Anna had always been drawn to old books. There was something about the smell of aged paper and the weight of history in her hands that she found irresistible. So when she stumbled upon a small, dusty bookstore hidden in an alley downtown, she couldn't resist stepping inside.
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| Anna |
The shop was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of must and mildew. Shelves crammed with books towered over her, casting long shadows that danced in the flickering light of a single, dying bulb.
At the back of the store, an ancient man with milky eyes sat behind a counter, his gaze distant and unfocused." Looking for anything in particular?" he rasped, his voice like the rustling of dried leaves.
Anna shook her head. "Just browsing," she replied, her eyes scanning the spines of the books.
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| The book seller |
The cover was made of cracked, black leather, adorned with strange symbols that seemed to shift and writhe as she looked at them. She reached out to touch it, her fingers tingling as they brushed the surface." That book is not for sale," the old man called out from behind her, his voice suddenly sharp.
Anna snatched her hand back, heart pounding. "Why not?" she asked, turning to face him."Some books are best left unread," he said cryptically, his gaze piercing through the haze of his eyes. But Anna's curiosity was piqued. She couldn't resist.
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| The magic book |
After a few minutes of negotiating, the old man reluctantly agreed to sell her the book, warning her once more of the dangers within.
At home, Anna sat at her desk, the book before her.
She hesitated only a moment before opening it.
The pages were yellowed and brittle, filled with strange, spidery script and intricate illustrations.
As she read, the room seemed to grow colder, shadows lengthening and deepening around her.
The words were a dark, twisting incantation, pulling her deeper into the story of a malevolent entity imprisoned within the book.
As she read aloud, the air around her grew thick and heavy, pressing in on her from all sides.
A sudden gust of wind extinguished the candle on her desk, plunging the room into darkness.
The temperature plummeted, her breath visible in the frigid air.
She heard a whisper, soft and sibilant, brushing against her ears like a lover's caress."Free me," it hissed. "Release me, and I will grant you power beyond your wildest dreams."Anna's heart raced. She wanted to stop reading, to close the book and throw it away, but her hands moved of their own accord, turning page after page.
The whispers grew louder, more insistent, filling her mind with promises of glory and terror.
She reached the final page, the incantation reaching its crescendo. The room around her shuddered, the walls seeming to warp and twist.
A shadow emerged from the darkness, a figure cloaked in malice and despair."Thank you," it whispered, its voice like nails on a chalkboard. "Thank you for setting me free."Anna tried to scream, but no sound escaped her lips.
The shadow moved closer, its form shifting and writhing, a mass of darkness and hate.
It reached out, cold fingers brushing against her skin, sending waves of agony through her body. The last thing Anna saw was the creature's eyes, burning like coals in the darkness, filled with an ancient, insatiable hunger.
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| Anna and the black shadow |
The next morning, the old man in the bookstore found the black leather book back on its pedestal, its pages clean and unmarked, as if it had never been read.
He sighed, his milky eyes clouded with sorrow.
Another soul lost to the darkness, another victim of the book's eternal hunger.
He turned away, knowing it was only a matter of time before another curious soul would wander into his store, drawn to the forbidden book, and the cycle would begin again.
.webp)
