Fumbled Book Novels & Stories

~ELENA~ The rulebook is stained with blood and I wonder whose blood it was. The thought makes me panic. My hands start to shake. I can't control it. And then the book falls to the ground with a loud thud. I let out a soft cry in fear as I stare at the big book on the floor like it's going to grow a big and wide mouth and swallow me up. What exactly have I gotten myself into?? I calm myself down, taking deep breaths as I finally pick up the book.

Gerey on the other hand expected the pages of the book to shine bright gold - almost blinding so that he could tear off a few pages for sale, but none of their wishes was answered as the book failed to flip open and reveal what was in it. “What's this all about!?” Cwena asked frustratedly, turning the book over and over again, trying to find how it was to be opened, “Are we to say Open Sesame!!?” “Let me try,” Gerey said and snatched the book out of Cwena's hands before she slammed it or threw it out the window above them in exasperation. As Gerry held the book, a thick, suffocating chunk of smoke began to escape from its edges. Gerry dropped it down in shock and stared at his hands.

I dump my bag on the floor and read through the shelf while pulling books out and mumble as I go. ‘Even a book can be dangerous in the wrong hands.’ ‘Ignite.’ ‘Hell is empty and all the devils are here.’ ‘You’ll make bad choices. Sometimes you’ll choose the best of bad ones.’ ‘Tuesday is Fucked.’ ‘Everything’s a game. And now it’s your turn.’ I have a stack of about 10 books before I abruptly stop. "Next isle." I say and we walk up and down the library isles. I climb and jump to get books off of shelves and Aidan has to catch me a couple of times when I fell.

You can return anything to any of the other libraries. Once Sally was outside, she opened the book. Flashes of images starting running through her mind like a video on fast forward. Only these were images of the scrolls and certain symbols stood out to her. She was vaguely aware of her team trying to reach her, but it was like the book stole their speed. They were moving slower than in slow motion. The book was giving her the answers she needed and when it was done, she fell to the pavement and started to scream. Her head was pounding worse than a migraine.

“I was wondering when I would see you.” I jumped “OH SH*T!” Then I stumbled back, getting caught in the blanket and landing on my butt. The book I had in my hand went flying to who knows where in the yard. A low feminine giggle caught my attention while I flail to get myself free and back to a standing position. “I’m not used to anyone being out here, sorry.” I don’t know how I continue to embarrass myself, but it’s becoming a real problem.

As I stretched my arm out to grab it, my fingers brushed against something else. Something solid. I frowned and leaned closer. There was a book under the shelf. Not on it. Under it. It was wedged tightly between the back of the shelf and the wall. Only the corner of it was visible. It looked like it had been pushed there on purpose. My curiosity stirred. “That’s strange,” I whispered. I tried to pull it out but it wouldn’t move. It was stuck tight. I shifted my position and tried again, using both hands. I tugged carefully at first. Then harder.

Getting up, I stretched out my limbs and walked towards one of the shelves, searching for another book to occupy my time before I had to go back to our room. My eyes perused the thick spines before they looked up and caught an orange one with gold lettering. It was stacked horizontally amongst other heavy-looking books and I lifted on the tips of my toes to try to reach for it so I could pull it out. I yelped when the entire stack wobbled, threatening to tip over. I cowered and shielded my head just as a single one bounced off something then fell to the wood floor. Slowly lowering my hands, I looked down at it in confusion before glancing up to see a veiny forearm stretched from behind me an

And eventually, I grew tired of searching and started organising some out of place books. At least that was one of the things I do best. I moved through the aisles, swiftly and efficiently. Putting the books back in order. A brown bulky book caught my eye. Placed horizontally amongst vertical books. Above my reach. I stepped on my toes. Arms stretching to grab the book. I groaned, trying even harder until my hands brushed against the book. The heavy book slipped. I gasped. Shielding my head from the fall but fortunately, it fell to my side.

"We shouldn't" Nuella said, With a shrug Claude returned it then continued looking through the shelves. The library was smaller than she had imagined, with only a few shelves left standing. The rest lay in ruins, books strewn about in piles of decay. The air was thick with the scent of must and mold, and she could see cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. As Nuella walked over to one of the shelves and picked up a book, it crumbled to pieces and fell at her feet. Claude winced, feeling a twinge of sadness at the loss of such an ancient piece of knowledge.

With a swift motion, I snapped my fingers, and a book materialized in my hand, drawn from the vast repository of my personal library. I had been searching for this particular tome for a while, driven by a hazy memory of stumbling upon a reference to a Cryomancer within its pages. The book's worn leather cover felt familiar in my hands as I opened it, releasing the whisper of aged paper and forgotten knowledge. As I delved into the book's yellowed pages, my initial excitement quickly gave way to disappointment. The passages I'd read so far yielded nothing of substance, no hidden gems of knowledge that might shed light on the mysteries plaguing me. I hadn't yet skimmed the entire book, and a g