Shadow Cursed

Chapter 6: The Mysterious Book

The days following, I found myself in other places. I returned home after they had thought I recovered enough.

I ended up spending more time at the library looking for information that could help me. So far I found nothing. Many visits to the other realm were involved but no help either.

Everyday after school ended, I had skipped going home and went straight to the library to research some more.

After sending the usual text to my sister about my whereabouts, I headed down the street to the library.

Arriving at the library, I entered the back door as usual. I passed the heavy wooden doors and through the study hall. It was almost empty beside the one student scribbling on a piece of paper.

I looked through the book shelves in the back room. I kept skimming through the titles and nothing new. I've seen an read most of them in my free time when I was hiding from home. I knew the fantasy section inside out by now.

A quiet hiss came from behind me, but as I turned around no one was there. "Hello? Anyone there?" All I noticed was a trail of darkness leading to a window and ending. Looking out the window I saw a faint trail, nothing strong enough to follow.

On the way back to the door way I noticed a piece of crumpled up paper on the floor in the middle of the room. Slowly opening up the paper, it read a shelf and book number written with a feather and ink well along with a third note.

My fingers were slow as I opened this third note afraid of what the paper had for me. This note read, Don't ignore me, I know who you are. I watch your everystep. It had no signature like the other two. How did these notes find me, and who was sending them. It could be an angel or demon that was watching me.

Forget it Isabella, you need to find this book before someone else spots it. Approaching the shelf, a leather bound book was waiting for me, "That's strange... I never saw this before."

Taking the book of the shelf the dust entered my lungs and I coughed. I wiped the layers of dust off and stared at the cover. It was an ancient leather bound book with title written in gold. I couldn't read the title, it was in another language I've never seen before.

I coughed as I opened the book the a random page, "I guess no one has opened this book in a long time. Let's see secrets this book holds." Inside was pictures of monsters and demons, mentions of myths I've read all my life, and the book was written in the same language as the cover I assumed. I shut the book in defeat and laid on the table. I checked my phone and noticed the time, "Shoot! I'm gonna be home late!" I put the book back where it was and ran back home.

The house were still dark when I got home. I guess no one was home. I noticed a note was taped to the door as I got closer to the door. It was from my mother of course, she wouldn't be home tonight as usual. After sighing I let myself in using my keys.

Upon entering I noticed something was wrong, I couldn't tell what it was. After turning on the lights I saw the room was almost as I left it this morning after leaving. "That's weird," I looked around the room and nothing else was out of place.

I slowly made my way my bedroom, hesitating to open the door I turned the knob and walked inside. My photo album was on the floor along with my dress that was on my bed, it must of been the wind. I picked up my photo album and before closing it noticed the picture it was opened to. It was one of Anna and I when we were children and playing in the winter. It dated December 16th, 1996, my birthday. Lost in my thoughts I remembered that day, we were only 6 and playing outside in our jackets and snow boots. In the middle of my thinking a sound from my kitchen of something falling scared me.

I threw the book to my bed and ran to my sister's room across the hall and grabbed the sword she kept in its case. I would explain why I removed it later when she got home. Running down the stairs in socks, I neared the kitchen doorway. "Mom, I thought you were working late tonight," There was no response, "Hello?"

Gripping the sword tightly in my hand I saw a shadow from the light in the window above the sink. The figure turned around and looked at me. Without turning the lights on I knew who it was standing in my kitchen. "What are you doing here at this hour?"