Why page 13 becomes a stopping point to avoid
Triskaidekaphobia is a fear or strong aversion to the number 13. For this horror author, it turns an ordinary reading decision into a small rule: don’t put the book down on a page whose number ends in 13. If he notices he has reached one, he reads on until the next page.
A tiny ritual with a clear endpoint
The rule doesn’t require skipping pages or abandoning a book; it only postpones stopping. That makes the habit easy to carry out: one more page ends the uncomfortable moment and supplies a definite place to pause. The page number is printed on the book, but the meaning attached to it changes how the reader handles it.
It’s a memorable contrast for a horror writer: a fictional threat can be followed to its ending, while an everyday number can still dictate when the book closes.
