Welcome to Stories from Among the Stars.

You're listening to The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean, narrated by Katie Eric.

Chapter 5, The Hazel Eyes of Hester.

Present day.

Regardless of their origins, I believe the eaters have been with us for centuries at a minimum.

I am reminded of the myth of Vitholas in India, described as evil spirits.

They are class as a kind of early vampire myth, yet unlike the Pissaja, another creature from Sanskrit legend, the Vithelas are not bloodsuckers. Instead, they are more like causes of

mayhem, lurking in darkness, and known for their vast knowledge and deep insight.

Sound familiar? For me, this myth overlaps heavily with what we know of book eaters.

Amarinda Patel, paper and flesh, a secret history.

A sense of unease settled across Devon's shoulders as she ducked into the Crowsnest Pub.

She paused in the entryway, trying to suss out the source of her anxiety.

Hot air blasted her cheeks and neck, negating the pleasant outside chill as the glass door closed softly behind.

A tattered wall poster suggested ten helpful ways to spot cancer. It seemed out of

place for a pub. Could eaters even get cancer? One of the many things Devin didn't know about her own

kind. Girls weren't told things unless they needed to know. She craned her head, peering into the main

area.

High ceilings, plastic chandeliers, wooden floors shot through with cracks,

and streetlights blinking through leaded windows.

Flaking tinsel draped the walls and a plastic tree lurched in the corner,

hung with Poundland baubles.

Most people wore bright colours and cringe-worthy Christmas tops,

...