gho(st)²ories (yan/obsessive chrollo x reader)

Act 8, Chapter 4

you take a step closer to shelf, unsure whether you really want to skim through some books there or not but you decide 'screw it, it can't be that bad'

your eyes linger over some spines, rhyming the contents of the book together through it.

most of them seem to have something to do with religion and demons, often in a corresponding context.

you spot a few about ghost's and some of fae's but you'd consider those more of folklore than the paranormal.

a soft sigh leaves your lips before you take one of the books out of the shelf, skimming the back if the book before questioning the authors sanity before a sour taste build on your tongue at the fact that you have a ghost living with you.

no pun intended.

you put the book back with a grimace before continuing to walk down the shelf.

you kind of only walk down the entire thing out of respect, those authors put their time into writing this books after all so you deem it unfair to not at least act like you'd actually pick one out if you find it interesting enough.

that idea however accurs almost childish to you only a few moments later and you slightly shake your head in disbelief, determined to just get to another isle before a book catches your eye.

it's dark green, unlike the rest of the books in the shelf of this isle.

most of them are bound in cheap fake leather, brown or at least neutral colored and only a very few are in such a deep read that they almost pass as a shade of lightish brown.

this book though, in his dark green color, stands weirdly out and it almost seems wrong at it's place in the shelf.

you step closer to the book, reading the title by the spine but an author is not listed there.

the green, this specific shade of it, seems familiar but you can't quiet point your finger at where it is so familiar from.

you are just about to reach out for the book when someone passes at the other end from the isle, the person making their way from shelf to shelf in a straight line seemingly knowing where they want to end up at unlike you.

the thought of someone seeing you pick out a book, or even being, in the paranormal isle of the library makes your cheeks flush and a tint of embarrassment cover your very being.

you quickly retreat your outstretched hand and take a step back before hurriedly, determined, walking out the isle and into the next.

after you've got an overview of the library you recall the section with elderly works and make your way to it.

you're happy and satisfied with the fact that you find it in an instant, not having to search for it for at all.

slowly you take your time to walk through the isle, examining the books you think Chrollo would like.

he is more into literature so you take a few books out, read the back and even skip through some of the pages.

the books don't exactly suit your personal taste but you're picking out a book for Chrollo after all so that doesn't really matter.

you decide on a novel, Bram Stoker's Dracula.

you know that there is a movie to it and the overall story of it as you read the short description gives you the feeling that Chrollo might actually enjoy this book.

perhaps it has even been published not too far from his timeline though you are not too sure from 'when' Chrollo actually is.

you push that thought away for the moment though, opting to just ask him about it some time later.

you rather carefully take the book with both your hands before you press it against your chest as you exit the isle.

as you do so, the small shelf with works of local authors comes back into view.

you consider going back to it, looking through some of the books for a moment before deciding to just do so.

with quiet but certain steps you walk to the shelf, Bram Stoker's Dracula still against you chest.

you take your time to read some more of the Author's names and titles, read some of the short descriptions of the books that are facing down on the top of the shelf.

the shelf isn't as tall and as wide as the other ones, barely measuring 3 foot 5 (~1m) in each direction.

some books seem to almost be just thrown at the too after they've been donated which kind of breaks your head but you decide to not keep yourself occupied with that thought so you keep reading the backs and spines you can see.

most of the books are poetry, there is barely a romance novel in between them and about a handful of autobiography's.

you're just about to turn around and leave, no book shaking your interest, when the title of one book catches your eye.

'how to survive a cult' is written in big bold black letters on the spine of the book, right ontop a picture of dunes with a beach visibil not too far in the back.

the horizon is empty, the water still and yet you find yourself unsettled at the small piece of the picture.

you pick the book out from where it's buried beneath others, careful not to knock any off the shelf or make too much noice in the dead silent library.

as you've finally freed the book from it's grave beneath the other, probably long forgotten, works you turn the book in your hands.

the back is empty, no short description of the content of the book or even an authors name.

when you turn the book to face the front, there isn't an authors name either but just the title of the book just once again shamelessly decorating the picture of the dunes and beach.

the letters hang free in the horizon, hovering over the water like they're clouds missing from the actual photo.

the font is the same as on the spine, all just repeated to the front of the book.

you take another look at the picture.

the dunes displayed are greyish brown, dead, and the sand of the beach seems eerily empty and hard.

the small part of water at the back right after the sand seems still,lurking, dangerous and just waiting to splash out into a tsunami.

the sky, mostly hidden behind the bold letters of the title, is grey and seems cold.

by the way the dunes are bend you guess that there was a strong wind howling when the picture was taken but the life of the wind doesn't paint any life to the rest of it's surroundings.

you just stare at the cover of the book for a while before you decide to open it.

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a/n: do any of you remember that I did some one shots for Halloween last year? well I'm thinking about doing this again :) If any of you want me to write something particular, just leave the idea in the comments and I will get back to you if you don't mind :D I do have a half finished (very long) one shot already but I'd like to do several similar to last year so don't be shy to 'request' something :)