Invictus Maneo

February 13, 1995, during a dark, stormy night, Thomas Evandrus and two of his friends rode their bikes back home from Western National, a bookstore merely 10 minutes from where they lived at Seaside Cove. "My book is all wet" said Jackson, one of Thomas' friends who tagged along to the bookstore. "Don't worry about it. Let's all get in the house before the storm grows stronger" said Shawn, Thomas' friend who lived 3 trailers down from him.

Soaking wet from the heavy rain, Thomas and his friends sat down on the floor of Shawn's small trailer. They each shared the books they purchased for their English project over Roman History. Thomas pulled out an extra book he found at the back of the bookstore. "Look at this one guys, I found this odd, golden book in the History section". The book was midnight black with the edges favored to be metallic gold. The title on the front cover read "Invictus Maneo", a Latin phrase translated as " I remain unvanquished".

Within the first page the book were the words written in Latin "Seek and you shall find but let whom beware the consequences of change". In the book were stories of struggle, poverty, guilt, lack of self confidence but also their wishes to change their lives. "Dude, it seems like a diary. It's almost like you write about what hate in your life and what you wish you had to change it" said Jackson. "I don't know man, I'm more of a private person. I don't agree with telling my whole life story for others to read" said Shawn.

Once the storm settled, Thomas went back home so he could get ready for school the next day. Before he went to bed he glanced over at the book. He thought to himself maybe writing down and expressing his struggles would speak change into existence for him and his family. Thomas' was family was very poor. He wore the same two outfits to school every week. He ate cereal on most given nights. His father unknown to him. His mother a drug addict in and out of rehab and jail. His sister was the only stable person in his family, but she worked at run down laundry mat.

Thomas started to write his changes down in Invictus Maneo. He wished for 1 million dollars so his family would never have to struggle again. He wished for his mother to end her drug addiction and to find a stable job. He wished for his father to care about him and reach out to his mom to be apart of his life. Thomas cried tears of joy because not only did he feel the changes would happen in his heart, it was a load off his shoulders to express his feelings.

The next morning his sister cried and screamed pure happiness at the top of her lungs as she woke up and realized she had winning lottery numbers. His mother was discharged from rehab. His father called his sister and asked if he could finally meet him. It was almost as if Rome was truly built in a day and their livelihood had changed for the better, but there were consequences that came with wishing change in Invictus Maneo,

Thomas did not awake from his sleep that morning. The ultimate sacrifice was made and it was himself who dared to write of change inside the book that surely granted change but also requested death in return. The message in the beginning of the book was a powerful warning Thomas ignored. Invictus Maneo disappeared from Thomas' trailer and somehow reverted back to Western National.

The Roman Empire celebrated the Roman spirits of the dead during a festival known as Feralia from February 13-21. Invictus Maneo was a book of sacrifice and death. The book could truly never be unvanquished, could never be owned, could never be replaced.

Seek and you shall find but let whom beware the consequences of change.