That Kind of Power

There it was again. Could it be? It was starting to become exceptionally coincidental.

This time it was tucked beside the coffee maker at an old dingy diner off 4th. I stop there in the morning before work, to grab a slice of the best homemade pie you could ever get your hands on. The coffee is okay. I normally don’t go for a coffee with my pie, but today I had to. I had to ask her if I could see it. There is no way I could be mistaking that mysterious shadowy leather... that dark captivating inscription, whatever it says. Evidently because, this would mark the 7th time seeing it this past week. Conveniently just out of my reach too, as per usual. I couldn't believe it.

While my over worked waitress was pouring my cup of jitters, I asked her if she knew what that little book beside the coffee maker was. She replied with a rather confused look on her face. She looked at the coffee maker, then back at me. Back at the coffee maker. I thought to myself, ‘Did I just speak another language? What was so confusing about that?’ I pointed to the book and said, “That book there, may I see it?”

As she handed me my coffee she spoke ever so softly, “Hunny, I’m not sure how much sleep you got last night, but there is no book there.”

I must have been in shock because we both just stared at each other for what felt like half an hour, someone called her over and she walked away. Slowly, and still confused. Almost like she was nervous or concerned for me.

I checked the time, it was 7:50am. I had ten minutes to get to work. I could swear I got here at 7 o’clock. There is no way I had been here for almost an hour already. It’s almost like time had fast-forwarded, like I was in a trance. Still just as confused, I finished my pie with the last sip of my coffee and was on my way. Thank goodness my building was just a five-minute walk from the diner.

When I got to work, I got my usual morning stare down from my boss, probably giving me crap for not doing something right. ‘Who cares anymore? I just wish one day someone would recognize all my hard work. All the mountains I have climbed and overcome. All the extra little things I do for others, that nobody ever notices.’ I really started getting into my work when something caught the corner of my eye.

Our mail girl, Aurora. AKA--The most beautiful girl I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She has the longest, richest, most luscious blonde hair you could just get lost in. The most captivating, enchanting blue eyes, like a diamond ocean. A body that could turn any man to stone. Every person in the office is dying for a chance to dazzle her, it doesn’t matter their sexual orientation. They throw themselves at her like she is their queen and they are her village peasants. I normally do the same but today was different.

Upon admiration of this beautiful creature, I couldn’t help but notice the second shelf down on her mail cart. It was pretty well covered with mail, but I’d recognize that ominous smokie leather anywhere. It feels like it is pulling me towards it, almost like it’s looking for me. Or I’m subconsciously looking for it...That’s it, I’m going in.

I tapped Aurora on her left shoulder so she would turn left and I could grab the book with my right. It worked. Now I have to try and make up an excuse as to why I (the king of dorks) just tapped the shoulder of a goddess. “Will you grab a beer with me after work?", I blurted out hastily. “Great... I thought to myself, Why? Why did I just do that? I don’t even like beer. I probably just blew any chance of ever talking to her again...”

To my surprise, after looking me up and down a couple times, she said she’d love to. I couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t believe the day I was having. I had a feeling in my soul. A hunger. One I had never felt before, and it was the best damn feeling ever. It’s like as soon as I picked up that book, my confidence skyrocketed. I put the mysterious leather journal in my bag for later analysis and sat there feeling like I could take on the world. I really hate to blow the whistle here, but that’s exactly what I did. Or thought I was doing anyways.

Drinks went unbelievably well. I couldn’t remember the last time I went on a real date. It just felt so natural with her, almost overwhelming. Like we were meant to be...or even under a spell. We ended up back at my apartment for some more drinks and the promise of a creepy, yet intriguing little black book. I was just pulling a bottle of smooth red off the rack, when she found the book sticking out of my bag on the chair beside her. ‘How could she see it and not the girl at the diner?’ Immediately upon the last corner reaching the top of the bag, the lights went out.

Not just the lights, the power. To the whole building. The whole block. I looked outside...The whole city? ‘What is REALLY going on here!?’ At this point I really started to think.

Turning my cell phone flashlight on, I rushed back to Aurora. She looked like she was ready to open the book, but she wasn’t moving. I suddenly got a dangerously uneasy feeling. I grabbed the book from her. She didn’t even blink. Like she was frozen or something. I've never seen anything like this before. I somehow knew that all of this was connected. I just couldn’t figure out how. Right now, I had to figure out how to un-freeze my new friend. ‘This must be what happened at the coffee shop this morning...everything froze, that’s how I lost that hour.’ I opened the book.

The first page had a bunch of strange markings that I couldn’t make out to save my life, so I flipped to the second. This page read:

“In the pages you see here...Love and fortune may be near.”

“All you do is write them down...And all your sorrows you will drown.”

“But please beware...These words are true...When greed takes over...We will come for you.”

I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to do. I was so lost and confused. I flipped to the third page. I was nothing short of astonished when my eyes laid rest on those next short words, or should I say names:

James Allan Scott

Aurora Lynn Jameson

Both of them. Full names. Now I was really scared. Aurora was still frozen, or should I say time was still frozen. I didn’t know what to do anymore, so I went and found a pen. I flipped over to the next page and began to write.

‘$20,000’

I closed the book, almost laughing at myself for thinking a silly book would be able to give me anything, never mind that amount of money. The lights flickered back on and Aurora unfroze. Everything went back to normal like nothing had happened. Only thing that was different was the heaping pile of cash on my kitchen table. We looked at each other in confusion then disbelief then immediately started counting. $20,000. Exactly.

I explained to her what had happened. Told her about this book that has been following me around and just gave me $20,000. She looked at me like she was about to check me into the loony bin. I handed her the book and told her to write something down. Anything she wanted. She did so and closed the book. Sitting there in her brand-new beautiful fur coat, a look of power and greed crept across her once selfless, innocent looking face. I poured us both a glass of wine and we started brainstorming what else we could get without having to work for it.

Before I knew it my apartment was full of stupid random things, we have always wanted, but didn’t need by any means. You could defiantly say we got greedy. It was at this point I remembered the script on the second page of the book. ‘What is their version of greedy?’ ‘Who are they?’

I was still feeling euphoric though I was getting tired. I hinted at Aurora staying over but offered to drive her home if she felt uncomfortable. She agreed to spend the night and we retired down the hall to bed. The buzz from the wine ensured an effortless send off into dream land. Thank goodness the day has come to an end.

Morning came and I found myself afraid to get out of bed, afraid to move really. I didn’t want to get up and everything that had happened the night before, to be gone. I smelled something delicious so I decided to give it a go. I drug myself to the kitchen to find Aurora writing a whole breakfast menu in the book. The spread was amazing. From Eggs Benedict to fruit platters. Bacon, eggs, sausage. I couldn’t tell if the feeling in my stomach was hunger or the disturbing uneasy feeling I felt the day before. I sat down and tried to explain to Aurora that we should slow down until we knew what we were dealing with. She did not like that suggestion. Not one bit. She snatched the book up and ran out the front door.

I thought about chasing her, but given my sideline physique, I wouldn’t have gotten far. Besides, I was warned about the greed. I didn’t know who ‘they’ were, but know I didn’t want them ‘coming’ for me. I heard tires screeching from the road below and a bone shattering cry that I'll never forget. I ran to the balcony and looked over to see what all the commotion was. Laying cold and broken in the middle of the street was my beautiful Aurora. I would have jumped if it meant I could get down to her faster, but I did the logical thing and took the elevator. Racing to her limp lifeless body, I couldn’t help but notice that damn book sticking out from under a car down the road. It must have gotten thrown from her hands when she was hit. Instead of kneeling down beside my new friend and saying my goodbyes, I ran over to the book and grabbed it from its resting place. I was so angry at it. It took my friend. I was going to put it somewhere no one could ever be victimized by it again. Lighting the match, I said a small prayer for Aurora to rest in peace. I opened up the book one last time to page three. Her name was gone. I must have been next. Thankful for my life, I threw the book and the matchbook in the fire place and watched as an amazing yet terrifying influence burned away to nothing.

‘No one should ever have that kind of power.’