DEATH
I was standing in the center of a completely white room. I could barely make out the corners of the walls among all that white. It was very confusing. I also had the impression that I should not move, but I did not know why. I moved one foot forward. The floor tilted slightly, revealing a patch of sky between the joints of the walls. I blinked frantically, looking for a landmark. Then I saw it. It was a straight, almost invisible line that stretched from one end of the room to the other, dividing it in two. In fact, it was also on the walls and even on the ceiling. There must have been beams attached behind the fronts that would probably rotate if pressed.
I wanted to test my theory with the wall opposite, but to do that, I had to step on the line that stretched at my feet. One step to the side and I would topple into the void. Sweat was beading on my forehead. I slowly moved my leg forward. I managed to take three steps and then lost my balance. I ran to the opposite wall while the floor wobbled on its axis. Carried away by my momentum, I pressed myself against the wall, my feet fanning out. I waited until everything stopped moving and stepped back a little. Then I pressed with all my strength on the bottom of the wall which swung as expected on itself, dragging all the others. Still clinging to the wall -I didn't know how-, I was now outside the room, my body stuck to this big cube floating in the void.
I moved carefully along the white façade until I reached a corner. I applied a little pressure and the surface opened slightly so that I could slip inside. The corners readjusted. I found myself in what appeared to be a charming tea room. A pretty chandelier hung from the ceiling and a huge display case went around the room, offering more teas than I had ever seen. All the jars were filled to the brim with expertly dried and rolled leaves and flowers, each with a different name. There was also a table in the center of the room, surrounded by a few chairs. A teapot sat prominently on it, along with cups. I chose a tea jar at random, named "Shadows".
I cautiously walked over to the table, clutching my jar, but apparently the room was now stable. I sat down with relief on a chair and examined the cup in front of me. It was decorated in the same way as the teapot, with lots of ribbons and gilding. There was also a spoon, and tongs to grip the tea. I unscrewed my jar and scooped out a small amount of leaves, then lifted the lid of the teapot and carefully placed the tea inside. No sooner had I closed the lid than it began to smoke violently, releasing large, fragrant puffs. I stared at the wisps, fascinated. It seemed to me that I could make out an arm, then another. A small form of steam seemed to want to come out of the mouth of the teapot.
It finally arrived there and under the impulse of its feet, flew away of a few centimeters. Then another one appeared, obviously having as much trouble as the first one to get out of the narrow tube. Once she did, both of them gathered at the end of the spout and helped the third one out.
-”Are you surprised?” asked a steamy shadow.
-”No, not really. This spout is so narrow," I said. They smiled. Well, it was only the shadow of a smile. Or the smile of a shadow.
-”Do you mind if I pour myself a cup?”
All three nodded, watching my movements. I cautiously poured myself a cup of tea and then asked them if they wanted some too. They refused and came to sit on the edge of my cup.
-”By the way, who are you?” I asked. One of the three small shapes hid behind the other.
-”Who are we?” Well, shadows," said the first. “Didn't you read what was written on the jar?”
-”Yes, of course, but I mean...”
-”You mean?” I fell silent and they giggled. The shy one put her head on my finger. Then they sighed.
-”We are shadows detached from their bodies.”
-”Detached?”
-”Yes. I mean, you know everyone has a shadow, right?”
“I am joking”, she added hastily in front of my exasperated air. She jumped for a moment then continued:
-”Our bodies have no more shadows.”
-”We've separated from them”, the other added proudly.
-”Oh”, I said flatly. They seemed to be waiting for something.
-”And why?” I asked. This time, it was the second one who spoke up;
-”If you are no longer true to yourself, your shadow is no longer true to you. When you change, a part of you dies.” The other two agreed vigorously.
-”If we don't have anyone to follow, if our body is no longer in tune with itself, then we've decided to let it go. We're dead.”
-”No, not really. This spout is so narrow," I said. They smiled. Well, it was only the shadow of a smile. Or the smile of a shadow.
-”Do you mind if I pour myself a cup?”
All three nodded, watching my movements. I cautiously poured myself a cup of tea and then asked them if they wanted some too. They refused and came to sit on the edge of my cup.
-”By the way, who are you?” I asked. One of the three small shapes hid behind the other.
-”Who are we?” Well, shadows," said the first. “Didn't you read what was written on the jar?”
-”Yes, of course, but I mean...”
-”You mean?” I fell silent and they giggled. The shy one put her head on my finger. Then they sighed.
-”We are shadows detached from their bodies.”
-”Detached?”
-”Yes. I mean, you know everyone has a shadow, right?”
“I am joking”, she added hastily in front of my exasperated air. She jumped for a moment then continued:
-”Our bodies have no more shadows.”
-”We've separated from them”, the other added proudly.
-”Oh”, I said flatly. They seemed to be waiting for something.
-”And why?” I asked. This time, it was the second one who spoke up;
-”If you are no longer true to yourself, your shadow is no longer true to you. When you change, a part of you dies.” The other two agreed vigorously.
-”If we don't have anyone to follow, if our body is no longer in tune with itself, then we've decided to let it go. We're dead.”
It was starting to get foggy.
-”In fact it's wrong to say ‘He is the shadow of himself.’ You should say ‘He lost the shadow of himself.’ I'm sure they got it wrong," grumbled the first one.
-”But that's a bit scary, isn't it?” I don't want to lose my shadow, I said, scanning my body.
-”You have nothing to fear!” they answered in chorus.
-”If you want, you can even have four shadows, we'll add to that”, said the bold one. My shadow twitched slightly.
-”No thanks, that's nice, but I...” They had already moved on, leaning over my cup.
-”It seems to be the right temperature for tea”, one of them murmured. She put her leg over the edge.
-”Be careful!”, I said suddenly. But they were already climbing into my cup, as if it were a nice bath, disappearing as they came into contact with the water.
I shouted "nooo!" and tried desperately to fish them out, but my fingers only grasped vaguely moist air. I panicked and spilled the cup on the tablecloth. Then I woke up.
-”In fact it's wrong to say ‘He is the shadow of himself.’ You should say ‘He lost the shadow of himself.’ I'm sure they got it wrong," grumbled the first one.
-”But that's a bit scary, isn't it?” I don't want to lose my shadow, I said, scanning my body.
-”You have nothing to fear!” they answered in chorus.
-”If you want, you can even have four shadows, we'll add to that”, said the bold one. My shadow twitched slightly.
-”No thanks, that's nice, but I...” They had already moved on, leaning over my cup.
-”It seems to be the right temperature for tea”, one of them murmured. She put her leg over the edge.
-”Be careful!”, I said suddenly. But they were already climbing into my cup, as if it were a nice bath, disappearing as they came into contact with the water.
I shouted "nooo!" and tried desperately to fish them out, but my fingers only grasped vaguely moist air. I panicked and spilled the cup on the tablecloth. Then I woke up.