This story is a commission requested by EB18, who also helped with editing. Thanks EB18.
~~~~~~~
My name's Ryan, I'm a 21 year old history major at Hudson's School of The Arts. I'm fairly popular and somewhat attractive but currently I'm single because a certain chick has caught my eye. Me and a couple of friends were hanging outside my apartment door off campus. We were drinking a couple of beers when my super hot and strange neighbor walked past us to get to her apartment.
"Hey Zoe! Why don't you join us, we're just hanging out and having a couple beers."
I said being my normal friendly self. I really wanted to go out with her but she always seemed so uninterested. She was beautiful with long black hair that nearly touched the ground and strikingly beautiful large blue eyes. I have never seen more beautiful eyes in my life. The only problem was she would dress in all black boring clothing. Like she worked in a funeral home or something. It's like she's trying to hide her beautiful curvy body. "Come on Zoe, 1 beer won't kill you." I said insisting.
"I have no interest in hanging out with anyone." She said while unlocking her door. "Especially not hanging out with some slacker like you." She said giving me a piercing stare, as if she were trying to burn me to the core. She then slammed the door.
"Gee what the Hell is her problem?" My friend Zach said. "No wonder she doesn't have any friends."
"Hey ease up on her Zach. She's just different, that's all. I like that."
"Oh come on Ryan you actually think she'll ever go out with you? I mean I know you're a ladies man but that Halloween chick is definitely not interested. She also needs to get a new outfit from this century. Everybody in class thinks she's in a cult or something."
"I don't know, I think the way she dresses is kind of cute. Like she's a hot goth chick or something. If she would just give me a chance..."
~~~~~~
The next day
I was late to class but I wasn't too worried cause I always managed to ace exams anyway. However, as I was stepping out of my apartment's front door someone smashed into me.
"Watch where you're going meathead!" I heard Zoe's familiar and normally quiet voice say.
"I should watch where I'm going? You smashed into ME!" I snapped back.
"Whatever, it's normal for you to be late! But some of us like to actually take class seriously." She said coldly as she started jogging towards the elevator.
"Geez, she's cute but she can be so bitchy sometimes..." I muttered knowing she was too far away now to hear.
Just then I noticed a book that must've fallen out of her bag at some point.
"This is good! I'll pick up her textbook for her and give it back later. Then she'll be so grateful that maybe she'll agree to go out for coffee sometime." I thought out-loud to myself.
That is, I thought it was a textbook, till I picked it up and turned it over. The front was strange and had no title. Instead it felt like the front of it was made of brown leather. The markings on it were also quite strange. I didn't recognize most of them but from what I could tell it all seemed very mystical and ominous. There was also a big eye in the center. There's no way this is a textbook of any class. Maybe it's a diary? If so, I gotta skip class and read this, just in case she's written anything about me.
I walked back into my apartment and set the book on my desk. I got comfortable in my chair and opened up the book. I was hoping it would be a diary but I was instead completely bewildered. From the best I could tell it was written in some strange ancient writing. Seemed to be runes of some sort. Or maybe some ancient language. But that would be ridiculous. Maybe this is just some weird fan creation from some T.V. show.
Either way I was just about done trying to look through it. There was nothing in here that I could read, until I finally got towards the end. Near the end of the book there was actually some things written in English for once. It seemed to be very nice penmanship. Was this Zoe's own handwriting?
~~~ It is now my turn to add my own spells to this ancestral tome.
My first very own spell. I call it Spiritual Joining. If this works properly it allow you to fully understand another human being as though you were one. It will allow you to see through their eyes, feel what they feel. It is the ultimate spell for getting closer to someone. The incantation is as follows: ~~~
Woah. What the Hell? So this really is supposed to be some sort of spell book... And this last spell is one that I guess Zoe must've written. Crazy. But this can't be real right? I wonder what the requirements would be to cast it.
"This can't be real." I said aloud. "I can't believe I thought it might be real for a second there. This is just some bullshit. I'm going to go hang out with some friends now."
~~~~~~
It was about 3 o'clock when I finally got back to my apartment building. As I was approaching my door suddenly I heard a door burst open.
"YOU!" I heard Zoe say louder than I've ever heard her speak before. "You, what's your name again?"
"It's Ryan... you don't remember? We've been neighbors for like almost a year now..."
"I'm not an idiot, I know who you are I just don't remember your name. You're my annoying neighbor who is always hanging out with his loud friends. Anyway I'll make this quick. Earlier today I lost a book that is very important to me. Did you possibly see it somewhere? It looks quite unique."
"Uhh no I can't say I've seen any book." I lied. "What is this book about anyway?"
"As if I'd tell you." She said slamming the door.
"Geez I thought she was shy, I guess she's just rude and anti-social." If she had remembered my name and been nice maybe I would've given it back.
I heard her door open again. "I almost forgot to say." She said staring at me with her piercing blue eyes. "If you see that book anywhere let me know. It's important."
"Sure, neighbor." I shot her a big smile.
She gave me a final cold stare then shut her door again.
I walked into my apartment and dropped my backpack on the floor and went straight to Zoe's strange tome.
"Let's get another look at this spell." I opened the book to one of the final pages where I had seen the spell earlier. "Okay not that I believe this will work, but I may as well try it right? She looked very concerned, plus she even talked to me about it. She never approaches me about anything. I'm usually the one who has to speak first.
Maybe these spells are real after all. Now let's see, it says to be near the person I want to spiritually join with and to concentrate and visualize them in my mind. What exactly is supposed to happen if this works anyway? It says we will join somehow. Spirit joining, what could that mean? That we will understand each other somehow? I have no clue what might happen but if it really leads to us becoming closer than that'll be good for me."
I looked at the incantation closely. If this was going to work then I better say it all correctly.
"Su-Ra-Tu-La-Roh." I said weakly.
Nothing. I don't think anything happened. Did it not work? Or maybe I didn't do it right? I wanted to try one more time. But this time I really concentrated on Zoe. I pictured her in my mind as best as I could. I just wanted to be closer to Zoe somehow, this is my only chance.