BHS Inkwell 2017-2018

“Do you want me to pay you?” “No! No. Not for something like this.” She closes her eyes. “Why are you here?” We gather here to honor the tradition of justice in our Republic. These souls were led astray, and now must be cut off. We are the vine, and they the sick and broken branches. “Because.” She looks up, down, back out the alley to the light. Don’t throw it away. For a curious urge. To satisfy an evil impulse. She gazes down to the broken old woman, where a shadow of a light post falls across her wrinkled face. In the far damp end of the alley lies a blue flag with its circling stars soggy and brown with mud. “That all?” “Yes, I think so.” “Alright, alright. Your story.” She rubs her hands together. “Once upon a time–” “What does that mean?” She blushes. “I’m sorry for interrupting.” “It’s convention with this sort of story. If you come back, you’ll learn, and believe me, girl

like you, you won’t. So don’t worry about it. Once upon a time, there was a young girl who had all of her exchanges of Necessary Information in front of the transmitter. She always kept the television on. One day the local distributions agent came to her door and gave her a loaf of bread to give to her grandmother, because he was too busy and could not be bothered. She tied on a red kerchief and walked down the road. While on her way she met a wolf.” “What is a wolf ?” “It’s like a dog, but of a better pedigree.” “I don’t think that’s Necessary Information.” “And I am a story monger. If you are going to listen to a story, knowing about wolves and ‘once upon a time’ is Necessary Information. Wolves are long gone from these parts.They are far too toothy for the Republic.This young girl met a wolf. She greeted him politely. He told her that she should take the bread for herself and eat it, and that she should go off into the woods and see the flowers. I will not go with you, she said.The woods are dangerous, and knowledge of them is Unnecessary. My grandmother

Beret Wilkins

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