A while ago, you have met a young man. Naive, having trouble articulating words in his nervosity. He said he was a student before the Pause. Cracks in the lenses of his glasses. He said :
"I'm taking notes on people. Compiling archives. I'm interested in anyone's past experiences, lives, ordinary or extraordinary. I want to build a library. To give the world a kind of silent witness. In a library, silence is required because beautiful stories don't tolerate exterior noises, you know. We can't let the lives of all those people die." (gestured to a group at the entrance of a cathedral, waiting to know if they would be allowed to take shelter there.) "I just have a few questions to ask you, you... you just have to write down your answers and I won't bother you after that."
You complied, not sure why. You felt like it wouldn't be too much to give. Maybe you wanted to talk about the past, to prove to yourself that it used to be real, concrete.
He gave you a list.
NAME :
AGE :
PROFESSION BEFORE THE PAUSE :
A GOOD MEMORY :
A BAD ONE :
THINGS YOU LIKED TO EAT :
A THING YOU HAVE KEPT WITH YOU BEYOND THE PAUSE, OR WOULD HAVE LIKED TO :
THINGS YOU FIND/FOUND INSPIRING :
A REGRET :
WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY DIRECTLY TO A FUTURE READER :
You wrote, gave him his file back. He thanked you and left, trying to find more stories, more memories.
You knew there would never be a library.
"I'm taking notes on people. Compiling archives. I'm interested in anyone's past experiences, lives, ordinary or extraordinary. I want to build a library. To give the world a kind of silent witness. In a library, silence is required because beautiful stories don't tolerate exterior noises, you know. We can't let the lives of all those people die." (gestured to a group at the entrance of a cathedral, waiting to know if they would be allowed to take shelter there.) "I just have a few questions to ask you, you... you just have to write down your answers and I won't bother you after that."
You complied, not sure why. You felt like it wouldn't be too much to give. Maybe you wanted to talk about the past, to prove to yourself that it used to be real, concrete.
He gave you a list.
NAME :
AGE :
PROFESSION BEFORE THE PAUSE :
A GOOD MEMORY :
A BAD ONE :
THINGS YOU LIKED TO EAT :
A THING YOU HAVE KEPT WITH YOU BEYOND THE PAUSE, OR WOULD HAVE LIKED TO :
THINGS YOU FIND/FOUND INSPIRING :
A REGRET :
WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY DIRECTLY TO A FUTURE READER :
You wrote, gave him his file back. He thanked you and left, trying to find more stories, more memories.
You knew there would never be a library.