It was very late in the night or maybe very early in the morning? I didn’t know because the curtains hid my view to the sky and my clock seemed to have stopped. In fact, I was so absorbed by the book I bought yesterday that time really seemed to have stopped. Even if the novel was pretty old, it was still in a good shape even though I found it at a garage sale not very far from where I lived.

The last owner of this volume asked for twenty-four dollars and seemed relieved to see that I was interested in it. She insisted that I bought the item, even when I was hesitating or when I tried to buy it for a lower price. She was a very stubborn woman. She wanted it for twenty-four dollars nothing more, nothing less. When I was about to refuse and put the book back, she immediately said it was for free and walked away. Even when I tried to bargain on paying at least something for the book, she didn’t want to listen and constantly continued to repeat in a blank voice: "It’s free."

At first, I found it strange but even more suspicious. Why would someone sell a book for twenty-four dollars, insisted on it and then gave it for free in a blink of an eye? Maybe she really wanted to get rid of this book? Or maybe she suddenly changed her mind? If that was the case then why gave it for free?

I may be thinking too much again, I always do. So, I put this thought aside and continued to read where I let off. I didn’t care if I didn’t sleep all night, I didn’t want to stop or maybe it was because I couldn’t stop. I read word after word, page after page, chapter after chapter. Until my phone rang, snapping me out of my reading. I sighed, disappointed that I had to let the book aside and went to answer the phone.

It was my boss. He wanted to know why I wasn’t present at work. That made me come back into reality. I apologized profusely and promised to be here as soon as possible. Forgetting about the book, I went to wash my face, ate a small breakfast and dressed up. It was only when I looked on my cell phone that I realized I was TWO hours late and I also had an important meeting starting in less than twenty minutes! No wonder my boss was furious!

The entire day passed in slow motion, I never thought I could peek at my watch so much in five minutes. Even if I knew the meeting was very important, my mind refused to cooperate. I couldn’t stop thinking about the book I let on my bed this morning. It made me want to leave everything I was doing now and go back to my room to continue reading. Nothing else mattered. And it seemed to have shown on my face because after the appointment, my boss came to yet again to criticize my behaviour toward the clients. Did I have to say yet again that my mind wasn’t there entirely?

Finally, back to my home, I didn’t bother to change clothes or to take a shower or even eat. I went straight to the book and started to read, forgetting all about my surroundings, losing all contact with reality. The only thing that mattered was the book and his story.

24 years later…

When I woke up in the morning, I found myself somewhere that I didn’t know. I wasn’t at my house. Somehow I felt very weak, it was hard to breathe and I couldn’t even move. I tried to turn my head around, but again I failed. So, I panicked. I tried to shout and move my body around. However, only a low and weak groaning was made.

Then a woman with a blue outfit entered the room. She looked shocked when she saw me. Immediately, she went back outside running. And a few moments later, she was back, but with an older man with a white coat.

“Mr. Anderson, are you able to hear me?” he asked as he walked next to me.

“Y-yes…” I answered my voice croaky as the nurse checked on me.

“Good, I have some news and some questions, for you, is it okay if we talk about it now?” he asked again with a comforting smile, but this time I just nodded.

He started to explain how I ended up in a hospital and that he was very confused and worried about my health because it was always getting worse and worse, but they didn’t find any illness.

“Please remain calm and try to not panic, or it won’t be good for your heart," he warned. "Mr. Anderson, I’m sad and afraid to say that…" he paused, and I was preparing myself for the worse. "There’s only one week at most for you to live… Your health didn’t get better, it only worsened throughout the days” he explained calmly, but his eyes were betraying him. I could see the pity in his gaze.

I looked at the man in his white coat as if he was telling a joke. As I started to slowly absorb all the information, he gave me. I started to realize what he said. I was going to die in one week… In one week… One week?! But that was impossible because I was perfectly healthy and only…

"But doctor, that’s impossible! I’m only thirty-one!" I exclaimed, and a sudden pain hit me making me feel like I was going to faint.

The doctor told me to calm down and to take a deep breath… Inhale… And exhale… He started to talk only after he had examined me and made sure I was stable again.

“Mr. Anderson, you were thirty-one, twenty-four years ago. Now you’re fifty-five,” he explained looking worried as he read his papers.

“Then what happened to me twenty-four years ago?” I mumbled to myself forcing my brain to remember.

The last thing I recalled was when I returned from work and started to read the book I bought the day before. After that, everything was blank. I couldn’t remember anything at all! Not even the story I was reading about...

Only the book and the fact that everything felt perfect. I had nothing to worry about. Everything would have been okay.

The novel was about the story of a man’s life. A story that was telling what the man ideal life could have been. A story where everything could have been perfect by having a stable job, by getting married, by buying their first house, by raising a family… A story where everything could have been perfect. However, before everything of that could have happened something stole his future.

Something dark, something that no one wanted, but no one knew about it. Each person that had their future stolen became a ghost of themselves, unable to get back into reality. Always reading about the life they could have had. Like they were trapped in some sort of a dream. Some of them even died, but it wasn’t an illness. Except for the fact that the man was so engrossed in his reading that he forgot about living. His life was slowly fading away. In the end, the best thing you could do was to try your best and hope your future won’t get stolen by the book.

A few weeks later, Mr. Anderson passed away. Since he didn’t write his testament, his house was sold with everything in it to a young couple. Everything was perfect for them too. They had a stable job. They were getting married in a few months. They planned to found a family and to adopt a dog. In other words, they were living the perfect life.

However, they won’t be able to fulfill all their dreams because this is the moment where everything will go downhill from now on. I suppose you’re wondering why? Simply because the woman who was living here with her fiancé has been doing some cleaning in the house. And unfortunately for her, she found me where Mr. Anderson left me before he was transported to the hospital. And since she started to read, she won’t be able to let me go for another twenty-four years.

This was the beginning of the story of a woman who could have lived a perfect life with her fiancé...