THE MYSTERIOUS POWER OF WORDS

A strange book

« Hi, hunn! You again! », she said, merrily swirling. She was delightful in her yellow skirt. Her flashy pink blouse gave the impression she was about to be part of a Gay Pride or that she was going to a casting for a tv advert. Her bright grin made difficult to give her an age. Was she young or middle-aged? I didn't really know. More seriously, she said « I'm usually glad to see you, babe, but sorry, I won't be your toy tonight! ». My toy ? I thought! What kind of toy? What was she talking about? « You know I could be anyone you want, but not today. No, not today! ». Was I the only one in here, right now? How to know? Was I the one to whom she was talking to ? « Today is too important for playing. I'm so sorry to disappoint you. You may come back another day », she cried out. She flipped her auburn medium length hair, winking with a disarming smile.

I couldn't smell her perfume and I couldn't touch her. So I only could look at her, almost flying accross the room, as light as a ballerina.

Suddenly, she became angry. « What did you expect? », she barked. « I'm not gonna metamorphose at your will anymore! Timeout!!! », and she faded-out, letting me alone on a blank page!

« So … hey!... » I shouted, « ...where am I?... Is there anybody here? … Anyone?... », but no words brought out! I mean, no sound brought out of my mouth. All of my words and all of my thoughts appeared instantaneously on the blank page as written words! As if I was a kind of writing machine! But I couldn't see a cog, a wheel or a machinery. Moreover, I couldn't see anything in this large space where nothing is. There was no wall, no roof, no floor, nothing! I only felt I was made of words, ideas and emotions (lots of emotions I had never felt before), but nothing concrete. It was not a physical space. It was a kind of abstract and subjective universe. I was like enshrouded by letters, characters, typefaces. I was completely dizzy! ... In fact, no. I felt I was no more a human being! I was the signs!!! I didn't feel my body anymore! I had no hands, no head, no legs! I had no body! I was nobody! It was awful! Suddenly I reminded that Simon and Garfunkel' song : « And the sign flashed out its warning, in the words that it was forming ... » It was frightful! I had fallen in « the Sound of Silence » and it happened without warning!! In fact, it is frightful, right now!

How did that happen? How is this possible? I was quietly reading that strange book I discovered in a very old bookshop. The book was among a collection of other ancient books locked up in a wooden crate. The title was « The Mysterious Power of words ». No author's name. The book was very thick. The cover was made of light brown leather. It was heavy. I could smell that it had remained in the crate for years! I felt I had discovered a real treasure. Sure I did!

Back home, I decided to enjoy my new purchase, and I comfortably sat down on the sofa, ready to immerse myself in my new old book. I began to read. Suddenly, in a tenth of a second, I was thrown away on this blank page (which is no more blank, as I am trying to think-write, or to write-think, I don't know how to say-write …). I didn't expect to be immersed in the book that much!!!

To be continued ...