ELBIB

ELIBIB

THE LITTLE BLACK BOOK

be the same again. With the name Paige, I was destined to open a book store. Owning a business there will be competition. My competition is Albertine located several doors down the block. My store is smaller; nevertheless, I try to sell everything with an emphasis on literary fiction and art books.

My name is Corwin Paige the owner of a small bookstore in New York and my life will never One day, some students were discussing the scariest book they ever read. When I looked in the direction of the argument, was the first time I saw him. In the background, I saw an old man staring at the students then shifted to me. He made a beeline to me. He said his name was Lewis Cipher but call him Lew. He said the most terrifying is a Little Black Book titled "Elbib" by Francesco Maria Guazzo with excerpts from a book written by Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger. Lew asked if I wanted to read the book. I answered maybe one day. I wrote his name, and book information. He spelled his name Lewis, not Louis. Afterward, Lew excused himself from my store.

The next day, I left my house early to open the store. It’s magical, having the key to a bookstore that opens up vessels providing readers with delightful escapes to places and adventures that many people will never experience. Danielle and Emerson soon arrived to make sure everything thing was in its proper place before 7:00. I'm sure Albertine opens at 8:00. My store needed that extra hour to capture the consumers who liked making early purchases.

As the day flew by and settled down, my thoughts shifted to Lew, so I decided to do research. I sat behind my desk and opened my computer to research Kramer and Sprenger's book. Since Lew said Guazzo used information from their book, it stands to reason their book was written first. I googled Kramer and Sprenger and found out they wrote a book "Malleus Maleficarum" in 1487; an influential collection of articles regarding witchcraft and demons. Several decades after the initial publication, the name of James Sprenger was credited in the publication; however, many scholars disagree on whether his addition was meaningful to the core text.

Next, I researched Guazzo who wrote "Compendium Maleficarum" in 1608, when he was an authority on witchcraft as an Italian Demonologist. Like Kramer and Sprenger's book, Guazzo's book is an extraordinary publication, considered one of the most important manuals on witchcraft, offering insight into the people's ability to cope with the evils that could be manifested into sorcery.

After my research, I was very eager to meet Lew again. When I exited my office, faith must have been in my corner, because Lew entered the store. He walked up to me and asked if I was still interested in reading the book. By this time it was near closing, so I told Danielle to lock up and I left with Lew.

We walked down the street to Albertine. I followed Lew as he walked through the store to a door in the rear. He said very few readers have been granted access to the collection of old books behind this door. Lew had a scan card unlock the door. We entered a dimly lighted room. The ceiling-high shelves were full of rotting volumes in the windowless room. The book was on a shelf. I remembered the image of the old man smirking and snickering when he gave me the book. Surprisingly in contrast to most of the rotting books in the room, the book was in great condition.

I told Lew we needed to leave the room because my allergy to dust will have me sneezing in a matter of minutes. As we exited the room, I told Lew I never knew Albertine had a rear room. He reiterated that only a few special customers know and have access to the room.

Leaving the store, I hurried home to read. I opened the book to the index and there was a formula; a listing of things to say and do; which I recognized as something black and forbidden. The formula was a key to a guide, introducing certain gateways and transitions of which mystics have whispered since the race of man. It lead me to discoveries beyond the three dimensions and realms of life that we are currently investigating and still trying to comprehend.

After reading a few pages, it was evident this book was written by someone who intends on causing ill will to others. This book was a direct channel to understanding evil in its' purest form and the portal to the evil that had been opened. I closed the book to bring a cease to my current predicament.

I could remember the last passage I read and the last image I viewed in the book. There was a page of eighteen hand-drawn pictures with scenes of Satan being worshiped by others. I sat there white-faced and had a strange feeling that everything outside my house was very still and time was moving very fast. What time was it? I could not say; for the book had taken me through many ages and dimensions, and now I have no notions of the time that had passed.

I feared to hear from the Devil himself, after reading portions of the book. The person that reads this book will pass through gateways of evil in the shadows, and will never again be alone. I'd invited the Devil into my life. I'd passed the gateway to a vortex of twisted time and vision.

I sat in silence trying to avoid going mad listening to my neighbor's dog barking loudly as if they feared something. There was a sudden knock at my door. I opened the door to a friendly face. It was Lew making an unexpected visit. I asked him in and how he knew where I lived. Lew said he got my address from Danielle. She saw me and asked why you left with me. He told he was helping me find a book. I was glad to see him because I had some questions for him about the book. He said I knew you would want to ask me some questions. He said you better sit down.

Before starting his story, the walls of my house seemed to have melted away, and I was swept by a black wind through an abyss of fathomless grey with the needle-like peaks of unknown mountains miles below me. He said he is Devil and the book he commissioned Guazzo to write for him.

He said, "I chose Guazzo, after he wrote Compendium Maleficarum, and claiming to be the authority on witchcraft and the Italian Demonologist. I wanted to set the record straight about me and wanted Guazzo to write the truth. At first, Guazzo was not going to write the book, and he did not believe I was the Devil. I could have shown him a few tricks like shape-shifting or levitating. However, I appealed to one of man's favorite desires and Deadly Sin "greed". Guazzo, the authority for ridding the world of evil, easily fell prey to one of the sins. Mankind likes money to buy things, so I offered him 175 pounds, which is equivalent to a little over $20,000 today. His belief in the Devil was irrelevant receiving that unexpected amount of money. The best writers were not commissioned to write books for that amount of money."

"Being the leading authoring against evil and you saying you are the Devil, I would think he would not take the money."

"I'm able to read your thoughts so I'll answer all of your questions. Of course, he took the money, greed does that to mankind. The book was not published and placed on the market. The book was a lesson in truth for Guazzo. Why? He was anointed the leading authority about the subject and should know the truth. Who better to tell him the truth about me, than me. I entered your store and felt adventurous when I heard the students. When you made eye contact with me, I decided to approach you to find out if you wanted to read a scary book. You must admit, I did not lie. I go by the name Lewis Cipher because it's another name I'm called; Lewis Cipher or Lucifer. My book is the Elbib, it's Bible spelled backward or anti-bible believing. The other guy has a book, why shouldn't I have a book. There is good and evil in this world, yin and yang, the Bible, and the Elbib. It infuriates me to say that B-word. The B- book is not the good book. It is a filthy piece of untrue rubbish. The Elbib is a firsthand account of text not like the B-book with stories for various ambiguous men that embellished fabricated tales. I realize the B-book is the most purchased and read book in the world. I'm slowly but surely working on correcting that. The B- book will not last the test of time. You know nothing of time. I gave you a small peek into the concept of time in the book. Remember when you felt everything outside was very still and time was moving very fast. That's just a peek into the concepts of time. The thought of the B-book lasting the test of time is ridiculous. The Elbib will replace the other book. Like the B-book, the Elbib is a collection of gospel text according to me that will be sacred to all of my followers. The Elbib was written in the form of an anthology of my deeds. Unlike the B-book based on theories and beliefs, my book is based on historical accounts. Believers of the words in the Elbib will be a product of my unheavenly inspiration. The red symbol on the cover is my cross. On the B-book, there is a cross for a reason based on an untrue story. The panel of pictures in the rear of the book are the hand-drawn pictures Guazzo had in his book. I liked his depiction of mankind worshiping me. His pictures, while poorly drawn were very accurate. However, some of his descriptions of the pictures were very inaccurate. Each picture was drawn for a specific service that I provided to the people. What happens to you since I have revealed myself? Nothing, if you keep your quiet. I just wanted to have some fun, so if you never tell this story you will be okay. Can you do that? I hope so for your soul's sake. I will tell you this, there have many others that have tried and fail."

He grabbed his book then shapeshift into the form he has often been portrayed; as an ugly individual with a red outfit, hooves on his hands and feet, a tail, horns, and holding a pitchfork. Next, he transformed himself into a beautiful spirit-being of light with no physical form. He glided toward the door, changed back into Lewis Cipher then walked out the door. As I watched him walking, my neighbor's dog began to bark then all of sudden, he was not there. He vanished and the dog stop barking. The next day, I decided to go back to Albertine. I walked inside and directly to the rear of the store to locate the door. There was no door in the rear of the store.

This letter was read by the Reverend Simmons at Corwin's funeral one year, after the incident. He wrote this letter to Reverend Simmons, before his discussion with Danielle in his office about that night. The letter had no meaning until Corwin's body was found dead in his office from an apparent heart attack. The greatest trick of the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. Now you know how the Devil has been keeping his secret.

THE END