Unfinished Book (Short Story) - Asri Rj

Unfinished Book

by Asri Roudhotul Jannah

My name is Hellen. I come from Swiss. I moved to London because of my father’s new job. Now, I’ve been a part of this school. Thank you for welcoming me friendly.

When I was remembering my introduction in front of my new class, someone startled me, “Hey!”

“Thank you for startling me, Olive.” I showed my resentment to her. Olive just laughed. “Sorry, I just want to make you aware from your fantasy. Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing.” I smiled to Olive. She was the only one who wanted to talk with me in break time, because of that I felt alone for oftentimes.

“Let’s join with me to go to library!” She held my arm and we went to library. I went to stack which contains fiction’s books. After I got a novel, I went to a seat. When I was looking for a seat, I noticed a boy whom sits by the window, the same window. I’ve seen him yesterday and before. I decided to go to Olive to ask who he was actually. But when I was in beside Olive n asked her, the boy has gone. “Nobody sits in there, Hellen. Are you okay?”

“A few minutes ago, I saw him. I’ve seen him almost in the same place. He always sits and read for the same book.” I came near to the seat where he commonly gets a seat. I found his book which commonly he read on the table. A paper fell from the book. “George William, Carnaby Street 12” What does it mean? I took the book and the paper which contained George’s address. I went to my class and tried to find who George was.

I walked alone in corridor when school finished, I would like to wait my brother in front of library. When I walked over Student Council’s room, I saw a picture, old picture. It was about Basketball team. I read the name of the member. “Thomas Tudor, Fred Darcy, Sergio, George William,..” I stopped for a moment, “Wait, George William?” I put in the right order. “Yeah, this boy whom I saw in the library today.” I got frightened, so I decided to go to market which has location beside my school for waiting my brother picked up me.

After school on the next day, I went to the address which I found in George’s book. I wanted to bring back this book and maybe I would get clarification about George. Because when I asked about George to some of my friends, they didn’t know about him. They said that they never knew the seniors who had that name, George William.

When I arrived to the address, there was just a half burnt but still standing house. I forced myself to knock the door, but nobody replied it. My curiosity forced me to go around the house. I found a grave intuitively in the backyard. I also got his name on the grave. Somehow, that explained everything. I thrilled and tripped over a branched when I was running. I fell and I saw a boy whom had similar face. I noticed that he is George. But he was another George with burnt face. I woke up immediately and ran to my car.

Someday, I went to Mrs.Penny after school finished. Mrs.Penny is one of senior teachers in my school. I asked her to help me to explain about George William. She said that George’s died 3 years ago from fire in his house. “Doctor said he died in his sleep from the smoke.”

Fred was her favourite student. She said George was clever student, the best basketball player in this school. “Sometimes he came to me to share about his experience. Before he died, he talked to me about his new favourite book. I forgot the title..”

“Limitless?” I showed the book that I hold at that time, the book which I found in library.

“Yes! This book. How can you get it?” She asked me and took the book from my hand. “I found it on the table in library. I also saw him in the same seat” she was silent for a few minutes.

“Well, library is his favourite place in school.”

“So, did it make George still visit library although he had passed away?”

“I don’t think so, Hellen.”

Actually I wanted to ask about George further than that. But I looked Mrs.Penny already hold her tears. So I kept my curiosity to keep her feeling.

And for the next days, I always saw him near to that window in the library. I can only see him from distance. Admiring and hoping that accident never happened.

The end…