Amelia and Jessica had always been drawn to strange places, odd corners of town where the lights flickered just a bit longer than they should and the silence felt heavy. On a cold October evening in 2021, the girls stumbled across a store they'd never seen before. It was wedged between two crumbling buildings, its paint peeling, its name worn away. The windows were filled with dusty trinkets, odd masks, and jars of murky, floating things. But what drew Amelia in was a single book, prominently displayed in the window, its title stamped in an ancient, unrecognizable script.

Jessica immediately sensed something was wrong. "Amelia, this place gives me the creeps," she whispered, tugging at her friend's arm. But Amelia was transfixed, her eyes locked on the strange book. Its cover was dark and leathery, and the script seemed to shift in the dim light, like something alive. Against Jessica's protests, Amelia entered the shop.

The air inside was thick, and the smell was damp, like wet earth and rotting wood. An elderly shopkeeper, stooped and silent, appeared from behind the counter, his gaze unsettling as he watched the girls wander.

"Amelia, please, let's go," Jessica pleaded. "I don't like this place." But Amelia ignored her, reaching for the book.

As her fingers brushed its cover, a shiver ran up her spine. She felt drawn to it, almost like the book was calling to her. It was heavier than it looked, and as she flipped through its pages, she noticed it was filled with strange symbols and phrases in a language she didn't understand.

"Put it back, Amelia. This isn't a joke," Jessica said, her voice trembling.

But Amelia couldn't stop herself. She turned to the old man, who had been watching her in silence. "How much for this?" she asked.

The man's eyes seemed to glint. "That book?" he said in a voice like gravel. "It's not meant for? everyone. Are you certain you want it?"

Amelia nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Yes. I need it."

Jessica shook her head, backing away. "This isn't right, Amelia. Please, leave it. Let's just go."

Ignoring her friend, Amelia paid for the book and clutched it tightly to her chest as they left the store. As soon as they stepped outside, the shop's lights went out, and when they looked back, the store seemed to vanish into the dark. But Amelia hardly noticed. She couldn't take her eyes off the book.

That night, back at Amelia's house, the two girls sat on her bed, and Jessica tried once more to convince her to leave the book alone. "Please, Amelia. I have a really bad feeling about this."

Amelia sighed but decided to humor her friend. "Fine, Jess. I'll just look at it one more time, and then I'll put it away." She opened the book to a random page, her eyes drawn to a strange symbol that seemed to glow faintly in the dim room. She whispered the words beneath it, the strange sounds feeling unnatural on her tongue. As she finished, a sudden chill filled the room, and the lights flickered.

Jessica gasped, grabbing Amelia's arm. "Did you feel that?"

Amelia nodded, suddenly afraid. But before she could close the book, the air around them seemed to thicken, and a shadow began to form at the corner of the room. It was a shape, indistinct yet growing darker and more defined with each passing second.

They both froze, unable to look away as the shadow shifted and twisted, almost as if it were trying to take form. A low, guttural whisper filled the room, echoing the words Amelia had spoken from the book.

"What? what did you do?" Jessica choked out, backing against the wall. But Amelia couldn't answer. She felt as if something were pressing down on her, something cold and ancient that didn't belong in this world.

The shadow crept forward, tendrils of darkness reaching toward them. Amelia tried to move, but her body wouldn't respond. She could feel it pressing into her mind, prying into her thoughts. A voice echoed within her head, foreign and filled with malice.

You have summoned me, child. And I am bound to follow.

Jessica screamed, grabbing the book and hurling it across the room. But it was too late. The shadow was there, its shape clearer now - a figure with hollow, empty eyes and a twisted grin, stretching from ear to ear.

With a movement almost too fast to see, the shadow reached out and brushed against Jessica's arm. Instantly, she went cold, her eyes rolling back as she collapsed, unmoving, to the floor.

"Jessica!" Amelia screamed, dropping beside her friend. Jessica was pale, her skin ice-cold. But as she knelt beside her, Amelia saw Jessica's lips start to move, forming the same ancient words from the book. Her voice was hollow, devoid of life, as if something else were speaking through her.

"Amelia?" Jessica's lifeless eyes turned toward her, dark and empty. "You can't run. Not now."

The lights in the room dimmed further until there was only darkness, and the last thing Amelia saw was the shadow spreading, enveloping everything. She felt her own body going cold, the darkness pressing into her mind, suffocating her thoughts, her memories, her very self.

The next morning, the police found an empty room with two girls' belongings, scattered as if they'd simply vanished. There was no sign of Amelia or Jessica - only the strange, ancient book lying on the floor, its pages fluttering slightly in the absence of wind.

Days later, the store reappeared, dusty and dark as ever, with the book resting once again in the window, waiting for its next visitor.