Turn the Page

  #

  Virginia walked home that night with the latest book, a thick hardback, clutched to her chest. It was already dark, and the wind was whipping up dry leaves and stray bits of trash as she rounded the corner toward her house.

  When she arrived, Kyle was waiting for her, sitting on the low brick wall that divided her house from the pavement, his elbow leaning on the little metal gate latch by the stone steps.

  “What did you pick?” he asked with a warm smile.

  “It’s actually something I’d never have picked normally, but I wanted to kind of experiment with this, so I chose an epic fantasy. It’s some cheesy dragons-and-wizards story called Gem of Power by some guy I’ve never heard of. I have no idea how they can write six hundred pages about this crap. And it’s the first of a trilogy!”

  “I happen to enjoy a good fantasy,” said Kyle. “So, have you opened it yet?”

  “No, of course not! I wanted you to be there.”

  They went inside, flicked on the lights, and sat in the front room. Claude trotted in then froze when he spotted the stranger, looked up at Virginia. He’d fled upstairs the first time Kyle had come over.

  “It’s okay, Claude,” she said, taking off her coat and throwing it over her chair back. He’s a friend. His name is Kyle. Kyle, meet Claude.”

  Kyle nodded and threw up a quick, obviously fake smile at the cat.

  “Not a cat person?” asked Virginia, not missing a beat.

  “Um, not really any kind of animal person. So. The book?”

  “Oh, yeah, of course.” She placed it on the coffee table between them, and lifted the cover, then started casually turning the pages.

  On page 333 there was a piece of lined binder paper folded into quarters. She caught her breath and reached for it. She unfolded it and began to read aloud:

  Thank you for returning. This is becoming easier for me with each attempt. There is something you must know, my love. The man with whom you sit -”

  The lights suddenly went out.

  “Kyle?”

  “I’m here.”

  But his voice was no longer across from her.

  The windows suddenly blew in, shattering shards of glass everywhere. A monstrous wind whipped around the room in a spiral of noise and debris. As Virginia’s eyes began to adjust to the dark, she saw books flying off her tall bookshelves that lined the west wall, opposite the fireplace. She raised her arms to protect herself, started to move to take cover.

  Out of nowhere, something huge (the Encyclopedia?) smacked into the side of Virginia’s head with a crunch.

  She saw stars, felt the throbbing, swelling, jarring pain for a moment, then the near-blackness became totally dark as she collapsed in her chair.