It's Still Life

Beyond an Intersection Named After an English King and a Saint
Six Sentence Story: Day 8 Part 2

Et Scriptum Est — And It’s Written

Continued from Part One

“Nick—what?” He points under the table at the book—words etching blink-fast across the page: “The word invasive will fill his head; he will question if this book reads him as he reads it.”

Each consonant spikes resistance in his voice, “It’s invasive—how dare it unravel my autonomy—a fucking book,” … and I sit down next to him, “If this book wants to be read, it has found its reader,” my voice floats into the vaulted ceilings of Duke Humfrey’s Library, “this book is not finished with you, Nick, besides, what’s more dangerous—a book you read or a book that reads you.”

New words scrawl across the page—I can hear the nib’s tip scratching the paper; words and symbols, then more symbols than words, “A woman named Brigid will pick up this book; she will understand what she sees,” and as I do, so too I understand the words shifting into symbols and shapes that flow off the page and float across the table—I am curiously calm; my pulse slows; it is a knowing, not a warning.

Nick silently watches the symbols swamp the table, and I whisper in his ear, “It’s the Runes of Honorius, the Theban alphabet,” —he just nods toward the symbols, “That book isn’t finished fucking with you either, Brigid.”

I gather myself inward and place my hands amongst the symbols that twirl and spin like an eddy, “Who are you?” I demand, and new ink whorls across the page, “I am Alexander Drummond of Auchterarder—the healer of Kirktoun.”

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Written for Denise’s Six Sentence Story including the word “tip”.   Some artwork is created using Midjourney AI, and is identified as such in the ALT text or captioned. Images are copyright and not to used without permission, which I willingly give when asked, and when not for commercial use. Imagery and poems/prose ©Misky 2006-2024.