"Noah! Are you awake, boy? What was that loud noise?!" I jumped, my pulse increasing as Grandma Sylvie's voice echoed from downstairs.
My eyes darted to the door, then back to the now-glowing book. Panic surged through me.
"...Fuck!!" I muttered under my breath, my mind racing. That was Grandma Sylvie. And judging by the sharpness of her tone, she was in no mood for nonsense.
Panic overcame me immediately. I glanced down at myself.
My hands were crusted with dried blood from earlier..and even my clothes were creased; reeking from the smell of trash I had been thrown in yesterday.
I hadn't exactly been prioritizing personal hygiene these last few hours—this cursed book had consumed every waking thought since I'd opened my eyes.
And now, Grandma Sylvie was coming upstairs.
The sound of her footsteps echoed through the hallway, each one like a countdown to my doom. My instincts screamed at me to do something.
"Noah, I'm coming up!" She said.
"Oh, no, no, no," I muttered, spinning on my heel and bolting to the bathroom. The door slammed shut behind me as I turned the tap on full blast, thrusting my hands under the cold water.
I scrubbed furiously, the dried blood flaking off in uneven patches. My fingers moved with a frantic urgency as I imagined Grandma Sylvie's reaction if she saw me .
'She'd probably die of shock on the spot, and then who'd be left to bake her famous cookies?' I lowkey smiled at the thought.
With a final splash of water, I shook my hands dry and darted back into the room.
The sound of the doorknob jiggling sent a jolt of adrenaline through me.
"Noah, open this door right now!"
I barely managed to crack the door open, just enough for my face to peek through. "Morning, Grandma!" I chirped, plastering on the most innocent smile I could muster.
Ma's sharp eyes narrowed as she tried to look through the gap.
Her pink hair was tied back neatly, though the faint circles under her eyes told me she hadn't slept much, if at all.
Her gaze softened slightly as she took me in. "You look... better," she said, her voice tinged with relief. "I was worried you were overworking yourself again."
"Better? Me?" I forced a laugh, hoping she wouldn't notice the drops of sweat still clinging to my forehead. "I'm fine! Never been better!"
She gave me a long, suspicious look. For a moment, I was sure she'd push past me and march into the room.
But then she sighed, her expression softening further.
"Well, if you say so." She adjusted the basket in her hands, the faint aroma of freshly baked bread and cookies wafting through the door. "I'm heading out to sell these at the market. You know, the usual batch. I'll be back before lunch."
"Got it, Grandma!" I said out loud, again.
Control yourself, Noah-
'You're still supposed to be depressed,' I berated myself.
Her eyes narrowed again, this time with a hint of warning. "And don't you even think about getting into any mischief while I'm gone. Okay?"
I straightened up, puffing out my chest and giving her my most earnest smile. "Mischief? Me? Never!"
I flashed her the sweetest look my face could muster, the kind that usually earned me an extra cookie after dinner.
Ma huffed, clearly unconvinced, but the corners of her lips twitched upward in a faint smile. "You're a handful, Noah."
"Come on...I'm a good boy!" I declared, cringing at my own words.
She shook her head, muttering something under her breath before turning to leave.
As her footsteps faded down the hallway, I let out a long, relieved sigh.
The door clicked shut behind me as I leaned against it, wiping a hand across my face.
The tension slowly drained from my body, leaving behind only the faint buzz of adrenaline.
"Close call," I muttered to myself, glancing back at the book on the table.
Its presence felt heavier now as if it knew the chaos it had caused.
Running a hand through my dishevelled hair, I wiped the sweat off my forehead; glaring at the black piece of-
"Alright, you stupid book," I said, dragging myself back to the table. "You've officially ruined my morning."
Now that grandma was gone-
My smile widened, borderline crazy.
"How about I feed you some juicy liquids?"
A/N: I apologise for the small Chapter but this was all I needed to convey here! I promise to make the coming Chapters lengthier-