Phobia

28. The Book

Trigger warning: Animal Abuse

Present day

The Book. Everyone had heard of it - it was a legend to some, a myth to others. But for a handful, it was a fact. It was a cold truth, one they would abide by, one they would kill to attain. And now it was mine. The most significant amount of time anyone had been able to keep it for was half a year. But I would break that. I was more determined than any of the others. I was more desperate.

A week ago

I was helpless as I stared at his prone form. Eighteen years of love gone in a second, and all it took was one gasp of pain. And I couldn't do anything about it. Nothing at all. That was when I remembered. The Book. The one that could bring my husband back. The search began. 

My guardian used to narrate the tale to me as a bedtime story. I do not know why she chose such a morbid tale for a small child, but the answer to that question was buried with her. Her usually soft voice made me shudder for no reason when it took a sinister undertone as she spoke - "Many believe that The Book is a myth. But it is real, we just can't find it. Only the most determined can find The Book, only the most courageous can obtain it. It's not easy to gain possession of The Book. They say that it contains ancient spells - spells to stay youthful for eternity, spells to banish souls to the darkest corners of the universe and even spells to bring back the dead. The darkest spells in the world are contained in that one book. Anyone would be tempted. 

But only a select few ruthless murderers have been successful in finding it. And even then, The Book has not stayed in anyone's possession for more than half a year. The owner is murdered and The Book's stolen again, tragedy and corruption following its wake."

It didn't take long. My guardian had also told me that if one wished hard enough, the location of The Book appeared in their dreams. I wasn't going to kill the owner of The Book; I merely planned to knock them out. I only needed to take a picture of the necromancy spell, and then I had no use for The Book. That way, I could avoid death and get my husband back at the same time. I refused to accept the finality of his death; with The Book, it could be reversed. 

It worked. I knew where The Book was. It was in the shack near the old abandoned wishing well, not far away. I was giddy with anticipation as I walked towards it. The well looked exactly like it had in my dreams, od dusty bricks under drapings of vines and algae. Hollow and deep - dry without water. Behind the well, a structure made up of decaying wood and algae stood, and the only entrance to it was a rickety and creaky door. As I entered, the creaking door broke the ominous silence and I shivered, feeling eyes on me. I turned around, and there was no one. Instead, a thick and worn-out leather-bound book stood out from the bleak surroundings. I almost jumped into a happy dance right then and there before I remembered where I was. Throwing all caution to the wind, I strutted towards The Book, pulled out my phone and opened its pages. There was no index, so I started flipping through the pages. Suddenly, someone pounced on me from behind. 

My phone clattered to the floor and shattered into a million pieces. I fell down as my attacker got me into a chokehold. I gasped as my oxygen supply cut off, and my attacker muttered into my ear, "I knew this day would come, so I prepared. How dare you take what's mine?" My life flashed before my eyes. Desperate for air, I clawed at my attacker's hands, but they refused to budge. Spotting the pieces of my broken phone, I acted on instinct and stabbed a sharp piece into his arm. He yelped, letting me go, and I took a huge gulp of air. 

However, there was no time to lose. I jumped up, grabbed The Book and ran outside, the previous owner in hot pursuit. I screamed as he grabbed my ankle, kicking his face with my leg. My leg came in contact with his eye as he screamed, stumbled a bit, and fell into the wishing well. Oh no. Oh no no nononono. I JUST KILLED SOMEONE. Shit. I needed to get away from here. Tripping over a rock in shock, I made my getaway with The Book. At least it was mine now. 

Realizing that anything left of mine could be evidence against me, I went back into the house and picked up the broken pieces of my phone, after which I placed them in a clear plastic baggie to avoid cutting myself on the sharp edges. Not that I had anything to worry about. A quick snoop through the house revealed that the dead man had no relatives or friends. He was all alone. I'm sure he didn't order at all, his paranoia preventing him from letting anyone near his shack. No one would ever come searching for him.

Erasing all evidence, I went back home, flipping the pages of The Book in childlike excitement. Once I reached, it took me a moment to even remember my original goal - my husband. The memory splashed on me like ice-cold water and I almost stopped getting sidetracked and searched for the correct spell. I said almost. One spell caught my eye. The immortality spell. It would solve all of my problems. If I couldn't be killed, I had no reason to fear anyone hunting for The Book. I could live with my husband, forever. There would be no deadline for reviving him then.   

Convinced, I looked at the ingredients for the spell. But there were none. Steps of instructions were engraved into the thick yellow pages, and only step 1 was visible. 

Step 1 - Adopt a dog and keep it for three months. 

I adopted my lab, Chino, and he and I formed a strong bond over three months. He was like my child. As I looked at The Book again, Step 1 faded and Step 2 appeared.

Step 2 - Cut a small section of your skin and store the blood released in a vial. 

Bracing myself, I cut my hand, using a medicine vial to store the blood. I'd expected that, and the tiny cut would certainly heal. 

Step 3 - Adopt a child from the shelter for half a year. 

Brenda. A cute pudgy face, a small button nose and twinkling eyes, she was dearest to my heart. My child. My dog. All that was left was my husband. And then we'd live happily ever after.

Step 4 - Terminate the dog and child. Store their blood in separate vials.

No. No! I felt my world shatter as I fell down. I would not do that. I could not do that. They were my family. My only family. Chino and Brenda. There were pictures of us everywhere in the house. I couldn't do it. 

As I looked around, helpless, Chino ambled over to me and licked my hand. I looked down, tears spilling down, as I accepted that this was the end of the spell.

A week later

I was furious. My boss Sasha had yelled at me yet again for no reason at all. They all thought I was a frail and timid woman in the office, they loved to take advantage of these traits. They thought she could yell at me like that and get away with it?! No, no she couldn't. I won't let her. Chino wagged his tail as he licked my hand, but I batted him away. That stupid dog was the reason I couldn't do what I wanted. It was the reason my life was like this. He fell to the ground, whimpering. That damn whimpering was granting on my nerves. Trying to shut him up, I squeezed his furry neck, and soon enough, the sound stopped. I tried to summon an ounce of regret, but I couldn't find any. It was just a dog, anyway.

At that precise moment, my daughter returned from school. My sweet, precious daughter. I couldn't let her see the mess her mom currently was. She'd be scarred. 

But it was too late. "Momma? What are you doin'?" 

I looked at her as love filled me, and I shushed her as I pulled her toward me. "Everything will be fine, my dear. Momma's fixing everything," I whispered.

Step 6 - Drink the mixture of the blood.

I stirred them together, the dark red blending with the bright to form a whole new shade. I prepared to pinch my nose while drinking it but strangely, it didn't taste that bad. It was sweet, bitter and left a metallic aftertaste at the base of my tongue. It was done. I would live forever, until the dusk of mankind. 

Over the next week, I worked on bringing my husband back. And on Friday, he stood there, as if he had never gone away. Laughing with relief, I extended my hand towards his face to check if he really was there and was not just a figment of my imagination. He shoved my hand away, his contorting into an expression of disgust. "Get away from me! I'm calling the police on you. I saw everything. How could you?" He was acting so damn ungrateful. Anger pulsed through me as I thought about everything I did for such a selfish man. As he pulled out his phone, I shrieked and grabbing a kitchen knife, plunged it into his heart. I was immortal, and I didn't want to spend an eternity rotting in jail. The Book had a spell for disintegrating bodies too. The Book was my salvation. It was the reason I could see the wrong happening around me. I would guard it with my life. Forever.