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Having such an emotional outburst was not what I had planned for today, especially in such a possibly dangerous environment. Taking several moments to calm down, I try to assess what I just experienced.
´I know I try not to think about how much I'd prefer being on some magical adventure, but I didn't think it was that bad. Although it figures I wouldn't be able to perfectly assess my own mentality, introspection has never been what I'm best at.´
Sighing deeply, I start to slowly walk forward as I continue my assessment. ´Have i really been so miserable all this time? I… guess I kind of have been, haven't I?´
At that realisation several things occurred to me that I had continuously glossed over previously. ´God, have I done anything except work in the past 3 years? Yeah, I talk to my colleagues but that's the extent of it! And Leslie and mom have been complaining it's like i don't talk to them anymore…´
Fwip Fwip Fwip
Hearing the sound of pages being flipped get closer, I snap out of my thoughts and look around to see if I can spot anything out of the ordinary. To my surprise, the sound stops as I pass into a room. If you could call it that at least, since it is the same open space as anywhere else aside from the table and chairs now present in the space between where I am standing and the next passageway.
The table contains nothing except what looks like a thin, blue book. The front cover has no title, only an image of a bald man hanging precariously off a wall. Figuring it can’t hurt to check inside, I go to open the book only to find it glow and start to get incredibly hot as soon as I touch it.
Taking a step back not knowing what’s going on, I watch as it glides off the table, leaving no marks on it despite its supposed heat, and floats up into the air. Once it reaches a certain elevation, it opens up by itself.
Fwip, it gets to the first of what I guesstimate is about 6 pages in total. As soon as it finishes opening it does something which takes me by total surprise, as it begins to narrate the story contained on its first page. Before I stop to listen, I do notice that the second page is still empty which leaves me rather curious as to what purpose this all serves.
‘So what could this all be? I think it’s a children's story but there is obviously something abnormal about this’ I think to myself, and begin to listen to the narration.
Thinking I know how the rest goes, I continue listening.
‘’I am so sure that is not how that story goes!’’ I shout not moments before Dumpty opens its eyes and pivots towards me immediately, clutching his maul and beginning to charge at me I panic.
‘’What the fuck!’’ I shout, not knowing what to do as Dumpty catches up to me. ’Right, I need to fight. I should fight, but how? I have no weapons, no training… Maybe Dumpty is fragile? A similarity between the original and this perversion? I’ll try punching him at least, better than nothing!’
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Trying to snap myself out of it, I turn around to try confronting Dumpty only to see an evil grin on his face as his weapon smashes into my chest, knocking all the air out my lungs and sending me flying into one of the shelvers.
After several seconds I could hardly afford to waste it, I regained my senses. A little ways away Humpty Dumpty is slowly walking towards me, dragging the maul across the flooring as if to portray that there is no rush needed to beat me to dust.
Looking around for anything at all I could do to save myself, feeling desperate yet also strangely calm, I realised that the shelf I smashed into didn’t get pushed by me yet still got damaged. Looking a little to my left I spot a sizable, sharp fragment of shelf just out of reach.
Deciding my course of action, I look back to Dumpty and see that he’ll get here in just two seconds. ‘I only have one shot at this, best make it count lest this be the last thing i ever do.’
I look Dumpty in the eyes and feign fear, although how much of that fear was fake is up in the air, shuffling and scampering backwards and to the left as if to somehow try escaping him. Seeing what I am doing he speeds up his pace, malicious grin widening as he does so.
It doesn’t take much for me to reach the splinter, just as it doesn’t take Dumpty any longer to reach me either. Gripping his maul with both hands he does something that surprises me once again, he speaks.
‘’Failing to fight, pretender is right. Humpty dumpty wins most of a-URGHK.’’ Realising this monologue was my last chance at survival, i take it. Left hand around the splinter I move as fast as I can and slam it as hard as I can right where I assume his lungs are, not feeling confident enough to hit the heart.
To my surprise the splinter goes right through the body, leaving a hole from the front of his body to the back. Dumpty looks at my arm with obvious surprise before looking at me again and mouthing something i can just barely make out
‘’Contender has fought and brought Humpty Dumpty back to nought.’’ After this Dumpty slumps down on the floor, my arm passing right through, and turns to light after impact. The light heads back to the book, making it glow once more.
Thinking something similar is about to happen, I brace myself only for nothing to happen. Thinking I know the risks, I approach the book and table to try opening it myself again. Touching the cover doesn’t do anything this time, so I try to flip it open and find myself succeeding.
Before my eyes, I see exactly the story narrated before. As soon as I finish reading it, the ink multiplies and rearranges itself to form something different below the original fragment.
Having an idea as to what I should do to lay claim to the rewards below, I vocalise my thoughts.. ‘’I, Nicholas Alverton, hereby lay claim to the rewards awarded to my by overcoming this challenge and winning this battle.’’
As soon as the last word is uttered out of my mouth the ink multiplies once more and heads toward the second page, some of it even seemingly spilling off of the book if it weren't for the ink slipping between the other pages.
Once the ink on the second and presumably other pages dries, a last multiplication happens to fill the last of the empty space on the first page.
Glancing towards the second page to see what it actually says, curious as to what it could contain if it concerns my supposed talents, I see that it’s titled Etheric Knowledge {Common}
Not bothering to read the rest right this second, already having an idea as to what could be the purpose of it at this point, I decided it is absolutely time to get back home. The adrenaline from earlier is starting to fade, as I begin to ache more and more with particular pain where I believe my ribs were originally located.
Not wanting to stay in this horror library labyrinth any longer, I limp my way to the exit as fast as I can. Weirdly enough I start to feel better and better over time, managing to speed up my exit to normal walking speed at the end.
Seeing the exit door in the distance I decided to grit my teeth and run for it. Leaving myself baffled at not feeling hurt anymore as I ran toward the door. Finally making it through I close it behind me and collapse to the floor in exhaustion, still not entirely understanding what happened.
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