World for Lost Souls Amusements

3 - Dead End

It had been several weeks since Jeremy started typing the stolen book on his computer. The more he typed, the more he discovered about the writings, and his infatuation became stronger word by word. Pressing pause on the video to grab a blurry, but just legible image wasn't very helpful. There was more to the book than just ghosts and supernatural beasts. The book focused on the study of the soul: its nature and vulnerability. He pondered over the width of the book, and he felt he might have come across something big-it could either be against or for him. The most interesting thing about it was that, when he'd done an Internet search there were no copies, no author, it was like it had emerged out of nowhere.

Bit by bit, as he worked his way through it, chapter by chapter, Jeremy felt it was worth creating a digital copy and carefully cataloging each entry on his website. He felt sharing such information could bring satisfaction-and perhaps even attract others interested in the mysteries he'd been piecing together. He felt that, with strange intrusions and events having recently plagued him, it was best if he should rename this book to something a bit ambiguous. He settled with ‘The Dark Tome’.  It felt appropriate: a title carrying enough weight to suit the macabre nature of what this book was filled with.

He had practically completed it; he had worked without rest, only one chapter remaining to complete the archive. But when he started to type away on the second-to-last chapter, he came upon something quite unusual: an unfamiliar language, or some form of code. The text was an incomprehensible jumble of symbols and patterns, an encrypted puzzle buried between the words he had translated up until now. The discovery considerably slowed him down, his curiosity mingling with a sense of dread that was beginning to creep in.

Jeremy kept thinking about going back to the abandoned house and digging further, ever since they'd left. However, Alex was always busy: classes in the morning, working at the animation studio in the afternoon. Jeremy had seen a few episodes of the show Alex worked on and was blown away by how so naturally and expressively Alex's voice fit the character. Jeremy was genuinely proud of his friend. Alex was indeed gifted.

Jeremy, in contrast, he passed much of his time in solitude. Only rarely did he join classmates for a project or assignment. He was much into being alone-his mind occupied, mostly, with the cryptic book. Holding the pencil with his eyes lost on the desk scribbles-an impossible code in the innumerable attempts to decipher it, the pencil fell from his hands as his elbow knocked down a pile of books onto the floor.

The room was completely silent, save for the muffled bass from the music upstairs. Jeremy rolled his eyes in annoyance; didn't they know how to behave like decent people? The guys upstairs never seemed to keep their music at a reasonable volume. He got up reluctantly, grabbed a broom, and banged it against the ceiling a few times. “Hey, someone is trying to study down here! Keep it down!” There was a momentary pause in the music accompanied by some giggles, then it resumed, quieter this time.

Jeremy sighed, looking out of the window. It was pouring rain, and he comprehended that he was late. He relinquished it at last with a shake of his head and rushed through the crowd, made off his things assiduously, and headed for class. His day was demanding, crammed with interesting lectures and lab sessions. Being an engineering student, hours had to be spent in huge, brightly lit classrooms, the air drone with computers and the shuffling of paper as students furiously scribbled notes. These consisted of lectures with unceasing flow of equations and concepts which demanded his utmost concentration. The professors, stiff and flamboyant, paced from the front of the hall while their voices echoed on the walls of the huge auditorium.

However horrible the mixture of boredom and tiredness was, thoughts fast engulfed him. Out of the burning haze of his mind flourished the thought of the book, and the mysterious symbols that he still could not decode. He wanted straight answers, with the person to get them from already put in his mind. Jeremy searched for Professor Ashbourne after class. The professor had shown unusual interest in the paranormal, and Jeremy hoped he might shed some insight into the coded text.