Cursed Book of the Abandoned Building

Date: 8/19/2020

I recall stumbling upon a rural town, somewhere unknown. It had the sense of being a town where foreigners don’t enter and locals don’t leave. I happened upon a few kids who were playing outside an old abandoned building. It was a medium, two story structure which, when nearby, gave off this sense of unease. The kids outside were friendly enough, despite me being some stranger from outside the town. Out of curiosity, I asked them about the building next to us. Without actually speaking, I somehow received a reluctant answer from them. I gathered bits and pieces of local lore about a supposed book within the building that one should never touch and that the children were to avoid the building at all costs. Now, despite the obvious sudden fear the children now expressed, I felt compelled to explore the building and find this mysterious book. By the time I got to the entrance, the children were gone. The front doors of the building had both fallen off their hinges, so I could instantly see inside. Over half the length of the building’s second floor had collapsed to the floor below, leaving an open space littered with debris below. At this point I shifted through dream, leading me straight to the book’s location. Behind the mess I initially saw was a small library in the rear corner of the building. Everything in it was covered with dust. Some of the books had fallen from their shelves onto the floor. There was one book that stood out from the rest. Bound in an old red leather, it sat atop a small pedestal. I reached over to grab the book, but the instant I made contact with it, I was surrounded by the souls of those who apparently died in this building. Some morned their demise, while others were infuriated by it. All were bloodied and grotesque. Sickened and shocked beyond belief, I dropped the book to the floor. This was the point were I made a foolish mistake. Despite my better judgement and with my gut instincts screaming not to, I grabbed the book from the floor, and raced towards the exit, dodging the dead as I ran. Maybe I figured that if I took what I thought bound them to the building, they would then be free? I finally made it outside. With the book in hand, I turned to see all the dead still in their abandoned prison. This time, however, more dead souls wandered the outside, all around me. One was different, though. It appeared as a young, malnourished boy. Instead of walking around aimlessly like the rest, he only stood there, staring at me specifically. He didn’t exactly seem like a dead child, either. Despite his appearance, something felt off about him. At this point, I had definitely had enough of this book, so I dropped it to the ground once more. They were still there. All the dead were still in sight, even without the book in hand. I realized then why the book must never leave that building. Once you remove it, what temporary sight into the world beyond you had became permanent. I was stuck this way. I didn’t have much time for the terror of this thought to reach me, as that odd child suddenly began screeching and flailing his arms as he ran frantically towards me. I ran. He ran faster. That was it. I awoke at this point, unsure what that boy was or may have represented or whatever.