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 Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2005 7:01 am
This is a work in progress, but I felt like posting the parts here so I will.
The Book
"Hey, look what I got," said Dave to me, almost tauntingly.
I looked up from the midterm paper I was writing to see a book in Dave's hand. There was almost a triumphant look on his face. I snorted. What could be so great about a book? I took the book from his hands anyway and read the shiny gold print on the cover.
"'The Book'..."
"I got it last month. It's really interesting."
The Bookknew I'd heard that name somewhere before, but from where?
"You have heard about 'The Book' haven't you?" asked Dave a little surprised.
"Yeah, I've heard of it." I replied, suddenly remembering. "How can you not hear about it these days."
"The Book' had caused a major conspiracy in the last year or so. In many countries it was banned. Strangely, no one knows much about The Book. The book just appeared in stores one day. No one knows who wrote it, or even who published it. No one really seems to be able to describe what The Book's about either. People have tried, but they either ended up mumbling something about rubbish, or the description would contrast every other description that even made sense. Still, the book was extremely popular. The government and church hated it, and the people loved it. I'd even heard of a cult that was started for the book, The Golden Text or something like that.
I handed the book back to Dave and got back to my paper. I still had another one to write, and I had to study for my midterms. At this rate I was going to fail college.
"Aren't you going to read it a little?"
I now looked from my work, thoroughly pissed that Dave had interrupted me for some stupid book that I didn't care about. "Look Dave. I don't care about the stupid book! I've got a paper to write that's due tomorrow, so let me get back to my work."
Dave insisted, handing the book back to me. "Please Jake, I want your opinion on this." I sighed and rubbed my temples with my hand. "Why Dave?" Dave had been gathering his stuff and now was running off towards his dorm. "I'll tell you tomorrow, I have to go study for French! Just read it, ok?"
I picked up the book and looked at it once again. I shook my head. I'd read it after I was done with my studies. Oh how I hated midterms.
I should've known then that Dave was just blowing of the question when he left the library that night, but I was too busy with my studies. Finally though, I finished both of my papers. I could study for the midterms tomorrow. As I was packing up to head back to my dorm, I remembered the book. I picked it up again, and this time actually opened it.
"Opening... now that's a creative name for a chapter."
We used to ask ourselves,
"When it comes what will you do,
What choice will you make?"
We thought we knew the question,
black or white?
But instead we've found it's gray.
So what is the question really?
The question has always been right in front of us,
we're just too blind to see.
But the time to choose is now upon us.
What choice will you make?
I snorted. "I should've known, just more religion junk." Still, I turned the page.
8431967531633371861242643012631333713696019315669148-94281481471392285901406166817873-2881271968173231844
7125664194841631271418728351843196753017327327244641
3671843126793701414673186134631688-26316292301405512
3122531861435719681866-288176132701538163178283169123
5433716614691418446518431967531633371861242643:134778
1633018431783784661263126793718612551687177625367147
1744481233673168713937013923781931226081733148-7326630184319675314760812712667542283312719318456514
8157-480717612667542283318428148071746753-84473046167
3371861242643184319675301931687813477812426431687735
837-263152785901843187774147176178278546401931366081
926818615669-
I stared at the page in disbelief. "Wh... what is this? This isn't a book, it's a... It's a page full of numbers. That's what it is." I slammed the book down in frustration and turned to leave.
In a moment of hesitation, I turned around and picked it up again. I couldn't leave it here, I had to give it back to Dave tomorrow. "I should just leave it here to rot," I mumbled as I stuffed it in my bag and headed off to my dorm.
The next day, after chemistry, Dave caught up with me. "Hey Jake, wait up!" I stopped and waited as Jake ran up to me. "So, what do you think?"
"About what?"
"About the book, stupid, what else?"
"What's there to think about it? It's just a load of stupid numbers."
Dave shook his head. "You're wrong Jake it's much more than that."
"Yeah, it's a waste of paper, that's what it is. Why do you care so much anyway?"
I felt Dave's gaze divert as he looked down at the ground and mumbled something. I stopped and turned to face him. "What?"
"I said, I'm thinking of joining The Golden Text."
I don't know why that was so funny but it was. I burst out laughing the moment I heard it. When I finally regained my composure, I asked Dave why he would think of doing such a thing. "Dave, this is idiocy. 'The Book' is a piece of crap! It's filled with number that mean nothing! You get it? Nothing. Besides, joining that cult could be unhealthy. You've heard about the people that suddenly went into comas as well as I have."
Dave mumbled something again to the ground.
"What? I can't hear you."
Dave looked up at me, defiance showing in his eyes. "I don't care what you say. This book is what I believe in, and I'm going to join The Golden Text." Dave turned to leave. "Oh, and you can keep the book. I have another copy. Maybe if you read it more, it'll enlighten you."
Enlighten me to what? It was just some stupid numbers. What did I want the stupid book for?
When I got home from studying that night, I noticed The Book was still on my desk. I guess I had forgotten to throw it out earlier. I picked it up to throw in the trash can but stopped. "I can't believe I'm doing this." Lying down on my bed, I started to read.
57154331761756753018428198071266487564_671761266487
56418428155331571756753...
I looked my test over warily as my teacher handed me my chemistry midterm. I was not ready for this.
Every night for the past week I had gone home to my dorm with the intention of throwing that book out. Every time I would end up reading it until dawn. The following day I would sleep through most of my classes and wouldn't be able to pay attention when I studied from thoughts of that book! As much as I hated to, I had to admit that there was something about that book that was captivating. I had already read fifteen of the forty chapters and didn't understand I word of it, and yet somehow I felt like there was some deep meaning that I was learning as I read along. It frustrated me beyond belief that I knew something, but that I didn't 'know' it. I didn't even want to read the book, I loathed with all my being, but I couldn't throw it out. There was something to me very important about that book and I didn't know why. This Christmas break, I intended to find out.
The going off of someone's cellphone brought me back to reality. Too bad for them, they wouldn't be able to finish the exam, but a plus for me as it reminded me to get down to work and concentrate on the thing that had brought me so much pain over the past month.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:25 am
Christmas had come and gone. I had chosen to spend that time with my family, not thinking about The Book. Ignoring the book had been harder than I thought. In my spare time I had found myself thinking about reading it, but managed to prevent myself from doing so. Now that Christmas was over, I still had a week or so left before I had to go back to college. I was going to spend this time researching the book. The library was my first stop. Maybe I could find a book there about The Book.
"Can I help you?" asked the librarian as I came in.
"Yeah, I'm looking for any books you might have on 'The Book'?"
"Right over there." The librarian pointed to a nearby bookshelf without even looking up. People must come in here asking for information on the book all the time.
I walked over and started searching for what looked like it would be a good book to start with. "Wow, there's a whole bookshelf devoted to this one book," One shelf was devoted to The Book itself, but the other three were stocked full of "theories" about The Book. None of them looked particularly interesting, but I had to start somewhere. I grabbed a book with a picture of some scientist on the front and started reading.
"Excuse me sir, the library will be closing in a few minutes."
A stack of about ten books I had already read lay next to me, along with a notebook I had brought along. I sighed. All these books and I had learned barely anything. The notes I had taken weren't much help.
The Golden Text
- has 100,000 followers, 1214 of which have gone into comas.
- the causes of the comas are unknown.
- is the only group that appears to have ever known what The Book is about.
- "The book is about our future. It is what we are now, and what we must become to reach our final goal." -Leo Tiranah, Leader of The Golden Text
The Book
- was first found in a small store in New York called, The Letter.
- it spread quickly, becoming a best-seller in only a month since it first appeared.
- The Letter is now a chain of bookstores.
- 526 other people who have read the book have gone into comas.
- some believe that it is the cause of the comas that some people are going into.
- author currently unknown.
I walked up to the counter with about fifteen more books. "I would like to check these out." I handed over my library card and waited. Leo Tiranah had said that the book was about our future and present, I wondered that if maybe The Golden Text knew something that I didn't. I would have to check out their website.
Almost a week later I had gone through every book in the library. None of the information I read was anything I didn't know already. I think it was time I visited that website. I opened up my laptop and typed in the URL I had found through Doodle. "www.ourgoldenfuture.org/"
A blue web page with The Book appeared on it. Instead of the usual "The Book", there was "Enter" in gold print on the cover. Another picture of The Book appeared, this time the real deal, and a table of contents. The table of contents listed: Main, The Book, About Us, and Join. Not much to go on, but at least it was something.
I clicked on The Book first. No new information there, they basically just stated their belief again in a bit more detailed form than their leader had described it and how popular the book was. I could find most of that information on tv if I wanted to. I clicked About Us next.
"We're a group dedicated to finding, and understanding, the truth of The Book. We are then devoted to living the truth. We will show the rest of the world the truth, the way to live. We will find the way to immortality."
Apparently this group thought The Book would bring them immortality. "Yeah right."
I searched the rest of the site thoroughly; nothing else of any real importance. If The Golden Text did know something about The Book that the rest of the world did not, they weren't going to say it outright. You must have to join to find out any secrets to the book that only they knew. If there was any secrets that is.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:37 am
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 6:45 am
It's a story I'm writing, and that's the point. No one knows much about The Book. 3nodding
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:09 am
Maki Flyhight It's a story I'm writing, and that's the point. No one knows much about The Book. 3nodding Ok.Good luck.
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Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 8:15 am
Stardragon Maki Flyhight It's a story I'm writing, and that's the point. No one knows much about The Book. 3nodding Ok.Good luck. Thanks. Does it look any good to you?
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The Noble Protoman.exe Crew
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Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 4:39 pm
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Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 1:14 pm
"I wish I could write well and do poetry, but, I can't." sweatdrop
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Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 2:47 pm
SirRob "I wish I could write well and do poetry, but, I can't." sweatdrop How do you know? An artist is his own worst critic you know. Why don't you show me some of your work?
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Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 3:53 pm
Maki Flyhight SirRob "I wish I could write well and do poetry, but, I can't." sweatdrop How do you know? An artist is his own worst critic you know. Why don't you show me some of your work? I'm not a poet, though. I don't do poetry. sweatdrop
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The Noble Protoman.exe Crew
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Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:37 pm
Sighs "I'm bored, coffee is bad for the breath"
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Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:45 pm
Master Protoman_exe Sighs "I'm bored, coffee is bad for the breath" "Unless you really like coffee."
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The Noble Protoman.exe Crew
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Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:54 pm
"I'll go with tea, besides, it goes with the costume" 3nodding
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Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:58 pm
SirRob Master Protoman_exe Sighs "I'm bored, coffee is bad for the breath" "Unless you really like coffee." "I only like it if it has lots of cholocate!" heart
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The Noble Protoman.exe Crew
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Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 5:02 pm
Yoshumi_Ai SirRob Master Protoman_exe Sighs "I'm bored, coffee is bad for the breath" "Unless you really like coffee." "I only like it if it has lots of cholocate!" heart "Caffene makes your teeth look brown"
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