The Ancient Book

/ roughwighting

https://pixabay.com/photos/old-books-book-the-books-ancient-1237619/josealbafotos; ancient bookThe book lay unopened for centuries. Julie didn’t know that, of course, when she clambered up Auntie Murphy’s attic steps to see how bad it was going to be.

Auntie’s will had been read just yesterday, and she’d left Julie everything in her 180-year-old house – the house she’d lived in, as well as her mother, and her grandmother, and her ….

When the attic door above Julie creaked open, she released a nervous exhale.

hummingbirds, fairies, Mary Moore ShowA small slant of light shone from the window in the rafter. Dust danced like teeny fairies in that shaft of sunlight, revealing an empty attic except for one thick, dusty, leather-covered tome.

Whatever could it be? A family Bible? Julie’s Auntie and her entire family were not the religious type. In fact, they were irreligious, perhaps atheists, except for Julie’s mother, who still attended church every Sunday at the age of 91. 

Julie’s Mom and Auntie hadn’t talked to each other in years. Decades. https://pixabay.com/photos/girl-portrait-neon-abstract-6058990/merlinlightpainting Julie’s mom called Auntie a witch. Auntie said she appreciated the compliment. She appreciated Julie, too, because Julie visited Auntie monthly, enjoying her fantasy stories of witchcraft and elves and women with superpowers that sparked from their fingers. Her imagination was flavorful and creative.

Now, shrugging, Julie climbed all the way into the attic, sneezing and wondering if she’d brought her inhaler. She sank in front of the book, which smelled strangely like a forest laden with pine needles, moss, and lady slippers.

When Julie opened the cover, the first page glowed opal – yes, like an opal – and letters began to float off the page, circling her like fairy dust.

https://pixabay.com/photos/book-pages-sheet-novel-letters-2574236/StockSnapJulie should have been afraid, closed the book, and raced back down the narrow ladder, quickly closing that attic ceiling door.

But her body turned limp, as if she had just returned from a magnificent massage. And that’s when she . . .

What did she discover? Best answer gets a copy of one of my books – your choice!

116 thoughts on “The Ancient Book”

    • …. and by reading this post by Roughwighting, every blogger here has discovered their own magical powers as well. 🙂
      Thanks, you were the first one on here this morning and got us all going.

      Liked by 4 people

  2. she knew, She was just like Auntie! In a blink of an eye Julie’s fingers quivered as colorful sparks gently cascaded from her fingers onto the attic floor. Julie quivered with excitement . “ have to learn how to control this”, as the sparks engulfed her further the strange scent permeated her nostrils and the book, now somehow in her hands again began furiously flipping from page to page. With delight Julie began to read…

    Liked by 9 people

  3. I love that the book smells “like a forest laden with pine needles, moss, and lady slippers”–and glows. And it’s in an attic, of course. The book is magical, perhaps Julie will slip inside, though I agree with the others that she probably has powers, too.

    Liked by 5 people

  4. … that’s when she discovered that she no longer knelt in her Auntie’s attic, but in a forest of tall pines. The half-dome of rock beneath her wore a thick coat of moss, and pink lady slippers nodded their approval from pockets of deep shade. Here and there, shafts of sunlight filtered through the canopy, alive with motes of irredescent dust. Only it wasn’t dust sparkling before her eyes, but tiny wings. 🙂

    Well, that was fun!!! Thanks, Pam.

    Liked by 12 people

  7. Just change Auntie Murphy to Auntie Ruthie, and the 180-year-old attic to 100+ and you have my story from six years ago.

    I was disappointed you didn’t disclose the “find,” but then you made a game of it, so now there’ll be a winner. Reading over the early commenters, I agree with “Yeah,” that she discovered her own magical powers.

    You never disappoint, Pam. Thanks for the entertainment this Friday morn! 😀

    Liked by 4 people

  8. She woke in an emerald green grove, filled with dancing fairies, fantastical flowers, towering trees, and strange glowing dust. Her heart began to pound, knowing she was home at last. Julie wandered the lush understory, eyes beaming with delight as she explored her new friends and home.

    Liked by 8 people

  10. She discovered her superpowers, she could float down the attic effortlessly into the world of her choice, where everything resembled the fantasy of Auntie’s stories.
    A wonderful story Pam!

    Liked by 6 people

  13. Oooh you have me so intrigued, love your description aof the smell of the book and glowing like an opal…!
    Hmmm… let me think … The letters spelled her name and then said, “You now hold the key..” and a glowing gold key fell into her lap.

    Liked by 4 people

  18. I think Julie found the spell to break the evil spell that had been put on her mother and her estranged sister by a wizard. With this found spell Julie can restore family harmony, but wonders if she should. Perhaps the wizard had a good reason for keeping the sisters apart. 🤔

    Liked by 9 people

    • Wow, you got into the complex part of the plot!! Yes, if one sister is a witch (for sure, a good witch) what is the other sister???? And what a fascinating idea – is it always a good idea to break an evil spell?

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Suddenly she became aware what a job it will be to get rid of all the old stuff nobody is interested in. Even charity shops don’t take old books any more. And to inherit an 180 years old house is a burden too. It’s not really old to be interesting but it costs a fortune to bring it up to modern standards. Now she needs a real wizzard as an estate agent.

    Liked by 4 people

  24. That’s when the holograms appeared, dancing in the dusty air between her and the window at the end of the attic. The holograms weren’t Auntie, and yet they were her story, and part of her life he’d kept hidden, and now all those secrets were beginning to be unlocked for Julie.

    Liked by 3 people

  25. saw words forming on the page, glowing. “Every time you touch my book, I will come and visit you and leave you a message. I love you.” The opal light dimmed. The room filled with the scent of pine, and the book quietly closed on its own.

    Liked by 3 people

  27. I can smell the lush forest, damp moss and stone and my eyes are filled with delight looking at the flowers, thoughts of my old life are fading fast as I step into a brand new magical world!
    What a joy to read this piece this morning and read familiar faces’ beautiful words…

    Liked by 3 people

  30. Hi Pam, she found that she had been transferred to Chocolate Land where Dinah, the cat, Mr Rabbit and their friend Small were helping the Christmas Mince Pie people escape from the Gingerbread Bakery so they could enjoy the coconut snow before being sold. They needed her help to discern the best direction to dig.

    Liked by 2 people

  32. Of course I had to read everyone else’s comments before adding my own two cents’ worth. Which frankly – how can I even consider adding to the already wonderful ideas! Such wonderful and creative readers you have, Pam!

    I went back and the very first line strikes me: “The book lay unopened for centuries.”

    Aunty Murphy never opened it. She was not the one. She was, however, one in a long line of caretakes of the sacred book. Her job was to keep it safe until the One came. And because Julie did, without hesitation, open it, it means that she was the True Descendant, meant to learn and use all that lay within…

    Liked by 3 people

  35. …she had always meant to learn Sanskrit. For the text was in that ancient language of wisdom from thousands of years gone by. She shot upright, popped her eyes open and thought, “It’s not too late! I’m going to take a class! This book is my history too and I will not let it slip away from me again!” Let the magic begin…

    Liked by 1 person

    • Not surprising that an intellectual like you, Jennifer, would lend some educational push to Julie here. I love her decision to learn Sanskrit. Thanks for your creative move on this ending…. ❤

      Like

  37. Wow, an open ending story, or multiple endings, Pam. I like that. Readers can pick their ending(s). I liked both Diana’s and Liz’s versions. They both will get a copy of your book of their choice. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  39. I’m so far behind and so glad I didn’t miss this. It’s wonderful and I want to sit in it. I don’t know where that sentence came from but it feels right. You write the best stories ever. Being called a witch is certainly a compliment.

    Liked by 1 person

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