Oliver was an avid reader of horror books. He loved nothing more than getting lost in a good scare, feeling his heart race as he turned each page. So when he stumbled upon an old bookshop in the city, he couldn't resist going inside to browse their collection.

As he was browsing, an old, leather-bound book caught his eye. It was titled "The Necronomicon: A Guide to the Dark Arts." The bookshop owner warned him that it was not for the faint of heart, but Oliver brushed off the warning and purchased the book.

As soon as he got home, he started reading the book. The first few chapters were harmless, just describing different types of magic and rituals. But as he turned the pages, he started to feel uneasy. The descriptions were getting darker, and the instructions were becoming more sinister.

He tried to put the book down, but he couldn't. It was as if something had taken hold of him and was forcing him to keep reading. As the night wore on, the book started to affect him in strange ways. He began to see things that weren't there, and he could feel a presence in the room with him.

The next morning, Oliver woke up to find that the book was missing. He searched his entire apartment but couldn't find it anywhere. He tried to forget about it and go about his day, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Days turned into weeks, and Oliver couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him. He started having nightmares, vivid and terrifying dreams that left him drenched in sweat. He would wake up in the middle of the night, feeling like something was breathing down his neck.

One night, as he was lying in bed, he heard a faint whisper in his ear. He couldn't make out what it was saying, but he knew it was coming from the book. He got up and started searching his apartment again, desperate to find the book and get rid of it once and for all.

Finally, he found it. It was sitting on his bookshelf, but it looked different. The leather was cracked, and the pages were stained with what looked like blood. Oliver tried to pick it up, but it was like the book was glued to the shelf.

That's when he realized that the book was alive. It had taken on a life of its own, and it was feeding on his fear. Oliver tried to run, but the book was too powerful. It consumed him, body and soul, until there was nothing left of him but a lifeless husk.

The next morning, the bookshop owner received a package in the mail. It was the book, along with a note that read, "I'm sorry, but I can't keep this in my possession any longer. May God have mercy on my soul."