The Curse of Inspiration
5 (1)



The micro-novel is an extremely compressed novel that can be read in about a quarter of an hour. The micro-novel encapsulates the action of an entire movie, but instead of watching it in a cinema over about two hours, you read it in about a quarter of an hour.

In practice, in almost a quarter of an hour of reading aloud or whispering, the micro-novel offers you a COMPLETE STORY.

In about a quarter of an hour, while traveling on the subway or during a coffee break, you can relax with a complete, captivating, and interesting story.

We can say that the micro-novel is the summary of an entire movie, but with descriptions, characters, action, and dialogues, with scenes that unfold quickly and in a captivating way. The micro-novel is specially designed for people who want to have fun quickly and in a condensed form, for almost a quarter of an hour, with a complete story.

Below you can read right now, for almost a quarter of an hour, such a micro-novel, absolutely FREE.

 

The title of this micro-novel is The Curse of Inspiration. Here is its description:

Who wouldn’t want to have a notebook that could fulfill all their wishes? That’s exactly what happens to the main character of the micro-novel „The Curse of Inspiration”. Whatever he writes in that notebook, immediately becomes reality.

Durante Foran

The Curse of Inspiration

 

Austin woke up in the rickety bed that took up most of his bedroom and immediately remembered the agricultural fair he had attended the day before.

But today he no longer had any events on his schedule that could only have their own special charm in a city like Kansas City. Today he had to get dressed and go to a job he didn’t enjoy.

Austin walked past the table where his laptop was. He told himself that if he didn’t come up with at least one good idea for his project in the next week, he would abandon it forever and devote himself to a banal life, like most people do.

Half an hour later, Austin was in his cheap car. He drove carefully to the local supermarket. Here, his colleagues greeted him with a simple, unenthusiastic greeting:

„Good morning, Austin!”

„Good morning,” Austin replied curtly and without enthusiasm.

For Austin, the day at the local supermarket checkout went by normally, without any incidents to disturb him. A shopper asked Austin, when she reached the checkout:

„How are you doing, Austin? Are you still writing novels?”

„I don’t know…” Austin said.

„What do you mean, you don’t know?”

„I don’t know if I should quit this job or not. I’m not inspired anymore. I have no more ideas. Maybe it’s because of my job here at the checkout.”

„But you’re still young, Austin. You won’t be a cashier forever. One day you’ll be a famous writer, and everyone will know the name Austin Robinson.”

„It would be nice if you were right! But I no longer hope for literary glory.”

 

 

***

 

 

After arriving at his apartment, Austin noticed that the trash can was full. He took the bag full of household waste and went to the dumpster behind his apartment building. He threw the bag in the dumpster and prepared to return to the apartment.

Just then, he noticed a small glimmer coming from somewhere in the dumpster. He approached the dumpster and looked closer. He saw that among the food scraps was a notebook with thick covers. He took out the notebook and felt, for a moment, a strange chill run down his spine.

The notebook was new, and Austin was surprised by his own decision to take it and bring it to the apartment.

Austin sat down at the table and looked at his laptop. He thought that perhaps technology was the reason for his lack of inspiration. He said to himself:

„What if I went back to the working style of writers who lived 50 years ago? They wrote novels on paper, not on computers, like we do today. And they wrote good novels.”

Austin took a pen and began to write on the first page of the notebook:

„A few drops of rain began to timidly hit the window…”

Austin stopped writing abruptly. He had heard a strange noise on the window of his apartment. He looked towards the window and saw that a few drops of water were running down the glass. He approached the window in amazement. He felt an unpleasant chill run down his spine. What he had just written on the first page of the notebook had just happened…

 

 

***

 

 

Jared, a man in his late twenties, sat at a bar table with Trevor, his colleague at the tabloid magazine they worked for.

Jared had a copy of the magazine in front of him, in which he had written an article. He said to Trevor:

„This guy, Austin Robinson, I find him quite strange.”

„Me too,” Trevor said. „A nobody suddenly becomes a star.”

„Look what it says here. He got a contract with the biggest publisher in our state. And his novel is now a bestseller. And if that wasn’t enough… This guy also won the lottery jackpot. Something doesn’t seem right here.”

„So what are you going to do, Jared?”

„I think Austin has a secret. I think if I found out what that secret is, I’d make a big hit as a journalist. Yes, I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to start doing some research today…”

 

 

***

 

 

Austin was driving his luxury car. He had just exited the gate of his villa, which had cost him two million dollars, when a tall, blonde, very beautiful woman wearing a red dress stepped in front of the car.

Austin slammed on the brakes, annoyed by her sudden appearance, but relieved that he hadn’t hit her. He got out of the car and said to the woman:

„I almost killed you.”

„I apologize,” the woman said. „My name is Brynn Reed. I’m your biggest fan. I just finished reading your novel. Look, I have it here, in my hand. Please, can you give me an autograph?”

„Of course,” Austin said. „I’d be happy to give you an autograph. But next time, don’t step out in front of a car like that. You’re too beautiful to end up in the hospital, injured.”

„Oh, thank you! No one has ever told me I’m beautiful before. But you know, you’re a handsome man yourself.”

„Thank you!”

Austin looked at the blonde woman carefully and smiled at her more than was necessary. Brynn was really the kind of woman he could fall in love with…

 

 

***

 

 

Pablo Garcia and Mark Gill, two longtime friends of Austin’s, sat in the luxurious living room of the villa of the man who now enjoyed immense and sudden success.

Pablo said to Austin, „Look, we understand that you’ve been luckier than the two of us and have become a very successful writer. But I want to give you some advice. This woman, Brynn, is possibly a con artist.”

„Jealousy…” Austin said. „You two are still aspiring writers and you don’t like my success at all.”

Mark intervened, „It’s true that we’re aspiring writers, Austin, but we haven’t lost our minds yet.”

„Now,” Austin said, „you’re being really rude. On behalf of our friendship, I ask you to leave my house and never come back.”

 

 

***

 

 

Austin slipped into his bedroom, retrieved his magic notebook from a hidden drawer, and began to write within its pages:

„Pablo Garcia and Mark Gill. Fired from their jobs. Abandoned by their wives. Reduced to poverty, stripped of dignity, driven to desperation…”

 

 

***

 

 

Brynn hesitated outside Austin’s office door before knocking. „Dearest,” she called, „you’ve been locked in there all day. Have you forgotten all about me?”

Austin’s voice came from the other side of the door. „Go away! Go shopping or take a walk around the city! I need to write.”

„But what are you writing? You already have more than enough money. And you need friends. You threw those two guys out of the house.”

„Pablo and Mark aren’t my friends anymore!”

„But you need friends, Austin. You can’t just stay locked in your office and talk to yourself.”

„I’m not talking to myself! I’m talking to my characters, the people I’m writing about in my future novel. They’re the ones I trust the most.”

„Don’t you trust me either? I’m your lover.”

„I don’t think I trust you anymore either. How did you suddenly appear in my life? What are your hidden interests? Do you want my money? Yes, that’s what you want, my money. That’s it, go away! I never want to see you here again!”

Brynn’s heart sank. She had never seen Austin like this before. He was usually so calm and collected, but now he was acting like a madman. She didn’t know what to do.

She turned and walked away, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t know if she would ever see Austin again.

 

 

***

 

 

On a street near Austin’s villa, Brynn ran into Mark Gill. She tried to avoid him, but it was no use.

„You’ve been crying,” he said. „Your eyes are red.”

„It’s Austin,” she said. „I don’t know what’s happened to him. He’s changed completely. It’s like he’s lost his mind. He just stays locked in his office and talks to himself. And he threw me out. I think he’s lost touch with reality.”

„I’m not surprised,” Mark said. „That’s what happens when you achieve too much success too quickly. Too much money can make you crazy. I feel sorry for Austin. He’s going to ruin his life. In fact, I think he already has.”

Brynn felt a wave of despair wash over her. She knew that Mark was right. Austin was spiraling out of control, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

She turned and walked away, tears welling up in her eyes again. She didn’t know what the future held for Austin, but she knew that it wasn’t going to be pretty.

 

 

***

 

 

Jared repeated to the guard at the gate of Austin’s villa:

„My name is Jared Long, and I’m a journalist. How many times do I have to tell you this? I just want to talk to Austin Robinson. I want to write an article about his success.”

The guard said, „I have very clear orders. No one is allowed to enter the villa.”

„Famous people appear in famous magazines. Austin is a successful man. He deserves an article and an interview in our magazine.”

„I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. If I let you into the villa, I’ll lose my job.”

As Jared argued with the guard, Austin, hidden behind the curtain of his window, watched what was happening at the gate of the villa. And he immediately thought that people like that journalist would keep coming to his villa and begging the guard to let them in. And he didn’t like that thought at all. He didn’t like the fact that he had to hide from people, to be left without friends, without anyone he could trust. He looked at the magic notebook on the table. If he destroyed the notebook, he would lose everything he had now. If he didn’t destroy the notebook, his life would be a disaster.

 

 

***

 

 

„Let him in!”

The guard turned around in surprise after hearing these words. They were the words that Austin had spoken.

Austin was standing in the doorway of the villa’s entrance. He was wearing a blue silk robe, and his hair was disheveled.

After seeing that the guard was still confused, Austin said again:

„Open the gate and let him in. He’s a journalist, from what I can tell.”

The guard opened the gate and stepped aside politely.

Jared said to the guard, as he crossed the threshold of the gate:

„See? It was simpler than you thought. It seems you won’t lose your job after all.”

 

 

***

 

 

„I know why you’re here.”

„Just an interview,” Jared said. „That’s all I want.”

„No,” Austin said. „That’s not all you want.”

The tension was already palpable in the living room where Austin and Jared sat. And yet, Austin seemed to be quite calm.

„You want more,” Austin said. „You want to know how it was possible for me, a simple supermarket cashier, to achieve such great success so quickly. You probably think I’m a criminal, a man who broke the law.”

„I,” Jared said, „am a seeker of truth. If you’ve invited me to your villa, don’t you think it would be good for me to hear only the truth from you?”

„You’re right. It seems that a big lie has brought me very close to the brink of disaster. I thought I had it all. But, in fact, I am now convinced that I have nothing left. If I told you the truth, would you believe it?”

„After years of journalism, could anything still surprise me?”

Austin left the living room and returned quite quickly, holding the magic notebook in his hand.

„This notebook,” Austin said to Jared, „is my curse. What would you do if you found a notebook that would grant you all your wishes? Would you believe that such a notebook would be your blessing?”

„I don’t have such hopes.”

„Very well. Never hope to find such a notebook. Let me give you a little demonstration.”

Austin wrote on one of the pages of the notebook:

„A stack of one thousand dollars now appears on the living room table.”

Jared opened his eyes wide after seeing a stack of dollars appear on the table in an instant.

„Do you understand?” Austin said.

„It’s amazing,” Jared said. „What kind of trick is this? Are you also an illusionist?”

„It’s not a trick. It’s reality. Not even the best illusionist in the world could do this.”

From beyond the living room door came the voices of two men who seemed to be quite nervous. Jared looked at the door in surprise. But Austin said:

„They are two old friends of mine, Pablo and Mark. I really wanted them to come here today, to my house.”

Pablo, the moment he entered the living room, said to Austin:

„You’re a scoundrel! I think you arranged for me to be fired and to end up on the streets. The same thing happened to Mark. This is no coincidence. You wanted to hurt us! You, who have now become rich and famous! You’re a bastard!”

 

 

***

 

 

„Yes, I am a scoundrel! The biggest scoundrel in the world!”

Pablo and Mark did not expect to hear these words from Austin’s mouth. And yet, Austin admitted that he was a great scoundrel.

Jared decided that it was best to listen patiently to everything Austin had to say.

„Come on,” Austin said to Pablo and Mark, „come closer and take a seat. I have to confess something very important to you.”

Mark and Pablo did as Austin asked, both looking curiously at the stack of dollars on the table.

Austin, holding the magic notebook in his hands, said to the three men standing next to him:

„I found this notebook in a dumpster. At the time I didn’t know what kind of notebook it was. I took it out of the dumpster because it seemed strange to me that a new notebook would be lying among the garbage. I had come to believe that my laptop was the cause of my lack of inspiration, so I decided to start writing the ideas that came to me in that notebook. I hoped that eventually I would be able to write a very successful novel. And that’s how I discovered that I had not found a simple notebook, but a… magical notebook, a notebook that grants me any wish, if I decide to write it on the paper of the notebook. I will now give you a little demonstration.”

Austin quickly wrote a few lines on a page of the notebook.

„Now,” Austin said to Pablo and Mark, „check what you have in your pockets.”

Pablo and Mark put their hands in their pockets and immediately pulled out a stack of dollars each. Pablo, stunned, said:

„I didn’t have this money in my pocket.”

„Neither did I,” Mark said, dismayed.

„I know,” Austin said. „This notebook created the money you found in your pockets. Now do you understand? The notebook has fulfilled all my wishes.”

„But,” Pablo said, suddenly enthusiastic, „that’s a miracle. We, your friends, could have a fabulous life. And not just us, but you too. In fact, all the people in the world.”

Austin sighed and said:

„It’s not that simple. This notebook has also demanded a price from me for what it has offered me. I have become more and more arrogant and selfish. I started to be afraid of people. I took refuge in my office, so that it would be just me and my characters. Then I felt like I was losing my mind. I realized that if I continued like this, I would destroy my life. So, in the end, I decided to do something very important. I decided that it would be best for me to destroy this notebook, now and here. Yes, I will burn it, I will destroy it.”

„No,” Pablo said, „don’t do that! With the notebook you could bring happiness to the world.”

„Please understand,” Austin said. „If I did what you ask, this happiness would come at a terrible price, and humanity would be destroyed. Everything has to be paid for! Everything! So I will write something in the notebook right now. I will write for it to cancel all the changes it has made in my life and yours. Then I will burn the notebook.”

Pablo, Mark, and Jared watched curiously as Austin wrote a few lines in the notebook, then lit it with a lighter. After a few minutes, all that was left of the notebook was ashes.

 

 

***

 

 

Austin opened his eyes. It was morning. And it was time to get out of bed, get dressed, and go to the supermarket where he worked as a cashier.

A strange sense of peace enveloped Austin. In the following moments, he remembered what seemed to have been a dream. But he wasn’t sure if he had dreamed it or not. He only knew that he had the feeling of a dream in which he had become rich and famous, after finding a notebook in a dumpster that could grant him all his wishes. In that dream, he had become a famous novelist. Then his life had gone crazy. Then he had burned the notebook, to get rid of the curse that had fulfilled all his wishes.

Austin told himself that it is better to be poor, but with a peaceful soul. Maybe that dream was making him feel so calm.

At his supermarket job, Austin met Naomi Foster, a new colleague who was also an aspiring writer. Austin had a friendly conversation with his new colleague. They exchanged phone numbers. At the end of the day, Austin felt a spark of attraction to Naomi and smiled. Life could be very beautiful.

In the evening, Austin arrived near his apartment. He passed by the dumpster where he took out the trash every day. The dumpster had no lid, and Austin saw a glint in it that seemed strange to him. He approached the dumpster and looked at the household waste inside it.

The next moment, a heavy chill ran through Austin’s stomach. There was a notebook in the dumpster. And the notebook was new.

Austin reached for the notebook, intending to take it out of the dumpster. Then he stopped. He didn’t know what to do. Should he take the notebook or not? Was it a notebook like the one he had dreamed of? But had he really dreamed it? Or had it all been real?

In the end, Austin made up his mind. He reached out and touched the notebook. He grasped it tightly with his fingers and pulled it out of the dumpster. He wanted to know if this notebook was really… magical. And he wanted to know if, this time, he could choose his wishes more carefully, so that no one would suffer. Yes, he could find out very easily. All he had to do was write a single sentence in the notebook…

 

 

End of volume 1

 

The story continues in volume two of this micro-novel, which you can download from this link.

Click on the „I want this!”


I want this



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