Double Vision
The pungent odor of the withering book filled Charles’ nostrils and made him a little sick. He ignored it and turned the rust-colored page cautiously. It seemed like the old book had crossed a few hundred years without being touched.
Jake is the one who first found it in the attic of his new house. He wasn’t much interested but read it a little and got strange dreams. Next day, he mentioned to Charles that he doesn’t have a good vibe and decided to thrash it, but curious Charles convinced Jake to lend the book by promising him a week’s lunch sponsor in their high school cafe in return.
Charles read the line from the cover page,
“There is no way to escape the loop, its a double vision, a spell.”
It doesn’t make sense to him, so he turned to the next page, and read further to find what kind of book it is.
Chapter 1
Who are the teens?
The blue bottomed table lamp lit the small room. The ocean mural wallpaper decorated the wall. A thirteen-year-old boy sat in the top berth of the bunk bed and checked below to make sure his younger brother is asleep then without making noise he took a golden color book which he hid under the pillow. He borrowed the book from his friend. The odor of it made him sneeze. He carefully opened the book, and read the first page,
“There is no way to escape the loop, its a double vision, a spell.”
Puzzled by the verses, he turned the next page to know what kind of book it is. After reading the chapter, he shook his head in disbelief and got down from his bed. He looked above and stared the old fat book which was kept open in his bed.
How can a book tell details about my bedroom and what I’m doing right now? He is messing with me. I’m going to smash Jake’s face tomorrow for playing this sick game with me.
Charles switched off the light and then went back to his bed. He then closed the fat book and fell asleep.
End of the chapter.
Charles couldn’t believe what he read.
Is it Jake’s play or the book is tricking? How can a book trick with the reader? It’s impossible.
If I read the next chapter, everything will make sense, he thought.
Charles had an urge to turn the next page and read.
He eagerly turned the next page but, within a flick of the eyes, it returned to the previous page.
This time the page had his picture in it. He was in white and blue pajamas, the same dress which he was wearing. His face filled with fear and confusion, the exact reaction which he had in his face. The photo made him pale because it felt as if he was looking into the mirror. He stared at the page for a long time.
It took a while for him to calm down. He quickly flipped all the pages in an urge to know about the mysterious book. All the pages were empty. He then turned it back to the first page and found it blank as well. There weren’t any traces of the chapter which he read, no picture of him, the book held nothing but rusty old pages. Out of fear, his jaw dropped.
Taking the book in one hand, he got down from his bed. He kept the book inside his backpack.
I should return this book to Jake tomorrow. Let him decide to keep or throw it. I shouldn’t have got this book from him. He could have thrashed it if I didn’t get it. I thought he is exaggerating by telling that the book is evil, but it seems to be something beyond. I will get rid of this.
After that pep talk with himself, Charles went to the kitchen, drank a glass of water, and then went to sleep.
Within an hour, he went to deep sleep. In his dreams, he pulled the golden book which was underneath the pillow, sat on the bed and opened the first page and read,
“There is no way to escape the loop, it’s a double vision, a spell.”
Shaken by the dream, he suddenly woke up, touched under his pillow, and the book was there. He took the book, opened it with hesitation. It was about how he read about him in the book, saw his picture, how he dumped the book in his backpack, drank water, slept and in the dreams how the book woke him.
Not knowing what to do, he turned the next page. It said,
“You can’t get rid of me. I’m a double vision, a spell. ”
Charles felt numb. He couldn’t move a muscle.
©Anisesh 2019
Thanks Shaan Sood and team.
~
Thank you for reading stories published in Scrittura! If you would like to submit to this publication, you can email Shaan at soodshaan1@gmail.com. But first, please read the submission guidelines:
medium.com
Thanks!
-The Scrittura Staff
