as I pulled up Elena Moreau’s record again.

STATUS: CHECKED OUT – DUE TODAY.

The words flickered on the screen, impossible yet undeniable.

I grabbed the time-stamped receipt from the printer—freshly generated, the ink still warm. It listed The Bell Jar as "Active – Overdue" with Elena’s name, her old library card number, and a barcode format the library hadn’t used since the '90s.

Mrs. Langley’s warning slithered through my mind: "Don’t mention this to anyone."

But the receipt in my hand was real.

And the address on file—112 Blackwood Lane—was a house the town had long since condemned.

2. The House on Blackwood Lane

The air outside was thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves. Blackwood Lane was a graveyard of forgotten homes, their windows boarded up, their porches sagging under decades of neglect.

Number 112 stood at the end, half-swallowed by ivy. The mailbox tilted at a drunken angle, the name "MOREAU" barely legible beneath the rust.

The front door was unlocked.

Inside, dust motes swirled in the pale light filtering through cracked curtains. The living room was frozen in time—a 1990s time capsule. A faded floral couch. A coffee table stacked with overdue library books.

My pulse pounded in my ears as I picked up the first one: Slaughterhouse-Five.

The checkout slip inside read:

BORROWER: MOREAU, ELENA

DUE DATE: 10/24/2023

Last week.

I sifted through the others—Rebecca, The Silent Patient, House of Leaves—all checked out within the past month. All under Elena’s name.

Then, beneath them, I found her student ID.

Elena stared back at me from the photograph, her dark hair framing a face that looked both young and impossibly weary. Behind the ID, tucked carefully in the plastic sleeve, was a pristine library card.

And beneath that—a black Moleskine journal.

I flipped it open.

The first page bore my name.

"Property of [SANDY]. If found, return to Cedar Hollow Library."

But I had never owned this journal.

The entries inside were in my handwriting.

"Day 3: The clocks are watching. I hear them ticking when no one else does."

"Day 7: Mrs. Langley knows more than she’s saying. Why does she keep the archive room locked?"

"Day 14: If you’re reading this, you’re already part of it. Find the clockmaker."

The last entry was dated next Thursday.

"Burn the key. They’ll use it to trap you too."

3. The Phone Call

As I pocketed the journal, my phone rang. No caller ID.

A whisper: "You shouldn’t be here."

The line went dead. Outside, a shadow darted between the trees—too fast to be human.

Third Twist: When I checked my call log, the last call showed:

"INCOMING: MOREAU, ELENA – 2:17 AM."

4. The Warning in the Walls

Back at the library, I pried open the staff-only archive room (using the key from Mrs. Langley’s desk). Dust choked the air. Inside:

A ledger from 1993, listing Elena’s last day: *"10/17: Reported missing by E. Langley."*

Wait. "E. Langley"? The current librarian was Margaret Langley.

A photo of a younger Mrs. Langley standing with Elena—both wearing matching pearl necklaces.

A clockmaker’s blueprint labeled "Project Chronos: Seven Anchors."

Final Clue: Behind the ledger, a child’s drawing of the library. Red X’s marked where the seven clocks hung. Beneath it, in crayon:

"When they chime together, time forgets."

5. The Cliffhanger: The Second Note

At midnight, the library’s lights flickered. The antique clock struck 2:17 again.

This time, a book fell open at my feet: Rebecca. Inside, a fresh note:

"You’re asking the wrong questions.

Find the clockmaker.

—E."

As I read it, my phone buzzed. A text from my own number:

"LOOK BEHIND YOU."

Teaser for Part 3:

"Next: Who is the clockmaker? And why does Mrs. Langley have Elena’s necklace?

(Like this story? Follow for updates—and vote in the comments: Should the librarian trust the shadow or run?)"