Signatures

“Shh...I know, it’ll be okay.” Mary gently pushed back the curly hair from Ellie’s face. Mud was dispersed over the knees of  Ellie’s leggings and dirt was speckled on her forehead...in her hair...Ellie had taken a pretty big tumble. She wasn’t seriously hurt, thankfully, Mary thought. Just a little shaken up. Mary brushed the dirt from Ellie’s forehead, as she bounced back and forth humming softly. Slowly, her two-year-old got quiet and rested her head on Mary’s shoulder.

The wind pushed through the tree leaves like the sound of rushing ocean waves back and forth. Breathing in cool, fresh air made one feel alive inside. Mary had so much peace out in the woods holding her baby on her hip. She always enjoyed taking Ellie on some park hikes. 

As Mary was taking in every detail of scenery, her eyes trailed down to the thicket beside her. Below, there was a pile of brown rocks. Mary couldn’t help but notice a dark object jutting out from beneath the pile. It didn’t seem like a normal part of the rocks. Mary had this intense feeling she shouldn’t pass on without looking closer. Maybe this will be a good way to cheer Ellie up, Mary thought.

“Look, Ellie!” Mary pointed towards the pile. “What is that?” 

Ellie lifted her head to see.

“Maybe some buried treasure! Let’s go see.” Mary bent down with Ellie’s weight resting on her left leg and hand. With one hand, Mary picked through the pile until the rest of the object was in view. It was a small black book, dirty and many creases on the cover, but somehow captivating.

“It’s a book!”

Ellie was very interested now, she focused in a quiet, intent way that was unlike herself. Mary had sensed it too. There was something to be desired about this book.

“Let’s see what it’s about.” Mary picked up the book with one hand and shook it around to let the dirt fall. She shifted Ellie’s weight to rest on her arm so that both hands were free to skim the yellow tinted pages. They had lined pages, like a notebook, half-full of signatures and dates. 

“Oh! It must be one of those--you find it, sign it, and re-hide it. Maybe we should take it home, yeah?” Ellie didn’t make any type of response. She’s probably just tired, Mary thought and decided to head to the parking lot, with Ellie and this newly found notebook. 

After arriving home, Ellie’s crankiness displayed how desperately she needed a good nap, snack, and bath. It wasn’t until late in the afternoon when Mary remembered the small, black notebook left on the marbled kitchen countertop. Mary stepped over Ellie playing on the floor and tiptoed her bare feet on the cold hardwood. Picking up the notebook, she opened its old pages. This was such an odd thing--the book, the signatures, the dates, everything--but still, Mary felt this strong urge to sign it. She just had to. Her name belonged there.

“Ellie, do you want to sign the book we found?”

“Yay!” Ellie stood up, bouncing up and down.

“C’mon” Mary grabbed the notebook and picked up Ellie, bringing them to the table. With Ellie on her lap, Mary picked up a pen and began searching for an open page in the notebook to use. Once found, Mary's signature was completed in pretty cursive. Next, Mary placed the pen in Ellie’s hand, and wrapped her hand around to help guide.

“No!” Ellie tried to yank her hand away. She wanted to do it all by herself.

"El, no thank you! Mommy helps or you don’t do it” Mary proceeded to help Ellie. “E-L-L-I-E! Yay!” Two signatures down and dated. 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Who bangs on a door so loud?! Mary thought. She set Ellie down and dashed to open the front door. At the door was a tall stranger with neatly combed dark hair. He wore a button-down shirt, short sleeves, and khakis. The combination of nice clothes and tattoos covering his arms made him a curiosity to Mary.

“Can I help you?”

“Hi, ma’am. I have something for Mary Johnson?” 

Mary’s eyebrows furrowed as she shook her head slightly. “I’m her, but I didn’t order anything.”

“You signed the book?”

Mary’s eyes went wide and her heart was pounding. “Um, yeah..”

“Then this is yours.” The stranger handed Mary a check. 

It was made out to her--her name!--but the craziest part was the money. Mary couldn’t find the words at first. $20,000!!! Was that read right? “This--this…” Suddenly, Mary burst out laughing. “I get it! Who are you? This some prank? Am I going on tv?”

“You signed the book,” There was a serious tone in his voice. “Go get it. Do yourself a favor and read inside the cover.”

At the command, Mary was compelled to leave the living room and went back into the kitchen for the book. When she returned to the door, she discovered the strange man was gone. Nowhere in sight. The only one to be seen now was Mary’s mother in the driveway, struggling with many boxes and bags she was pulling from the back of her van. 

“Mom? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, sweetie! I’ve had the weirdest thing happen!” Out of breath, Mary’s mom tried to yell across the yard. She makes her way to the door, plopping all that she was carrying down inside. 

“Mary, something’s weird about today.” She says, shutting the door behind her. “I suddenly got the urge to get stuff for the baby! There was a weird feeling--I couldn't control myself! I just had to do it. I spent everything!”

“Mom--”

“I’ve got more in the car!” Mary’s mother said while motioning outside. “It’s been weird.”

Mary’s eyes drifted to the check with the small black book in her hands. “Yeah, I think I might know why. Did you see a man outside when you pulled up at all?”

“A man outside?! No, I was alone. What does this--”

“--Mom, this is really crazy, but I think it's because I signed this notebook!” 

“Mary--” Before her mother could say another word, Mary rushed to the kitchen for a  pen, moving past Ellie toddling along to the living room. If this was true, if this actually worked, life would change for them. We’d be set for life! Mary thought as she grabbed a pen and went back to the other room. I could be with El more. I wouldn’t have to work so much. Maybe help people.

“I’m going to try this, and someone should come to the door…” Mary took a deep breath before her name was on the page yet again. The moment she lifted the pen to finish, the doorbell rang. Mary’s mouth dropped. Is this real right now?! Oh, please be real! Mary opened the front door, but not to the stranger. Not to someone she’d want to see. “Jordan.” 

“Mary…” Jordan shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

“What are you doing here?”

“I feel like someone else today--I’m not myself. I had this feeling and I couldn’t control it...I tried to stop it, but I’m tormented. Please, take my car! Take everything!” Mary’s ex-husband quickly shoved keys and an envelope in her hand. He looked terrified. 

“Are you okay?”

Jordan sighed, “I’m starting to be now that you have those.”

Those? What was in the envelope? Mary slowly ripped it open to find a large stack of cash. Mary took some deep breaths. It had to be the notebook! What kind of a notebook was this? As scary as all this was, Mary couldn’t help but feel curious. What would happen if she signed it again and again?

“Mom, did you see that?! We have to see what happens next!” The feeling of excitement grew too powerful for Mary. So much could be done with a notebook like this! The possibilities were now endless. The notebook was calling her. Leaving the door open, she held the pen and notebook in hand. She just had to put her name down again. And again. And again...She couldn’t stop herself.

“Mary, I don’t think you should do that.” Mary’s mother looked more fearful each time the pen hit the page, but Mary kept going as in a trance. 

When Mary finally looked up, she saw her surrounding neighbors in the front yard. They were stacking things into a large pile in the center of her yard. There were some desks, tables, chairs, mirrors, clothes, and kitchen appliances. Anything and everything you could imagine! Other neighbors were dropping envelopes and some heirlooms in the door. Soon Mary’s living room and yard were full of things. Things we could sell, Mary thought.

“Is this even real!” Mary turned to her mother, but she didn’t respond. Mary then noticed her mother staring blankly at nothing. Her face had become very pale and she had dramatically lost weight. Her mother was standing before her now as someone who was in their eighties, instead of in their upper forties. “Mom?! Mom?!”

Mary glanced around at Jordan and the neighbors. They all had stopped what they were doing and were staring emotionless. Suddenly, Mary’s heart was pounding fast and her hands started shaking. Her gaze fixed on the small, black notebook in her hands. What had it done? What had she done? What was happening to everyone? For all the possibilities, money, and power, she had let herself get carried away at the expense of those around her. How awful of a person had this opportunity made me! Mary thought. I caused harm for others so that I would gain. Selfish. Something about the book made her feel like she had to though; like they all had to. Mary then remembered the stranger’s words and opened the notebook cover. In cursive, it read:

Sign this book, get some wealth

From those close, declining in health.

Learn a lesson or two or three

Then all will be free.

This notebook was too powerful and dangerous. Mary realized as long as she continued with the notebook it would always cause harm to others around her. There was only one thing to do.

“This book has to go.” As Mary spoke those words the book disappeared in her hands. It was gone along with everything and everyone. Mary fell to the carpet floor. As if nothing happened, she was all alone with Ellie playing on the floor nearby. The only thing left from the crazy adventure was the twenty-thousand dollar check that now was made out to a different name. At least, now I know why the stranger showed up, Mary laughed to herself. With what she learned at heart and the bad that happened, Mary wondered if today should be considered a blessing or a curse.