"Nicole, are you feeling quite alright dear?" Mrs. Davis asked with a concerned look.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why? What happened?" Nicole stopped her current task, which was to arrange the new books that had arrived on the shelves according to their genres, and looked up to see Mrs. Davis peering through her glasses, looking at her with an expression that could be summed up as a mix of suspicion and concern.

Mrs. Davis looked exactly like a typical librarian, with her round glasses and streaks of gray in her hair and her stern yet caring nature and she and Nicole shared an unusual camaraderie, one that was uncommon nowadays between the young and the old.

"You've kept The Guns of War under Psychological Thriller instead of Historical Fiction/Non- fiction". Mrs.Davis adjusted her glasses and watched Nicole's expression closely.

"Oh, I did? Sorry, didn't notice. I accidentally kept it there". Nicole put the book under its correct genre and continued to pull the heavy trolley filled with books parallel to the floor to ceiling bookshelf along her left. Mrs. Davis was pushing the trolley from the opposite end. 

The University had ordered new books since many students had complained that many books that they required for their assignments weren't available and it was due time that their library was upgraded. 

The two of them had been arranging books for almost three hours now, and it was almost eleven in the night, but still a huge amount was left. Nicole had stayed back to make up for the shift she had missed last Friday. 

A week had passed by and no more notes or letters had turned up, but everyone had noticed the shift in her mood. Maddy had initially tried to pry out of Nicole what was bothering her, but Nicole didn't budge, and now, Maddy had taken to giving her friend a comforting squeeze of the hand whenever they were together, and Nicole was particularly depressed. Even Ryder had tried to pry Nicole's cause of sadness out of her, but to no avail. Nicole kept looking over her shoulder every few minutes, and she jumped at the slightest sounds. She hadn't been sleeping well either and the dark circles were now more prominent than ever. But she still refused to share her burden with her closest friends.

"And you also put The Book Thief under Biographies," Mrs. Davis said.

"Oh, sorry, wait I'll put it under the correct genre," Nicole replied, nonchalantly. 

"And A Short Story Of everything goes under Non Fiction," Mrs. Davis said, still looking at Nicole worriedly. She had never seen her so lost and unfocused as she was right now.

This time, Nicole didn't correct her mistake, instead, she let out a huff and sank to the floor, burying her head in her arms and leaning back against the bookshelf.

"Is there something you would like to tell me?" Mrs. Davis asked gently as she moved past the trolley and sat beside Nicole on the floor, though rather slowly. Her age was catching up with her.

"No. it's nothing, it's just that, I have a feeling that something I have been dreading for the past few years is about to happen and I will finally have to repent for my sins," Nicole replied. Her head was still buried under her arms and her voice came out muffled.

"I'm sorry. Did I hear that correctly? Repent for your sins? You are aware that we are not in a church and a Confession session isn't going on right?" Mrs. Davis said, trying to lighten up her mood. She felt so bad for that sweet, young girl.

Nicole let out a small laugh, "Yes I know".

"Then why did you say "repent for my sins"? What sins could such a kind girl like you have committed?"

Nicole lifted her head and stared directly into those benign eyes behind the round spectacles.

"Oh Mrs. Davis, you being a librarian should know better than to judge a book by it's cover". Nicole said the words calmly. She wasn't crying, she was just extremely tired of this cat and mouse game that He had started. She wished He would finish the job already. At least she would get to see her parents in heaven again. That is, if she went to heaven, there was a high chance of her going to hell as well.

Mrs. Davis looked alarmed at her words, but she hid her shock well. "Nicole, listen to me very carefully. If you have committed a wrong and you are sorry for it, then that is enough. You have to learn to forgive yourself and to move on. Everyone makes mistakes and bad choices, but a few of our bad choices can't define who we are, we can't let it".

"No. you don't understand," Nicole said, looking away from those intense eyes. "Some mistakes are unforgivable".

"A mistake can never be unforgivable, what is unforgivable is if you have committed a crime on purpose. Listen, why don't you go back to your dorm and get some rest, and maybe talk to Maddy about it? She is your best friend for a reason, and if you feel uncomfortable sharing your burden with me, then please heed my advice and share it with her. We shouldn't keep things like this to ourselves, it can be harmful for our mental health".

Nicole let out a dry chuckle. "Thank you for the psychological lesson Mrs. Davis, but I can't promise you that I will completely heed your advice. But yes, I think I will go back to my room now, but before that, I have to make a pitstop," Nicole said, getting up and helping her concerned librarian up as well.

"Pitstop? Where?" Mrs. Davis asked.

"I have to go to the basement where the records of the history of this University is kept for a weekend assignment Mr. Miller gave".

"It's quite late right now, wouldn't it be a better idea if you went tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, but if I delay, then my other classmates will collect all the juicy information first. He gave the assignment today, and since it's a Friday night, most of them are probably out partying somewhere, which means if I go now then I get to collect the best records".

"I see, well, be careful and good night!"

"Good night Mrs. Davis!" Nicole grabbed her coat and exited the library, crossing the field to the main entrance. Like she had predicted, music was blaring somewhere from one of the campus dorms and most of the lights were still on. She passed the statue of Abraham Lincoln and after issuing a pass from the security guard, she took the stairs down to the basement.

The basement of the University of Wisconsin-Madison was a maze of confusing corridors and doors to any stranger, but to Nicole, it was as familiar to her as the back of her own hand. She had visited the basement numerous times before due to assignments and she knew the corridors by heart, hence she didn't get scared by the darkness. She embraced darkness now.

The basement held the Records Room, A Storage Room and an Electrical Room for the lights and backup generator as far as she knew. There were more doors, but most of them were almost always locked.The corridors had lights overhead at intervals, the beams falling on the ground like spotlights. 

Nicole rounded a corner and bumped into a tall, well-built figure. She screamed and instinctively, she lashed out at the person, who ducked and backed up against the wall. 

"Whoa there Nicole Winters! You scared the daylights out of me!"

"Mr. Miller?," Nicole asked, looking confused. "What are you doing here so late at night?".

"I could ask you the same question," said Mr. Miller. 

Nicole noticed that Mr. Miller was looking at her suspiciously. She had gotten used to those looks by now. But, was that panic she saw flicker across his eyes on bumping into her? No? Why would he panic? Maybe it was surprise or shock.

"I came to get some information for the assignment you gave from the Records Room," Nicole answered. 

"Ah, well I came for the same reason, to see what records were available," Mr. Miller replied. He wouldn't meet Nicole's eyes for some reason. She couldn't tell what he was thinking right now, his expression was very neutral and well controlled.

Suddenly, a sound broke her train of thoughts. 'Did you hear that?" Nicole asked, looking around.

"Hear what?"

"It sounded something close to a muffled scream, or a moan maybe".

A thump resounded through the corridors.

"Did you hear that?" Nicole asked.

"Yes, I heard the thump, it's probably the rats that live here within these walls. I'm sure you imagined the scream. It is pretty late after all and you look tired. I'm assuming you've been at the library helping Mrs. Davis arrange the new delivery of books?"

"Yes, I was, but I'm sure I heard something," Nicole protested.

"Maybe you did, maybe you didn't, but never go looking for trouble, for it will always find you". 

The dim lights overhead cast shadows on the walls and on Mr. Miller's face, and Nicole suddenly felt uncomfortable by his words. She quickly bade him good night and entered the Records Room, which was just around the corner.

She didn't hear anymore noises in the basement, but his words kept replaying in her mind.