Weirder Things 2

9. No More Stories

Jimmy hadn't opened it in months.

It used to be a habit of his, a nightly ritual to read from the ancient tome.

He'd flip through the pages and read the words printed on them. Then, he'd watch as they came out.

Characters.

Knights in shining armor, riding white steeds into battle. Princesses trapped by fearsome dragons, begging for help.

Wizards with rivalries, spells whizzing past Jimmy's head and dissipating.

It used to be fun. Enchanting.

Until the dragons started to get angry. Until the witches grew tired. Being defeated again and again had taken its toll on them.

He still remembered the heat of fire.

The pain of sewing needles sliding into his joints.

The gnarled hands that reached out, clawing for his pajama collar, nails blackened by dried blood.

The tome had been stuffed underneath his bookshelf, where it truly belonged.