Stay Awake, The Mansion of books: Stay Awake, #1

By Carlos Medrano

A mansion of books, An orphan girl, A room that hides a mystery.

 

Get ready for an adventure full of thrills and unexpected twists with our latest novel, "Stay Awake". Follow the story of Larisa, a young orphan trapped in an ancient and sinister mansion filled with books, and terrorized by an unknown presence. With each twist and surprising revelation, you won't be able to put the book down until you discover what will happen next. This thriller will keep you awake all night, eager to keep reading. Don't wait any longer and get now the exciting experience of "Stay Awake"! This novel has an experimental Spanish to English translation through artificial intelligence (ChatGPT) from the spanish novel "Leer Un Poco Para NO dormir". Its cover and interior images were created by AI.

• Language: English
• Publisher: El Caserón de Libros
• Release date: Nov 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223269472

Carlos Medrano

Carlos Medrano is a passionate communicator, writer, and expert in the field of media and narrative. With a solid background in Communication Sciences and a diploma in Political Marketing, he has forged a versatile and successful career in various communication fields. His journey in the media industry is extensive and diversified. Currently, he excels as a News Coordinator at a prominent television network, where he demonstrates his ability to lead and organize relevant news content. His experience as a Reporter has allowed him to explore and understand reality from multiple perspectives, contributing to his skill in capturing life's complexity in his literary works. Not only has he excelled in visual media, but he has also left a mark in the educational realm. His role as a University Lecturer has enabled him to share his knowledge and experience with the new generations of communicators, inspiring them to reach their full potential in an ever-evolving environment. In addition to his commitment to communication, Carlos Medrano has successfully ventured into the world of writing. His debut book, "Memories of a Lieutenant Colonel," showcases his ability to weave deep and immersive stories that capture the essence of characters and settings. His passion for cinema and television is reflected in his narrative style, evoking vivid imagery and intense atmospheres. As an admirer of renowned writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King, Carlos Medrano has found inspiration in the mastery of these authors to create a unique approach in his own literary work. The influence of these literary giants is skillfully intertwined with his personal perspective, resulting in stories that blend mystery, intrigue, and emotional depth. Carlos Medrano is not only an accomplished communicator and writer but also an individual whose passion for artistic expression and effective communication continues to evolve. His ability to captivate readers with compelling stories and his dedication to excellence in media make him an influential and respected figure in both fields.

Book preview

Stay Awake

The Mansion of Books

Carlos Medrano

Copyright © 2023 Carlos Medrano

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 9798376573860

Cover design by: Carlos Medrano

Printed in the United States of America

To: Nidia, Alex and Alan

Stay

Awake

The Mansion of books

Carlos Medrano

The Mansion of Books

Ididn't know how to start. The words began to circulate in my head just like the images; as if I were watching a movie they kept passing again and again. I must admit that writing has not been my world, but I discovered that it made me feel in another dimension. On many occasions when someone around me talks about a particular topic and it begins to be of interest to me, I disconnect from this plane and start traveling seeing so many possibilities. That's the projection in my mind with surround sound. I must tell you that every word in this book was written from my cell phone. What am I going to write? I wondered while looking at what for many is only a means of communication, but for me it became a tool for work. I dared to not respect anything. Neither the established techniques, nor the previous forms that are so insistent should be followed in order to develop a novel. Writers make notes of their ideas and go creating the psychological profile of each of their characters. The title of their work is left until the end. Even in that I was against. The title was born first, the rest came later. A special thanks to the young plastic artist Ángel Yañez Salazar (Facebook: Ángel Art) for his painting that is the first image inside this book. The rest of the images were created by artificial intelligence based on descriptions of the story.

I am going to keep the message from my teacher, who was kind enough to help me (again) and always motivate me by telling me that I had to believe. That no matter what I thought, there was a writer in me:

Stay Awake confirms your calling as a Writer, it means you are committed to the responsibility that comes with bringing life to an intelligently structured, interesting story that you now present, full of mystery, psychological twists where without intending to it is glimpsed the current problem of social behaviors that did not have time to be channeled positively. Realism and magical realism are present, showing a tangible and at the same time distant world.

Because the title of your book alone invites to read:

Stay Awake…

Lidia Salazar Cerda

Teacher, writer, and poetess

The Mansion

The Boltons

Selma and Ron Bolton have recently gotten married in an old chapel in Shartlesville, Pennsylvania. The few people who accompanied them were invited randomly and were actually strangers to them.

A ceremony that was not necessary and for the Bolton couple was just a formality.

—Finally we did it, Ron!— Said Selma to her now husband.

—Until death do us part!— Responded Ron as he took her by the waist to bring his body closer to hers and kissed her as if it were the first time.

The Bolton couple was already indisposed by the consumption of intoxicating drinks and all kinds of drugs; long before a celebration that was not planned to take place.

No one, at that moment, could have imagined what these two newlyweds would carry out years later in the town where they swore to love each other and form a family.

Human behaviors are full of surprises and in many cases their emotional unhealthiness leads them to lose their sanity, to the point of doing things so unimaginable to their peers that they seem to be the work of the devil himself.

They lived away from the town in an old wooden mansion owned by a man they called the librarian. Old furniture and books of all kinds at their disposal.

Over the years, something was missing that the Boltons considered their home. Hopefully, they would have stayed alone and isolated until the end of their days. The story for an innocent one was about to change, when Mrs. Selma Bolton saw in the newspaper a few weeks ago, the report about an orphanage in New York.

Larisa waiting on a bench.

Larisa

People who stop believing in God or goodness often still believe in the devil.

Anne Rice

Larisa

Everything seemed endless. But everything in life has a beginning and an end. For Larisa, the end of her torment took too much time. At 15 years old, with a lot of dreams still unfulfilled, the idea of escaping, of taking flight, without thinking and without any particular destination, was the most appropriate.

It was a cold winter night. Sitting on a metal bench, she rubbed her hands to give them some warmth, while she fixed her gaze on the roof of the rundown bus stop. Time seemed to conspire with the night and walked slowly. As if it wanted to stay exactly where it was.

This slow time gave Larisa more than enough reason to dive into her deepest thoughts. Some filled with sadness and others, the least, with joy.

The cold wind made her shiver. Sometimes, while she trembled, she looked in all directions, as if she knew that someone or something could prevent her from leaving.

Finally the bus arrived and she rushed up stumbling through the aisle, while the rest of the passengers ignored her; as if she didn't exist. She sat at the end. She curled up and closed her eyes to fall deeply asleep.

◆◆◆

The first five years of Larisa's life were spent in an orphanage. She was a girl with white skin as sea foam, which contrasted with her hair as black as night. She was a clever girl, always said Miss Haley Brown from the Homeless Child orphanage, every time they had visits from potential adoptive parents.

Perhaps, these five years were where Larisa's thoughts of happy days came from. Of course, they were fewer if you consider that the memories of the first two or three years of life are practically nonexistent. But for her, the small flashes of happiness were enough to cling to life as much as she could.

It wasn't until she turned six that a couple no more than forty finally saw her during one of their visits to the orphanage and decided that little Larisa was the one to become a part of their family.

—Today you're lucky, Larisa— Miss Brown said, very excitedly, as she fixed her uniform and quickly combed her hair a bit.

—Why, Miss Brown?— Larisa asked insistently, while looking at the director's happy face.

—Today, you'll have a new family, so you must behave very well— replied Miss Brown.

—A new family!— Larisa repeated in amazement, as her face lit up and she told Miss Brown to hurry up with making her presentable.

As soon as Miss Brown finished fixing Larisa, she took her hand and before leaving the room where she slept for so many nights, she let go of the director's hand and ran to her small bed to grab an old rag doll.

Lara was the name of the doll. It had been her only link to her real family.

They walked down the hall and on the way, Miss Brown advised her so that everything would go well for her and for her new parents.

Finally, upon reaching the door, Larisa saw at the back of the director's office, the man and woman who would take her away.

The two were distracted, looking at the dozens of recognition paintings that the orphanage had. Miss Brown coughed a bit deliberately to announce their presence.

Turning around, they ignored Miss Brown and fixed their gaze on Larisa with a smile