Don's mind buzzed with the possibilities. Now that he understood the book's power, or at least, the edges of it, he couldn't help but feel a growing need to test its limits further. The book was more than a tool—it was a force, and the more he controlled it, the more control it seemed to offer him in return.
After hours of contemplation, Don made his decision. He would test the book on someone he knew—a person who wouldn't be easy to manipulate. Someone who was unpredictable. Someone who had never paid attention to him before.
Laura.
She was a fellow student, quiet, unassuming, and always lost in her world of books and headphones. Don had watched her from a distance, fascinated by the way she kept to herself, never letting anyone get too close. She was the type of person who wouldn't take kindly to manipulation. That made her the perfect challenge.
Don had never interacted with her much, but he knew enough to push her in the right direction. With the book, he could twist her world subtly—bend her reality without her ever realizing. He wasn't sure if he could make her do something she didn't want to do, but he could make her think it was her idea.
That night, he sat in his room, writing on the pages of the book again.
"Make Laura approach me."
He paused, his heart racing. The words felt almost too easy, too simple. Would it work? Was it really that simple?
Don waited, his eyes fixed on the pages, expecting some reaction, some shift in the air around him. But nothing happened. The room was still.
He closed the book and leaned back in his chair, frustration creeping in. Perhaps he was expecting too much. Perhaps there were finer details at play, things he didn't understand yet. But he wouldn't stop. Not now.
The next day, Don went about his usual routine. He made sure to be in the campus café at the same time Laura always arrived. The plan was simple: he would be there, and if the book worked as it had before, she would approach him.
The minutes felt like hours as he waited. His hands were clammy, and his stomach churned with anticipation. Was this really going to work?
And then, just as the clock struck the hour, Laura entered the café. Her eyes scanned the room, passing over a few familiar faces. And then, her gaze landed on him.
For a brief moment, Don's heart skipped a beat. She was walking toward him.
He stood up, keeping his composure. He forced a smile as she stopped at his table.
"Hi, Don," she said, her voice soft, uncertain.
He blinked, trying to hide the shock. "Hey, Laura. How's it going?"
"I've been thinking…" she trailed off, hesitating. "You know, about that project for history class. You seem to know a lot about it. Maybe you could help me out?"
Don's mind raced, the wheels turning. She hadn't just approached him—she had initiated a conversation with him. She had come to him. His hand clenched into a fist under the table, but he forced himself to remain calm.
"Of course," he said smoothly. "I'd be happy to help. I think we could really come up with something great together."
As they sat down to talk, Don couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but the air around them felt charged. He had gotten what he wanted. Laura was in front of him, offering him a chance to influence her, to change the dynamic of their relationship.
But it was too perfect. Too easy.
Was it possible that the book had given him more control than he realized? Or had it only just begun?
Don glanced down at the book still tucked in his bag. The temptation to test it further was unbearable. What else could he make happen? How far could he push it?
There were no answers yet. Only the growing certainty that he was on the verge of something much darker.