Is it the job of a story to make you shudder with a horror to great to bear this one could be one of them so read at your peril .
The room had four walls, ceiling, floor but to Thompson it give a sense of wonder as he had never seen this very plain room before so he stood in a matter of fact way and studied it .
In the middle of this room was a desk and on the other side of the desk sat an ancient man with a long beard, a candle was the only light flickering in the brass holder on top of the desk.
"Excuse me " said Thompson, the ancient bearded man looked straight into his eyes for what in the perception of time seemed an eternality.
Then the ancient man spoke with a deep gravel voice that sent chills into your bones.
"I know that you like horror stories a d that's why you have been chosen to be here as everyone in the world likes a horror story in their lives well at least once "
In a vague response and a sort of relief Thompson said
"I think so is that why I'm here?"
Then the ancient old bearded man reached and produced a white card, Thompson saw no drawers and even seen the ancient man's hand disappearing then this bizarre form of magic trick happened again as the ancient man produced a metal pointed pen which the ink inside shone like a blue luster in the flames of the candle.
Then Thompson was asked by the ancient man his name ,date birth which when Thompson questioned of this was necessary the ancient man seemed annoyed.
Then the ancient man said
"These records are required in order for you to be a full time member Mr James Thompson "
James Thompson replied "A full time member of what "
The ancient man responded by saying "The Horror Book Club,of course "
Then after the ancient old man scatched on the card all the information obtained he put the card and pen out of sight under the desk .
Then the ancient old man said "I am happy to inform you that you are now a full member of the horror book club. "
"OK"said James Thompson whom was thinking in his bemused mind whether this was an exclusive membership "
In the background the candle was staying the same size as it was burning.
James Thompson then asked "What type of books do I have in the club,I like Dracula, Frankenstein, The Turn of the Screw"
At this junction the ancient man let out a manic laugh and then spoke to James Thompson as if chiding an extremely foolish child.
The ancient Old man replied with a sense of the sinster "No ,our books deal stark horror "
Then yet again his hands dipped under the desk and he placed on it a very thin book with a whitish cover,then he grinned with an edge of a sinster clown grin and mentioned in a very calm and casual matter of fact manner "If you are wondering Mr Thompson the cover is made of human skin and has excellent blinding "
Thompson eyes were drawn to the cover and then he saw the title The most horrible story in the world and in smaller print James Thompson January 3 2022 which of course was today's date .
Thompson was then asked by the ancient man to follow him to a reading room, Thompson made no comment and he followed the ancient old man through an opening in the wall through a dimly lit corridor then through a long hall which had numerous doors.
The candle made shadows move on the walls of the hall then the sound of screaming which was coming from behind all the doors, then the ancient man told him what did expect as this was the horror club and all the members took an active interest in thier reading, as thier participate they get horrified.
Thompson had a slight tingle of expectation run down his spine.
Then the ancient man stopped at one of the doors and pulled it open although there was no handle on it.
Then James Thompson was ushered into this reading room un which was a chair, table and an unlit candle in a brass candle holder, it was severe but functional all you required to read a good horror story.
James Thompson joked about if it was customary to leave a tip but was given an instant reply.
"The Founders take care of that"then the ancient man and James Thompson talked about how most horror stories set up places like the room both were in in the presence of being in.
As James Thompson thought somehow he would see the ancient man again, the ancient man appeared in a puff of smoke and James Thompson precedes to tell him he does not like the book and he tried to leave the room but it was locked
Then the ancient man closed the the door as he walked out.
So James Thompson laughed foolishly to an empty room picked up the book on the table and had a very cold tingle down all his spine,he read the bizarre book, it was a very short story and horrible beyond horror.
James Thompson tried to open it, It would not open.,he called out for the ancient man this became an flash white smoke smelling of sulfur and he laughed as James Thompson mentioned the door was locked.
What do you mean I can't? What kind of a place is this anyway?" His tone was threatening, belligerent. And weak.
"You're a member now." It was very final.
With reluctant sense of overwhelming gloom and doom James Thompson went back to the chair, table, brass candle with its never ending flickering lights, in the pits of his stomach he could feel the pressure of dread making him feel sick but not being sick.
So he went on a repeating loop of reading the story in the book over and over again in a kind of fascination.
He began to see the true horror in the story and after what seemed an eternality he started to scream as everyone else was screaming and why shouldn't he for that's the only way he could express the horror he felt.
If you was in the room with James Thompson and looked in to his eyes you could witness the glazed expression of madness as what he had been reading in the book registered firmly in his ever decreasing climb into the abyss of insanity then came screaming after screaming without a soul coming to his aide.
James Thompson would alternated between reading and screaming each time the books story became more horrible.
James Thompson has no desire to sleep, drink or eat that what the mind does when it feels the infinity of horrible horror.
At the thousandth time of screaming James Thompson suddenly stopped .
The candle was still flickering its yellow blue flame .
James Thompson read out as loudly as possible to any spiritual beings listening for as you look at the book of skin which had his name on in which as you turned the cover to reveal the very short story it reveals to very simple but everyone's fear in life no matter who you may be.
The words on the paper of human skin read :
YOU'RE DEAD.
Adapted story from original source
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65727/pg65727-images.html
