Nightbooks

Alex is confused by Yasmin’s behavior. If she hadn’t helped him that first night, he’d probably be dead, but she seems determined to dislike him. He tries to make up with Lenore, offering her some Froot Loops, but she hisses and bats them from his hand; he notices that instead of claws, she has four tiny fingers and a thumb which are covered by black fur.

Alex decides that, if he’s going to find a way to escape, he must learn all about the apartment. He begins to examine the library books. In one text, he notices handwriting in the margins. The writer was playing outside when she saw a unicorn walk into the building, and she followed it: That’s how she was trapped. The writer believes the witch is lonely. Alex concludes that the writer was another prisoner; he plans to search the books for more clues about her identity.

Yasmin enters the library and compliments Alex on his writing. Hoping to keep the conversation going, Alex asks questions about her life before. She explains that her best friend lived in the building and, one day, when Yasmin came to visit, the elevator stopped on the 4th floor.