‘I don’t know, I’m sorry I just don’t know.’ Amy cried ‘I’m so confused’
I hugged her and we sat down on my bed.
‘Don’t worry Amy we’ll sort this out, and I think the best way to figure out what is going on is to read this stupid book.’ I slowly reached towards the book and picked it up, gingerly lifting the front page and peering at the old fading words. Amy reached over to touch the book and all of a sudden a strange feeling came over me I snapped the book shut. Why should Amy read the book? It was mine I found it and I took it.
‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to read it Amy’ I snapped ‘It’s mine now and I think you should go home.’
‘but-‘
‘No Amy. Go now, please.’ I said glaring at her. She looked at me sadly and I could have sworn she muttered under her breath:
‘she is gone. The book has taken her.’ Then aloud she said: ‘Goodbye Emily. Maybe I will see you again some time’. With one last sad regretful look back at me she strode out of the room, before I had time to figure out what her strange words had meant.
AMY
The book took her. Somehow I knew it would from the moment she touched it. The keepers will not be happy, well I suppose they never are really. For some strange reason I understand everything now, everything but why. It all started when I sat in the chair…
A younger version of Mr Linden is standing in a huge cavernous room. Figures surround him, they are shadowy silhouettes which flicker in and out of sight all except one which glows brighter than the rest, so brightly that you can just make out it’s features. It is a tall imposing woman with cruel but beautiful features and eyes that seem to change colour from black to stormy grey to bright green. Her long dark hair streamed down her back as she regarded Mr Linden haughtily.
‘From now on Elios you will be the keeper of the book. You know what it has the power to do, it will try to control you, possess you even or at the very least try to make you feel great affection for it and be unlikely to part from it. You will protect it with your life, if for some reason the book passes to someone else you will have failed and your job will be over and you will cease to exist.’
Mr Linden pales and with a jolt I realise she is addressing him that was his task, his future….
Twenty years later: the afternoon Emily took the book…
Emily bent down quickly scrawled a note on a post- it, then grabbed the forbidden book and headed out of the shop breaking into a run, when she reached the main street.
When Mr Linden found the note 5 minutes later he sighed and murmured:
‘I warned her about the book but by now it is too late’ He took one last look at the quickly retreating figure of Emily and settled down in his chair. The book was no longer in his keeping. His job was done. Mr Linden sighed for the last time and his eyelids drooped shut.
That sudden vision had enlightened me almost and now I understood the terrible powers of the book, but there was nothing I could do for Emily if the book had her then already it was too late.
