Booktok Ornament Novels & Stories

It’s more likely that a draught from the door or windows disturbed the pristine alter cloth. My gaze passes over the objects on the table, white candles, willow branches, bundles of herbs, trinkets and tchotchkes. My eyes settle upon an open book, the pages are loosely bound and the gilded illustration depicts a woman being lifted into the clouds by two sets of hands. In my awe of the tome I forget about the potential stowaway. I must have this book, the people are no more, so it will not be missed and I cannot fight the urge to reach out and pluck it from its resting place. It is cumbersome to hold, even with both hands and I have no idea how I will hide it from Halen.

I gasped when I saw it was, PANTONE VIEW Home + Interiors 2024 book. Oh my god!! The book provides a comprehensive guide to contemporary color trends that can be integrated into interior design projects. I showed the book to Aunt Sophie and Joseph, Joseph looked confused and Aunt Sophie gasped like me. " Wow! It is such a thoughtful gift, keeping your interest in mind. " She said and I nodded. Then with care, I unwrapped the second gift and was surprised once again. It was a Rotring 800 Mechanical Pencil. " What is this? " Joseph asked.

Noel went to the table, facing his back to the big orb. "Let's see..." He put the note on the table. Then, with both hands on the table, he stood straight and closed his eyes while he imagined the look of the book he was searching for. "Lore of Elm." His thought sounded. The books on the shelves behind him began to shuffle on themselves and the orb color turned slightly violet. After a few moments, a few books floated onto the table beside where Noel was standing. He scanned through the books one by one. Then, he spotted a book with a red cover and black words written on them. The title on it was...

What they’ve guessed at and what they’ve made up to explain what they can’t see. Scarlett returns and finds me still holding the book. She arches a brow. “Should I get you a tote bag?” I shove the book under my arm and mutter, “We’re buying it.” She beams like she’s just won something. We leave with the book, two more pastries, and a pair of hand-stitched bookmarks made by a woman who insisted her cat is psychic. I don’t ask follow-up questions. Later, back at the inn, I wander past Cerelia and Soren’s room. I hear murmured spellwork and low humming.

Right up three little steps, I walk on the green rug, behind the round flat wooden chair to the brown squared desk where a few books are stacked beside two transparent cylinder vase sets of orchids and right in the middle of the table is a lamp made in the from of a little tree with its leaves as bulbs of light. This part directly faces the little garden which is behind a pair of glass doors where fireflies play around the flowers and plants and climbing green plants climb their way up the handles to frame the door, adding to its beauty. After the desk is a white chaise lounge with pillows arranged on it alongside a cream colored blanket. "Don't get lost in it." His words ring in my head an

Chains meandered out of the mess—hundreds of bookmarks, metal and ribbon and cord, weaving themselves into links that wrapped around the book‑body like restraints turned adornment. Its head was a cluster of dictionaries and style guides and old, heavy Bibles, fused spine‑out into a crude skull. Where its eyes should have been, ink pooled, thick and dripping—two dark, wet hollows that bled black down the stacked faces of its composite. It towered above the field, easily twice the size of the Ferris wheel gondola, casting a jagged shadow over the drifting pages. The graveyard itself seemed to flinch around it. When it opened its mouth—its “jaw” a row of clamped‑shut tomes creaking apart—the so

Dakota attempts to make a jab while he proceeds to happily ignore her, taking his personal victory. Retrieving the last item within the bag, I pull out a silver parcel. Carefully inspecting the velvet blanket folded up neatly, I unravel the charcoal silk ribbon tied meticulously around it—realising that something has been carefully tucked away inside. With grand embroidered images detailing the dated cloth, I unwrap it carefully before revealing an old leather book stored safely within. Marvelling over the light grey cover, I can’t help but study the beautifully drawn crest sat in the centre of the intricate design—carved perfectly with its lines tinted in a grand shade of crimson, appearing

Step by step, I moved deeper in. The tunnel narrowed, then suddenly opened up into a massive chamber. I paused at the threshold, blinking at the unexpected sight. The space was wide, almost circular, with a strange, humming silence that pressed against my ears. In the center stood something that didn’t fit. A book pedestal. Stone. Ancient-looking. I moved toward it, drawn to the object resting atop it like it belonged to someone very, very dangerous. The book was bound in black leather, worn and cracked. A single horn—no, two—were carved on the front, protruding slightly like twisted bone. It didn’t have a title. No markings except those horns.

But relaxation wasn't what I had in mind. I stood up and walked over to the bookshelf, running my fingers along the spines of the books until I found what I was looking for. The worn leather-bound volume felt heavy in my hands as I carried it over to the coffee table and opened it to the marked page. The intricate illustrations of whips, chains, and other BDSM paraphernalia made my pulse quicken with anticipation.

In the center of the room was a step down, with a large black crystal resting on a pedestal. Both Orion and I went separate ways, looking at the books and artifacts that littered the shelves. There were odd colored jars filled with strange objects and dried herbs dangling from strings. I scoured the spines of the books, but I couldn’t read them. Damn, I wish Pru had come with us. “What do you think this is?” Orion walked towards the crystal and shined his phone’s flashlight on it. “I wouldn’t touch it.” I stepped up beside him and bent down to look at it. Inside something was moving, almost like a deep murky smoke floated around. “It’s giving me the creeps.”