35.

It's been years since she died. I only knew her ever so briefly, still the effect she has had on me remains as strong as anything ever could. I remained on at the school after my education came to an end. That library, I just couldn't bring myself round to leaving it. I look after maintenance now and still have more than a say in that library.

I never passed it on, the library and whatever power it holds, and I say that as I more than feel it had been passed to me. The school, as many students say, is haunted. Strange things happen as they have been all along, just not quite so much as they have way back when. Haunted, yeah, that's as good a description as any especially with the fact I have only just been paid a visit by a ghost.

Yeah, I be visited by a ghost. Strange that may be in so many ways, one being that I did not know this visitor was dead, he may not be dead, but he most definitely looks exactly like he did the last time I say him.

It occurred when I had a moment to myself. It's kind of a day of ghosts to be honest. Standing within the library and looking outside I could almost see Judy in her spot reading that book I gave her. I watch as she vanishes right before I heard a 'hi' coming my way from somewhere close behind me.

It was Peter who spoke to me, and it was right here in the library when I last saw him. All these years later and he hasn't aged a day. His visit was as short as a visit from him would have been back then. He simply told me that I am not too late. He told me I could still save her and all I had to do was to go to her and bring her back. Bring her back, huh?

There once had been a time when I thought this Peter fellow had just moved away, guess I am still learning, even now. He simply walked right out of the library after having come to tell me what he wanted to tell me. I follow and like before, once I made an exit out of the library, I could not see Peter, anywhere. He had not gone long enough to no longer be near enough for me to see him. Then it hit me. Why hadn't I thought of it before?

That book of Judy's, there is more than one copy within the library and even if there weren't I can still order books for the place. For everything in here there is a place, there even is a place for me. I take the book and open it up and with a quick whoosh I am all of a sudden sitting at a table within a canteen filled with students, young students, more than that I am sitting right across a table from Judy.

'Judy?' I inquire.

I'm too early and she is rubbing her eyes. I understand I need to bring her back from the right time and the right place and this is neither so with another whoosh I am gone as quickly had arrived. With another whoosh I am at a dance. Not here either, another whoosh then another. It settles and I am standing at a side-line of a game in motion and again I feel the strong push of being too soon.

Right idea wrong time perhaps, Judy needs her journey and I need to intervene within the right moment. Another whoosh takes me to the end of a game, a different game. A lot of young people are here, and many have begun to leave. I see her up in the stands; she sees me too and comes to me.

'Oliver, you're here. I knew I've seen you around before.'

'Judy ... you need to come with me right now ...'

'Come where?'

'You know where.'

'No ... I belong here now.'

I take her by the hands. 'Trust me Judy. You will be back ... believe me.'

She looks back up towards where she had been sitting and with a whoosh ...

***

Within a library, three boys make an arrival with the intent of being more than a little mischievous. Upon that arrival one of the three feels as if he has been hit in the face with a brick. Whatever had been on his mind, it no longer is. Something else has taken over.

'Hey, you ...' he calls out to another boy not all so far away.

'Yes', this boy says while approaching the arrivals.

'You look like you know what's going on in here, can you ... can you recommend something?'

'That I can', there is a brief search, and a book is reached for then passed over. 'This one may be a good fit for you.'

'Thank you.'

'No problem, Abe ...'

'You know my name ... how ...?' this Abe fellow looks at both his friends who both in this moment look as shocked as they probably have ever been in their lives. 'Come one guys' he says as if he feels receiving an answer to his question is not something he needs to know. The trio leave together and with that Abe notices the book he has been handed is entitled The Vanished One.

Oliver watches as the trio leave and once they have done just that, Oliver notices another boy pass along the corridor just outside. This boy is just a couple years older than Oliver and as the boy does pass, he throws a 'hi' Oliver's way. He knows this fellow ... doesn't he?

36.

A bright Thursday afternoon and a girl enters the library. Oliver notices her the instant she enters room just as she also appears to notice him too. He is compelled to go to her and offer his assistance. There is a peculiar light shining through into the room.

'Can I help you?' he asks of her as she reaches for a book, no specific book in particular and he having moved to her at a speed that she could not have avoided him if such a thing could have taken her.

Having reached said non-specific book but not having grasped it properly and being caught off guard by the fact that someone, anyone, let alone this particular boy, has talked to her, the book falls to the ground.

The girl, Judy as it so happens to be, after a second or two moves down on her hunkers to pick up this book and this particular boy who has come to her just so happens to do the exact same thing at the exact same time and the two accidently clunk heads.

They had unintentionally come together so quickly. If one were to look too deeply into this, then one might think that there is something more than meets the eye to this moment. Perhaps there is something more. Then as if by magic, a realization is made. They both have been here before.

'Ow' she says moving back a little, placing a hand on her head and catching her balance.

'Oh, I am sorry, I didn't mean to ....'

She stands and so do he. He has the book.

'It's alright, no harm done' she says.

'My name is Oliver.'

'I know ... I'm Judy.'

'Nice to meet you Judy ... again.'

'How ...?'

There is that question again.

When Judy arrives home on this day she does so in as good a form as she has ever felt before and she immediately hugs her mother as if she hasn't seen mum in weeks when in fact it has only been a number of hours.

'Looks like someone had a good day, huh?'

'It was fine mom' speaks Judy as a smile once more takes a hold on her face, a smile which is more than infectious and a pleasant tone too letting mum know that she shouldn't imply anything. Yeah, the smile is infectious for mum has one too.

***

Indeed, life moves on. The day of a sporting final has come. Up in the stands Ellie has taken her usual spot and she is not alone. On her left-hand side sits a girl named Alison and beside Alison Queen Bee so happens to sit, for the moment at least. At half time she has a show to lead.

On Ellie's other side sits her sister not only from another mother but from another world completely. Yeah, Judy and Ellie are simply meant to be. Next to Judy, on the opposite side to which Ellie sits, there is a boy, and his name is Oliver and next to Oliver there is another young lady, a girl named Suzie who had invited Judy out bowling.

On the field two teams come out to rapturous cheers. Steve quickly takes up a position where he can point up towards Ellie and her entourage before going on to embrace his best buddy Mike where the two slap one another on the chest psyching up each other for the game ahead. Yeah, maybe isn't all so bad.

On the side line one teacher in particular stands out. To some he is known as Mister Kennedy to others he is known as Mister Perkins, and he has never looked as strong or as healthy as he does in this particular moment. He, like Judy, exists in one world at a time, and that is if either can know that there is more than one world running at any given time.

Darkness has become null and void as have any lives taken in its onslaught, null and void not in the manner that lives were lost but in a manner that they were never taken at all. Judy is now in the midst of a time where she has never been more visible than she is right now. Oliver can hardly contain himself. There is a cavern he has heard of with which he is eager to visit.

There are three books in a series, two of which Judy had got her mitten on. The third book ... well it may have a sub-tile of Judy's Story. ... This world within which she sits, is it real? Or is it fictional? Debatable? Not at all, it is a world as ordinary as the next. As for how the game itself, this final and how it goes? Well, wouldn't you like to know ...?