Prompt 4 -
Word Limit: 2000 words.
Word Count: 1511 words.

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★★★

The Book of Life

Rain dropped heavily onto the pavement, creating assorted drizzle patterns.

The unexpectedly bad weather deterred most people from the streets except a strange man who seemed to be walking as if on a mission.

This man was dressed in a long trench coat and black dress shoes.

He walked with purpose, each stride was quicker than the last. His umbrella did little to shield him from the harsh rain.

Nearing a corner, he entered the only shop open for miles; Azure's Books & Others.

The moment he stepped into the bookshop, he folded his umbrella and wiped his shoes on the provided mat. He shook some of the rain off his coat causing a momentary shiver.

The man browsed each shelf at a leisurely pace, happy to be shielded from the weather's wrath for a while.

Gabriel Matthews noticed a peculiar book hiding behind others, just barely peaking out from one of the shop's bookshelves at the back.

It seemed to beckon him in a way.

The black haired man gingerly reached for it, hoping for a new read to accompany his lonely nights.

The book was brown and leather bound with a black clasp on it. It seemed quite large for an ordinary book and it felt rather dense.

'Hmm, The Book of Life sounds interesting,' he thought to himself, turning it over and noticing that it lacked a summary but that only peaked his curiosity more.

He promptly took the book to the counter and paid all cash for it. Rather eager to bring it home and figure out why such a mystery of a novel intrigued him so.

The thirty year old man stashed the book into his briefcase as he prepared himself for what was to come once more.

Gabriel stepped out of the shop and unfolded his umbrella, taking the dreaded walk back in the street. The quicker his feet carried him, the closer he got to home.

His house was quite unremarkable, mirroring all the other ones that lined his dreary street.

Having lived here for a while now and still unacquainted with the neighbours. He had kept to himself the entire time, not caring how it made him look.

Gabriel lacked the time and desire for pleasantries.

As he stepped into his home, he dropped his umbrella at the door and draped his trench coat on the rack.

He looked up at the clock that hung on the wall, noting the time with little care; 9:23pm.

His life bore a routine that was meticulously calculated.

The bookshop was his favourite part of it. The one good thing he got to look forward to in his hollow life.

Gabriel set his bag down on the living room table and began lighting a fire to create warmth in the chilly house.

Stepping back, he admired his handy work. The fire was particularly toasty and created the perfect atmosphere for reading.

He strolled into the kitchen and made his favourite kind of tea, English Breakfast, in a black mug that bore his initials.

The GM was written in cursive gold, looking quite expensive and out of place in his humble home.

The cream coloured walls were bear, housing no photographs nor artwork. The house looked seemingly un-lived in except for the pile of dirty dishes that sat in his sink.

Gabriel preferred to ignore them as he hated chores with a burning passion. He saw no need for dishes when he always ate out.

However, he always made a point to rinse the same mug every day like clock work. The only thing he seemed to care much for these days.

He took a seat on the green leather arm chair, placing his mug down on a coaster as he fetched the new book he had bought.

Something about it was calling out to him.

Gabriel promptly unclasped the book and took in the fancy lettering on the title page. It seemed quite promising just by title alone.

His green eyes scanned the page as he began taking in every line with even more intrigue.

'It was one summer morning when the young man found himself in a bookstore, browsing the various titles.

His fingers brushed the spines of each book in search of a new one to add to his collection.

He was so focused on the books he didn't notice that there was someone nearby and ended up colliding with them.

"Oh, I am so sorry," he mumbled out as he looked up.

Green ones locking with blue ones.

The young woman blushed, "No, I am sorry. I really should be looking where I am going."

"That's okay, here, let me help you," he said as he picked up the books that had fallen from her w.

"Thank you," she murmured with a kind smile.

"I'm Verity, nice to meet you."

"Gabriel," he grinned back as he handed her the books.

'What a peculiar name,' he thought but decided he quite liked it.'

Gabriel frowned as he read the names, tracing the words with his shaky fingers.

'It can't be,' he thought with a newfound sense of dread.

Hoping it was a mere coincidence, he flicked through a couple of the pages and decided to read from the middle instead.

'It had been six weeks since Verity had passed and Gabriel had become a recluse. Never eating nor sleeping. The grief was consuming him, and leaving nothing but devastation and anger in its wake.

She had been taken from him too soon, only days after their wedding.

It seemed the past had finally caught up with him.'

Gabriel's eyes widened as he shook his head, "No it can't be," he whispered to himself.

He wondered how someone could know so much about him, enough to retell the darkest moments of his life.

Things he kept so close to his heart.

Any semblance of her had been erased from his life, to keep the dull ache from spreading farther and infecting everything in its path.

Refusing to believe this could all have been a strange, tormenting, coincidence, he skipped a few more pages, only to stop at one that seemed like it was entrancing him to have a look.

As if begging to be read by him.

'The rain dropped heavily onto the road creating large puddles. The harsh weather had kept most people away.

Except Gabriel Matthews, who stuck to his rigid schedule as if life itself depended on the stability.'

Just the sheer mention of his full name was enough to shatter any hope of a coincidence. His eyes looked further down the page.

'As he exited the bookshop with a new book, he continued on home, not noticing the figure in the shadows.

For weeks now, without noticing, he had been watched like a hawk.

Someone was calculating his every move and keeping a tight tab on him. Never allowing him to be far from sight.

The figure always carried binoculars and a sharp knife, almost as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

On this particular night, they had taken refuge just outside Gabriel's windows, peaking at him through the curtains as they watched him read from his new addition.'

Gabriel's green eyes widened once more as his stomach dropped, he took a panicked look over to his living room window. He suddenly noticed for the first time how the curtains were slightly ajar.

Just enough for eyes to peak through in the dark.

There they were - staring at him with a murderous glint in their eyes.

It was like a predator stalking its prey and it made a chill go down his spine.

Gabriel gulped as he saw them smirk. He knew he had to get out of there or he would never see the outside world again.

In a flash, he was up.

The book lay forgotten on the chair as he ran towards the back door.

He could see feel eyes on him which made his insides squirm and his legs pick up pace. As he reached the back door, his hand turned the doorknob with newfound courage.

Nobody was coming to save him so he knew he was his only chance at survival.

The moment he had stepped out of his locked house had been his last.

The killer had used this as their opportunity to sink their knife deep into Gabriel's ribcage which caused him to cry out in pain and topple over.

He silently cursed himself for not fixing the broken gate in his backyard.

Somehow as he lay there in the rain, clutching his wound as his blood trickled down onto the concrete and immediately began being washed away, he suddenly felt as if this was his karma.

'I'm sorry, my love,' he thought with a picture of his late wife in mind as he slipped into eternal darkness.

On the old armchair where the book laid forgotten, the very one that once held all the answers was now completely blank as if it never held a single shred of ink at all.

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Hope you all enjoyed this little mini story!

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Until next time,

©️ Elishia C. Xalfa ♡