*The following story is fictional.

On a cool and dreary afternoon, Patrick Mythum headed to DH Hill Library. Patrick was a studious undergraduate. He loved research and learning as much as he could about anything. But not everything about being a college student was ideal for Patrick. He wasn’t exactly the outgoing type; he spent many afternoons sitting at the library, immersing himself in books and journals.

He spent more time moving his eyes along a line of words on a page than moving his eyes from person to person in a conversation. His friend, Luna Verum, tried to get him to come out of his room every now and then, but Patrick lacked the confidence, always finding an excuse to stay in and curl up beside a book.

It was on this cold and drab day that he was browsing a shelf when he came across a dusty, old book. The book was smooth and made of brown leather. It looked somewhat dilapidated, like it had been used frequently. The book contained no identifying markers, no indication that it belonged to anybody, not even the library.

Patrick opened the cover to find an inscription reading, “Antonio Melvede.” He flipped through the pages and what they contained. A biography on Joseph Conrad, an ode to Aleister Crowley, diagrams of stars, baphomets and other devilish deities. On a page in the middle of the book, was a quotation, “To all of those upon this script have laid their eyes, continue to seek truth in a world made of lies.” And that was that. The rest of the book contained nothing but blank pages, like it had never been finished.

This book enthralled Patrick. It was the strangest thing he had laid his eyes upon. After looking over his shoulder, he stuffed the book in his bag and left the library.

Over the next few weeks, Patrick began to change. After thumbing through the pages, he decided to live a more spiritual life. He stopped reading and started taking care of himself. He would lie in the sun all day, chanting strange verses and making eye contact with everyone that walked past. He never went anywhere without the book.

The book seemed to know Patrick and have a life of its own. The last page would change itself daily, with a quote that seemed to fit Patrick’s mood perfectly. Patrick did not care. He liked the way it made him feel. The last written page said, “Go get her.”

Luna noticed the changes too. In fact, Patrick had invited her to the Halloween ball. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with Patrick, but she decided to go to at least keep an eye on him.

The two went to the ball and had a fabulous time. Luna loved to dance and Patrick loved to watch her dance, the smell of her perfume floating around his head like the words of the book he found. It was a pleasant evening for all, but it would not end quite yet.

As Luna was in her room, getting ready for bed, she received a text from Patrick wanting her to meet him at Pullen Park so he could show her something. She decided to go; at least maybe she could talk to Patrick about his strange behavior of late.

She arrived at the park in the dark of the night to see a strange figure walk towards her. The figure was bald and had a scarred face. It wasn’t until the figure was standing right before her that Luna realized it was Patrick. He began to talk of the book again, of Antonio Melvede, of everything.

Luna had to shout at Patrick to inform him of who Melvede was. He was a resident of Raleigh, who years earlier, had come home from an evening’s work, disgruntled, to kill his wife and three children before hanging himself.

Patrick already knew this. He had met Antonio in his room after the ball, and it was Antonio who told him to shave his head and share the book with Luna to read. He thumbed through the book and looked at Luna, who was in a state of utter disbelief at what she was seeing.

She quickly turned to run as Patrick chased her through the park. After crossing a railroad track, Luna slipped and fell in the grass. As Patrick inched towards her, knife in hand, a train seemingly came out of nowhere to end Patrick’s life. The book he carried flew in the air and landed next to Luna, all of the pages blank.

So on a night on campus when a train rolls by, you might think of Patrick Mythum and his soul that wanders in search of new blood to share his book within campus grounds. And the blank book that might be waiting for you, waiting to be found.

On a cool and dreary afternoon, Patrick Mythum headed to DH Hill Library. Patrick was a studious undergraduate. He loved research and learning as much as he could about anything. But not everything about being a college student was ideal for Patrick. He wasn’t exactly the outgoing type; he spent many afternoons sitting at the library, immersing himself in books and journals.

He spent more time moving his eyes along a line of words on a page than moving his eyes from person to person in a conversation. His friend, Luna Verum, tried to get him to come out of his room every now and then, but Patrick lacked the confidence, always finding an excuse to stay in and curl up beside a book.

It was on this cold and drab day that he was browsing a shelf when he came across a dusty, old book. The book was smooth and made of brown leather. It looked somewhat dilapidated, like it had been used frequently. The book contained no identifying markers, no indication that it belonged to anybody, not even the library.

Patrick opened the cover to find an inscription reading, “Antonio Melvede.” He flipped through the pages and what they contained. A biography on Joseph Conrad, an ode to Aleister Crowley, diagrams of stars, baphomets and other devilish deities. On a page in the middle of the book, was a quotation, “To all of those upon this script have laid their eyes, continue to seek truth in a world made of lies.” And that was that. The rest of the book contained nothing but blank pages, like it had never been finished.

This book enthralled Patrick. It was the strangest thing he had laid his eyes upon. After looking over his shoulder, he stuffed the book in his bag and left the library.

Over the next few weeks, Patrick began to change. After thumbing through the pages, he decided to live a more spiritual life. He stopped reading and started taking care of himself. He would lie in the sun all day, chanting strange verses and making eye contact with everyone that walked past. He never went anywhere without the book.

The book seemed to know Patrick and have a life of its own. The last page would change itself daily, with a quote that seemed to fit Patrick’s mood perfectly. Patrick did not care. He liked the way it made him feel. The last written page said, “Go get her.”

Luna noticed the changes too. In fact, Patrick had invited her to the Halloween ball. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with Patrick, but she decided to go to at least keep an eye on him.

The two went to the ball and had a fabulous time. Luna loved to dance and Patrick loved to watch her dance, the smell of her perfume floating around his head like the words of the book he found. It was a pleasant evening for all, but it would not end quite yet.

As Luna was in her room, getting ready for bed, she received a text from Patrick wanting her to meet him at Pullen Park so he could show her something. She decided to go; at least maybe she could talk to Patrick about his strange behavior of late.

She arrived at the park in the dark of the night to see a strange figure walk towards her. The figure was bald and had a scarred face. It wasn’t until the figure was standing right before her that Luna realized it was Patrick. He began to talk of the book again, of Antonio Melvede, of everything.

Luna had to shout at Patrick to inform him of who Melvede was. He was a resident of Raleigh, who years earlier, had come home from an evening’s work, disgruntled, to kill his wife and three children before hanging himself.

Patrick already knew this. He had met Antonio in his room after the ball, and it was Antonio who told him to shave his head and share the book with Luna to read. He thumbed through the book and looked at Luna, who was in a state of utter disbelief at what she was seeing.

She quickly turned to run as Patrick chased her through the park. After crossing a railroad track, Luna slipped and fell in the grass. As Patrick inched towards her, knife in hand, a train seemingly came out of nowhere to end Patrick’s life. The book he carried flew in the air and landed next to Luna, all of the pages blank.

So on a night on campus when a train rolls by, you might think of Patrick Mythum and his soul that wanders in search of new blood to share his book within campus grounds. And the blank book that might be waiting for you, waiting to be found.