Bright! Yes, it is--no, wait! It is
dark. How did it get so very, very dark? And quiet! Oh, very quiet. There
was noise, I remember it. A loud blare like the inimitable screech
of the largest goose our world has ever known. It was so loud, coming in
intervals and each interval got louder and louder and louder!--and
stopped. Why did it stop? Perhaps it didn't. Perhaps the noise after that
was so loud that it was impossible to hear the blare any longer. Oh, but
that couldn't be, no! The blare was too loud to have been drowned out by
those simple noises that followed. In fact, those noises were not loud at
all. Very quiet. A small click and, and--yes, a person! A person talking!
He was offering something--no! He was asking a question. Maybe both.
Maybe both offering something and asking a question. Is that logical?
Does that make sense? No, it can't! Unless he was trying to sell
something. I can't remember what the question was. I didn't answer
him--was it him...or her? No, it was definitely him.
What would he be selling anyway? Surely not a product. No, it couldn't
have been. It was late--yes, late! I remember now! The sun had set long
ago and...and... where was I? Outside? Inside? I must've been
outside--otherwise, how could I have known that the time was night? I
must've been outside--yes, yes I was! I remember the wind. That cool,
steady breeze. But it changed. The black surface--wait! Was it black?
What was it? A floor perhaps, with smooth, black tiles? No, it wasn't
smooth. It was coarse, and besides, I was outside. There could be no
tiles outside. Ah, but roads? Could that have been it? They are not truly
black, but could appear so at night. It changed though. Slowly and
steadily, more and more of it became lighter. Then everything was
bright...and loud...I felt something.
