《The Book of Death》


 1 - The Library

    "Let''s go now! The library will close soon," a blonde girl said standing up with a look of annoyance on her face.


    "Just a few more minutes," a boy said under big thick old glasses, "I just need to find another book for my research."


    "Why do you always get so obsessed?" she said with her hands on her tiny hips and turned around, "I''ll wait by the entrance," and she quickly left leaving echoing her small steps in that empty library.


    "Why she never understands?" he murmured to himself while shaking his head. "I''ll just get another one," he stood up and looked for another book in those dusty shelves.


    "Ah! Here!" he said to himself after a little while, "I knew that I would find it sooner or later," and he reached with his hand to get the book at the top shelf when suddenly everything turned black with a loud mechanical noise.


    "Oh no, the lights! They forgot me here again!" and the boy reached again grabbing a book and collected his things as quickly as he could and started to run.


    When he finally arrived at the entrance he saw an enraged face making an expression that he had seen many times. Far too many times for one lifetime.


    "Ben!" she said cracking her voice, "I told you that this would happen!" she puffed her cheeks, "why you never listen to me?"


    "It wasn''t my fault Clara," he defended himself avoiding the look on her face, "anyway let''s go home," and he started walking on the street.


    Giving a last deep breath looking at the stars, Clara resigned herself and followed the incorrigible irresponsible immature childhood friend of hers. "Why do I subject myself to this every now and then?" she murmured to herself.


    Ben could feel the silence between them growing with every minute. And that starry windy cold night didn''t help at all to dissipate those emotions.


    "So Clara," he said turning back to look at her, "have any plans for the weekend?"


    "Oh, my God Ben. You always use the same line to break the ice whenever I''m mad. You need to learn some new tricks," she said approaching Ben with a tiny smile flourishing in her face, ''you nerd,'' she murmured to herself.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Ben lived exactly three meters and a quarter to Clara''s house, as he always liked to put it. Being close neighbors, Clara''s room was always the first thing that Ben saw when waking up. Since when he was a little boy he always remembered talking to Clara over the window. And never once he could remember one instance where Clara was truly mad at him. "I''m lucky," he said to himself reminiscing of the past. Even when he set her favorite white dress on fire, she could only stay mad at him for a few minutes.


    A few minutes later they arrived at their house, Ben said his goodbye and entered his house. Clara looked at him entering his house without a care in the world said to herself, "he has so much to learn..."


    Slowly, and mentally exhausted, she entered her house and climbed the stairs to her room. Her mom and sister were still watching the soups on the TV and didn''t even notice her arrival.


    Not even five seconds later she heard the ''phone'', a contraption that Ben created for them to communicate across the windows. "Oh, not again," she exhaled and walked to grab the ''phone''.


    "Clara! We need to go back tomorrow!" he said as soon as she picked up the ''phone''.


    "Calm down Ben," she said looking at him through the windows, "what happened?"


    "I got the wrong book," he said waving to her a black book in his hands.


    Not proud of herself Clara facepalmed herself, not for the first time in her life, but many and many times and always with Ben.


    "How?--" she started, "--it doesn''t matter. The library is closed tomorrow."


    "B-but my research?" he said scrambling his hair, "that book was very important."


    "It was just ''research'' for an RPG game, that''s not important Ben."


    "Hey, don''t finger quote by important research," he said, "you promised to stop making fun of me on that."


    "I''m sorry Ben," she said putting her hand on the windows, "anyway, what book did you get?"


    Ben took the book again and looked for the first time at its contents. Flipping through the pages he saw many diagrams, circles, triangles, and a writing system that looked like greek or some old language.


    "I think it''s just an old alchemy book," he said finally after a few minutes.


    "Anyway, it''s not important. I need to take a shower and rest a little bit," she closed the white curtains of her windows.


    "Alchemy, eh?" and he put the book over his nightstand. The book was totally different from the old vampire book that he was researching for his newest adventure he had been working for the past 3 months. But maybe he could incorporate a little bit of alchemy in the mix, he pondered for a while.


    If a diligent observed watched that night he would have found that the night was unusually darker than usual. And if one looked closely one could find two dark beings on top of a little house in the suburbs of the city. Those cornucopians figures were barely discernible in the darkness of that moonless night.


    "It finally began," one of the creatures said to the other and swiftly disappeared.


    "Don''t worry," the remaining creature said to the air, "I''ll manage the sacrifices this time."

 The Book

    Clara woke up almost together with the sunrise on that Saturday morning. Usually, she is the type of person that wakes up early on weekends, but that was too much even for her standards. She didn''t know why but for some reason she couldn''t sleep anymore. She felt restless as if there was something wrong about to happen. Ignoring the feeling she slowly dragged herself out of bed. She put her flip-flops and yawning she opened her windows as usual.


    "Strange," she thought, "he is already awake?"


    Paying no other thought to Ben''s light she proceeds to her normal routine, running a few laps around the block. Being the third place in rugby was a big deal for Clara. The first time she saw rugby she fell in love and since then she tried to practice it dearly. It didn''t help that her best friends were also in the team and with one of them as second place for that matter, "I must win next time against Susan," she murmured to herself putting her running clothes and shoes.


    Forty minutes later and sweating profusely she got back home.


    "Sweetie, do you want some waffles? You''re early today," her mom said already on the kitchen ready to start preparing the breakfast.


    "Two and with OJ," she said running up the stairs.


    "Wanna invite Ben again today for breakfast?" her mother said, "the poor thing must be feeling lonely these past few days."


    "I''ll get Ben in a few minutes," Clara yelled from her room, "he would starve without our help," she said with a smile on her lips.


    After a brief cold shower, she went to call Ben. "Sleepyhead," she said opening her windows and throwing a small rock from the ''collection'' of rocks she kept under the windows for that specific purpose.


    A few seconds later Ben opened the windows almost falling to the floor.


    "What happened to you?" she said looking at the bags under his eyes and the zombie appearance of her friend.


    "Why do you never use our phone?" he stared at her for a few seconds, "anyway, this book is amazing," he said with a bit too much of enthusiasm, "I''m dying but I wanna continue reading it," he gave a faint smile.


    "Oh no, Ben. I don''t like when you get that obsessed," she looked at him wrinkling her eyebrows, "remember last time? You forgot to eat for two days."


    "This time is different," he said with a gesture, "I think this book is real."


    Turning her eyes Clara looked deeply at him. "Sure thing. Anyway, my mom is calling you for breakfast."


    Ben always felt misunderstood, for him it was like people didn''t really care about the wonderful things that he liked. Even Clara was like that. Always bothering him to pay more attention when walking as if the things he was looking or thinking weren''t as important as not falling on the street. He sighed remembering the past while going to Clara''s house.


    "Good morning miss Renault," Ben said entering the kitchen.


    "Oh Ben," she said with worry in her eyes, "you need to sleep better, you''re still growing. You''re just 15, when you get older you don''t want to still be shorter than Clara, right?"


    Already used to the sermon, Ben just shook his head and got a pancake for him. From time to time he could feel Clara''s eyes upon himself with concern. "I''m ok," he mentally reassured her.


    A few minutes later Ben and Clara were into her bedroom.


    "You should sleep here," Clara said after a while, "I don''t like that your parents are so absent from time to time."This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    "Don''t worry. They will come back next week. This time it isn''t work, just a small vacation," he said.


    Creasing her mouth and without knowing what to say Clara gave up, "at least sleep here. It''s been a while since we don''t do it."


    Ben felt a bit strange about that idea, but he didn''t know quite why. They always slept together and made their adventures. Usually Ben talking about some made-up story of his. But despite the embarrassing feeling he accepted.


    "Oh! The book, Clara," he said standing up from her bed and slightly hitting his head with his hand, "I almost forgot. It is real. Do you understand?"


    "What do you mean?" she said laying down in bed and giving a long sigh, "what is real this time?"


    "This is not like my ghost hypothesis, this time I can prove it," he said leaving the bedroom and going to his house to collect his book. "She will go crazy," he thought to himself going back to Clara''s house.


    Putting the book on the bed and opening in one of the first pages he read it to her.


    ''When God created the world he laid hidden underneath everything that exists a secret code. A code that if one discovers one can use powers on equal grounding to God himself. Albeit complicated, men slowly was able to build a small repertoire of sacred words. A small society was created which they called themselves the Qiameth.


    The grandmaster of the Qiameth was reponsable of passing down the knowledge from generation to generation of the words that have been discovered--''


    "--So," Clara said sitting back on the bed, "you''re saying you believe this story? And what''s up with the weird name for their society?"


    "Of course I didn''t believe at the first time I read," Ben said fixing his glasses, "but I had to at least try one of the words they teach."


    "And why would you try that?"


    "Well..." he said scratching his cheeks, "I always try these things, even with cartoons. Anyway, it worked!" he smiled showing our his white teeth.


    "And what happened?"


    "I was able to make my lights blink a little," he said in an almost inaudible voice.


    "Just that?" she laughed a little bit, "Ben, that could be anything."


    "But it happened, I''m sure of it!" he said standing up and holding dearly the book.


    "Show me then," she said.


    No matter what Ben tried, he couldn''t reproduce the effects he last saw in the previous night. He tried to recite the words slowly, loudly, and many other combinations but nothing happened. Clara had her belly hurting from laughing at her gullible friend. Ben finally gave up and went to his house a bit depressed.


    Without giving up Ben tried all afternoon for something but he still wasn''t able to do the simplest thing the book showed. Clara spent her afternoon with Susan and talking about some strategies for the next game. Although they are good, their opponents were too good to take lightly. One should never take it easy when dealing with finalists.


    Clara was still talking to Susan when Ben barged in. "It worked!" he said triumphantly to her, "I think I found the problem."


    "Ben!" Clara said a bit too loud, "not again. Last time we lost half an hour of you saying strange words. We are in the middle of an important discussion."


    Ben finally noticed Susan, she gave him a shy smile under those freckles and Ben smiled slightly towards her. After a few seconds, he shook his head and went down to business. He opened his book and started to recite the same words as the previous afternoon.


    Clara shook her head and thought, "why he is always like that?"


    Contrary to Clara''s low expectations, something indeed happened. The lights started to flicker, just like in a ghost movie.


    "What''s happening?" Susan said with her eyes bulging from her face.


    "It''s my magic," Bend said closing his book.


    "What trick this time you have done with the lights?" Clara said putting her hands on her hips.


    Ben explained his new findings. Apparently, the ''magic'' in the book only works after it gets dark. He was only able to make it work after the sunset a few minutes before coming to Clara''s house. The secret phrase he was trying to use before, if he understood the vague explanation in the book, was to leave the path of the light. "In other words," Ben said finalizing his deductions, "to change and make the lights flicker."


    "Are you sure that''s the correct interpretation?" Clara said, "those words seems suspicious."


    "I''m a 100% sure," Ben said smiling, "now you believe me?"


    Clara and Susan looked at each other. Clara could feel that Susan was scared. The poor girl was the best in the team and fierce in the field, but she was too shy and didn''t like to put attention to herself. It was like she transformed herself when playing, a completely different person.


    Even though the lights stopped flickering after a minute or so, the atmosphere in the bedroom was changed drastically. No one knew if it was because of the fear, but it seemed colder and eerie now.


    "Don''t worry," Ben tried to reassure Susan, "this book is not an evil thing."


    "How do you know that?" Susan said.


    "Oh, because of the book''s name," he said flipping the book to the first page.


    The book cover had no name, but its name could be read on the first page.


    "The book of life?" Susan said in a soft voice reading the name Ben was pointing with his finger.

 2 - The Cat

    "Great!" a dark creature atop Ben''s house said, "more sacrifices for master."


    For thousands of years, that creature guarded that seemly old-fashioned book. It waited and saw many man approaching the book but none ever grabbing. As if they couldn''t see the book at all. Some very powerful man sought that book for uncountable years, relying on divination and lucky, but none ever saw a glimpse of its cover. An indeed valuable treasure without a safe but nevertheless forever secure.


    "Why master is so complicated," with a sigh the creature waited for the pawns to make a play.


    *****


    "You still don''t believe me?" Ben asked Clara.


    "Many things could explain the lights," Clara shrugged getting a hold of her breath again.


    "You never believe me," he said shaking his head, "you saw it, right Susan?" he put his hand in her shoulder and pointed to the book.


    With crimson red cheeks, Susan just lowered her head and shook it positively. Clara just shook her head seeing that far too common scene. "How he can be so thick?" Clara thought.


    "I''ll try a different magic if you don''t believe me," he said already turning another page and trying to find another set of incantations."


    "Wait a little bit," Clara said biting her lower lips, "tell us a little about this book first."


    "Well--" Ben scratched his cheeks, "--I basically know its name and that words have power. With the correct words, you can do anything you want."


    "That''s all?" Clara said open wide her mouth, "you didn''t sleep all night reading the book and you still don''t have a clue?"


    "Clara," Susan said raising her little face and looking deeply at her friend, "don''t be too mean to Ben. Maybe the book it''s just too hard."


    "Thank you," Ben said smiling again, "it''s just that the phrasing used it''s sometimes too confusing for me. You know I''m not good at interpreting things sometimes."


    Clara knew well mild dyslexia that ben had when he was younger, but now he rarely ever showed any visible struggle. He was just bad at some things that were very easy for others, and really good at some rather difficult things.


    "If you are sure it''s safe I guess we can try again," Clara said sitting straighter and giving a light sigh, "just to show that it was probably just a coincidence."


    Ben looked a few more pages before deciding in a spell. He read most of the book in the previous night. Using the translator to understand the meaning of some Latin or Greek word took quite a bit of time, but nevertheless, he thought he could do it. He wasn''t born a geek for nothing. That was his territory, solving puzzles.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "This spell," Ben said pointing to the page that had some drawings, "it''s supposed to take all sound of the air," with no pause Ben started to read the letters.


    "That seems strange," Clara thought but had no time to say anything.


    Every word pronounced made their hearts beat a little stronger, pulsating with Ben''s voice.


    "I''m not liking this," Susan said covering her head with her hands.


    When Clara was about to ask Ben to stop he concluded the spell. For a moment Clara''s eyes were fixed into Ben''s ones. Not moving or blinking. But nothing seemed to happen. Nothing was happening.


    "It''s everything OK?" Clara finally said taking her eyes off Ben and looking around. No lights blinking and no signal of anything wrong.


    "It''s quiet," Susan said finally looking at both of them, "I can''t hear any more noises."


    As the sudden realization, all of them started to look for the usual noises that were ever present. No noisy TV on the first floor. No cars passing by. If one didn''t speak it was easy to even listen to their own heartbeat.


    "What spell did you actually read?" said Clara taking the book and reading the page. "Ben! This is dangerous!" she said after a few minutes.


    "What? Why? It''s just a spell for silence."


    "You''re wrong. Read here," Clara pointed to the text.


    ''All life inevitably is messy and noisy. The absence of sound is the beginning of death. Everything one posses start with noise, and this is the first one to be taken.'' And the rest of the text describes how the spell must be pronounced. Which word shall be stressed and how toxic move one''s mouth.


    "What''s the problem?" Ben said scratching his neck, "it''s just a silence spell, right?"


    "NO BEN!" Clara said, "I think this spell--this whole book--it''s not good news."


    A few seconds later all sound came back all of the sudden, making Susan scream and Ben almost falling off the bed.


    "What now?" Clara said.


    "I think it''s OK now. The effect is temporary, apparently," Ben said slowly closing his book and giving a really good look at the cover for the first real time. It was all in black and leather. There was something embossed in the leather but it was almost impossible to figure it out now after, presumably, many years. No title and no author apparently. "What is exactly this book?" Ben thought for the first time.


    After a few hours of dabates, they got some points about what was happening. The book was dangerous and should be disposed of as quickly as possible. No matter how much Ben argued about being careful, it was to no avail. Clara was firm in her decision. Ben''s face almost burned by the fierce stares Clara gave him from time to time. She was used to him doing silly things willy-nilly, but this was the last straw. In the next day, they would throw it out in the trash and forget all about it. It''s no use to posses something that you don''t understand and can be dangerous, was the last speech of Clara.


    "It''s OK if I sleep with you guys today?" Susan said after things calmed down. She knew herself well. She was strong in the field, but here? She was scared. She wouldn''t be able to sleep alone today. The flicking lights made her remember when she was a little kid watching a ghost movie her parents have strictly forbidden her. She would have nightmares this night.


    After discussing, it was set that Susan and Ben would sleep over in Clara''s house. They tried to pass time and watched an anime on the computer but it didn''t help to change the atmosphere of the room. That night it was hard to sleep for all of them. Their imagination was too wild but finally, each one of them slept until late in the Sunday morning.


    They started deliberating in the afternoon the book disposal. In the middle of the discussion it happened. Susan got a call from their family. Her little cat she got as a present a few months ago passed away in the previous night.


    Susan ran home as soon as she got the news, not even waiting for miss Renault to drive her home. When she left, Ben and Clara looked at each other. One could see each other in their reflection on their big black pupils.


    "What have you done, Ben ?" she said getting grips of herself.


    "I-It''s not my f-fault," he sat on the bed and gave a long hard sight.