The Little Black Book

The dark, gloomy clouds were looming all day. The grumpy, but incredibly rich man, Earl Everyl Jackson, hoped that the clouds would part before his important dinner party tonight. His chef refuses to cook when it is dark outside. Earl had no idea why he had not fired this terrible chef. The food that she made was not good. In fact, Mr. Jackson believed that it might be the worst food ever created. Although after all the years of travels around the world, Earl’s chef was the only constant. She never complained once, but there were times that Earl thought she might explode in a rage and quit. She never did. Actually, she never once spoke a word to him other than a simple, “Yes, Mr. Jackson,”. Earl Everyl assumed that he had not fired her because he enjoyed the fact that she was there.

These dim days always reminded Earl of his distant childhood. He looked at the clouds again as he reminisced about his unconventional past. Earl didn’t have many friends growing up because other children said time felt slower when he was around. One particular day, Earl told his grandfather about the quandary; a day that would forever change Earl’s life. His grandfather, visibly upset, took him to the locked basement door. His grandfather put a golden key up to the lock. The young boy began to feel anxious; he wasn't allowed in the basement. The grandfather walked down the dark stairs and disappeared. When he came back, he had a black book in hand. The old man handed Earl the key and book; then walked out of the house without another word. He tried to follow him, but there was an invisible force that trapped him inside the house. Earl never saw his grandfather again.

The next morning after spending the night completely alone, a woman appeared. It was a mystery how she got inside, but she cooked the boy eggs for breakfast and then left. Every day this mystery woman returned to cook and check on him. Earl decided to call her: “Chef”. He spent his days and nights examining the black book and trying to interpret the words written inside. After some time, Earl discovered the book had powers. The revelation unlocked the shield on the house and was finally able to leave. Strangely, his chef went with him when he left, and has never left his side since.

With a sigh Earl Everyl Jackson looked up from his reminiscing, as his chef announced that his guests would be arriving at any minute. It was 6:56pm when his first guest arrived, Mr. Johnson, a short man with a short temper. Earl only invited him because of his high prestige as the CEO of a new car making business.

Next to arrive was Ms. Penniten; an intelligent and beautiful red-haired woman only in her twenties. She had become friends with Earl Everyl when he visited Boston only a few months ago, but had a deep connection with him.

The last guest of notable interest was Ms. Selena Clyde. Ms. Clyde was a slender woman with black hair and pale skin. This woman has known Earl for several years now. They met when Mr. Jackson visited Lyon, France in search of more secrets to write in his black book.

As Earl Everyl’s friends all sat around the table and made light conversation as his chef handed out their suppers. As the group ate, Earl dominated the conversation. Ms. Selena quietly excused herself when he began to tell a story.

Mr. Jackson spoke in a soft, raspy voice as he explained the events of his childhood and when his grandfather vanished and his chef appeared. He spoke about how that part of the story was still a mystery to him. Mr. Jackson continued on with his life story, “It was 1967, on an evening similar to this one. The sky, no longer visible by the gray clouds and rain pounding away at the ground. As the day progressed, I began to feel fatigued, so I headed up for a late afternoon nap.”

Earl paused for a moment to take a sip of his red wine, “When I thought I awoke, a man in a black tailored suit was standing over me and I was tied to a wooden chair. I tried to look around to see my surroundings, but there was a bright light glaring in my eyes inhibiting me from doing so.”

“The man asked me questions about who I was and how I knew about the golden keys,” Mr. Jackson took a sharp breath before continuing. “I, of course, refused to indulge his questions. Then for a split second the light flickered and I was able to look around. I saw that I was in a blank room with no exits. The man was in the room alone with a black briefcase. Then it finally hit me, I was in “The Other”, the name I gave the phenomenon based off of what I read in my black book. “The Other” is a separate reality so similar to our own that people get trapped there all the time. Every person creates their own “Other” when they sleep. The trick is learning how to get to this strange place consciously,” Earl looked around the table at his friends then said, “But that’s a story for another day.”

As Earl Everyl spoke, Selena Clyde was walking back toward the dining room when she passed a strange looking door with markings carved into it. This was the first time she had seen this door. She took out her own black notebook with an “F.C.” imprinted in the cover.

Excited, Mr. Jackson continued, “I grabbed his beefy arm and wrapped it behind his back and then pushed until I heard a cracking sound. Then I kicked him as hard as I could in the gut and ran toward the briefcase. As soon as I touched it, I went back into the real world, still gripping the case. My chef was standing over me, she realized I was in “the Other” and wanted to protect me. It’s a peculiar matter though: there is nothing anyone in this reality can do to pull someone back. They are stuck there.”

Calmly, Earl spoke again, “After my chef ensured I was safe and healthy, I opened the case to find a small golden key. Trusting my intuition, I went to the closest bank and asked for a safety deposit box in my name. The bank teller took me to the safe. The teller let me unlock the box with the golden key and when it opened I was in awe. There were piles of golden bars and wrapped money. I looked to my chef to see that she too, was dumbfounded.”

Mr. Jackson continued to speak, even though his friends were convinced he was going insane, “That was the day I came to acquire 13 million dollars--” Before Earl could finish his sentence, a blaring alarm and red flashing lights came to life in the room. Not a second before realization hit their faces, everyone in Earl Jackson’s house was transported into “the Other”.

The dinner guests woke up on a cold floor, in a white empty room with no windows or doors. As they all sat up and came to consciousness, they saw Mr. Jackson standing in front of the group with his black book in hand. Mr. Johnson spoke first in confused frustration, “Where the hell are we, Earl?”

Mr. Jackson’s pleasant smile disappeared as he looked around the room, “We are in the Other. I was going to wait to show you all this when you were ready, but the failsafe for my basement door went off. Either one of you was being too nosy… or one of you is working with the Fabrication Corporation. For all your sakes, I hope it is the first one.”

Earl stopped speaking for a moment before he realized that Selena Clyde was missing from the group. Mr. Jackson knew it was Selena and he opened his black book and whispered a chant that sent everyone back to reality, except himself and Ms. Clyde.

“Now why would you do that, old man. They would have protected you. Now you are all alone and I have all the power,” Selena whispered as she suddenly appeared behind Earl. “Because, you don’t have all the power or else you wouldn’t have come here. Did you really think I never noticed the F.C. imprint on the notebook you carry around with you? I just wish I could help you, but you've gone too far now,” Earl spoke to his friend with sincerity.

Selena kept her calm composure, “Look, old man, I was offered the world on a silver platter. It would’ve been stupid to say “no” to the deal and have an interdimensional corporation chasing you. Oh wait. That’s exactly what you did.”

“The Fabrication Corporation wants to steal people’s minds and use them to take over the planet. I did the right thing, Selena,” Mr. Jackson had pity in his voice, “ I wish you could say the same thing.”

Selena tried to grab Earl Everyl, but as it has always done for him, time slowed. When it did, he simply moved out of the way. Selena slammed into the white wall. She tried to get up, but the floor became a paste under her body, and she was stuck. The more she tried to move, the faster she sunk into the white tiled floor. Her face was the last thing to go under as Earl slowly backed away from her. He promised to come back for her once the Corporation was destroyed and her mind was hers again. Earl Everyl opened his black book and whispered the chant that took him back to his home.

Mr. Jackson opened his eyes and he was sitting in the dining room. He heard laughter coming from the other side of the house. He stood up and went to investigate; his chef had made everyone a small bundt cake for dessert. The guests were talking about how adorable and delicious it was. All of Earl’s friends were calm and happy. They had no recollection of what happened in “the Other”. His chef made sure of it. After the eventful dinner party, all of Earl’s companions left his house; except for one: Ms. Penniten. She waited until all the guests were gone before she lost her calm.

Ms. Penniten questioned Earl, she needed answers, “Where did we go? How did we get there? What was the alarm for? What is in your basement? Where did Selena go, I don’t--”

“Chef, did she eat the bundt cake?” Mr. Jackson asked, disregarding Ms. Penniten’s questions.

“Yes, Mr.Jackson,” the chef replied.

“Strange,” Earl continued with a perplexed expression, “She remembers it all.”

“I would appreciate it if you would stop talking at me and start talking to me,” Ms. Penniten was getting more concerned by the moment.

“Yes. Sorry, Ms. Penniten. It appears that you show potential to have a gift from “the Other”,” Mr. Jackson paused for a moment. “ If that is the case, I am truly sorry.”

“What are you talking about? … That was all real?”

Earl Everyl chuckled before replying, “Well, of course it was all real.”

Ms. Penniten’s face contorted even more with confusion. Before she could ask another question, Mr. Jackson grabbed her hand and led her to the door with the markings on it. He handed her the golden key and his little black book. He told her to never let them out of her sight, to protect them and their secrets.

“You are my successor, my dear. Be careful,” Earl Everyl Jackson then walked out of his house and Ms. Penniten realized what had happened. After several quiet moments, Earl’s chef appeared by her side with a plate of eggs.