Chapter Ninety-Four

J OSEPH STARED AT the ancient book in front of him. He could feel the evil radiating from it, pulling at him from somewhere else. SaVimb Luthopgo could tell a book of his was open, that there were people talking about him, thinking about him. Joseph felt tendrils in his head, reaching in, trying to get a hold of something there, trying to—

Joseph slammed the book shut, and stepped away. He threw his office door open and sprinted to the janitor's closet.

The tendrils were snaking in and around, and he stumbled, pain blossoming behind his eyes.

He wrenched the broom closet door open and crawled onto the elevator platform, pulling the door shut with a foot as he pushed the button to descend.

Red clouded Joseph's vision, and his face felt hot and sticky. Breathing got harder. The thing was reaching in tighter, grabbing hold of Joseph's being.

The lift rocked as it hit the ground floor, and Joseph was off, half-walking half-crawling, nearly out of his mind, slobbering and making involuntary noises. He was desperate to get to his destination.

Everything was going dark, pain radiating from the top his of head down to the tips toes, vomit rising from his gut. He threw himself into the pool, the blissful cold surrounding him in darkness as he sank below the surface.