The Library of Lost Souls: A Haunted Place Where Books Hold the Dead

The Story:
It was a forgotten place, buried deep within the fading memories of a dying village—Bardham Hollow, nestled somewhere between the woods and the mountains, where the sun never quite shined properly. Among the crumbling stone houses and overgrown paths stood a strange building of black bricks: an abandoned library, rumored to house more than just old books.
Locals called it The Library of Lost Souls.
No one went near it. The wooden sign outside had long rotted away, and the rusted iron gate screeched even in the absence of wind. Children were warned not to play near it, and the elderly crossed themselves while passing by.
But to Ayaan Malhotra, a 29-year-old folklore researcher from Delhi, this was the perfect mystery.
He had spent the past three years chasing legends across India. When he heard about Bardham Hollow and its haunted library, he knew he had to go.

Day 1: Arrival
Ayaan arrived just before dusk. The village looked like it had been drained of color, with pale skies and hollow-eyed people. The old innkeeper, Mr. Raghuvir, gave him a room and tried to discourage him from staying too long.
“Young man, the library isn’t just haunted. It’s cursed. People who go there… don’t come back right.”
Ayaan smiled politely. “I’ll be careful.”
Raghuvir only sighed. “They all say that.”

Day 2: The Library Beckons
At noon, Ayaan stood before the library. It loomed taller than he expected, with arched windows covered in grime. The door creaked open on its own. He stepped in.
The air inside was thick, not just with dust but with something darker—a sense of being watched. The wooden shelves were cracked, some collapsed. Books lay scattered like fallen corpses.
Ayaan took notes. He found strange symbols carved into the wooden floor, some books bound in leather that didn’t quite feel like cowhide.
As he reached for an old volume titled “Voices from Beyond”, a cold gust slammed the door shut behind him.

Day 3: The Whispers Begin
Ayaan returned the next day with a torch and recording equipment.
He sat in a corner and opened “Voices from Beyond.” The pages were filled with writings in Sanskrit, Latin, and an unknown language that seemed to shift while he read.
Then, he heard it.
A whisper. Faint, childlike.
“Help…”
He spun around. No one.
The whisper came again. This time, from the book itself.
He dropped it.
The whisper turned into a scream.
Books fell from the shelves. A chair slid across the floor. The lights of his torch flickered.
He fled.

Day 4: The Librarian
Raghuvir noticed Ayaan’s pale face that evening.
“You heard them, didn’t you?”
Ayaan nodded. “What is this place?”
Raghuvir sighed. “Legend says the librarian who built that place practiced dark arts. He believed knowledge could preserve the soul. When people died, he performed rituals to bind their spirits into books. He thought he was saving them. Instead, he created a prison.”
Ayaan’s voice trembled. “So… the souls are still there?”
“Yes. And some of them are angry.”

Day 5: A Terrible Discovery
Despite the terror, Ayaan returned—drawn by something deeper.
This time, he brought gloves, salt, and a silver talisman given by a sadhu he once met.
In the basement, he found a hidden chamber. The walls were lined with black books. One had his name etched on the spine.
He froze.
Shaking, he opened it.
The first page read:
“Ayaan Malhotra. Born 1996. Died 2025.”
He dropped it.
Suddenly, shadows crawled across the floor. Hands reached out from between the shelves. The air turned icy.
And then, he saw him.
The Librarian.
A pale, skeletal figure in robes, eyes glowing red.
“You opened your book too soon,” it rasped. “Now, you belong to the library.”

The Escape
Ayaan ran, chanting the mantra the sadhu had taught him. The silver talisman burned against his chest.
Books screamed. Shelves toppled. The Librarian chased him.
At the door, he turned and threw the salt in a circle. The spirits shrieked, retreating. The Librarian howled in rage as Ayaan stumbled out.
The door slammed shut behind him.

Aftermath
Ayaan left Bardham Hollow that night.
But something followed.
He hears whispers in his dreams. Books in his room rearrange themselves. One day, he found “Voices from Beyond” on his desk—he never brought it back.
And last night, a new book appeared on his shelf.
Its spine read:
“Raghuvir Joshi. Bardham Hollow. 1951–2025.”

Conclusion
The Library of Lost Souls is more than a haunted place. It is a trap—for the curious, the brave, and the foolish.
Some knowledge isn't meant to be discovered.
Some books aren’t written.
They’re screamed into existence.
And once your story is written,
there’s no escaping the library.