[WP] You seem to be the only person who hasn't read this new book thats taken over the world. It's outselling books like Harry Potter and even the Bible, but you know nothing about it. Its always sold out, and when you ask people, they just gush about it without giving you details.

There's an uneasiness than comes with being left out. When we were in high school we would usually resort to just lying about whatever it is the group had all experienced, so that we weren't made out to be "weird" or "lame." I'm currently being left out of another craze sweeping the nation, only I don't feel the need to lie about it, since I feel like I'm the only person that hasn't lost their minds.

"It's insane how one person was able to convey what they did inside of a book."

"I haven't read a book since middle school, and honestly after caving in and reading this one, I don't think I ever need to read a book again."

"It's like the advancement of the human race, only like, told in words instead of in a technology, and uhh... It's really, really intense, dude."

I found myself standing in line at 5 am outside of a 24 hour Wal-Mart. "I'm just buying it again out of appreciation to the author! The things she made me feel, the way the people around us connect more knowing we've all had a shared experience. It sounds cultish, but it's really not!" Right, okay. After taking in the fact that everyone that's around me is clinically insane, I had to take a minute and appreciate the following. For someone to enjoy something so much that they even refuse to talk about it is honestly refreshing. We live in a culture where people crave saltiness, where people thrive on the anonymity of the internet and feed off of others anger. It must truly be incredible.

I'm inside now, finally I have my hands on this mythical piece of literature. In this moment it feels like everyone around the world is watching me. To see my next move, to see if I will enjoy the book, to see if I'll succumb to the words within and finally become The Read. I have Bakunin in one ear, half daring me to rip this book to shreds. Maybe I'd make national headlines, "Man destroys our book, sentenced to death by 10,000 papercuts." Laughing to myself before realizing that this is an actual thing that might happen, I instead just awkwardly hand it to the cashier and mumble "thank you" as I power walk to my car. Apparently the title is on the first page as the binding is completely blank. I crack it open, half expecting the infamous Raiders face melting scene to occur.

I read the first page, and I instantly understand why everyone loves it (and why everyone refuses to talk about it.) "Norrix gently presses his stake against Cazimira's pale throat, he-" It's fucking smut. With vampires... I totally get the appeal.

/r/WritingPrompts Thread