“No. That’s insane! How can you not see it?” Lizzie was slowly shaking her head over and over. “I don’t feel like I’m crazy. Delusional for two years and no one notices? You didn’t notice?”

Her voice had slowly escalated in speed and volume as she spoke. Realizing this, Lizzie stopped and took a slow, deep breath. “The Book has always seemed real to me – weird, but real.”

She handed Kenna the Book.

“Look again. Please,” she begged.

In the back of her mind, the specter of mental illness slowly rose. It was shocking, really, that she had never seriously considered something was wrong with her. That someone might think she was crazy? Sure. But not that she actually was crazy. Not since that very first day when she received the Book. Wasn’t the total commitment to belief in the face of something so entirely abstract and unreal, evidence itself of mental illness? Lizzie’s hand went to her midriff as a sick feeling started in the bottom of her stomach.

As Kenna’s hand closed on the Book, she made a small sound of pain and dropped it. Looking at the Book on the floor, she slowly rubbed her fingertips together.

“What—” Lizzie began, but Kenna interrupted, the surprise on her face clear.

“I think your book has an alarm system.” Kenna straightened and took a step back from the Book.

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” Lizzie frowned in confusion. “Did it hurt you?”

Great. Not crazy, just stupid. She’d brought an evil and dangerous object into her best friend’s house and placed it directly into her hands. Excellent friendship skills officially displayed.

Both women looked at the Book resting innocently on the patterned wool rug. Another moment of silence passed. Kenna seemed to be lost in thought.

When she didn’t reply right away, Lizzie said, “Kenna? Hey.”

“No. No, it didn’t hurt me. Not really.” She blinked a few times, as if clearing her head. “Before I touched it, it hummed or vibrated a little. Like a cell phone on silent. But then it was hot to the touch and the vibration increased.”

“It was hot but didn’t burn you?” Lizzie asked, as she inspected Kenna’s hand.

“My hand’s fine. As soon as I let go, the feeling stopped. Like no burn I’ve ever experienced, that’s for sure.” She waited patiently, hand held out, until Lizzie was done.

If Lizzie was looking for evidence of magic that would convince her friend, this was it. However unexpected it was.

Kenna reached down to pick up the Book again. Before she could pick it up, Lizzie said, “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

Kenna replied with a shrug, “I have no idea. But it doesn’t actually hurt.” She looked down at the Book again.