WITHIN THE PAGES

three; he learns about louis

[ the actual book that harry is reading is in italicized lettering ]

it was later that day, with book in hand, harry crawled into his bed. this is his usual routine you see? he always snuggles in the covers and get really comfortable, sometimes, if he's lucky, he'll fall asleep. because like, he's an insomniac. but most of the time he gets too into the book. he does this, and then he turns on his reading light, and he takes this time to look at the cover and binding even further. the letters on the front spelling out l o u i s are elaborate and beautiful in a strange way. it looked like, you know, in the beginning of the sleeping beauty film, where they show the book, but not like, as, bedazzled and all the shit like that. there's no author, anywhere on the book, so he doesn't know who wrote it or anything. he runs his fingertips along the front of it, and on the spine, he loves the feeling. but then he looks at the back of the book, and there are few words, and it's what motivated harry to buy the book. it read: i look forward to meeting you.

so after a moment of thought, he opened the book.

the first page is nothing extraordinary, just another page for the title, louis, and agin, no author anywhere to be seen. there are then a few blank pages apparently serving no purpose and then harry reached the first page, the word beginning is at the top.

i don't know you, okay? you're a stranger to me. i didn't ask for you to peek your nose into my business, now did i? no, no i did not. how would you like it if someone suddenly appeared in your life?

let me tell you what you're going to do. you're going to shut this book right now. let the cover rest on the title page, and leave me enveloped in my own dark little world.

what? i can't understand you, but i can sense what you mean. you want to know if i like being alone here, in the dark. well, i mean, it's all i've ever known. until you came along, there was only me, existing in these pages. why would i wish for something when i've known nothing else?

i have to admit, though ... the light you're reading from feels nice. i've never seen my world in quite this way before. the stark blacks of the letters are taking shape, becoming a home for me to live in even as you read.

maybe i'll let you stay for awhile. maybe i'll enjoy this light for a little longer with you.

harry found a smile forming on his face as the first part came to an end, and he really wanted to dive in, and read and read and read, letting the words flow over him and take him. but for the first time in a while, his head was feeling a bit fuzzy and he found himself falling asleep. so quickly that he didn't even have time to close the book.