the book keeper

You ever have those dreams in your dreams when you wake thinking your awake and you not? Well, I have plenty of those. I woke up stared at my curtain and noticed the sunlight peeking through the edge’s. I had planned today to take my girlfriend out and surprise her of my inheritance my parents left me. I was eager to a fresh start and hopefully move out of aunt Jo's and with my girlfriend 'Jasmine'. I laid on my bed hyping myself up to ready myself for the day. when I noticed my draw shadow moving. The draws shadow started to elongate then it started to transform into what looked like a black mist-like being, 'kneeling, replacing the draw shadow completely, it knelt there waiting for its transformation to be complete before it stood.

stuck, in my bed with eyes wide as eyes can go I couldn’t scream, I couldn’t speak and I couldn’t move but feel tears rolling down my cheeks watching this thing hover its way towards me holding a little black book, 'I was paralysed. it stopped at the foot of my bed and placed the book at my feet then it looked at me. Startling me into action I bounced right off my bed 3 metres in one leap, (which is impressive) I looked back with all spider senses telling me its giving chase. I turned with raised fist to put up a fight but to my relief it was gone, and all that remained was the little black book.

I searched my surroundings expecting it to pop out at me at any given time. it took me a few moments to compose myself before walking to the foot of my bed to inspect the book.

Wow” its ancient appearance and tattered pages were delicate to touch, I couldn’t make out the language either. I turned the first few pages and then the book turned into mist itself. it hovered around my waist, laced itself around my arms up towards my neck and into every entrance canal I had above my torso. I hollowed ‘not in pain, but in horror to get this thing off me.

“argh “

I woke fisting the air.

Since my 25th birthday last week, Things unexplainable were happening to me, my dreams of people I don’t know but seemed familiar, 'like memories, figures in my peripheral, moving shadows and the feeling of being watched. I’d been brushing then off as nothing but horror movies getting the best of me. sceptical as I am with mythology and urban legends, still, I tried to rationalise everything to this day-in-age that would deem socially appropriate.

I got out of bed, dressed into something romantic. I’m an average dark man, long dark brown hair and average to the eyes of women whom most never looked my way.

“Sam! ' Aunt jo was calling.

making my way towards my door I noticed as I got closer to the door the bloody thing was getting smaller, shrinking with every step, 'Almost like it was being sucked into a time portal. with all the mysterious happenings going on my subconscious reverted to the shadowy being coming to finish me off. I looked back at the draw expecting to see its jaws, its claws that I had no recollection of it even having. 'fight or flight. 'screw this. I ran for the door and shoulder barged it open before it disappeared completely locking me in here with it. Bursting it open I stumbled onto an open field 'running. 'Staring at my feet voluntarily... 'running.

“shit’

I felt closer to ground than I usually did when I noticed I was wearing children’s clothing with suspenders holding my pants up. A rush of dread filled me before I could comprehend what was happening this time?

“RUNNN!

came a women’s scream. I could not help to think this shadowy mist was after me again. So, my little legs ran, trying to keep up with the women then she picked up speed, grabbed my hand and flew me like a kite behind her.

I could hear her panic, her breathing, god I could feel it.

So, I panicked too.

“don’t let them get him” a man yelled over our shoulders While we were running. I glimpsed back while I was suspended in the air being pulled like a rag doll by this woman. 'Nothing was coming that I could see. The man stopped and turned in a heroic way to face... 'nothing’. The man disappeared into the distance. 'Gone.

I don’t know this man, I don’t know this woman but I know them?

Every so often she would look down at me and encourage me to keep running.

“keep going” she would say,

“nearly there”

the further we ran into the bushes the thicker it got until darkness started to shadow over us.

“STOP”

A voice sounded through the trees so loud it reverberated and vibrated the trees, in shock the woman and I halted and stood at attention, ears perched to find its spoken source. then an old females croaky voice filled our ears.

“where is the book?

“give it to me? she demanded.

The women looked up at 'nothing.

"Never" her eyes were fixated on something that I clearly couldn’t see.

She pulled me behind her in a protective motion, "count to three and run" she said quietly.

on the count of 3 she launched herself into mid-air attacking... 'nothing.

Her feet never touched the ground, she was moving in the air like magic as I ran. Suddenly she became still, suspended in the air, her head went limp and a cracking sound followed after, her body fell to the ground.

“gasp”

I sat up from my bed breathing as if I had run a marathon, this time I pinched myself, shook my head to be sure I was awake. I couldn’t take much more of this 'something sure was going on with me. The dreams I’ve been having are starting to resemble each other. like missing stories or memories trying to piece its self-back together, or, better still, am I another 'Jennifer love Hewitt, given the quest to find a murdered body and being haunted until I've brought it justice, I have to tell aunt jo.

Later that day I met up with Jasmine at the café down town to tell her my $20,000,00 inheritance. I brought her a jade necklace from Nicki’s antique shop worth $300,

She stood at the counter waiting for our coffees while I musted up the most romantic way to present her my gift. Then I stared out the window and noticed a male I had recognised but had no recollection as to how, when or where. My eyes followed his every move, it seemed he had no purpose at all, He walked to each power post and back again leaning on each one trying to find which post felt best to lean on, when he was satisfied with his chosen post he started kicking small rocks and digging his feet into the ground.

“Sam... Sam.." Jasmine pulled me from my fixated state.

"You okay? you’ve been acting off lately”

“I’m, I’m fine” looking back at her gesturing her to sit. I placed the jade necklace on the table next to her, she squealed in delight twinkles in her eyes as she opened it.

“oh, Sam its beautiful” she exclaimed

I took it from her hands and walked to her side of the table and put it on her neck followed with kisses.

dawn was approaching. We had talked about the $19,700.00 I had left in my procession, of family, houses, moving in together our future seemed promising we were both excited for.

“let’s go back to mines” Jasmine joyfully winked her eyes ending our café date with the best words I could hear.

'I’m a lucky man' I thought (amongst other thoughts).

we both walked to the exit and as I closed the door behind me I never noticed the man I saw from the window was sitting in the chair right behind me reading a newspaper. his attempts on making himself blend in to look like a genuine patron drinking coffee and reading a paper was pathetic, way out of character. I watched the guy from outside the window as we walked to the car.

the next morning after wine and laying down and tickling, no dreams had taunted me. them dreams were persistent at least 1 every 2nd day, or 2-3 in 1 night, and my bed is usually drenched in sweat.

later that day I was mowing Jasmines lawns when...

Flash, flash, flash.

Images flashed before my eyes. The book, pages and pictures, a boy, Aunt Jo running and a serious conversation between 2 people.

'I blacked out.

When I woke the man from the café was standing over me reaching down to help me up.

“boy, get up” he said.

“who are you? I said

"Get you up" he said putting my arm around his neck and wrapped his other arm around my hips to help guide me into…

'his car.

“WAIT what” I yelled. Pushing myself from this stranger.

“who are you?” I demanded.

“no time, no time. come now” this guy couldn’t have been anymore creepier with his broken speech and urgency approach.

“what the f**k” I said, throwing a punch

“get the f**k off me”

This guy was tougher than he looked, my punch didn’t move his face even the slightest to the side on impact, no flinch he just looked determined to his kidnapping ordeal.

The neighbours stood around like statues watching this man kidnap me. after wrestling with him, rolling around on the ground resisting his attempts he jumped into the back seat of his car and sped off.

jasmines Neighbour ran to my rescue.

“are you okay Sam” she checked me over for injuries.

“I’m fine, Thanks. who was this guy?

at that question she stood back, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"what" I said

"would you like me to call a doctor for you?" she said.

"a doctor.... No screw the doctor, call the police" I replied in agitation. (call the doctor... really...??) what help could a doctor do with a kidnapping situation.

"No... I think I should call the doctor" she sounded serious. (how dear she go against my request for police assistance)

"No! why the F*#k would I need a doctor, IM FINE, right now I want that son of a b*^#h locked up".

in a consoling tone she said,

"nobody was attacking you, you were having a fisting fit and rolling around on the ground"

okay so Jasmines neighbours just witnessed me fist fighting the air and now think I’m a head case on bath salt, ‘Great.

I drove back home desperate to get away. Aunt Jo was hanging washing when I approached her.

After telling Jo about my dilemma today and everything I was experiencing her body language went tense, her reaction was calm, then she straightened herself, walked inside and I followed.

She sat me on the table, walked to the cabinet grabbed an old book and placed it in front of me.

She cleared her throat, grabbed my hands into hers, looked me dead in the eyes, took a deep breath and began.

“boy, in this book is everything you need to know about the book you have mentioned, that book has the secrets of the afterlife. What you saw was not in your dreams, you were in another realm and the man you seen in your dream would have been your 6th generation before you. Jo opened the book in front of me to a photo pointing out which one she is talking about. Him your family generations before him, 'were the keepers, The book has chosen you as worthy.

When you were born that mist laced around you, protecting you. The next page had old writing, a description of my ancestor’s tales going back thousands of years of the misty children followed by a drawn picture. nobody could touch these children unless the mist approved for their safety. Yours, chose me, until the time was right. There are other beings who hunt this book for its powers and you must not reveal its contents. you will see things that this realm would not, 'You are the next keeper, the only one who can use it and see it. You will have power over realms beyond this one that bares great responsibility, sacrifices. it will become you and you become it until your next descendant is worthy, even in death you will not be relieved of your duty, your father left you $20,000.00 to find him when you were ready, the mist won’t allow you father to be near you for your safety, but with your choosing the mist will obey. This book comes with no instruction but the history of yours before you. She closed the book pushed it to, so trust yourself.

the book chose you for a reason.