Little Black Notebook

The cold was excruciatingly numbing my nose, my scarf could not cover my neck and my face at the same time. I tried to ignore the cold because I was making my way to the bookstore. The sound of the small grocery store in the middle of the street and a variety of restaurants surrounding the block, the park to the right of me was empty, nobody really likes being out and about when the cold is nipping at their nose.

My favorite bookstore has a new release by this mysterious and anonymous author, the synopsis too good to even say no to. I’ve been following the news of this mysterious author that left their perfect manuscript inside the mailbox of one of the top publishers. The plot about how they found this little black notebook by the side of the street one day and how because of it she became unexpectedly rich but, in the process, lost everything. A nobody like me wanted to read all about their adventure; so, I went.

Once inside the bookstore nobody seemed surprised to see me, again. This bookstore is my whole world, rows and rows of knowledge, fantasy, science, literature, languages; I can’t even say how many books I have in my own apartment; I can’t even imagine how many books are in here. I walked over to the NEW RELEASED sign and grabbed the book with the title Please Don’t Read, the title of the book had been a mystery until now. I couldn’t help it when my blood started heating up, as I could just imagine the world that book could take me, and with a title like that, it just made me even more excited. I went over to the cashier ready to buy the book.

“How’s today going Kiera?” The cashier today was Kiera, a 20 or so year old bookworm just like me that enjoys this simple and quiet life.

“It’s going alright, I’m kind of disappointed you were the first one to even head towards the stand. It’s 3 p.m. I thought that stand would’ve sold out by now.” Her voice showed sincere sadness as she looked over to the stand. I looked back at it; it was stacked to the very top with that bewitching title, a single spot made the round stand look incomplete. “But I don’t blame anyone for avoiding it, it’s giving me and everyone in here a weird vibe about it.”

My surprise must have caught her eye, she looked at me and I bet she was wondering why am I the only one that has taken an interest?

“I guess I’ll just figure it out by reading it.” She checked me out and efficiently wrapped my book in compostable paper, sealing the item inside with a random sticker.

Today’s sticker was the Eye of Horus, but in the actual iris was the Ouroboros. Interesting enough knowing their individual symbology, I would have never thought of putting both of them together like that. “Clever.” Slipped out of my mouth.

She gave me my receipt, faintly noticing that the hairs on her arms were spiking upward, maybe a cold wind swept inside. I was ready to go to my cozy apartment.

The walk from the bookstore to my apartment was not long, a five-minute walk or so, but in this cold weather and the wind picking up, it was taking me longer to get to my safe haven.

Out of the blue, it started raining, and my book started to get wet, my legs were getting hit by the strong wind and the rain was making them freeze in place. I imagined myself like a cartoonish popsicle just freezing over every time a gust of wind crashes against me.

I reach inside my pocket when I finally get close enough to the entry door, the restaurant under my apartment has placed those plastic walls around the terrace, is humming with life. I pull out the keys noticing that my hand is vigorously shaking making me unable to efficiently put the key in the keyhole.

It felt like minutes passed when I finally inserted the metal through the mechanism and turned, unlocking the warmth that awaited me inside. I took a step through the doorway, taking off my boots and now wet jacket, placing my new addition to my bookstore in a small ottoman at the entrance of my apartment. Not even a few steps in front of me I hear the taps of nails against hardwood floor, my beautiful wagging two-year-old blue nosed Pitbull waiting at the very top of the stairs. I hang the wet jacket on the mounted coat rack, grab my book, and rush up through the narrow stairs to greet Luna, in honor of my favorite Ravenclaw, my Velcro puppy. Once upstairs, I tossed the book at the round kitchen table and turned to the hallway to where my room is, grabbing everything I need for a necessary steaming hot bath, just to warm myself up.

~

During my bath I kept on thinking why the title was Please Don’t Read, I remembered Kiera’s words. It’s giving me and everyone in here a weird vibe about it. How come when I handled the book it felt… right. Like if by me having the book is what destiny mandated.

After I finished, I stumbled across a warm bundle at the doorstep, she stood up and ran inside the steamed room. She had her tail tucked in between her legs and her head lowered, she was scared.

“What’s wrong Luna?” She only whimpered in response.

I took a step outside feeling much warmer than I did before and walked around my small apartment. No one was here, and the door was locked. I called out to see if Luna wanted to come, bribing her with food, but not a single sound came from her. I decided not to really bother her about it and grabbed the book and walked over to my makeshift bohemian nook. Right next to the best natural lighting in the apartment, the French windows keeping us from the cold and wet exterior. I sit on the plush pillows I have laid on the floor on top of a neutral toned carpet, then comes the ritual I perform before reading the new addition to my bookshelf, I carefully take off the sticker and add it to my corkscrew board.

I ripped the compostable paper off and begin to binge read.

But when I open the book the pages are blank. I decided to turn the page once again, and again, and again. I frantically look page to page not realizing that the book was just a waste of space and paper.

I was about to give up when I thought I saw something black reflect against the white stained paper. Midway through the book it had the number twenty thousand printed in the middle of the page. I flipped the book to see if I found something else, at the very end of the book it had an address, it was two blocks away from my apartment.

I close the book and head to the bathroom where Luna was, the door was still open, but Luna was not there. I call out to her many times; I went to her usual hiding spots; I did not see or hear from her from the rooms or closet. I went back to my nook where I had left the book and to my surprise the book was gone too. I moved the pillows to see if it was under them but nothing.

I am spooked, and terrified. Luna has never tried to leave the house without me, she refuses to. I cried out for her many times.

In a brief pause I thought I heard her nails tapping against the floor and I got so happy. The sound became louder until it was in front of me, I heard her sniffing around, but I did not see her.

To my surprise she began barking, I have never heard her bark since I rescued her. Never. This is the first time I have ever heard her… aggressive.

I remembered the address and decided to quickly go to it. I grabbed a new coat from my room and rush downstairs to the entry; I turned the key to the door, and I heard those same nails tapping the floor, Luna was walking downstairs too but she is no longer barking. Somehow, I felt her brush my leg with that stubby body of hers; I turned to face the outdoors and I see a light. It was Luna, but her fur and eyes are different.

This dog has my book in between their teeth. No… It wasn’t my book, it was thinner. It looked like a notebook. A little black notebook. Just like the mysterious author.

“Hey, give that back.”

I don’t even bother locking the door this time, I run after the dog. It took a second to realize it had stopped raining and there was no breeze. In fact, it looked like everything stopped. The concrete looked like it was stained black, reflecting against the white buildings that faded. It felt ethereal.

The dog was guiding me to the address I read on the empty book. Once we arrive, I saw the same round table from the bookstore piled with that black book, the sign was different too. It said REACH IN , there was a gap in the neatly piled books. Inside that gap was that same blinding light from the dog.

I felt bewitched to do as it instructed just how I was bewitched by the title. I reached in.

I felt nylon and followed reaching in deeper. I was pulled in and something slithered up my wrist, scared I pulled away until my hand was out of the gap. To see twin white snakes just like the Ouroboros sticker gripping my hand. They were attached to a bag of sorts, and to one side of the bag was the sign of the Eye of Horus, protecting whatever was inside the bag. The other side of the bag had written in white ink said, say the thousand and the hue in which you found me.

The grip of the snakes began to tighten, and I thought I might lose my arm if I didn’t answer the ill worded riddle. This never would have happened if I had not bought that book. That book… The book was the answer!

I was stuttering my words, trying hard to think and to make that deathly grip be a secondary thought. I finally said clearly, “twenty-thousand and a hue of black.”

The grip loosened immediately, and the world seemed to have faded to normal. I was back at the bookstore, the pile of books now just a pile of ash, and a huge white and black duffel bag with the Ouroboros inside of the Eye of Horus was printed on the side hung next to me. I felt a presence rush towards me.

“Are you okay?” Kiera sounds far away but I see her right in front of me, she looks like she is shouting.

I look back to the bag and drop it to the ground, kneeling while hesitantly opening the bag. There is that same little black notebook, it’s surrounded by … by twenty-thousand dollars inside. I meant to reach inside but something caught my eye, there was a tail like tattoo peeking out of my sleeve. I force my sleeve back and I see a band that seemed to have been tattooed on my skin; I have never gotten a tattoo before, but my new ink reflects where the snake’s death grip was.

Kiera’s voice clearer than before asks me hesitantly, “What happened?”

Tears welled up in my eyes and my breath was shaking, but there was no hesitation in my words.

“I can’t tell you about the book.”