Two Weeks And A Day

Day 9

Prompt: One morning, Joe wakes up to find that his poems are controlling the universe, if he reads them out loud. The next, it's any words he speaks. And now people are wondering why he just walked into the shopping district with Duck Tape over his mouth.

Joe smiled as he looked at the poem he'd just finished writing. It was a rather short commentary on a frozen moment of time, looking out from the crow's nest of Cleo's ship. He showed it to Cleo, and she insisted that he read it out loud. He chuckled, and proceeded.

"Imagine, if you will, a dazzling summer sky-"

The gathering clouds abruptly vanished. Joe and Cleo looked up at the sky, concerned, as an angry message from Impulse blipped onto their communicators. Cleo pulled out a journal, eyes wide, and quickly scribbled something in it.

"What's going on, Cleo?"

"It appears that certain things are able to progress to the next loop." Cleo stated nonchalantly, not looking up from the book.

"Loop? What are you talking about?"

"I don't have enough evidence yet, but you'll find out."

"...Okay."

As Cleo flew off, Joe's eyes followed her, dumbfounded. He folded up the poem, and put it in his pocket. Apparently words were power after all.

Time Skip brought to you by the nature of existence, or a lack of knowledge on the matter.

Joe woke up in the middle of the night to a sudden noise. He got up, and walked around. The path he walked along was dusty, and for lack of something better to do, he complained aloud about it.

The moment the words left his mouth, the dust vanished. In a blind panic, he ran back to the Ministry of Truth. He rummaged through chests, barrels, and shulker boxes. It was nowhere to be found. Sighing, he spoke:

"I have tape in my hand." Surprisingly, this worked. A roll of 'Duck Tape' appeared in his hand, and he could practically hear whatever being cursed him with these powers laughing at some kind of ridiculous in-joke. He rolled his eyes, and taped over his mouth. If whatever he said would come true, then he couldn't risk speaking.

*muffled Time Skip noises*

Joe walked through the shopping district, selling stuff to ConCorp to pay off his debts, when he bumped into Cub himself. Intrigued, Cub walked over.

"Why've you got tape over your mouth?"

Joe shot Cub a Look in response, which seemed to ask why it was any of Cub's business. In that moment, Cleo walked in. She took one look at Joe, and asked:

"It spread from the poem, huh?"

Joe nodded sadly.

"Well then, why can't you just ask for it to go away?" Cleo explained in a matter-of-fact tone. And so Joe cautiously peeled the tape off his face, despite it hurting, and nervously spoke:

"I am free of this curse."

But before anyone could find out what the result of the attempt was, Cleo looked up at the sky, muttered an "Oh no", and hurried out of the room.

What could be up with Cleo? You'll see!

By the way, the poem is:

Imagine, if you will, a dazzling summer sky,

The wind whistles in your ears as a bird floats laz'ly by.

A magnificent view to ev'ry end of the earth,

And in this moment, ev'ry sight has much worth. 

Cupra, signing off from the past!