The Seventh Archive: Rules for Forbidden Books

Closing Time: At 3:00 a.m., the clock in the archives will chime, and all the lights will go out for ten seconds. When they come back on, you must be standing inside the yellow line in the "reading area." If you hear someone whispering to you in the dark, do not respond. The "administrator" is checking your location.

Borrowing Rules: You may only borrow books whose titles relate to your "greatest fear." If you try to borrow another book, blood will seep from its pages, and the "librarian" will remember your face.

Silence Rules: Inside the archives, you may not make a sound except when showing your library card to the administrator. This includes coughing, footsteps, and even swallowing. If you must communicate, use the "pen and paper" provided inside the library, but beware: the words you write may become real.

Return Rules: Borrowed books must be returned by 3:00 a.m. on the next rainy night. If you return them late, the books will "merge" with you. Your memories, body, and even your very existence will become a page in a new book.

Mirror Rules: Every mirror in the archives is a "two-way passageway." If you see yourself in the mirror...

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.