Rotten - The Cursed, The Curse And The Prophecy (MxM)

Nightmare

Half the day had gone by and Richard was left to wander around while Adrian went out with a warning to not exit the house at any circumstance. With all the time in his hands and nothing to do, he couldn't help but to feel increasingly bored, so he got up and started looking around.

The house he was in was very spacious, with a victorian feel almost... High ceilings, dark wood floors and an immense array of interesting objects, paintings and books scattered around every working surface. Shelves as high as the walls filled with antique looking objects with weird symbols, glass jars holding cloudy liquids, and notes scribbled with haste spread everwhere. Between the couch the past most of the time and the smaller one with the mini bar charriot was a round coffee table made of dark wood with symbols etched just like the other objects.

On the far corner where most of the bookshelves were was a large desk, and he could clearly see where Adrian spent most of his time. On the left side was a large monitor with a keyboard, and everywhere else were notepads written with the same erratic writing. A map scribbled and pin pointed lay half falling from the desk being held by a stack of books. As he got closer he noticed a huge black book with ancient latches on the side and with heavy intricate artwork all over, whomever had done this had brilliant craftsmanship skills.

The book reverberated this dark aura that was palpable even to the most unsensitive person, it seemed to be made from the same shadows that loom over nightmares, and the more Richard looked at it the more he could swear he was slowly consuming all the nearby light. The latches were open, and as if losing all grip on good sense he felt compelled to open it... His conscience screamed at him to ignore the book and back away from it but his hands took life of their own as they inched towards it. As soon as his fingers brushed the cover he was overpowered with the smell of rot, and then almost immediately he started to hear whispers all around him persuading him to open the book.

His hands were firmly gripped on the cover and as he started to lift it open Adrian came through the doors breaking his transe completely.

- What are you doing? - Adrian spoke in a harsh and surprised tone.

Richard stepped away from the desk in complete shock and struggled to find something to respond without fear of the other man reaction.

- I, I... Nothing. - His voice was nervous as he looked everywhere but the pale man's eyes.

With that the long haired man marched closer grabbing him forcefully by the arm looking deep into his eyes and with the most cold voice he could muster spoke, sending shivers through Richard's spine.

- Tell me you didn't open it. - His gaze was like piercing daggers into the read head face.

- No I didn't! Please you're hurting me! - Richard cried.

Adrian's face remained the same but his posture calmed, losening the grip on his arm.

- Stay away from that book.

For a second Richard registered a sliver of concern on those words before his normal expressionless self took form.

- I will... Sorry.

Quickly after he freed the man from his grip Adrian grabbed the heavy book and took it to his room where he put it away inside a large trunk safely away with a lock.

After a few minutes in silence Adrian felt regret in how he spoke to him, but the consequences of opening that wretched thing were too great for someone who still doesn't understand anything about the world. Specially one as cruel as his.

- Are you hungry? - He asked not looking at Richard as he shuffled by towards another room not before he closed his bedrooms doors that were connected to the living room area.