The Omniscrolls

A beautiful desk caught my gaze as I passed an antique shop. But luck was not on my side, for it was snatched by another customer before I could even set foot inside the shop. I posted about it on social media and, three days later, the man who bought the desk reached out to me on my post, saying he would be happy to sell me the desk. I wondered why he suddenly changed his mind about the desk and asked for photos of it. It was still in good condition, the same as it was three days before. He told me he has to move out of town due to financial issues and will not be able to take the desk with him. I checked the desk again when he brought it over and it was in perfect condition. I was ecstatic. I moved my old desk to the storage room and placed the new one in my bedroom. When I opened one of the drawers to put some of my files in, however, I noticed something strange. At the back of the drawer was my name carved into the wood. Wondering whether it was done as a joke, I tried to contact t...

Growing up, my mother always forbade me from visiting the swamp nearby. It was the one swamp we had in our town, and it was said to be cursed. Everyone called it the ‘Dark Swamp’, saying it devoured anyone who dared to cast their eyes upon it. Over the years, my curiosity grew deeper and I wanted to learn the secrets behind the swamp. Most of the families who were said to have lost loved ones to the swamp moved out of town over the years; only two people who lost someone they loved decided to remain here. Both of them had similar stories: they were inspecting the area when shadows had erupted from the swamp and pulled their partners into its dark waters. There was, however, one other person whom I could speak to who was knowledgeable about the Dark Swamp. She was a middle-aged woman named Ruth who lived relatively close to the swamp. Some people thought she was strange, while others said she was insane. Mom also said that Ruth was not to be trusted; there was a hint of contempt in her ...

I was attending my best friend Dana’s wedding reception at a hotel when suddenly, I was overcome with an inexplicable eerie feeling, as if someone was watching me. I looked around; no one stood out as threatening. The hall itself was so large that I could barely see its corners with the crowd. It was a 17-century castle that was turned into a hotel recently. I heard that the last king who lived here was killed by the queen and her paramour. There were only a couple of paintings of the two of them still put on display in the hotel. The night was as lively as it could be, but it was not long before the eeriness escalated into something more sinister. The cutlery began to fly off the tables and the furniture began to slide across the floor. Panic sank into the crowd, and soon, people were scurrying to escape the room. I usually wouldn’t draw attention to myself, but this time, I had no choice. I chanted a spell and began to take control of the cutlery and furniture that were out of contro...

“No, I won’t let you destroy the town,” a woman said as she stared at the man before her. “You can’t stop me, Helena,” the man replied. As he did, a sudden explosion reverberated in the distance. “No!” Helena said, nearly jumping out of her bed. There was another woman seated next to her, who held her as soon as she realised it was a nightmare. “Sherry, we need to leave.” “What are you talking about?” “I need to get you somewhere safe.” “Helena, you’re not making any sense.” Helena clenched her fists and took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll explain, but promise me you won’t freak out.” “It’s okay, I promise.” “I’m a witch, Sherry. And I just had a vision about a demon who will undoubtedly kill the two of us and this entire town unless I stop him.” Sherry just sat there confused, her brows furrowing at Helena’s words. Helena sighed, swinging her hand and making the dressing table move. Sherry jumped off the bed and backed up against the wall. “No, please don’t hurt me!” “Sherry, I won’t hurt...

King Ashwin and Queen Adriana were loved by everyone in their kingdom. The couple were kind and generous and had everything they could ever dream of, except for a child. For years, they longed for the day they could have a son or a daughter, but their prayers seemed to go unheard. One day, one of the new maids at the castle, Lara, spoke of a secluded pond found in the nearby woods that was said to grant anyone with a good heart what they desired the most. “Anything we desire?” the queen asked. “Yes, your highness. Anything that is good, for it is a sacred pond,” the maid replied. The king and queen heeded her words and visited the pond to make their wish. Their prayers were finally answered a month later, when the queen realised that she was with child. The following year, she gave birth to a baby girl, whom they named Arianne. The princess treated everyone in the kingdom the same way her parents did. Life couldn’t have been better for the family until, one day, King Ashwin fell gravel...

I woke up in a hospital bed without a single clue as to how I got there. I tried to get up, but I didn’t have the strength to move a muscle. “What’s wrong with me? How did I get here?” It was then that a nurse walked into my room. “Oh, you’re awake. Let me call the doctor,” she said. As she turned to leave, I asked her what was wrong with me, but she looked at me a little confused and said she didn’t know what I was saying. “What do you mean? I’m asking you what’s wrong with me!” “Ma’am, please rest. I’m sorry I don’t know your language, but I’ll see if I can find someone to translate.” I was perplexed. Was I not talking in English? Was I even awake? The exhaustion I felt and the pain I was in were both unmistakably real, so what was happening? The nurse came back with a doctor, who introduced himself as Paul. He told me that a neighbour had found me unconscious in my yard. I tried to ask him what had happened, but he couldn’t understand me either. The doctors did several CT scans on m...

Three days had passed since I moved to the suburbs, but I had yet to see any of my neighbours. Everyone’s lights came on at night, but I never saw anyone on the road, neither during the day nor at night. One evening, I noticed a teenage girl looking at me from her window. I waved at her, but she just disappeared behind the curtains without even a smile. I thought I’d introduce myself to the neighbours in that house and approached their house. The girl from before opened the door. “Hi, my name is Grace. I recently moved into the neighbourhood.” “I’m Jo. My mom wanted to visit you, but she’s a little unwell.” “What’s wrong with her? I’m a doctor; maybe I can help.” “She has been having a terrible leg pain for the past three days.” The girl led me to her mom’s bedroom. Once we were inside, she shut the door behind us. There were three more girls inside, whom Jo introduced as her sisters. Jo’s mother was old and frail; she lay there on the bed before me with her eyes closed. “Come closer, ...