He struggled sluggishly to make his way down the ancient, creaky staircase. It was too narrow for him to bring his cane, making it all the more arduous a task. This disconcerted him little though, for he had finally found it! After years of hiding, he again discovered the book he had once seen in his childhood. It had been nestled under cobwebs and dust, crammed between two large, unmarked novels in the utmost corner of his gloomy attic. It wasn't what had driven him up the staircase to begin with, but it would definately suffice as a pleasing alternative!

     As he stepped out onto his wooden living room floor, he placed the grubby, tattered book on the coffee table and sat, rather exhausted, in the nearby chair. The chalky yellow lettering peered up at him invitingly from the worn leather cover. He picked the book up and blew the dust spiralling off into the apartment. The letters, however, seemed almost transparent, impossible to read. He took great caution as he exposed the pages, attentive not to tear the already deteriorated bindings. To his bewilderment, the pages were of the utmost clarity, and almost light as a feather. He was unfamiliar with the tale at first, but as he continued along, certain details began thriving in his memory.

     Nearing the end of the fable, it became increasingly bothersome to read, the pages turning to anchors, and quality contracting severely. They became brittle, leaving dust on the tips of his fingers, and indents where he touched. It seemed, he thought, that the book aged the further into the tale he delved! On the second to last page, it ended abruptly. The novel came to a premature closure, with one almost shredded, unfilled page glaring up at him. Until this point, it had begun to seem eerily familiar, almost shadowing his memory. As he shut the book, he noted a change. A deep red glow leered at him from the center of the cover.

     As he brushed the last remnants of dust aside, the maroon radiance peered abtrusively into his soul. His name scowled at him from the worn leather.