Black Dirt

Michael stared at me for a few seconds before he spoke. "Ivy, you know what you want?"

"Just a couple of books, some tea leaves, and cleansing crystals," I answered.

He smiled, sweetly. "Of course, I'll grab those rocks for you. You know where to find the rest."

Michael disappeared into the back room. I smiled at my old friend. He reminded me of my father, before he left. I turned on my heels and walked to the book section. The little shop was cluttered with books. I grabbed a leather bound book and turned it over. The binding of the book was empty, as well as the cover. My brows furrowed. Normally, Michael's books had a title. It must be a journal of some sort.

I kept it in my hands and continued looking through the store. I kept glancing down at the book in my hands. I couldn't concentrate on anything else. The book was worn down and beautiful. I shook my head and walked to the tea leaves. They were organized by Michael's taste, which made me laugh. But, I knew where the one I loved sat.

"Ah, Chamomile tea," someone murmured behind me.

I spun on my heels quickly. I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized it was only Michael's mother. She was a small, old thing. Her hair was turning silver and she hunched over a cane. She had a pair of glasses on and she smiled. I tried not to grimace. Irene only had a few teeth left in her mouth. I gave her a small smile back.

"How are you feeling today, Irene?" I asked, as we slowly walked back to the register.

She coughed into her hand. "All days are the same. They mold together. So, how am I to know what I feel for just today?"

That made me think. She was right. The days have been molding together. The days have made no sense of anything new. Except for today. I now realized that my days have been the same. Eat, sleep, write. There wasn't anything special. I sighed sadly.

"You're young, Ivy. And, so beautiful," Irene continued speaking. "Don't sit around and wait for life to kick you in the ass. Do something you will never forget. And, forget about that boy. He isn't coming back, dear. Well, I'll see you again."

I waved her goodbye as she walked to the back room. Michael was standing at the register, looking through an old magazine. He looked up when I placed the book on the table with the tea. He rang them up and stared at the blank book for a while. He placed it in the bag quickly.

"Come back soon, Ivy," He gave me a small smile and quickly walked into the back room.

It wasn't normal for him to do that. Normally, he'd stay and talk to me some more. Today wasn't a normal day. I grabbed the bag and placed it in my tote-bag. I walked out of the shop and towards the closest coffee shop. Everything was weird today. Nothing was normal.



I was back in my room, laying on my bed. I had placed the crystals on my nightstand and fell back asleep. When I finally awoke, I felt better - more calm. Then, my mind raced back to the blank book. I sat in bed and crossed the room to my bag. I grabbed the book and wiped off the cover. The leather was old and it smelled like old book. I smiled. I haven't read in a while and it felt good to have a new book in my hands. I laid back on my bed and held the book to my chest. I turned to lay on my stomach. I cracked open the first page. My eyes narrowed.

"What is this?" I mumbled to myself as I turned through the pages.

The words weren't english. The words were in some kind of script that I couldn't decipher. It began to frustrate me. Until I reached the middle of the book. In big bold letters, there was a short paragraph.



My brow rose in confusion. The ever watching moon? Blood? My hair? I shouldn't have grabbed the book. But, the pull to it was so strong. I looked throughout the whole book again and saw that everything was written in the weird script. I sighed and threw the book on the other side of the bed. I slammed my face down in one of my pillows and groaned. If I ended up doing as the book said, I'd basically be crazy if it didn't work… If it did work, though… I'd still be crazy. There was no way I could do it. But, then again, I wanted to. I wanted to try something different.

I didn't want my days to be numbered. I didn't want my days to meld together into nothingness. I didn't want to just exist in this world. I wanted to do something. I groaned again and knew I was going to regret this some time later. I looked over at my clock. It was already five. So, the book said hair and blood all under the moon? Yeah, I got all that… Let's just hope I still have some sanity left.