Nowhere to Land

Summary

• Nora finds herself back in the Midnight Library where the lights are flickering and dust is falling from the ceiling.
• Nora questions Mrs Elm why she was brought back to the library, thinking she found the life she'd wanted to live – a life where she'd go for coffee with Ash, had Molly and Plato, and chose a different collar for Pluto.
• The computer in the library starts to smoke, then the screen goes black, and the monitor falls apart.
• Although Nora suggests that the procedure to return to a selected life is simple, Mrs Elm clarifies that it's intricate and reminds Nora that there was always a chance that her old life would end.
• The ceiling of the library starts to crumble, sparks fly from lights causing several books to catch fire, which prompts Mrs Elm to order Nora to hide under a table.
• Mrs Elm tells Nora that the sparks aren't random; it is inevitable that all books will be destroyed and the library will collapse.
• Nora's watch starts keeping time, and Mrs Elm tells her that time is what's happening. She also reveals that she can't leave the library, which will disappear along with her, but Nora might escape if she acts quickly.
• Mrs Elm explains that the library exists because of Nora, not vice versa, and that Nora must find her way out despite there being no doors, suggesting that she needs to find a book in the library that isn't on fire.
• Under Mrs Elm's guidance, Nora must head to the eleventh aisle, third shelf from the bottom to find the book that will help her escape.
• Mrs Elm insists that the library is giving Nora a chance to return because Nora has decided she wants to live. She hands an orange plastic fountain pen to Nora, explaining that she'll need it because the story isn't written yet.
• Nora says her goodbyes to Mrs Elm just before a large chunk of ceiling slams down on the table, engulfing them in plaster dust. Mrs Elm, coughing, urges Nora to go live her life.