This "legendary tome" is a hardcover school journal (the kind with the black and white splotches all over the front and back). On the front cover is the legend "Necronomicon Ex Mortis -- the Book of the Dead. Do not Open!" in red-inked block letters. There are also some odd symbols strewn throughout the book (most are astrological or slightly "occult" in nature, a few are symbols from heavy metal bands like Led Zepplin and Iron Maiden). The inside-back cover is enscribed with crude drawings of skulls and the signatures of various horror-fiction writers (Clive Barker, Ramsey Campell, Rick Hautala, Nancy Collins).

Inside the book is some exceptionally bad goth poetry and the fragment of a horror story entitled "The Cryptik (sic) Cipher." The author's name has been scratched out. In the margins of the book are various names written in what appears to be dried blood.

When a target's name is written into the book with the writer's blood, that target will experience horrifying nightmares, break out in cold sweat, hear the creaking of stairs late at night and generally have a bad night's sleep. In order to affect the target again, a fresh name must be enscribed. The book has been floating around for a few years now and is believed to have been created by some angst-ridden teen (Calligramancer?) in the early 1990's.

Contrary to the various warnings and the ominous tone of the cover, the only negative effects of reading the book are maybe some eye strain and a slightly pessimistic view of the nation's public schools...