The Missing Son
“Jake, how was it at your father’s house this weekend?” I could see the anguish in his eyes as he got in the car. I could tell he had been crying. His eyes were still well up with tears. “Come on, we can go get some ice cream. I missed you too much.” That made him smile, at least. We got some ice cream and a movie, then went home. It usually took him a few days to come back around to himself once he comes home from his father’s house. His drinking really upsets Jake, and to be honest, he isn’t the nicest person to be around in the first place. His drinking just intensifies that. I spend most of my time on my knees, praying for Jake. He is my one and only purpose in this world, and I would do anything to see him happy.
As we ate our ice cream, and watched Mac and Me on V.H.S., he started to come back around. I had told his father about drinking around Jake, and how bad it upset him. He just thinks of himself, though. As the evening went on, we ordered a pizza. I know It’s not very responsible to let him eat ice cream before dinner, but hey, I’m a cool mom. Jake loved to watch Mac and Me, it was his favorite movie. He always laughed when Mac would do his little whistle thing. He would always copy him when he saw him doing it. “Well, let’s go to bed. I have a surprise for your birthday.” Jake went to bed looking forward to tomorrow, and I said a long prayer before I went to sleep.
The next morning, I must have had been excited too. It seemed like I was up and at it before I even knew it. I woke Jake up and made breakfast while he was getting ready. Pop Tarts and bacon were his absolute favorite thing in the morning, but I tried to sneak a little fruit in after last night’s debauchery. We ate breakfast and got a prompt start on getting our things ready. I still hadn’t told him where we were going. I knew he had wanted to go caving for a long time, and The Lost Sea was the perfect cave for him to explore. I was really excited to see his reaction. I loved it when he looked forward to things. We didn’t get to do much, me being a single mom and all.
The whole way there, Jake was going nuts trying to figure out where we were
going. I could see it in his eyes, and he absolutely wouldn’t be still. His ADHD really got the better of him sometimes, and me, if we are being totally honest. He was asking me over and over, “When are we going to get there, Mom?” The puffing too, when I wouldn’t tell him, “Patience is a virtue.” He hated it when I would say that phrase. We passed a sign advertising the cave, but he didn’t catch on. I had a backup story just in case he asked. We took the final turn and headed down an old back road. He was really confused then.
We pulled up to the cave, and he was beside himself. “No Way!” He said, over and over. When we got out of the car, he was basically running around in circles. I just couldn’t contain him, and I hated to fuss the whole day. Like I said, we didn’t get to do much, so I let him have his fun. “When do we get to go in, Mom?” He kept asking, but we had to listen to the tour guide first. They also had to go over the safety guidelines, and what have you. If you thought he was going to be still for that, you had another thing coming.
There where 150 steps carved into the pathway leading into the mouth of the cave. Going down deeper into this giant opening. The pathways were winding down further as we went., and once you got to the bottom it opened up to the size of a department store, nearly, it was amazing. Jake was absolutely beside himself with excitement. I wish I had a leash, I couldn’t keep him from nearly knocking me and the guide over. “Jake, you are going to have to calm down. This is a dangerous place, and you could really get hurt.” It was no use though.
Honestly, I could tell the guide was already getting aggravated with Jake., and to be honest I almost called the whole thing off. I didn’t want to hurt Jake on his birthday though, especially after having such a terrible weekend at his fathers. Jake just couldn’t handle his father sometimes, that worried me. Anyway, I am trying to relax, and not worry about things I can’t change at the moment. Jake would be ok, he just needed to get out and forget for awhile.
We were exploring the large cavern, when we ran to try and catch up with Jake. We rounded the edge of a rock right behind him. When we got into the next room, he was gone. We were right behind him, It didn’t make sense. The room was a dead end, there was no place for him to go. We looked for any sign of another pathway, but there was nothing. I was a beside myself. I ran ahead into the last room in a panic. He was nowhere.
I was running all about the large cavern, in a daze of confusion, as I feared the worse. All of a sudden, I heard a sneaky little giggle. It came echoing from a distance way off in the back of the cave. “There was no way Jake could have gotten that far that quick,” said the guide. I ran off as fast as I could in the direction of the giggle. The guide told me to stop, but I didn’t listen. He said there where drop offs in that cavern. I didn’t care though, my son needed me.
As I ran about the cave, I could see Jake sitting in the dark, cold and alone. I wouldn’t have it though, I would find my son. ‘The giggle came from this way,’ I said, fleeing toward my only hope. I ran into the next opening panting frantically. In a panic, I almost didn’t see the drop off just ahead of me. I was looking to my left as I ran ahead. I slowly approached the edge hoping I didn’t see him at the bottom. It was really far down and I was terrified Jake was hurt. My knees where shaking with terror.
I heard a whimper in the other direction. With a restored sense of hop I propelled myself toward the sound. I could hear the guide trying to keep up, but I was too frantic. “Stop,” exclaimed the guide. I ran in all directions, not knowing where I was, or where I was going. “Jake!” I screamed as loudly as I could. The guide told me to stop, that I could cause a cave in, but Jake needed me. I ran about until I found his busted flashlight. The light was leading toward another cavern. Filled with sharp rocks and hight spaces. I squeezed in, and at this point I didn’t have any clue as the direction I was going. There was no time to stop and figure it out. I needed to find Jake.
“Over here, I found a shoe.” I made my way through the tight passageway and around an overhang. Jakes shoe was laying in a pool of water. My heart sank as I went toward that direction. “I saw him,” I proclaimed, catching a glimpse in the distance with my light. “Jake!” I went as fast as I could, squeezing through crevice, and crawling under rocks. The most agonizing feeling was seeing my son and knowing he needed me, but not being able to get to him. Nothing would stop me though.
“Mommy Help!” It echoed all through the cave, and I didn’t know what to do.
I was going through corridor after corridor, and room after room. There was no Jake, and in my stupor of confusion, I was becoming more and more lost as I went. I fell and twisted my ankle on a rock, but nothing would stop me from finding him, he needed me. At this point I was limping in pain. Lost in the confusion of a moment, I stopped to catch my breath. As I looked in the corridor, I saw no Jake.
I had started to give up, when all of a sudden, I caught a glimpse of Jake running as my light passed by. With a new sense of hope, I arose and ran after him. I didn’t even realize I was limping into the same room where he disappeared the first time. It was the same as last time, he disappeared as soon as he turned the corner. My hope had been shattered, once more. And this time I didn’t know where the guide was. I was lost, had a missing son, no guide, and I hurt my ankle. My son would never be seen again.
I sat with my head in my hands, crying uncontrollably. I just didn’t know where my son was, or if he needed my help. I know he needed me, and I couldn’t get to him. The desperation I felt was more than I could bare, and I felt like there was no hope at all. I called out for anyone, and just heard my own echo.
In a final act of desperation, I fell on my knees and prayed for my son. I had asked for forgiveness for what I may had done. I had given up, and needed more help than I knew. As I cried uncontrollably, I heard, “Why you crying, Mommy?” I looked up to see my son standing there smiling. He had a glow about him, like he had been touched by an angel. My son was fine and I was relieved.
“Good morning Tennessee!” It came blasting on my radio as I arose from my bed in a complete sweat. I was soaked from head to toe. Had this all been a dream, and what happened to my son. I couldn’t calm down until I laid eyes on him. So, I jumped to the floor and ran to Jake’s room, to see him sprawled out in his zombie clown pajamas. He was laid out under his fan, completely fine.

1
What is that, Dr. Roberts? A map, to The Temple of the Sun God. Within, lies riches your eyes couldn’t begin to imagine. I found the map during my recent expedition into South America. It’s said to hold, among other valuable items, The Pan Flute of the Sun God. An ancient flute bestowed upon the People of the Sun by the Sun God. They say, that if you play the flute it will bestow great prosperity upon your lands., and heal your people. I have been searching for this flute ever since I herd of the legend as a child. My father, bless his soul, searched for the flute his entire life. Its been my life’s goal to finish my fathers work, and Toomy, this is the start of our journey.

Oh my dear Toomy, can you imagine the things we could accomplish with that flute. The museum would be famous, and I would be put in history books. The museum would be forever in my debt. We could go on book tours and television shows with the flute. What if we unlocked some hidden power within the flute, we could do anything and it all starts with this map, and a phone call to a travel agent. Toomy my pal, we are on our way.
I don’t know, Dr. Roberts, what if we do unlock a hidden power? Something really terrible could happen as well, you never know. Your fathers journal, it says there are puzzles and traps, caverns and rock walls. This could be an extremely dangerous journey. Not to mention the possibilities of animals and other natural things that could happen. Its not that I am afraid, I’m just saying, we should be careful.
Don’t be such a worry wart, Toomy. When have I ever let you down? Besides, what would you use the flute for? Honestly, I wouldn’t play the flute, I would be to afraid something bad would happen. I think I would just preserve the flute, some things are better left alone. I understand what you are saying doctor, but I guess I am just a little more cautious.
So we gathered our packs and gear, made the travel arrangements, and traveled to South America. We set off too find The Temple of the Sun God and to retrieve The Pan Flute of the Sun God. We left almost immediately after gathering our things. We wasted no time gathering supplies and water. Dr. Richards took her pet bird to a friends house, and we set off. First we had to arrive in South America, and make it to the jungle. After that, we needed to secure a guide. Preferably one with knowledge of the legend.
When our plane landed, Dr. Roberts, wasted no time. She gathered our things and a map of the area, and we set out. When we arrived in the jungle, the way to our first village was treacherous enough. We waded through waters, and I got the biggest leach on my leg, I had ever seen. Dr. Roberts laughed as she had to burn it off, of course, but the scariest thing was when she said…DON’T MOVE! And don’t make eye contact. I heard the biggest gorilla, off about 150 yards, right ahead. He threatened and charged, but as he didn’t see us as a threat, he eventually moved on.
We arrived in the village, where we met our guide, Miguel. He was a native to the jungle, and had a little knowledge of the legend. He was a hunter and trapper by profession, and he sold the pelts of the animals he killed. He would also sale the meat and make tools out of their bones. Nothing went to waste when Miguel killed an animal. He wasn’t very intelligent, but he was an awesome hunter
“Miguel, do you know where this cave is?” Dr. Roberts wasted no time with getting to the point. “Yes, that is The Cavern of Izrah, a holy place. It is said that many bad things happen in that cave.” Bad things or not, that is where we will find our next clue. I have plenty of ammo and first aid packs for the trip, whenever you are ready. We must reach the cavern quickly, weather is coming in.
If it hadn’t been for all our gear, we would have reached the cavern a lot sooner. These jungle pathways are nearly impossible to navigate. Along the way, Miguel killed a couple wild animals to eat. Honestly, I was so hungry I didn’t care what I was eating. The fish was pretty good too, Miguel really knew how to cook, especially over an open fire. That night, I ate way too much.
We traveled nearly all day before we got to the rock wall we had to climb. In order to get to the cavern, we had to scale a rock wall, the cavern was about 24′ up. Once inside, we navigated the rough terrain inside the cave. We where about an hour into the cave, when we saw the remains of a small cave-in. “Should we be worried about that?” I asked. “Well,” he said in a vague tone, “should be fine.”
We came across a strange door in the cave. It has three dials on it with animals on them. The doctor pulls out her fathers journal and turned to a page, looking deep in thought. “It says here, to solve the puzzle wrong and be doomed. Luckily my father already has the answer to the riddle. In order to continue we align the dials to, tiger, bear, eagle. All of a sudden a small chamber opens with an old compass inside.
On the way back out, we heard a rumbling in the cave. Like a collapse deep in the tunnel ahead. We tread carefully and quickly, just to get out before something terrible happened to us. If we got trapped in this cave, we would never get out. Luckily we where able to find a hole in the rubble, just enough for us to squeeze through. Miguel, said that we where lucky not to have died.
That night, outside the cave, I awoke to Miguel and Dr. Roberts talking outside the tent. I heard Miguel tell the doctor, that he thinks we are being followed. For the past two nights he said he had heard some footsteps outside camp, and had seen some shadows in the bushes. “Not to worry though, I am keeping a close eye on things. It was a little hard to sleep after hearing that, but I finally did.
The next day we woke up to a ransacked campsite. All of our things where thrown out of our packs. They had to be looking for the compass, said the doctor. I had it in my sleeping bag with me last night. Somehow I had a feeling something would happen. We will have to keep an extra eye out for these people. Miguel pulled out a gun and begs for them to come back.
Once all of our gear is back in order, we followed the compass, blindly I might add. It wouldn’t point north, and the needle would change directions. After what felt like days of effort and futility, and following that accursed compass, we had to stop and take a breather. We had been so excited about the flute we hadn’t been sleeping much at night. Disorientation began to set in, and we had to rest. It was dark by the time we got our camp set up, and we slept most of the next morning. When we got up, our site had been ransacked again, but still to no avail. The doctor still had the compass and journal hidden, as well as the map. Nobody was getting them.
We set out again that morning, following the compass. It seemed like we would never reach The Temple of the Sun God. After another day of hiking through the dense jungle, we finally made it. We have reached The Temple of the Sun God. It was an awe inspiring structure, covered in vines and statues, honoring the Sun God. When we walked up to the temple we saw the last puzzle we had to solve in order to gain entrance.
This puzzle was the same as the last one, but with different animals, and more to align. Dr. Roberts looked in her fathers journal once more, thinking hard. “Lets see, we have to align bear, snake, eagle, bear, snake.” Once aligned the temple shook with a thunderous rumble, as the door opened. We slowly entered, taking time to look for artifacts. There were old statues and vases everywhere, but that wasn’t what we where looking for. We where after The Pan Flute of the Sun God.
According to the journal, we must first navigate the maze deep within the temple. Through the back room we saw a stairway leading down, down into the bowels of the temple. Miguel lit a torch and began to slowly descend the stairs. Deep inside the temple was a, seemingly, never ending maze of lefts and rights. There where dead ends and circles everywhere, I bet we were in that maze for an hour or more, but at the end we saw it. Our prize at last, The Pan Flute of the Sun God.
This looks too easy, said the doctor, and as she slowly went for it…an arrow flew into her shoulder. As Miguel and I turned around, we saw our pursuers. They had followed us into the temple, and waited until we had the flute in our sights. As they held us at gun point, their leader went for the flute. As soon as he touched it, a ceiling tile fell and killed the other team.
Interesting said the doctor, as she opened the journal once more. “What do we do,” I asked the doctor. We can’t just leave it here, we need to preserve this flute. There is only one thing I know to do, “Toomy grab the flute, you are the only one here who can get it.” As I nervously reach for the flute a soft little tune came out of it. I put it up to my mouth and a vast array of lights and beautiful harmonies filled the temple. And then a beautiful wave covered the jungle and went all over everything. The beauty was absolutely stunning. Suddenly a room opened up with a number of priceless gems and artifacts. As we started for the treasure the room started to cave in around us, and we could only escape with the flute. Well, the flute and our lives.

1: The Mystery of the Harp

I was a slave once, a slave to my own demise. My mischievous and adventurous soul got me into a lot of trouble. It’s not that I was reckless and irresponsible, I just got bored easy. My grandfather is always trying to get me to learn more about my village history, but what was the point of history. There was deep forest and lush greenery, sounds of nature and beautiful music to be discovered. I was not one to sit still and take life lightly, but grandfather insisted I study more.

I lived in the Varak Village, deep in the forest. I loved to go out hiking and taking in the beauty of the forest. Even though grandfather told me how dangerous it was, I loved to sneak out and run around when he wasn’t looking. My favorite thing to do is to make music out of things in the forest. My mother taught me about music when I was just a young girl, and I loved her for it. If I had to choose, I would say music, was my passion.

The forest was the best place to be. I loved spending the day there when my grandfather would let me. The other times, he wanted me to study and learn about the village. He was the village elder and was looked up to and revered by everyone. I honestly admired him, and I wanted to be like him one day. He wasn’t just my grandfather he was my mentor. My grandfather kept journals about the village and its history, so that one day someone would keep the legacy alive. Although, I was the only one who knew about them.

I loved it when grandfather would tell me about the legends of the forest though. It made me want to go out and explore everything. I imagined myself out going on these grand journeys and going to places I had never seen. My grandfather was always afraid of me getting lost. Although, I had a pretty good sense of direction, and told him not to worry so much. He did anyway, just like any grandparent would.

One legend that I loved the most, was the legend of the mysterious harp, found in the Istan Cave. Grandfather was the only person who knew where the cave was located. And he, wouldn’t tell anyone where it was, because the legend spoke of a horrible curse. If the harp is played, grave and terrible things would happen to the village and its people. I didn’t believe it though, instruments where supposed to be played and music was supposed to be heard.

One night, i found a journal hidden in grandfathers room. I had never seen this one before. He had made me read a lot of them, but this one, I had never seen. There was a couple pages torn out, but part of one told the location of the Istan Cave. There was no holding me back, so I grabbed a light and snuck out of the house to go look for the cave. I had to play that harp and the cave sounded amazing. I couldn’t wait.

2: The Temple of the Varak

Grandfather had taught me to survive in the forest when I was young. I used to love going out and spending days at a time there. So, I was no stranger to being in the wild. I could survive for days off berries and hunting for small game. My grandfather used to be a great hunter and fisherman. He could survive anywhere. And he taught me everything.

It was about midnight when I went looking for the cave, it was about 10 miles from the village. A small hike for someone in my condition. I could practically run. I was an awesome navigator too. I could use the stars and signs of the trees to find my way. Plus I had a map of the general area I grabbed before I left, along with a few snacks.

I traveled through the forest for about a couple hours, when I came upon a 14 foot opening in a rock wall. I was beside myself with excitement. As I approached the opening I saw a vast room, full of gems and formations. The beauty was just absolutely breathtaking. There was the remains of an old campfire in the cave, but it was very old. I made my way in and started to have a look around this amazing cavern.

I looked for about 45 minutes, when at the back of this smaller cavern, was the harp. I didn’t believe my eyes. It was old and looked like it had been there for a century. It was antique looking and rusted, and the strings where surprisingly still attached. I didn’t think there was anyway at all for sound to come out of it .

But, I had to play the harp. I walked up to it and slowly placed my hands on the harp, and when I touched the strings, I felt a strange feeling come over me. Its like my hands knew what to play immediately, and I was powerless to stop it. I started to play, and instead of terrible things happening, a beautiful array of colors started filling the air. And, the more I played the more colorful it got. This went on for what felt like hours, but I couldn’t stop. The colors where just so beautiful.

I rushed back to tell grandfather about the harp, and that the legend wasn’t true. But, when I got back, something strange was happening. The entire village was in shambles and everyone was panicking. It was strange, it was like everyone in this once proud village was all of a sudden without their memories. I ran to grandfather to see if he could tell me what was happening, but it was the same with him.

The journal with the missing pages was on his desk and open to a page. I walked over and looked and saw a passage about The Temple of the Varak. Grandfather had written it in a hurry, I could tell. I remembered there being a legend of The Temple of the Varak. It was a holy place to our people, said to be the birthplace of our faith. And, the temple where my people used to hold ceremonies. If there was any place at all I could find answers it would be there.

I gathered some more food and water and put some supplies in a backpack. I set out on the journey to undo the curse of the mysterious harp. It was about 73 miles away from the village, and took me 3 days to find. But thanks to my grandfathers journal, and his map, I found the temple. It was a massive stone temple with stone wolves guarding the entrance. I walked reluctantly inside to find a impressive room. It was full of statues and symbols that the fathers of my fathers before me had built.

As I searched for answers, I came across a symbol I recognized from the journal. I found a stone tablet with what looked like some sort of writing on it I could barely read. But, it said something to the effect, that only a person of pure heart and intentions could undo the curse of the harp. It was vague, but I had to try something. So, before i left, I said the prayer of our faith and ask for help and forgiveness for playing the harp and went back to play it a second time

3: The Way Home

It only took me a little over 2 days to make it back to the cave. I was scared that I might had gotten the wrong tablet. My village, and my grandfather was in danger of loosing the one thing they held dearest, legacy. I made my way to the back of the cave and went back up to the harp, remembering the prayer of my faith. The music had changed and the colors where even more spectacular. I played the same fashion as before, not knowing what to play but the harp guiding me.

When it was over, I felt as if something had changed. I couldn’t tell what, but i felt it. I made my way back to the village, hoping and praying for some sort of miracle. As I approached the village I heard music and merry making of all kinds. It was a celebration, and the people where the happiest they had been in I couldn’t remember when. I couldn’t wait around though, my grandfather might be in trouble.

When I got there, I walked in to my favorite meal, and he had a smile on his face. We ate, and I told him about my adventures. He wrote down every detail in a descriptive fashion. Jotting down every detail as I told him. I think my grandfather and I finally saw eye to eye. Before I went to bed, he pulled me aside and had the torn pages from the journal. It was a tale of how my family placed the harp in the cave in hopes of protecting them from a terrible secret. My family started the faith of the Varak people on a lie. They placed the harp to protect the secret. The power had just grown out of control

I was doomed from the start, a cruel man born to a cruel world. My confliction was that of a cheat. It was because of this confliction, that I came to be in my current predicament; a doomed man with his head on the block awaiting fate. My accuser was unknown, but for all that it is worth, I am not angry. Only sad I didn’t get to have more fun. Fun seemed to be my fate’s weapon of choice, as I should probably have lived a more boring life. But, if this is it, then this is it…

And then, suddenly, absence. And a silent haze that seems to go on for an eternity. This haze was so thick you could only see a few feet ahead of you. I was honestly afraid to move forward, as I didn’t know what was ahead of me. I called out; there was no answers only an echo that bounced all around me. This place…where was I?

It was all I could do to make sense of where I was or what had happened. There was a vagueness to my thoughts, it seemed, something I couldn’t place my finger on. As I walked forward it was the same nothingness. Just this dense haze that never ended. It was like I could walk for an eternity and there would be nothing.

I suddenly heard another voice echo, and it was a painful moan.  I began to walk toward the sound as it grew louder. This white haze was all around me. I couldn’t see anything only hear a voice. I walked for what seemed like hours, but nothing, only a moan. For the life of me I couldn’t understand what was happening.

Suddenly, after I had just about given up hope, I walked upon a dank and creepy river deep in the haze.

An old man was standing there waiting inside a boat with an oar. “I am the ferryman, of the river Styx,” the voice replied. “I am here to carry your soul to the afterlife,” said the ferryman. “For a price.” Suddenly I knew where I was, and an immense panic came over me.

I was a cheat in my real life, and I cheated people out of there money. I got rich off the suffering of others, and now I have no coins to pay you with. The ferryman’s eyes grew saddened as he said, “I am bound by the rules of this realm, and without payment I cannot let you pass.” I panicked and pleaded to the ferryman to let me make amends. Please, I begged!

The ferryman’s eyes looked up and said, “I shall make a bargain with you, I will ask you three questions. If you answer them right, then I will take you across. But, if not, you shall be stuck here doomed to wander purgatory for eternity.” I looked at the ferryman in relief and agreed to his terms.

“Question 1: What is the value of true friendship?” I thought about the question for a second before I answered, and then said, “The true value of friendship comes from a true friend, and a true friend is hard to find. So, the value of true friendship is priceless.” The ferryman looked at me in agreeance.

“Question 2: What is the mark of true friendship?” Again, I thought about the question before I answered. And then said, “The mark of true friendship is love and compassion for one another. To be kind and understanding to one another.” The ferryman looked up in agreeance once more.

“Question 3: What is the true purpose of money?” I thought again for a time. And then answered, “The true purpose of money is to share your wealth when others need it. To love and help one another when in need. That is the true purpose of having money” The ferryman smiled and told me to board.

On the way across the river, I learned that we all needed to love and respect others and their situations. We never know when someone may be in need or need a friend. I am now free to live out eternity helping others and existing in peace.

While locked away in a loathsome descent, some seem to fade away. The distances traveled seem to become blurred in our own minds. The line between reality and delusion is erased and there is nothing to separate the two. Listlessly incandescent images of truth appear, and we are blind to see their splendor. What are we to do, or who are we to become? The ending is unclear to even me, but we shall see.

Liam Mcnabb had always wanted to become an accomplished writer. It was not the fame or notoriety that interested him, but the knowledge that he might help someone. He was truly, a softhearted soul that would help anyone in need. His mother had raised him to respect others and their feelings or situations. And he respected her for it.

It wasn’t until Liam wanted to draft a book that he thought he might need the help of Dr. Richards, his family friend. Even though, Dr. Richards was reluctant to see Liam, on grounds that he was a close family friend. And, it might not be right, but he agreed to see him, nonetheless. So, Liam told Dr. Richards about his fear of drafting a book. His fear was deep seeded, it seemed, and he truly needed help.

Dr. Richards had known Liam for some time now and knew how obsessive he could be. But, even so, he told Liam to just start writing and see what happens. It was not until later that he understood the gravity of what he had just said. Liam went home and took the doctor’s advice and just started writing. It was a slippery slope that Liam almost did not escape.

As Liam began to write, the words flowed like water, and he was powerless to stop it. Days went by as Liam typed away on his laptop, and his friend Ian Thomas had not seen or heard from him in days. It wasn’t like Liam not to call and aggravate Ian at least a few times a day. Ian and Liam had been friends since middle school and loved each other like brothers. Ian had been trying to call Liam for a while now and had no answer. Liam’s mailbox was even full so Ian couldn’t leave a message. Now he was worried.

Meanwhile, Liam was still writing and did not even notice his friend was trying to reach him. He even misses his next appointment with Dr. Richards, which was unlike Liam. Dr Richards lights a cigar and starts to wonder if Liam is in trouble. After a while, Liam appears with a new book. But, after reading over the manuscript, he did not remember writing most of it. Was this book evil? The thought overtook Liam. It consumed him to the point of near insanity.

Liam tried all that he could to stop the thoughts of the book, but they haunted him. Everywhere he went he thought of the book. Was it evil? Who Wrote the book because he did not remember doing it? Was it demons? Liam was losing his mind over the book. And there was nothing that he could do to make the thoughts stop.

It wasn’t long until Liam tried to destroy the manuscript, but there was something that made him stop. He had worked hard on this manuscript and did not want to just burn it. He tells Dr. Richards about the book, and he is excited he stuck to it. But could not understand Liam’s fear of the book. The more Liam explained, the more the doctor realized, he just needed to relax. He was seriously overthinking things and becoming delusional. Dr. Richards tells Liam to share the book with a friend, and maybe his fears will cease.

Ian read the manuscript and at once thought it was spectacular, but nothing he said stopped Liam’s obsessions. It is a bestseller, he tells Liam. But Liam does not care if it is a bestseller. The book was evil, and he tried once more to destroy the book. But blows the match out instead. It was his life; he could not just burn it. So, he decides to give it to a publisher instead. And, within a couple of weeks it is a bestseller.

This book is going to cause sad things to happen, he tells Dr. Richards, and I am helpless to stop it. Liam goes on and on like a neurotic madman. Dr. Richards finally gets him to calm down and suggest some medication for Liam. Liam instantly rejected the idea and got defensive. He couldn’t understand the doctors reasoning behind the idea. He left the appointment upset and confused.

On the way home, Liam noticed a man walking on the opposite side of the road and made eye contact. Liam looked away in a panic. A sense of immense fear and a tingling feeling went through his body. Who was this and why are they watching me, Liam thought. He noticed others looking in his direction as he walked home. Words couldn’t explain the anxiety and nervousness in his chest. He quickly went inside and slammed the door, locking it in an instant.

He ran to the bedroom and curled up on the bed. I have started a cult, he proclaimed! What am I going to do, Liam was concerned to the point he was hearing whispers. He got up and began looking around his house in a sense of dread. How did they get in? Have they always been watching me, he worried. He got a knife from the kitchen and began to look even harder around his home, for the intruders he knew he could hear talking. It was the cult; he knew for sure that they had gotten to him.

As he wandered his apartment the whispers grew louder and louder as a hysteria grew over Liam. Do it, the voices sounded, doit. Over and over they grew louder in his head. Until Liam took the knife to his wrist. Liam woke up in the hospital a few days later with his wrist stitched up.

Luckily, Liam’s neighbor heard a commotion and called the police to come see about the disturbance. Dr. Richards came to the hospital to check on Liam as soon as he had heard. When Liam told the doctor he tried to kill himself Dr. Richards had Liam put in an inpatient facility. After some fighting the doctors and nurses in resistance, and some medication Liam came around and made a recovery.

Once out, Liam decided to write a second book, with the advice of Dr. Richards. This book was about his struggles with his delusional adventures with the first book.  And entitled it, The Book Within. And he hurriedly gave this manuscript to the same publisher. It took a shorter amount of time for this book to be a bestseller and he sold more copies. Liam was invited to go onto talk shows to raise awareness on mental illness. In the end Liam had written two bestsellers and overcame great obstacles. He realized the book wasn’t a manifestation of evil, but a manifestation of his talents.