Ryan took the hardcover book titled, The Proprietaries from the bottom shelf in the last bookcase apprehensively. The book had no sticker on it and he handed it to the clerk.
"I don't think this book belongs here," she said, opening the cover. "We didn't stamp it."
"It should," said the second clerk. "Check on-line."
"Alright," she said, turning her smartphone on.
The man with stylish, red hair wore a tan, sports jacket and jeans. He stood beside Ryan and adjusted his sunglasses.
"Hi, again," said the second clerk. "Do you need help with something else?"
"No, thank you," he said cordially and stared at Ryan steadily.
"I'm sorry, dear," said the clerk, lifting her phone screen into view. "This book is full price. It must've got misplaced somehow. I can sell it to you half-off."
"I don't have enough money for that price either," said Ryan.
"Sorry about that," she said.
The man spoke. "Here, for the book and a donation." He placed a big bill on the table and disappeared out the front door.
"Thank you," called the clerk. "You can take it," she said, stuffing the bill in the register.
"That was nice of him," said the second clerk and Ryan watched him get into a red, sports car.
"Do you know that man?" asked Ryan.
"No," said the clerk.
"He looks familiar," said the second clerk.
"There's something about him," she said.
"Yeah . . . something," she replied with a gaze.
---
After school, Mr. Ross found Ryan fast.
"Get in the car," he snapped. "I got you first this time. No bus for you."
Ryan sat in the back seat and Mr. Ross peeled out of the parking lot.
"Did you go to the book drive?"
"Yeah," said Ryan.
"Find anything?"
"One thing."
"Good. See . . . your old man's down with the kids."
He pulled into the circular driveway at Londwell High and Grace approached the car.
---
In his bedroom, Ryan opened, The Proprietaries at his desk.
The introductory page warned the reader about lucifedors or people who send out an obedient entity called a "proprietary" that possesses or "owns" its victim. Some victims suffer the wrath of up to three proprietaries.
Ryan blinked frightfully.
The first thirteen chapters described the thirteen proprietaries. Chapter fourteen offered explanations and an artist drew colorful sketches of each one in chapter fifteen along with sketches of protection objects. Chapter sixteen revealed something else.
Ryan read chapter one:
A lucifedor capable of murder can send anyone a mimlock that possesses its victim to see illusions, making something kill the victim.
Examples of real-life testimonials followed and Ryan gulped. Something did that to him and he checked the sketches quickly. Then he flipped to chapter seven:
A selfish lucifedor can send anyone a phantic that possesses its victim to behave out of character.
Ryan checked the sketches again and opened the book to chapter thirteen:
A jealous lucifedor can send anyone a banelor that possesses its victim to hear words and phrases in a subtle way.
Ryan frowned. A banelor talked to him in Homeroom. He flipped to the sketches and turned to chapter four:
A lucifedor filled with fury can send anyone a snirver that possesses its victim to become aggressively angry at anything annoying.
He glanced at the sketches again and opened the book to chapter eight:
A spiteful lucifedor can send anyone a waysnare that possesses its victim to neglect his or her health.
Ryan skipped to chapter eleven:
A lucifedor with an unfulfilled life can send anyone a lishgest that possesses its victim to fear something not threatening.
Ryan turned to chapter ten:
An abusive lucifedor can send anyone a nossburn that possesses its victim to fail in life's responsibilities.
Ryan flipped to the other chapters:
A lucifedor capable of manslaughter can send anyone a ripgrot that posseses its victim to be oblivious to danger.
A frustrated lucifedor can send anyone an ardhink that possesses its victim to be severely despondent.
A lucifedor capable of assault can send anyone a hemjow that roams the earth as if it exists like a human, making physical contact with objects and victims.
A resentful lucifedor can send anyone a gorven that possesses its victim to excessively indulge in whatever they fancy.
A lucifedor suffering impoverished conditions can send anyone a jelljat that possesses its victim to be forgetful.
A lucifedor with a broken heart can send anyone a vesnop that possesses its victim to feel inadequate.
Ryan searched for information about what made him see a vision of what happened to the bus and driver after he touched the bus door, but the book didn't have any information about it. He also wanted to know what made him see a vision of someone behind him in a shed, but the book didn't have that either.
Ryan read chapter fourteen:
Only a lucifedor can send a proprietary and only one out of the thirteen types. When he or she sends one, it is the same proprietary every time, meaning the proprietary is an extension of himself or herself. A lucifedor has a human soul with demonic abilities.
Lucifedors send someone they know a proprietary out of jealousy, for revenge, control or just to get that person out of the way.
Every proprietary in this book attaches to the victim by an invisible cord. Each proprietary attempts to harm or kill that victim. Once the proprietary succeeds whether alone or with help from other proprietaries, the proprietary or proprietaries grow stronger.
If the victim doesn't banish the proprietary directly, it will remain attached to the victim for up to thirteen years.
Ryan shivered:
The proprietaries rank from the first as most dangerous to the last as least dangerous.
1. A mimlock controls the victim's surroundings. The result is death.
Ryan swallowed fearfully.
2. An ardhink convinces its victim that life isn't worth living. The result is suicide.
3. A ripgrot masks its victim's perception. The result is a painful accident.
4. A snirver angers its victim. The result is a harmful altercation.
5. A gorven weakens its victim. The result is a life-threatening addiction.
6. A hemjow assaults its victim. The result is serious injury.
7. A phantic persuades its victim. The result is a reckless act.
8. A waysnare alters its victim's senses. The result is illness.
9. A jelljat confuses its victim. The result is lost objects, wasted time and or finances.
10. A nossburn overwhelms its victim. The result is irresponsible behavior.
11. A lishgest frightens its victim. The result is missed opportunities.
12. A vesnop deceives its victim. The result is self-pity and low self-esteem.
13. A banelor lies to its victim. The result is erroneous beliefs.
Ryan grew tired, but skimmed chapter sixteen and the last page of it displayed a map. He flipped to the beginning:
Only angelkins can banish a proprietary or proprietaries even on themselves (based on their talent). An angelkin has a human soul with angelic abilities.
Ryan read more:
The souls of American angelkins have similarities to certain wildlife creatures in their country and they are the polar bear, gray wolf, brown hawk, adult alligator and the honey bee. With help from these spirits, they banish proprietaries.
To find out if you are an angelkin, complete the multiple-choice questionnaire found at the website printed on the last page of this book. Select the results tab and learn your phylum name. If you receive the response "no phylum", you are not an angelkin and will be unable to banish proprietaries yourself.
Ryan checked the last page:
If you believe a proprietary is possessing you, contact:
Eljorian, League of Anglekins
77 Starling Way #333
Frankenmuth, Michigan 48787
www.eljorian.org
Ryan returned to chapter sixteen:
The wildlife creatures dwell in five regions in America and the souls of angelkins work with their spirits.
An upright cross, standing in the center of a map of America and facing south divides the country four ways.
The four regions are northern, western, eastern and southern. The fifth region is a larger, more scattered area.
Rainbow colors fill these regions. When a rainbow appears at a 42 degree angle over the cross, different colors fall into the regions. Clouds appear around the rainbow and that is the fifth region.
Each region is a phylum. Angelkins are placed in one of the five phyla and can only banish a proprietary or proprietaries in their phylum and must seek an angelkin in another phylum for help with other proprietaries.
An angelkin performing via live video must have a crystal quartz nearby in the rainbow color specified below to magnify his or her energy and master the task required to banish the proprietary listed.
Angelkins don't need a quartz if they perform in person, but they must face the victim.
Angelkins in the northern phylum:
Crimson red - Sing a popular, Hard Rock song to a mimlock.
Scarlet red - Sing a challenging, Rock song to an ardhink.
Deep orange - Sing a hit, Alternative song to a ripgrot.
Angelkins in the western phylum:
Sunny yellow - Sing a great, Funk song to a snirver.
Leaf green- Sing a popular, Hip Hop song to a gorven.
Forest green - Sing a hit, Rhythm and Blues song to a hemjow.
Angelkins in the eastern phylum:
Royal blue - Sing a great, Pop Rock song to a phantic.
Navy blue - Sing a hit, Soft Rock song to a waysnare.
Indigo blue - Sing a popular, Soul song to a jelljat.
Angelkins in the southern phylum:
Rich violet - Sing a great Country song to a nossburn.
Dark purple - Sing a hit, Pop song to a lishgest.
Bright Purple - Sing a popular, New Wave song to a vesnop.
Angelkins in the larger phylum:
Star White - Dance to any hit song in front of a banelor.
Angelkins must have enough talent in whatever task interests them in their phylum (with Acebees as an exception) before they can banish a proprietary.
Ryan didn't sing and he only danced a little. Even if the questionnaire placed him in a phylum, he needed help from an angelkin.
He turned to chapter fifteen and studied the sketches well. Each one included a protection object:
Only angelkins can see proprietaries, but most see only one of the thirteen and the proprietary is not usually found in their phylum. Also, most angelkins can't see proprietaries on themselves. But they can banish them whether they can see them or not.
At night, place the object close by before bedtime or naptime. The victim remains protected within the perimeter of the place of rest whether asleep or awake.
A mimlock stood eight-feet tall wearing a black cloak with a dark-gray, skeletal face and hands. Its victim needed a ticking, wall clock.
An ardhink stood six-feet tall wearing a black cloak with a white, skeletal face and hands. Its victim needed a saucer of salt.
A ripgrot stood four-feet tall wearing a white cloak with a white, skeletal face and hands. Its victim needed a pair of sandals.
A snirver stood eight-feet tall with a devil-like face, black horns and red skin. Its victim needed an electronic candle.
A gorven stood four-feet tall and resembled a goat that walked on hind legs. Its victim needed a spool of white thread.
A hemjow stood six-feet tall with a clown-like face wearing a white robe. Its victim needed a soap bar.
A phantic stood six-feet tall with a white, ghostly face and hands wearing a white cloak. Its victim needed a fragrance bottle.
A waysnare stood eight-feet tall with a zombie-like face wearing a gray cloak. Its victim needed a small rock.
A jelljat stood four-feet tall with a goblin-like face and gray skin. Its victim needed a penny.
A nossburn stood eight-feet tall with a beast-like face wearing a black robe. Its victim needed a nickel.
A lishgest stood six-feet tall with a gargoyle-like face and dark-gray skin. Its victim needed a bird feather.
A vesnop stood four-feet tall with a black, ghostly face and hands wearing a black cloak. Its victim needed a thimble.
A banelor stood six-feet tall with a troll-like face wearing a gray robe. Its victim needed a piece of white chalk.
Ryan realized the mimlock, phantic and banelor attached to him. He gulped.