The Little Black Book

It was senior year for Blake and Ashley, a well-known couple since the 6th grade. They were popular in their small town for streaming scary stories and visiting haunted places in their community. They loved the rush they got when they saw something scary or told a story they heard from an older townsperson. The town called Black Blood was said to have been built on an old Gypsy cemetery and is where it got the name. The Gypsies were said to have been Black Blood, the purest type of all. Slaughtered in the middle of the night by a demon that was conjured up out of jealousy because of their pure blood. The regular Gypsies were considered outcasts because of their wicked ways. When the drought came, it cutoff the town’s water supply and food. The regular Gypsies tricked the Black Blood Gypsies into wishing the drought away. They left out the part of needing a sacrifice and when the Black Bloods found out about it, they refused it. All were slaughtered by the book demon and buried all over the city. From then on, the town was said to be cursed and strange or unexplainable things had taken place over the last decade. One night when Blake and Ashley were at the local coffee house having tea and trying to decide their next story to investigate, a strange and mysterious man approached them. He asked if they were ready for a real headliner, a story that will make them rich or whatever they wished for to come true. Intrigued by the offer they both leaned forward and asked the details. Blake yelled out, “how do we know that you aren’t scamming us?” The stranger grinned and eerily said “there’s only one way to find out, read this little black book if you dare”, followed by a daring laugh. Ashley being the more spontaneous and daring of the two shouted bring it on. The stranger told them that there were rules in the little black book that must be followed, or they will have grave danger. Blake whispered to Ashley are you sure you want to do this. So, they talked it over and thought it to be the chance of a lifetime and agreed it was worth it. This was their opportunity to be famous and they can buy the equipment they needed for better footage for their next adventures and reach more people. As they were deciding, the stranger eased the book on the table and slid out the door without a sound. Blake and Ashley looked at each other in disbelief to see the book on the table and the man gone. Ashley read the front of the book out loud, proceed with caution and follow all instructions precisely. Later that night they met up at their usual spot in Blake’s basement to contemplate their next moves. As Ashley began to read the first page of the little black book, the basement became quite quiet and the air was still. The atmosphere gave them chills as the hair on their arms stood up from the goosebumps. It almost felt as if someone else was in the basement with them……. or something. The first page started as a rhyme or riddle. Be ware if you dare, to read this book and follow the hook or to your soul’s despair. They looked at each other puzzled as Blake stated bluntly, “this book is a joke.” Suddenly the lights went out, a bolt of lightning flickered near the window striking a tree and a loud roar of thunder passed over the house. Blake’s mother came down to bring them candles and a flashlight. She asked had they been working on a new story before the lights went out and how was it going. Blake told her that a strange man gave them a little black book that could grant them anything they wanted. His mother stopped in her tracks and gasped. She asked, “did you say little black book” and the look on her face was almost as if she seen a ghost. Ashley called out to her, “Mrs. Midnight are you okay?” Her eyes filled with tears and her face full of terror, “where did you get that you have to give it back to them right now”. Blake leaped from the sofa he was sitting on and ran in front of his mom and yelled, “mom you’re scaring me, what’s wrong”? She told him they had to go back to find the man that gave them the book or they and everyone they loved will be in grave danger. Ashley shouted, “Blake your mom is freaking me out dude!” Blake’s mom shouted grab your coats and I will explain on the way. They all grabbed their coats but as they headed for the door, the book flew out of Blake’s hand and onto the floor. The pages in the book begin to turn back and forth. Blake’s moms begin to scream “we are too late the book has chosen”! Ashley and Blake both yelled, what do you mean? Mrs. Midnight begin to sob and explain how the book was cursed and is the reason for the death of the Gypsies. The book had been lost for decades but what Blake did not know was that his great grandfather was one of the Gypsies that was slaughtered by the book demon because he did not make his sacrifice as instructed by the book. Beware if you dare, to read this book and follow the hook or to your soul’s despair. Blake asked, “mom how did you know that” and she begin to tell him about his grandfather. Blake asked her why she had not told him about this before now. She told him she saw how addicted he was to haunted stories and was afraid he might try to investigate it and once the book picks you, you must ask it for something or you or someone you love will pay by the grave. She told him that the only way the book can pick you is if you are longing for something or in a crisis. So, Blake’s mom asked what is it that his heart desires. Blake replied in a shaky quiet like voice that he wanted more money to move to a big city to start his career as a film director and ghost haunter. He said he had been wishing for a way to get his hands on a lump sum of money but never dreamed it would be like this. Ashley begins to wail that she was not ready to die and she had no desire to change and loved her town. As Ashley was talking, the book begins to flip pages again. Blake picked up the book and shouted no, we are going to find the strange man right now, but as he tried to turn the doorknob something blasted him back. Then they heard a voice say, beware if you dare, to read this book and if you do not, your life or someone you love life will be took. It was all too real and seem as if the room was spinning. They heard noises up stairs that sounded like footsteps and a voice that said tic tock the clock will not stop. Read the page and set the stage, pick a life or I grab a knife, stabbing you twice, I do not play nice and your mother and you will surely die. Mrs. Midnight told Blake to just read the book to save his life because if she should had told him about the book and his great grandfather, he would have known not to take it. Blake told his mom that it must be another way for them both to survive, but his mom assured him it was not. So, Blake picked the book up off the floor and read the page out loud. To thy heart be true, all you need to do, is sacrifice what is most dear to you and the money you seek, you will have in a blink, but if you cheat death you will meet. Blake clasped his hands together on the top of his head and paced the floor back and forth, while Ashley went into a panic attack and Blake’s mom tried to console her. She rocked back and forth on the floor saying over and over that she did not want to die. Mrs. Midnight told her she was not going to die and that she had a way to make things right. She told Blake that it was her fault since she did not tell him about his family history or the book so he should sacrifice her, with tears falling from her face, she told him she was sorry and loved him so very much. She told him to go and live the life that he dreamed of and that she will be okay. Blake pleaded with his mom, to give him a chance to think but the voice from upstairs drew nearer and closer, freakishly saying “tic tock the clock won’t stop, your time is almost up.” Finally, the book demon was in full view as they tried to run it froze them in place and grabbed Blake and his mom by the necks, one with each hand and asked Blake to make a wish and sacrifice his mom or they both die and Ashley too, who was thrown to the wall when he froze everyone. Mrs. Midnight screamed for Blake to make his wish and let her go, and she told him that she will always love him. She told him to go live out his dreams away from there and become the successful person that he wants to be. Blake gave in and recited the words, “To thy heart be true, all you need to do, is sacrifice what is most dear to you and the money you seek, you’ll have in a blink, but if you cheat death you will meet,” Then Blake said that he will sacrifice his passion for a haunted or scary story and never film, hunt or go ghost traveling again all for $200,000. The book demon was so out done because Blake chose and won fair and square. Even though he loved his mother and his girlfriend his passion was the thrill of chasing a haunted story. He had already planned on moving away to film school after graduation and leaving them both behind. The book demon declared that Blake had won, but he will not forget, if he breaks the treaty, he will not be a sweetie and will be back to collect the lives of them both, along with Ashley and all that he care about too. Just as he appeared, he disappeared, along with the book and in its place was $200,000. The nightmare was over and 6 months later, Blake and Ashley graduated high school. They moved to Los Angeles, California and took Blake’s mother and moved into a beautiful two-story house. He started his own business collecting and trading rare objects. A year after high school Ashley gave birth to a son and on his fifth birthday, he received a very strange and rare object indeed…. The Little Black Book.