Give and Take

I hit the end button on my cell as I was tried to comprehend what had happened. My Dad was in an accident and they did not expect him to make it through the night.

I sprinted down the hall to my bedroom. I reached for the black leather notebook that I hid under my bed. My heart raced as I ripped the book open to the first blank page. Grabbing the pen, I scribbled "SAVE MY DAD'S LIFE!"

I sat on my bedroom floor, and I tipped my head back and slowly closed my eyes, praying that it had worked this time.

I was startled to hear the phone ringing, and I darted to answer it.

"Mom, what's happening?"

"KC he's going to be ok! They don't know how, but he's going to be ok!"

Relief rushed through my body and the tightness in my chest beginning to fade. She still needed to speak with the doctor, but they said that they were shocked he was going to make it. I hung up with my Mom and walked back into my bedroom.

I should start my story back months ago when this all began. I had just moved out of my parent’s house to attend college. I was moving into what was supposed to be "THE MOST EXCITING TIME OF YOUR LIFE!" Except, everything had gone wrong. When I got to the admissions office, there was no record of my application for housing. I had just moved 5 hours away from my family, and officially had no where to live. Over the next few months, things went from bad to worse. My professors were awful, and I did not fit in with the rest of my classmates.

The only highlight of my new city was this little café bookstore I stumbled upon. The place smelled of old books, and deep roasted coffee. I would walk the aisles, running my fingers along the edges of the shelves and I could spend hours reading and drinking coffee here.

I found it on a Saturday afternoon. I had this feeling that my next best find was right around the corner. I was in the journal section of the store, running my fingers along the spines of the books. My hand shot back from the shock I felt from one of them. It had a black spine, and when I reached my hand back again, it was as if book jumped into my hands. I lifted the book off the shelf, and slowly stood. I could not describe the feeling I was having. I was memorized by this plain black leather journal. The pages were blank and had an off-white colour to them. Something about this journal made me need to have it. I walked to the counter, book clasped closely to my chest, almost as if I were afraid someone would try to take it from me. As I stood at the cash, I grabbed a silver, black inked pen and I quickly paid, rushing out of the store for home.

I got back to my apartment in the early evening and I proceeded to sit down at my laptop. I had a major paper that was due that I had been putting off all week, but every time I tried to write anything down about the topic, I found myself thinking about my newest purchase. After staring at the laptop for hours, I slammed the top of the computer shut, and flopped onto my couch.

Sitting on the coffee table were the journal and pen. I reached out and took the journal into my hands. I tapped the pen against the cover of the notebook. "What to write, what to write".

I opened the book staring at the pages. Uncapping the pen, I let the ink begin to slowly glide as I wrote my name. "This book belongs to Katherine Christina Michaud. I ask you complete my assignment for me." My hand moved swiftly along as if the pen knew what I wanted to say before I had thought it. As soon as the words were written I could feel my hands getting warmer and warmer. I could barely hold onto the book, and I felt as if I could not breathe. My heart began to beat faster, the room began to spin, my chest tightened, and the last thing I remembered was the burning heat in my hands.

I awoke in the morning still on the couch. I slowly looked around the room trying to make sense of the night before. I noticed that the journal and pen were neatly stacked on the coffee table once more. Rubbing my hands against my face, and swinging my feet off the couch, I felt like I had the worst hangover. I slowly made my way to the kitchen for water and turned on my coffee maker. I must have had a panic attack or something last night and passed out. Looking at my watch I realized I was late to start the day, and I needed to get that assignment done.

I sat at my desk and I turned on my laptop. Coffee was prepped, and even thought I felt like shit, I knew I could power through this assignment forcing myself along the way. Taking a drink of my coffee and preparing myself for an afternoon of horror, I almost dropped my cup at what I saw. The assignment was fully completed. I scrolled through the pages and could not believe it. This had to be a prank or something? Someone must have hacked my laptop and put this here. Looking around the room I sat in disbelief as to what I was looking at.

Slowly I turned to see the black notebook and pen sitting on the coffee table and this overwhelming feeling came over me. Could the book have something to do with this? There was no way that a book could have written out my assignment. But I had written in the book that I wanted my assignment to be done and now it was done. I had to have had one of those spontaneous blackouts where people do things that they do not remember due to stress. That had to be it. I stared back at the journal as it felt like it was calling my name. Like I was being pulled to it. I snatched the book off the table and looked down at the black leather sitting in my hands.

I moved to the couch scooping the pen into my hand and began to tap the cover of the notebook. "Ok think KC. If I want to disprove that this book is supernatural in manner than let's write down something crazy.” I grabbed my cell phone and loaded up my bank account.

"Alright then, a whopping $167.42 in account. " My financial status had been massively impacted by the mix up with housing. "Okay magic book. Give me $20000 in my bank account." I lifted the pen off the page and looked around. I felt fine, unlike the night before. "I can't believe I thought- " and suddenly I began to feel it. My hands started to feel warm, and the room began to spin. The book felt as if it was vibrating, and everything became a blur. And as fast as it started, it stopped. Cautiously, I set the journal and pen onto the table, and reached for my phone.

Opening my account, I held my breath as the screen loaded. "What if this worked? What if.” $167.42. Tossing my phone to the side, and I leaned my head back. "I'm losing my mind."

I was exhausted from the morning, so I decided to go to the cafe to feel better. But first, I needed to shower. I let the water run over my head, and down my back as I tried to clear my mind. I turned off the water and wrapped the towel around my wet body. The next minute I was flying. Upon landing, I felt the air leave my lungs, and pain shoot through my wrist. There I was, naked, towel long gone, and I could taste the blood in my mouth. I assessed the damage to my wrist. Not broken but hurt like hell. Maybe I should just go back to bed and forgo leaving the apartment today.

I made it to the café and as I pushed the door open with my bad hand, as the pain shot through to my elbow. "Damn" I clutched my hand to my chest. Maybe I would need to go and see the campus doctor and make sure it was not broken.

"Black coffee please, and a danish." I rubbed my hand over my face as the barista gave me my total. "That'll be $6.29. I loaded my banking app and touched the phone to the tablet on the counter. I grabbed my coffee and danish and made my way to a vacant table in the back. I slumped down onto the seat and was shoving my phone into my purse is when I noticed it. My account balance from my banking app was staring me in the face. $20,161.13. I frantically opened my banking app to see a deposit of $20000 into my account that afternoon, but there was no notification as to where the money came from. There is no way, there is absolutely no way....

A smile came across my face. There had to be something about this book that was making these things happen. No matter how crazy it seemed. I had written down two extremely specific things, and both, had come true in less than 24 hours. As I sat there in disbelief, I thought that for the very first time in a long-time, things were finally starting to go my way.

I waited nervously a few days to see if the authorities were going to come after me for the money, but when day 3 hit, I was feeling safe. I decided it was time to treat myself to a few items. Bags in hand, I walked past the stores, looking at the items I no longer longed for. I felt powerful in that moment. With this notebook, I could make any of wants or desires to come true. It was not until I got home, I had seen that my Mom had called my phone 20 times.

"Call me now- urgent."

And this brings us to now, sitting on the floor of my bedroom. I took the leather journal into my hands and looked at the book. On the inside cover of the leather, there was a small inscription which read "Give and Take~ be prepared for hearts desire, requires sacrifice". I had not noticed it earlier, but I began to think. I had asked for my paper to be completed, and it got done. However, shortly after that I had that fall in the shower, and now I have $20000 extra in my bank account and my Dad was in the hospital. That was it. Give and Take. Get something good, suffer something bad.

Sitting on the floor, I thought about the events of the last months, and how things could have been different. I did not notice the pain at first. As I sat with my eyes closed, I thought of my parents and how much I loved them. I opened my eyes, and the ceiling began to blur, and I knew what was coming. The tightness in my chest was crushing, and I slowly closed my eyes. I felt the tear run down the side of my cheek, as the last thoughts of my parents filled my mind.

Give and Take~ be prepared for hearts desire, requires sacrifice. I understood it now. "I love you mom and dad... I'm sorry, " I whispered as everything went black.