The Book

"Here is your hall-ticket..."

"Dahlia, how did you know? You saw it in your dream?"

"Yeah Vianna, I saw that you lost it and the place where you lost was our last class room so yesterday I came back to the class after the lecture so I found it..."

"Unbelievable! Thank you very much."

'Dahlia' is an introverted girl who loves reading. She distances herself and only has one best friend, 'Vianna.' Dahlia is a bookworm who likes to read but is an unpopular student at her college because so few people are familiar with her. Dahlia and Vianna have been close friends since they were kids, but they are exact opposites. Vianna is a popular, outgoing person who dislikes reading, among other things. Despite leading a conventional existence, Dahlia is in no manner a typical girl. She frequently experiences 'precognitive dreams'; in simple terms, they are any dreams that give you information about the future you wouldn't otherwise have; the dreams that come true... From childhood till now she gets these kind of dreams everyday and those were always 100% true... 

But one day things started changing as Dahlia came across a dream...

Dahlia was sitting in the library; she recently joined the library as she got a job as a librarian there... It was 10:33 pm and the library closes at exact 11 pm... She was reading a novel and that was the last chapter of it... The library was completely empty like no one was there rather than books, silence and the watchman outside... Soon time passed and it was 11:11 pm when she finished her chapter and the watchman came to call her, he asked her to close the library and Dahlia was just about for that... The watchmen left and Dahlia walked up to keep that book in its place... Silence all over... No one was in when she was keeping the book in the shelf... After she finished, was just about move when she saw a book fallen on the floor... Its cover was of black color but there was shockingly no name on the book; when she opened it there was no introduction, no titles, nothing... After the first blank page, the story started... She checked the whole book for names but there were no names and she was astounded, still, she took the book with her home...

She returned home, showered, relaxed, and later removed the book from her handbag. She was sitting there with that book, casually turning the pages, when she noticed that the book consisted of six chapters and there were no specific headings for chapters and at the beginning of every chapter there is a saying on bold; on the last page, where nothing had been written before, suddenly a riddle had been inscribed in bold, saying, "I Have a Beginning, But No End and I End All Things That Begin." Dahlia was astonished to discover it and realized she couldn't solve it and will solve it later; so she started reading the first chapter. When she finished reading the chapter she put the book up in her shelf and went to bed, but she couldn't stop thinking about the book. 

But after a while, she fell asleep. She abruptly woke up in the middle of the night after hearing some strange noises of someone crying. So she started walking out of the room... When she came out, the sound was coming from her study room... As she came near the room, the sound of crying stopped... The door of that room was slight open, Dahlia was shocked because she remembered closing the door; then how it opened? When she entered the room, there was a girl sitting on the study-table with no lights on, except for the study lamp... Dahlia was freaked up, she slowly started taking steps near her... When she was close to her she saw that book on the table opened with the last page with riddle... Dahlia was completely shocked... She slowly was about to touch that girl's shoulder when by the moment someone touched her back... She quickly turned back and saw here and there but no one was there... But when she saw in front again the girl sitting was none other then Vianna in a possessed manner... Vianna smiled creepily and suddenly caught Dahlia's neck... Lights started getting on and off when Vianna screamed loudly... Dahlia was completely flabbergasted, she was not getting what is actually happening and suddenly Vianna's eyes turned completely black... Like its not exactly Vianna who is doing this... Dahlia was completely freaked up... 

Dahlia awoke abruptly, and her dream came to an end. Dahlia was extremely shocked because, till now, she had never experienced such a terrifying dream.

She eventually showered, dressed for college, and was about to go when she suddenly remembered the book she kept yesterday on her shelf. So she sprinted after it. She placed the book in her backpack before leaving for college.

"What on earth?! Why will I kill you?!" said Vianna when Dahlia told her about that book and her dream.

"I don't know..." replied Dahlia.

"But it seemed like it wasn't you.."

And they both got into thoughts about that book...

"By the way, did you read the book?"

"Yes, I have read the first chapter and that was disturbing but interesting..."

"Disturbing but interesting?"

"Yes."

"The little girl wore her red shoes everywhere she went, even to a God-fearing church. Once you wear those shoes, your feet start dancing on their own and you can never stop dancing or take off those shoes. But even so, the little girl never gave up on those red shoes. In the end, the executioner had to cut off her feet. But the two feet that got cut off still continued to dance in those red shoes."

This story is just the short explanation of the first chapter; one more thing, there is a saying at the beginning of every chapter and for first chapter it is something like... "Somethings can't be torn apart, no matter how hard you try to do so... That is why obsession is noble and beautiful... I have finally found my red shoes..."

"What on earth!? You are reading such a weird book, which is so hard to understand!! Rather, you should just throw away that book!"

"Its weird that's why its interesting and until I complete it I'm not gonna throw it away..."

Dahlia was very curious to know the other stories so she left home early...

In the evening when she reached; after some time she got herself with that book...

She continued reading from the second chapter... (Chapters are being described in short)

With the beginning-saying, "The boy who fed on nightmares.." 

The boy woke up from another awful nightmare. Bad memories from that past that he wanted to forget were replayed on his dreams every night and haunted him nonstop. He was terrified of falling asleep, so one day, he went to the witch and begged. "Please get rid of all my bad memories, so that I won't ever have a nightmare again. Then, I will do everything you ask." Years went by, and the boy became an adult. He no longer has nightmares but for some strange reasons, he wasn't happy at all. One night, a blood moon filled the sky and the witch finally showed up again to take what he had promised in return for granting his wish. And he shouted at her with so much resentment, "All my bad memories are gone but why can't I become happy." Then the witch took his soul as they had promised and told him this, "Hurtful, painful memories. Memories of deep regrets. Memories of hurting others and being hurt. Memories of being abandoned. Only those with such memories buried in their hearts can become stronger, more passionate, and emotionally flexible. And only those can attain happiness."

Chapter 3 saying, "What did the boy really want? Satiating his hunger or feeling his mother's warmth?"

A baby boy was born in a small village. He had pale skin and large eyes. While raising the boy, his mother naturally came to the realization that he had no feelings at all. All he had was the desire to eat like a zombie. So, his mother locked him up in the basement so that the villagers wouldn't see him. And every night she stole livestock from her neighbors to feed him. That's how she raised him in secret. One night she'd steal a chicken. The next day, she'd steal a pig. A number of years passed like that, then one day, an epidemic broke out. It left the remaining animals dead, and it also killed many people. Those who survived the epidemic left the village. But the mother couldn't leave her son all alone. And to appease her son crying of hunger, she cut off one leg of hers and give it to him. After that, it was her arm. She gave him all her limbs when she was left with nothing but her torso, she embraced her son for the last time to let him devour what was left of her. With his both arms, the boy tightly held his mother's torso and spoke for the first time in his life, "Mom, you're so warm."

Chapter 4 saying, "You weren't my perfect baby after all. You're like a useless monkfish. All you can do is eat what I feed you. You can't do anything by your own. You're an utter failure."

Once upon a time, a beautiful baby girl was born into a wealthy family. She was as beautiful and flawless as magnolias. Her mother loved her so much that she pledge she'd do anything for her baby. She said she would even present to her the sun and the moon. When the baby started eating solid foods, her mother was thrilled, "My sweet child, I will feed you everything you want to eat. Open your mouth wide like this ahhh..." When the baby started walking, her mother ran hurriedly to where she was. "My sweet child, I will carry you. Come on, hop on my back." After raising the baby by always providing her with everything she needed, the mother said this, "My beloved child, I need some rest now. Can you get me some food?" Then the child spoke, "Mom, I have no hands. I never used them so they've vanished." "Then my sweet child, can you carry me on your back? My legs hurt." Then the child said this, "Mom, I have no feet. You always carried me on your back. So, I've never even stepped on the ground. But instead, I have a huge mouth," and she opened her humongous mouth. Then the mother shouted in anger, "You weren't my perfect baby after all. You're like a useless monkfish. All you can do is eat what I feed you. You can't do anything on your own. You're an utter failure." Then the mother threw the baby into the far away sea. Even since that day, it's been said that the fisherman can hear a baby's cry on spooky, windy days out on the sea. "Mom. Mom. What did I do wrong? Please come and get me. Please come back and get me."

Chapter 5, "I've been tied up for way too long so I forgot how to cut myself free." 

Once upon a time, there lived a dog that was very good at hiding his emotions. The dog was tied beneath a shade tree. He always wagged his tail and acted cutely. So he got the name, the cheerful dog because he is as cheerful as springtime. The dog always had lots of fun with the village kids during the day. But every night, he'd moan and whine when no one was around. That's because he wanted to cut off the leash and freely run around out in the spring field. However, he couldn't. And that's why he cried every night. Every single night. One day, the voice inside him asked the Cheerful Dog, "Hey, why don't you just cut off the leash and run away?" And this was the cheerful dog said, "I've been tied up for way too long so I forgot how to cut myself free."

The last chapter, "We strive to live as a distinctive human being; the hand, the monkfish."

Once upon a time, a count with a blue beard lived alone in a huge castle. He was very wealthy but everyone avoided him out of fear because of his blue beard. But one day, a poor woman came to the castle and said that she wanted to be his bride. Brimming with joy, Bluebeard brought out all the jewels and treasures from each room and gave them to his wife as a gift. However, there was an exception, the room in the basement. He warned her to never go into that room but his curious wife eventually opened the secret door without telling her husband. Do you know what was in that room? Corpses of women were displayed on the walls. They were the wives of Bluebeard who had ignored his warning and opened that door. That's how they all ended up.

At exact 3:47 am Dahlia completed reading the whole book... She was getting the things in her mind by the time and she was trying to solve that riddle and the very moment it seemed like she got the answer in her mind...

The next morning Dahlia went to college but she got to know that Vianna is absent, when Dahlia went to Vianna's house she was not there too... When she reached back home at night, she was shocked because Vianna was already present in her house... Dahlia was shocked to see Vianna, she was sitting on her study-table with the same book... Dahlia was completely shocked because she carried the book with herself then how come Vianna have it? So she checked her bag but there was no book and Vianna was sitting in same position as Dahlia's dream... Dahlia was completely freaked-up because she knew what's gonna happen next... She slowly took steps towards her... But rather touching her back, Dahlia just stood behind her by saying, 'The Bible Prayer' suddenly Vianna turned back and it seemed like the prayer didn't worked on her; and she was smiling creepily... Suddenly she screamed loudly when all the lights busted and there was darkness there... Vianna caught Dahlia's neck and she was about to kill her... Dahlia started speaking howsoever, "Annaiv! Annaiv, is your real name! You have no feelings the so-called daughter of the demon! You killed your mother just because you were useless and couldn't do anything for her... Later you killed your husband for a son and buried him in deep waters when you got a son you tied him up just like a criminal and sacrificed him to the demon! When you were getting your powers one inch of mistake and your death, isn't it? It has beginning, but no end and end all things that begin... Is your death! When you died your soul become the most powerful supernatural entity, ghost and you were free but one thing that I shouldn't be knowing all the bad spirits are possessed to a particular thing, if that thing is destroyed, you'll also be destroyed... And suddenly Dahlia ran towards the book... Annaiv was screaming loudly and was losing her powers because no-one knew her before and Dahlia got to know her whole story and possession... Dahlia finally reached the book, took it off and burned it... Where by the spirit of Annaiv was also destroyed...

The next morning when Vianna opened her eyes, Dahlia was sleeping next to her; even her eyes opened as Vianna woke up... Dahlia told her the whole story and Vianna was shocked to hear it cause she remembers nothing... 

"But how did you knew her name? The whole book was nameless!"

"That's why, the book was nameless, she needed a name to be called; being nameless was her power so giving her a right name was what it supposed to..."

"Annaiv? Such a weird name, why?

"Because she was a weirdo plus she possessed you so Vianna is Annaiv; Annaiv is Vianna!"

"What on earth, I know you are smart but I never knew you were a genius?!"

"But, still have a question why did she possessed me and when?"

"Because you are the only one person who is my family and who is too close too me... She possessed you yesterday when I was telling you the first chapter..." 

"Damn, should I cry in happiness or in sadness?! Wait but how did you know that she possessed me yesterday, while listening to you?"

"There was a mirror behind you when I was telling you the story, so It was easy for me to find her... Afterall mirrors always possess something..."

                                                            -The End-