"SOMETIMES THE LINE BETWEEN REALITY AND DREAM IS SO THIN THAT EVERYTHING LOST WITHOUT A SINGLE STEP COULD BE WORTH A LIFETIME."
It was the final days of school, and the unease brought by the approaching hot days of summer had filled the air. The classes had disappeared in a time when students' thoughts wandered far away, their bodies free from the walls of the classroom. It was a common thread for everyone sitting in those old school desks to be filled with holiday dreams, hiding behind the tiredness of the day. But that morning, Lina had only one thing on her mind: her sister's birthday gift. It wasn't just a simple gift choice; it was a passion, a discovery. Her eyes were searching for a special work for her sister, who loved a world filled with books, always shining, always on the lookout for something new. Her own deep love for books, as a reader herself, created a feeling of excitement, as though she were about to embark on a new adventure with each page.
Later in the afternoon, she found an opportunity to leave school early. Although her mind was filled with lost lessons and wandering thoughts, she set off for shopping, determined to think only about her sister's happiness. When she boarded the bus, the bag hanging from her arm seemed to carry traces of the busy hours back at school. But she quickly found a solution: she put on her headphones and selected her favorite song on her phone, beginning to enjoy the journey.
The ride gradually made Lina drift off to sleep. The music in her headphones blended with the hum of the wind, lulling her into a peaceful sleep. Her eyelids grew heavy, as if the tiredness of years was piling up. She tried to keep her eyes open for a moment longer, but eventually, she succumbed to a deep slumber. Everything blurred, time seemed to vanish.
A noise and the sounds of a crowd woke Lina up. The bus had approached its final stop, but had passed it. The stop quickly disappeared from her sight. In a brief moment of confusion, she opened her eyes, looking around. The distance between the stops wasn't that far. She slung her bag over her shoulder, stepped off the bus with quick strides, and began walking in the opposite direction.
She fixed her hair, which had been blown by the light breeze, with one hand and continued on her way. Heading towards the bookstore gave her the feeling of escaping the chaos of daily life. Her steps were slow but firm. The noise of the city faded behind her, and she had created a world where only the quiet peace of books seemed to belong to her.
Twenty minutes later, as she stepped through the door of the old bookstore, Lina took a deep breath. The familiar smell of books she loved was still here, but this time it was more distinct; the color of time between the old pages was embodied by a sense of tranquility that belonged to her. The chaos between the shelves was purposefully arranged. On those shelves, stories collected over the years waited for Lina, one by one. The owner of the shop was a man in his early sixties, wearing an old-fashioned jacket, with the marks of time on his face. His age was revealed by the fine wrinkles around his eyes and the slightly graying hair, but it only added to his charm.
Lina headed towards the books, but the shop was so full of books that finding the one she wanted seemed almost impossible on her own. At that moment, the old man sat behind the counter, carefully going over the books. A few seconds later, Lina called out to him. After she mentioned the book's title, the old man took the glasses hanging from his neck, put them on, and slowly got up, heading towards the shelves.
In the deep shelves of the bookstore, it wasn't easy to find the book Lina wanted, but the old man was patient. Climbing the stairs, he took one dusty book and handed it to Lina. The cover of the book was old, yet it bore the marks of a valuable work. The old man smiled and asked, "Will you buy it?" Lina nodded in agreement.
"Yes," she answered. The old man smiled, wrinkling the corners of his eyes, and they moved to the counter.
The book was exactly her kind of thing, but she had doubts about the price. The book was wrapped, placed in a bag, and handed to Lina. The old man's smile evoked a sense of trust in Lina's heart. "2$," he simply said. "Is it really that cheap?" she asked, unable to hide her surprise. The old man smiled and replied.
She left the shop to continue her journey. She put her headphones back on and played her song again. But this time, the melody of the song had increased her joy even more. When she reached the stop, there were still seventeen minutes until the bus departure. She sat on an empty bench, slightly opened the bag, and peeked at the book's packaging. At that moment, the music in her headphones suddenly stopped, and her phone began to ring.
She answered the phone, and her friend's voice came through.
"Where are you, darling?" she asked.
Her eyes followed the movement around her as she answered, "I just left the bookstore, now I'm waiting for the bus."
A few seconds later, her sister replied. "Okay, send me a message when you arrive. Let's be home, and let's get going as soon as possible."
A few minutes later, the bus arrived. Lina grabbed her bag and the book bag and climbed up the bus steps. She sat down, rested her head against the window, and continued enjoying her journey with music.
When she arrived home, she placed her belongings on the table and threw her jacket onto the couch. She sent a message to her friends to let them know she was home. Then, she headed to the kitchen. Chocolates, chips, and drinks were neatly arranged in the cupboard. The colorful boxes gave her a sense of celebration.
While she was setting the plates on the cloth spread in front of the TV, the doorbell rang. She and her friends all hugged at once, and then they finished the remaining preparations together before starting the birthday celebration. Later, the doorbell rang again. The person who entered was Vanessa, and as the birthday girl, she was glowing. Lina first gave Vanessa a long hug. Then, standing up, Lina looked at the young man standing behind Vanessa. "I guess I'll be leaving then," the young man said, looking at the little girl. "Why don't you join us, Victor?" Vanessa asked with an emotional look. "Even if I wanted to stay, the older girls wouldn't let me, princess. Besides, it would be more comfortable for you girls to hang out together." Seeing the disappointment on Vanessa's face, Lina immediately spoke up. "I don't think there's a problem with you staying. Please come inside." With Vanessa's excited smile, Victor stepped inside and they started the party.
The cakes were eaten, drinks were drunk. It was time for gifts. One by one, everyone handed their gifts to the little girl. Vanessa eagerly opened each gift, and when it came time for Lina's present, she saved it for last. When Vanessa excitedly opened it, the book symbolized her love for antique literature. It seemed like the book would open the doors to a magical world for her. Seeing her sister so excited made Lina smile for a moment. However, the smile quickly faded. When Vanessa opened the book, the joyful expression on her face vanished. The book seemed unfamiliar. As she flipped through the pages, something felt off. The pages were completely blank... A deep unease spread within her, as if something was wrong, but the feeling was so vague it was nearly impossible to pinpoint. Slowly, she closed the book and looked at Lina.
"Is... is this the book, sis? Are you sure?" she asked, her voice trembling with confusion.
Lina, looking anxiously at her sister's face, was struck by the strange aura emanating from the book for the first time. Something was wrong. It was like the wind had suddenly changed direction, and unease settled in her chest. Lina wasn't entirely sure about the book either. It was so old and mysterious... could it really be? At first glance, it certainly had an unusual air about it, but Lina simply gave her sister a confirmation, saying, "Yes, it's that book."
Something started breaking inside her. In that moment, everyone's minds were filled with the same sharp pain. Their faces were gradually clouded with a somber fear. Vanessa's friends—Amely, Liv, Victor—each one began to collapse, one by one. It felt like a momentary paralysis had taken over their bodies. Sounds of shivering, and others screaming, echoed in the background. But as Lina tried to understand the cause of this strange state, her mind began to cloud. Everything happened so fast. Each person's head was pounding, their vision darkening.
Lina couldn't feel her hands or feet. It was like her body had slipped a step away from her consciousness. Suddenly, she began to tremble. The pain coming from the depths of her brain felt like it was pressing down so hard, it could break her head. Her vision blurred, but she could still feel her phone in her numb fingers. She gripped the phone tightly, forcing the screen to open. She quickly dialed 911. But no matter how hard she tried, words wouldn't come out. She could hear the phone ringing, but as she tried to speak to the person on the other end, her voice grew distant. It was as if everything was rapidly falling into a void.
Just as Lina was about to faint, the phone slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. Her vision turned completely black. Everything, in that moment, became a blur between dream and reality. After that, there was only unconsciousness.
About half an hour later, the police arrived to check the house, looking around the rooms with astonished expressions. Everything seemed normal, but there was something else. A strange feeling. The book had fallen to the floor. One of the officers carefully sat down and picked up the book, examining it carefully. He opened the cover and flipped through the pages quickly, but couldn't make sense of it.
There was something inside it; maybe a secret, he thought. But when he closed the book, his eyes began to twitch. The lights flickered one by one. The strange vibration sent a shiver down the officer's spine. He closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. Turning to his partner, he said, "Let's go. This place feels... odd." Slowly, he stood up and left the room. Outside, the dark night quietly spread over the city.