How The Book Cartwheeled

Six Sentence Stories is a weekly writers’ challenge hosted by Denise at Girlie on the Edge blog. This week’s cue word is: BOOK

Image: Solidarity With Ukraine, by Ford

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How The Book Cartwheeled

Imagine a child – some carefree girl, cartwheeling across meadows in perfect liberty, her hair the colour of the yellow sun, her eyes pale blue as the wintry sky… this image is what The Book thought to crush as it traversed the besieged land in pursuit of glory only a madman author might dare to draft.

The Book, mean-spirited and war-hungry, cartwheeled on, the sharp corners of its covers ripping up earth and flowers, its pages fluttering like the skirts and petticoats of that carefree girl we mentioned earlier, and of the likes The Book dreamed to crush.

The Book cartwheeled into towns and cities, firing off a multitude of bookmarks marking mistruths and misconceptions as sharp as razor blades; yet it claimed to be an open book – more lies, for its pages were written in code and blood, and deep inside its narrative were cut-out sections nesting revolvers and ammunition.

The Book didn’t care it was ripping out its pages to deceive and disarm the defender – for The Book believed it could rewrite itself over on an endless supply of crisp, blank leaves, and it drew strength from the column of other books which cartwheeled behind it: a mobilised mobile library of printed words bull-headed as bombs and sharp as sabres, each tome blindly devoted to the propaganda of their leader.

However… The Book (for all its perceived intelligence) couldn’t foresee that the loyal books behind it might one day lay down their spines and pages and unbind themselves from their leader – The Book, who turned with dismay to see cover after cover and edition after edition quitting the besieged land to return home in peace.

The Book became furious, and it unleashed its final pages as scything missiles to torch the capitol and bring down to rubble all buildings and hope, until it came to its final page… a page left blank… white space… like fallen snow and the plumage of doves, and preceded by two simple words: The End.         

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Editor’s note: My Six Sentence Story this week is written in solidarity with Ukraine for the horrors and injustice the government and people there are facing after the attack on its sovereignty by Russian forces. The Mage sends love, light, spirit and healing to all concerned, and wishes to extend to Russia the call for immediate ceasefire and withdrawal. Respect and courage go out to all Russian civilians who are bravely protesting and speaking out against what their government is doing.

Let love win!

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Extra… As this week’s Six Sentence Story prompt word is ‘BOOK’ I would like to take the opportunity to invite you to the book launch party of a fellow Sixarian writer – Chris Hall, whose book launch is this Friday (04 March) – please check out Chris’s site Luna’s on line for the details!

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Thanks for reading – Ford

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The Mage stands in solidarity.

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How The Book Cartwheeled by Ford. March 03. 2022. ‘Solidarity With Ukraine’ by Ford. March 03. 2022.