In all the horror films that Samuel has seen there is the usual cliché of the child running to his mother to say he saw a monster, but when the mother arrives at the crime scene the monster has disappeared.
Knowing this, Samuel is very careful to mention the book during dinner time. He takes it with him without saying anything, sits down at the table after having helped set the table, and then casually asks his father to read a note he made at school, hoping, however, to show him Malcom’s hyper-realistic drawing.
The father observes the booklet, and after a while shrugs <<So? Is there something you didn’t understand?>>
Samuel retracts the book and reads what is written on it. As he suspected the page had changed, he knew it would not be so easy to prove that the book is actually cursed or something, in fact now he shows notes written in his exact same handwriting … notes that …
A shiver runs down his spine. His heart starts beating fast.
<<Sam?>>
<<Eh?>> the boy glances at his father, who had drawn his attention <<What? >>
<<Are you okay? You have an horrible face.>>
<<Y … yeah. Um … yes.>> Samuel would like to tell the truth to those two, but he doesn’t know if he can. The book is “shy” after all, and he doesn’t want to have weird dreams tonight.
<<Since when do you go around with books like this?>> his mother asks him, while serving the dishes.
<<Why?>>
<<Well … it’s strange … don’t you have any normal notebooks for school?>>
<<It’s a pocket diary.>>
<<Ah … >> she gives him an unsafe look <<it’s red. >> she then says.
<<Y … yes. Why?>>
<<The book you were talking about in the dream. Wasn’t it red?>>
The boy shakes his head <<No… i mean yes, but it’s not this book.>>
<<Did you go to the parish priest at the end?>> she then ask.
<<No…>>
The mother sighs <<Grandmother was able to make you an appointment, but you just made her waste time.>>
<<I’m sorry.>> Samuel simply says.
<<And to the psychologist?>> then asks the father.
<<I don’t need a psychologist, I’m not crazy.>>
<<Yes, but ->>
<<Don’t worry.>> he cuts short <<I’m fine.>>
He eats quickly and speaks little. His mind is entirely on that little book and what he has read before.
The notes that were shown, in fact, were notes from a lesson he did not attend.
That lesson was real, but he had skipped it. But now that notebook has written the notes he would take if he went to class. In short, the book has just recovered something that was lost.
And if it can do this … what else can it do?
He wants to find out before the night.
He wants to find out before he sleeps.
He wants to find out before dreaming. Because now that he has the book, that he has done what dreams have been asking him to do for months, he is terrified of what it might happen that night.