Holder of the Story

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself into. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Story”. A look of puzzlement should come across the worker's face. "Who?" she'll ask. Repeat yourself again calmly. She'll insist that she doesn't know who that is. Keep repeating yourself in a calm manner. The number of times you have to repeat yourself is unknown, but it is better to be safe than sorry. After awhile, you must show anger in your repetition, and she'll threaten to call security.  When this happens, cease your repetition and walk away, and go back home immediately. When you go to sleep that night, you will have a vivid dream, the dream differs from person to person. If you don't have a dream, then God help you, for you will spend an eternity in a dreamless limbo, and you will not awaken. If you do awaken, then they now know your purpose, and have found you.

Now you must go to the nearest library you can get yourself into. The time you do so does now matter, you can even wait years to do this, or never at all, but know that the vivid dreams will persist every night and will grow in disturbance until your insanity, like the dreams, becomes vivid. Once you reach the library, go to the front desk and again ask to see the one who calls itself "The Holder of the Story". The librarian will disappear underneath the counter and come back up with a library card. Written on it, are words in an unrecognizable language, and your name will also be written on it in your first language. Accept the card gratefully. You will feel an imense feeling of surprise and dread at the card, but do not show it, for you will upset her and the Holder of the Story. The librarian will then point you to a section of the library that you've hadn't noticed before, and walk away. Make your way to this section.

The shelves will be lined with old tomes with covers made of the skins of animals unknown to you. Their titles will be in languages that evade you. You must read the title of every book in the section for this to work. The more you read, the clearer and clearer the meanings of the titles and even the stories will become. Stories of redemption, romance, adventure, the mere titles will make you cry. Bring elation to your heart. The tales will have both familiar and completely alien themes and tones. Something in you will long for these stories. Just as you long for answers to you questions and solutions to your problems. The temptation to read these books will become greater as you read, almost unbearable. Your curiosity will be like a great weight on your shoulders. There is no harm in pulling a book out and skimming through the pages., you must do this. The language will again be unknown to you, but the image of the story will manifest in you mind. Soon enough you'll know the story in it's entirety. Place the book back perfectly where you found it. In place of your tempation to read will now be a feeling of  odd certainty.

An old blind man dressed in a simple white cloth robe will appear and approach you. He will ask you for your library card. Give to him calmly. He will place it in a small knapsack hanging at his side. "What is your story?" he will ask you. Tell the story of the book you just read, in complete detail, it will be easy for you. You'll start off talking in your first language, but then slowly change to the language in the book. unknowingly. Even as your tongue twists and cracks, you must speak on. Be sure to put an ample amount of enthusiasm and volition in your words, to impress the old man. If the old man likes your story, and thinks highly of you, he will return your library card to you. If not, then be thankful your mouth is too dry to be able to scream.

You'll notice that your name is no longer on the card. In its place, is the last word of the story you read and told. Now you must return back to your home immediately, if you don't, then God help you the next time you go to sleep. Your path has been chosen. You have attracted them. Now you can neither scream in any instance, nor beg for yourself, or any cause. The dreams will stay vivid, or if you waited for a time and the dreams had turn grotesue, they will return to said vivid state. When you are ready again, head to the next nearest library.

When you go to the next library and reach the front desk, ask to see "The Holder of the Story" again. This librarian will disappear under the desk as well and will come back with another library card. Again, words written in an undiscernable language will be on it, and your name in your first language as well. Accept the card gratefully, and again hide your surprise and dread with the utmost care, for those feelings will be even stronger. The librarian will point to a section of the library that you hadn't seen on your way in, and will walk away without a word. Make your way to this section and you will notice that it is also lined with old tomes with covers in animal skins you've never seen before. Their titles in languages you still don't understand. You again must read the title of every book in the section. And again their titles and meanings will become clear to you. The same stories of redemption, romance and adventure, albeit with different plots and tones. Their themes familiar and alien. You will again cry at these tales, and feel elation in your heart. The same longing feeling will arise in you again, and the need for your answers to be answered and your problems to solved. The temptation to read these stories will be even more unbearable. The weight of your curiosity even heavier. But you must continue to read the titles no matter how great the feelings. Do NOT read or pick up any book this time. Woe to you if you do.

After all the titles have been read, an old blind man in the same simple white cloth robe will appear. He will ask you again for your library card. Hastily give it to him, for his patience is now thin. He will place in his knapsack hanging at his side. "What is your story?" he will ask again, in a more harsh and rushed tone than the last. You must say that you have no story, and say "What's theirs?" The old man will smile. From his mouth will spill a story never before concieved by any author. It will be spoken in a language that you will not understand, but the meaning will be crystal clear for you. The story will make you weak, and it will try break your mind. You must stay steadfast and strong. When the last word is spoken, and ifyour mind is weak, your sanity will flee you, but the story will stay buried in your mind forever. The old man will nod and disappear. You'll notice the library section has turned into a maze of shelves, and you will wander them forever.

But if your mind is strong, the old blind man will smile at you, and motion you to turn around. You'll be outside the front door of the library. This story is object 330 of 538. It has determined many ends, but it is up to you to determine its own.