Book Compilation Novels & Stories

Jake asked as he started opening more cupboards. “Hell yeah.” I muttered thinking just how much good could be done with all of this. Illness was one of the biggest threats to the compound, simply because we didn't have the medication to treat most things. Twenty minutes later and we had searched every inch of the room and loaded up the first trolley with boxes. “You said there were six other labs Bubble?” Wheeler asked. “Yeah the room opposite then the next four rooms. They all looked similar to this one.” He whispered.

The first book arrived on a Tuesday, wrapped in plain brown paper and smelling of old leather and ozone. It was a first edition of Agrippa’s Occultae Philosophiae, a text so rare Alistair had only ever read excerpts in digital facsimile. He found it on his usual desk in the university’s Special Collections wing, a room that smelled perpetually of dust and quiet. There was no note, only a single silk ribbon marking a page. His breath caught. He was a man of meticulous order, a historian of grim power, and such an unexpected object in his sanctum was an event of seismic proportions.

I asked, I knew the answer already. “Yes, I do,” Nathan stood in front of me. He placed a copy before me and held onto the duplicate. The weekly report contained everything I needed to know about the pack for the week. In order to maintain confidentiality, only two people did the compilation. It always had one original copy and a duplicate. If there were any other copies, they were shredded immediately. The compilers would hand it over to Nathan, my assistant, who would in turn, do the presentation to me. I glanced through the books and looked at Nathan, “You can commence.”

I asked, already turning in that direction. Kendall pretended to think for a second, tapping her chin. “Okay, fine. Let’s go to the old school building.” We slipped away from the main corridor, heading toward the quieter, abandoned part of the school. My heart was still pounding from the memories of last night. I bit my lip, trying to focus on Kendall’s excited chatter, but my mind kept drifting back to him.