The Book of Not: The Book of Stories

{ Each translation only has one word following "The Story of." }

1. We step into the lobby and the little cackling man only gives us one ticket.
2. One ticket only. [One per customer, one per diem.]
3. He looks like Peter Lorre, and has his snorting, giggling laugh.
4. The left theatre has a thick concrete arch, inscribed with capital letters that say "SPACE".
5. Peering into the theatre, we see a black and white science fiction movie.
6. A policeman is taking off his glaring white hat and squinting into a matte-painting sky [for something he knows is not there.]
7. His mouth moves, but we are too far away to hear what he says, and we only have one ticket.
8. The right theatre has a red velvet curtain bound up with a gold sash.
9. There is a metal sign over the entrance, painted blue with red square letters: "Time." [on your side]
10. Inside, on the screen, we can make out an early Technicolor musical.
11. The garish gold headdresses and the blue-green flared sleeves of the dancers and singers look strangely inviting in the muffled silence of the lobby.
12. Inside [you think] there will be music as frenetic and exciting as the dancers.
13. We only have one ticket.
14. The color bleeds into the white marble floor of the dance hall and even into the blackness of the theater, through some unknown optical [illusion] [trick] [truth].

A B C
Easy as uno dos tres
Count them up
There they go.
Their mouths move.
But no sound comes out.
The PooBah and the HangNail and the SnotOnAllYou, they wander into "Time."
The TinTruth and the ThreeFear and the TorridWhore stride into "SPACE."

The ones in "Time" are brought there by the simple pleasures of the colors on the screen and the noises which we think might be playing.

The ones in "SPACE" are lured by the promise of some secret, of some insight which they might find by sitting and waiting.

The "Time" people don't watch what's on the screen, because they're eating popcorn, making out, idly throwing jujy fruits at the screen, or picking fights with each other.

The "SPACE" people don't really watch what's on the screen either, because they are carefully looking at each other, identifying each other and figuring out where everyone is sitting.

And it is because of this, that they do not realize that the films have been switched.

END OF INTERMISSION

1. You want to know where we sit.
2. You want to know where we go.
3. With our one ticket.
4. If you look to the far right, you'll see the restrooms.
5. The restrooms are grimy and empty [and they wait for footsteps that are not there.]
6. Beyond the restrooms is a metal door marked "WARNING: OPENING THIS DOOR WILL SOUND ALARM."
7. It will also let the sunlight in.
8. We have one ticket.
9. Next to that door is an unmarked door, blank white and forbiddingly clean.
10. I will tell you where it goes.

There is a claustrophobically narrow and steep staircase.

HERE

There is a small, small room, with long strips of film hanging, shiny, like intestines, from the ceiling.

HERE

The projectors clatter away, chattering like old women on the telephone, the soundtracks and the voices mingling and forming strange distant phrases.

HERE

It is all becoming clear.

HERE

We can see the light streaking down to the screens, mottled by dust.

HERE

There is power.

HERE

There is a secret.

1. There is a third projector.
2. You want to know what it will show.
3. The cartridge is loaded.
4. The film is threaded.
5. The projector is plugged in. [And there is power there.]
6. And it only waits for you to press the switch.
7. But if you do not want to press the switch, there is always the other door.
8. Its red metal plate bears the imprint of many of our hands.
9. And the sun never sets outside that door. [There is much smoking in that auditorium.]
10. That is your choice, and that is our choice.
11. Up and in? Or out?
12. Choose quickly, now. The popcorn is getting stale.