The pages of this book are not bound to the spine, loose but without glue to their edge; of different sizes, colors, textures, and even materials. Each page is written in different, unique scrawl, denoting different authors. It appears that this is a collection of pages from such things as transcripts, letters, journals, diaries, and more. It is not known who collected these entries or how, but one thing is very apparent as you read: they wanted to expose the human condition as seen by we various residents of this strange world.
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Picking up the book to read in your hands, a few pages slide out.
One of them is this yellowing letter, the one you read first:
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I can show you just what you're missing. Aren't you tired staying here? Aren't you tired sitting here in this lonely town, this place of few neighbors, few interactions, few opportunities? I'm so tired, Mariam. Ever since I saw my first map, all I wanted to do was go on an adventure. I wanted to visit these places, see for myself what they were beyond plots on paper. I wanted out. And so did you, right? Didn't everybody's kid, at some point? And yet, that initiative seemed to skip most of this town's generation. Our generation.
We've been here for decades, Mariam. We've met all there is to meet here. We've watched Susan and Harold's kid grow up and leave on her own at a third our age. We've watched Jared's twins on the television, participating in national events, the fame in their eyes. The neighbor's children are growing up faster than we have, Mariam. They are out there, enjoying life, living it to the fullest. They left when they first saw the opportunity. They wanted to break out of this place, out of the mediocre; out of their own confines, out of the stigma of being an adventurer to those sheltered kids. Sheltered kids like we once were.
I'm done being tired, Mariam. I'm done sitting down here and thinking to myself that this is all we can ever amount to, to just being friendly people. I'm done putting on the same face, saying the same things to the same people, and getting the same responses, while the new generation makes their way out into the world to become grand.
Will you come with me? We can leave this small place. We can be somebody. We can have a real identity. When we challenge others, we can do it with authority. We can say we worked this hard to get to where we stand today. We can have our own companions. They can fight alongside us. They can help us go beyond places we've never imagined! Aren't you curious, Mariam? We aren't too old to step into the tall grass, and live a life we've missed for fourty-odd years.
All I need is a yes from you, Mariam. You look at me with the same, searching eyes whenever I hint at something greater. I can see it in you, Mariam. You want the same thing. You want something greater. Let's become great together.
We've been here for decades, Mariam. We've met all there is to meet here. We've watched Susan and Harold's kid grow up and leave on her own at a third our age. We've watched Jared's twins on the television, participating in national events, the fame in their eyes. The neighbor's children are growing up faster than we have, Mariam. They are out there, enjoying life, living it to the fullest. They left when they first saw the opportunity. They wanted to break out of this place, out of the mediocre; out of their own confines, out of the stigma of being an adventurer to those sheltered kids. Sheltered kids like we once were.
I'm done being tired, Mariam. I'm done sitting down here and thinking to myself that this is all we can ever amount to, to just being friendly people. I'm done putting on the same face, saying the same things to the same people, and getting the same responses, while the new generation makes their way out into the world to become grand.
Will you come with me? We can leave this small place. We can be somebody. We can have a real identity. When we challenge others, we can do it with authority. We can say we worked this hard to get to where we stand today. We can have our own companions. They can fight alongside us. They can help us go beyond places we've never imagined! Aren't you curious, Mariam? We aren't too old to step into the tall grass, and live a life we've missed for fourty-odd years.
All I need is a yes from you, Mariam. You look at me with the same, searching eyes whenever I hint at something greater. I can see it in you, Mariam. You want the same thing. You want something greater. Let's become great together.
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You have decided to name this letter "Old Souls".
You have decided to name this letter "Old Souls".
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