In 2018 life was going perfectly for you. Maybe you just landed that promotion, maybe you got that new job, maybe you graduated from either high school or college. Life was looking up. As a gift for your achievements, someone had given you a gift card to a local bookstore. You didn't remember who exactly had given it to you, but you did remember an odd bit of information. The card had exactly $17.82 on it.
Why such a number? Who could say? Maybe this was an odd form of scavenger hunt. Maybe it was a regifting of a half-used card. Maybe it was a reference to an old joke you either never knew or couldn't remember.
Either way, you go to the bookstore to use the card on a rare summer's day. The weather is perfect. Kids play in the streets and the smell of food trucks and the rose garden across the street mix perfectly in the air. The bell above the shop door rings cheerily as you walk through the doors. A young kid, probably still in high school, nods at you from the shop counter, nose deep in a book. You wave and smile back as you walk into the store, the smell of old books assaulting your nostrils and stirring up old memories.
As you take a deep breath, one smell stands out. Something familiar that takes you back to one of your happiest childhood memories. Something you don't recall nearly enough, and something half forgotten. You smile as your feet lead you towards the mysterious smell and you reach out towards a book. Before you know it, you are at the counter, teenager ringing you out, and gift card in hand. The total comes out to exactly $17.82.
Smiling, you leave the shop and walk over to your favorite local shop to enjoy a treat. Maybe it's ice-cream. Maybe it's an iced coffee. Maybe it's an elusive French pastry that only this café gets right. You take a seat in your favorite spot in the back, secluded from all prying eyes, and pull the book out of the rough paper bag.
"Destiny"
There is no author's name. There is no indication on the cover of what the book is about. You stare at the book for a moment, gold embossed letters stark against the pure white of the cover. The familiar scent of the pages stirs up that childhood memory once again. The feeling of pure bliss accompanied by unadulterated joy. After a moment, you open the book.
When you next blink you open your eyes to find yourself in a small white room. There are no doors, no windows, you can feel walls, but you can't necessarily see them. Everything is pure white. In a state of alarm, you look around the room for anything at all. The only thing here is you. Everything you were wearing is the same, your wallet is still with you, everything you had on your person remains.
It is then that you remember the book.
The comforting odor is gone and all that remains are the blank pages within. Frantically, you scroll through the pages until you find yourself staring at the new words on the first page. Your name appears boldly in the middle of the page, almost like a title.
You blink a few times, but the words don't go away. In disbelief, you slam the cover of the book only to find the title has changed. The book is now your favorite color embossed with gold lettering. The lettering reads your name.
When you open the book once again you find a section marked "chapters" and letters up to 35. The first chapter is labeled "the beginning". With shaking fingers, you read the first sentence of chapter one. It starts with your name
"…found them self in a strange room. The room appeared to have nothing in it. It wasn't until they knew that they were the main character in their story that a door appeared…"
Why such a number? Who could say? Maybe this was an odd form of scavenger hunt. Maybe it was a regifting of a half-used card. Maybe it was a reference to an old joke you either never knew or couldn't remember.
Either way, you go to the bookstore to use the card on a rare summer's day. The weather is perfect. Kids play in the streets and the smell of food trucks and the rose garden across the street mix perfectly in the air. The bell above the shop door rings cheerily as you walk through the doors. A young kid, probably still in high school, nods at you from the shop counter, nose deep in a book. You wave and smile back as you walk into the store, the smell of old books assaulting your nostrils and stirring up old memories.
As you take a deep breath, one smell stands out. Something familiar that takes you back to one of your happiest childhood memories. Something you don't recall nearly enough, and something half forgotten. You smile as your feet lead you towards the mysterious smell and you reach out towards a book. Before you know it, you are at the counter, teenager ringing you out, and gift card in hand. The total comes out to exactly $17.82.
Smiling, you leave the shop and walk over to your favorite local shop to enjoy a treat. Maybe it's ice-cream. Maybe it's an iced coffee. Maybe it's an elusive French pastry that only this café gets right. You take a seat in your favorite spot in the back, secluded from all prying eyes, and pull the book out of the rough paper bag.
"Destiny"
There is no author's name. There is no indication on the cover of what the book is about. You stare at the book for a moment, gold embossed letters stark against the pure white of the cover. The familiar scent of the pages stirs up that childhood memory once again. The feeling of pure bliss accompanied by unadulterated joy. After a moment, you open the book.
When you next blink you open your eyes to find yourself in a small white room. There are no doors, no windows, you can feel walls, but you can't necessarily see them. Everything is pure white. In a state of alarm, you look around the room for anything at all. The only thing here is you. Everything you were wearing is the same, your wallet is still with you, everything you had on your person remains.
It is then that you remember the book.
The comforting odor is gone and all that remains are the blank pages within. Frantically, you scroll through the pages until you find yourself staring at the new words on the first page. Your name appears boldly in the middle of the page, almost like a title.
You blink a few times, but the words don't go away. In disbelief, you slam the cover of the book only to find the title has changed. The book is now your favorite color embossed with gold lettering. The lettering reads your name.
When you open the book once again you find a section marked "chapters" and letters up to 35. The first chapter is labeled "the beginning". With shaking fingers, you read the first sentence of chapter one. It starts with your name
"…found them self in a strange room. The room appeared to have nothing in it. It wasn't until they knew that they were the main character in their story that a door appeared…"
