Member-only story
The Terror Within
It was a mild and sunny day as the man strolled seemingly aimlessly down the sidewalk. A light breeze carried the aroma of flowers and freshly cut grass, mingled with the odor of automobile exhaust as the man casually walked with a small, tattered book in one hand and clutched an equally tattered satchel underneath his arm.
Finally, he arrived at his destination — a small park. Although it was not much more than a patch of greenery among the dense urban sprawl surrounding it, the little area seemed to offer the man a measure of tranquility as he eagerly sat down on a ragged bench. This was his quiet place and even though the rest of the city bustled about, this was a place of calm for him.
The man placed the satchel on the bench next to him then opened the tattered old book and began reading — oblivious to all of the noise around him. He loved reading old books but this one was very special to him because it held within it all of the knowledge and wisdom of an era long gone. The words in the ancient tome seemed to rise from the wrinkled pages and take on a life of their own.
Within his mind’s eye, he was transported back to the time when the words in the book were first penned. He shared in the pride and jubilation he was certain that those responsible for it felt at the completion of their labor.
