Instant Classics: Look

Look

Imagine that slowly the world that you could see began to narrow... shrinking until it was a slit... well lighted, intense colors-no matter which way you turned... where you walked or ran to, the slit remained. Closing your eyes... your dreams and thoughts took on the sense of the slit. It was inescapable. It became the world. You got used to it and were able to learn some of the things you used to know-through and in the slit. You spoke with others. Their slit was the same as yours. It became usual and no one remembered otherwise. You found that you waited irresistibly for something ghastly to happen in the slit to stimulate you. Other people shared this same experience. You began to ask for the ghastly things to happen and considered doing something yourself to make them happen. After you had done some horrible things, others thanked you. They followed suit. Now everyone only spoke about these things and did them. There was a suspicion that somewhere there were people who did not see through a slit. That these people might think badly of what was happening and punish you. It was a passing worry. Imagine that one day it became possible to widen the field but only if everyone chose to do it... Imagine what the conversation would be like... Imagine that it is still going on.

-Edwin Schlossberg

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