An unusually ornate wall clock hangs on the wall of the snow-white ward.
I don’t know where I got this antique clock from, but its golden copper case looks very heavy. From the base upward, it is decorated with curly grass, fringe ribbons, incense branches, birds, beasts and flying clouds. At the top of the clock dial is a spire with feet, similar to the shape of a gourd. The weird shape reminds people of an oil lamp at first glance, but if you observe the complicated patterns on it for a long time, you will gradually have the impression of a palace.
For half an hour, Chen Wei looked at this exotic old-fashioned wall clock at the bedside and listened to the ticking of seconds. Although this period of time meant nothing but suffering to him, the friends who came to visit the patient had a fulfilling life. First they ate the lunch they had brought with them as if no one else was around, and then drank the can of who-knows-what today. Espresso.
The copper seconds hand plays mechanically.
"Classmate Zhou, I remember I mentioned it to you once before."
"what do you mean?"
"That is to say, in terms of setting, Aladdin is actually Chinese. Although "One Thousand and One Nights" is a story spread by Arabs, the place where Aladdin lives in the story is what the Arabs knew at that time. The 'Far East' is the western part of China. The magician, as the villain of the story, comes from the Maghreb in northwest Africa, which was the land of sunset in the eyes of Arabs at that time. In other words, the magician, in order to pursue The universal magic lamp that makes wishes come true spans the entire ocean, all the way from the far west where the sun sets to the far east where the sun rises. I thought to myself, this is really amazing perseverance. Compared with being idle and loving to eat old things, For the Chinese Aladdin, a magician is more qualified to be the protagonist of the story, right? Instead of letting Aladdin make some random wishes with a magic lamp, we might as well throw him into the universe and fend for himself. Times have changed, and readers The taste of books has also become tricky. If I were to write this story now, I think it would be more interesting to focus on the story of the magician running from Africa to the east of the sea. Just talking about Aladdin, who would have thought that it happened in China? What about the story? But if you say that foreign magicians have traveled thousands of miles to the East to search for mysterious oriental magic weapons, everyone will become very interested, right? It will definitely be a big seller. I even thought of the name of the story, so why not How about just calling it "Journey to the East"?"
"That's really weird, classmate Chen."
"It's not a very strange name, is it?"
"No, I didn't mean the title you came up with. I meant the fact that a recurrence of heart disease can cause insanity."
"Am I insane now?"
"From the perspective of thinking leaps and bounds, there is a certain suspicion."
"I think so too. Because something appeared in front of me that shouldn't be here at all."
Chen Wei raised his hand and pointed at the wall clock and said in a normal tone: "Classmate Zhou, please explain why this valuable item appears in my ward."
"I brought it. Did you just watch me hang it up with your own eyes?"
"No, what I saw was hung up by the nurse who took care of me before. She used her proud height and terrifying jumping ability to jump to a height of more than two meters to lift such a heavy wall clock. Banging it on the wall. Judging from this skill, I think she might be saving the world after get off work. But when this happened, you just stood aside and gave orders like a government employee. Speaking of Here, I have to ask, classmate Zhou, why can you order a superhero to do such an outrageous thing?"
The girl sitting beside the bed combed her hair with her fingers, and then replied matter-of-factly: "Because this is the hospital in my name."
"Where should I start? I don't know whether to doubt the authenticity of your words or the legitimacy of the existence of this hospital... There are thousands of words to say, let's go back to the original question. Classmate Zhou, why do you want me to Hang an antique clock in your hospital room?”
"Because this clock is the countdown to your life."
Chen Wei straightened his upper body unconsciously and asked in an upright manner: "What does this mean?"
"That's what it means, classmate Chen. When the clock stops moving, you will die."
"The doctor's instructions advised me to take a good rest in a quiet environment."
"The doctor's advice is correct. Please refrain from contacting any external information sources during this period."
"Then take this wall clock away too? It's very noisy."
"No. If the doctor's orders conflict with mine, please let me prevail."
Faced with such an impeccable speech, Chen Wei also said readily: "In that case, please hand me my mobile phone."
"Do I need to contact my family?"
"No, I want to call the police. Even as a friend, there is nothing we can do. At this point, we can only ask the police to immediately criminally detain the premeditated murderer in front of me. Since it is only the premeditated stage of the crime, we will be dealt with lightly. This is good for both of us. The best solution. Please rest assured, classmate Zhou. Although you did something like this to me, in the end we were friends, and I will give the media a fair evaluation of your reasons for embarking on a criminal path."
"I confiscated my mobile phone and the like first, Classmate Chen. This way you won't say anything to Classmate Zhang that may cause misunderstanding. I will do my best for other things."
"Do you mean to try your best to kill me?"
"Nothing of the sort. I'll do whatever it takes to keep this clock running."
In that case, just take it home and wind it up on time - he swallowed these words back in his stomach. It makes no sense to talk about common sense in this situation. If the goal is simply to fight for freedom, even a madman will have to obey the logic.
He organized his language and said, "Do you remember what we were talking about before we fell into coma?"
"Is it about sacrificing snacks to classmate Zhang?"
"A little before that."
"I don't have the energy to remember every word of yours, classmate Chen. What I have to deal with now is your life safety. I will do whatever it takes to do this, even if you think I'm going crazy."
"Do you know what it is called when an artist is deeply involved in creation and becomes crazy?"
Perhaps because she didn't understand the origin of the question, she remained silent.
"The ancient Greeks called it ecstasy. As one of the most important sources of literary theory in history, they have long noticed that poets will fall into a special state of heightened emotions and complete selflessness when creating. It is like a mentally disturbed person. Like patients, they are unaware of the present world as perceived by normal people, and instead are immersed in a transcendent world. In addition to poetry creation, religion and love may also produce similar feelings. But that is not a disease , because people who fall into ecstasy are completely normal at other times, and ecstasy itself is not only not destructive, but also brings incredible results. Some people even argue that ecstasy is the decisive talent for poetry creation. People who cannot feel ecstasy, no matter how much skill they have accumulated, cannot truly touch the threshold of poetry. But how is this kind of ecstasy caused? The ancient Greeks believed that it is not something that human reason can do. , but the result of being possessed by gods. The god of poetry - for the ancient Greeks, he is also the god of wine. Perhaps it is easier to come when people are drunk, and to bring the knowledge of being a god to mortals. On their bodies, they speak the language of God through their mouths. However, they also believe that there is a higher destiny above God. The Plato School proposed the original concept called "The One". The world illuminated by the One What is it like? It is the perfect world that casts the distorted shadow of the earth, that is, the world of reason. If the human soul can think of that world through the earth, it will fall into a higher world above the poetic ecstasy. The madness of reason is the madness of reason.”
"I'm not a poet, classmate Chen."
"But I'm trying to convince myself to understand you, classmate Zhou. Ecstasy is a transcendent feeling. It's really possible to run forward from where you stand, to see the heavenly scene from the earthly scene. ? I have never had this feeling myself, but several times, classmate Zhou, I have noticed that you are paying attention to things that I cannot detect. So as a patient with dissociative personality disorder, you will, because of your special mental state And obtain some kind of prophetic ecstasy? I have indeed heard a folk saying that multiple personalities are actually possessed by other souls. Souls that have experienced death have hidden memories of the afterlife. So it’s easier to comprehend knowledge that ordinary people can’t understand.”
She closed her eyes and finally said: "I can't decide your future, classmate Chen. Even if you die in the next second, it will only be because you gave up."
"Is death a bad thing? Frankly speaking, I think there is nothing more stable than life and death in the world. Animal sacrifices, idols, gods...these words will change their meanings with the changes of the times, but The concept of 'death' has not been misinterpreted. People can not only understand the death of humans, but also the death of animals and plants. However, people do not regard the extinguishing of flames and the evaporation of dew as death. Because they can distinguish between 'living things' and 'dead things' from the beginning. What is the absolute standard? Although it is impossible to give a perfect answer in words, people naturally know what is going on. It has not been misinterpreted for thousands of years. Why is it so, classmate Zhou?"
"that is because……"
She murmured, but did not say the answer.
"Because it is something that has never disappeared throughout the ages. God will disappear because the believers disappear. When God disappears, the matching idols and rituals will also disappear. Art will disappear because the carrier and creator disappear. Politics , laws, and all created things will disappear as long as there is no inheritance. But death will not, because 'death' means 'disappearing forever.' Making a wish to make death disappear is to make 'disappear' This concept disappears. Can you step into your own shadow? If it can be accepted that people cannot step into their own shadow, then death can also be accepted, right? Humans have spent a long history to accept this Is it okay? Now it’s time to stop being careful and look at it with a normal attitude. "
"not like this."
"What's the problem?"
"Because the raw part isn't done yet."
"Life is never enough. There was once a rich man who decided to euthanasia when he was sixty years old, and used this as a limit to squander his wealth and enjoy himself. However, when he actually reached the age, he couldn't bear to die at all. In the end, he could only die because of poverty. And became a beggar on the street. Do you think you are willing to live in such humiliation now? However, if you really get to that point, I don't want to hear the news of your suicide. One more day to live is one day, this is the instinctive mentality of human beings. Even so, my situation is another matter, because after all, it is not something I can control. The time of my death can be said to depend on God's will. What methods are you going to use to save me? If medicine If it doesn’t work, are you going to ask God to turn the clock directly?”
It was all nonsense that he said casually, but the visitor did not answer. After the second hand was noisy for a long time, she said slowly: "What if it really allows you to live as long as a god?"
"Classmate Zhou, when you play a role-playing game, do you separate the player and the character?"
"...I rarely play games."
"Well, I am the kind of person who advocates separation. For the character, the character controlled by the player is the comrade, partner, and relative, but what about the player himself? Although it can also be said to be a spiritual participant, the difference between the two The meanings are completely different. No matter how you engage in the play, the death of the character in the player's eyes is not a real death, but just an experience. The role as a character and the role as a player are not equivalent at all. Is it understandable to say this? Although there are people who claim to regard virtual characters as real people, I maintain an attitude of complete distrust. In my opinion, most of the attitudes that regard characters as real people are just kitsch. It’s just a social performance. In the same way, can a person possessed by a god still be regarded as the same as before?”
By the way, the app I’m using recently, [\Mi\Mi\Reading\app\\], is supported by Android and Apple phones!
The clock under the magic lamp ticked.
"That's not to say that I think becoming a god is a bad thing. However, classmate Zhou, the change in 'vision' brings more than just a change in ability. If I can live as long as a god, maybe we won't We are no longer friends. I say this as if you died heroically. No, I don’t mean that at all. I am reminding you that human faith is very fragile. Let alone becoming a god, if you take me If we stay locked up in this ward for a month, we probably won’t be friends anymore. My paper for the appreciation of ancient Greek literature is due next Wednesday. If I don’t get a high enough score, plus the current
If the absenteeism rate is high, I might have to delay my graduation. "
Regarding his desire to pass, the visitor completely ignored him and was immersed in his own thoughts. Her fingertips resting on her knees trembled slightly, as if she was experiencing severe emotional ups and downs.
"So, classmate Chen, do you plan to die as a friend?"
"I just don't want you to do something weird, classmate Zhou. If you feel that you can make a wish regardless of anything, it means now is not a good time to make a wish. It would be better to think about it for a while - to be honest , I almost don’t know what we are arguing about anymore.”
At this point, it seems that there is no way to continue. Only the clock under the magic lamp is running as usual. Sometimes it seems to be faster, sometimes it seems to be slower, but if you focus on listening, it doesn't change at all.
"Take another day off," she said.
"What about one day later?"
"You can ask again in a day."
Although he didn't get a complete victory, he decided to give up when he got to this point. In this calm afternoon, the sound of copper and iron moving around echoed in the room. Although he did nothing, he felt a kind of sadness like nostalgia in the hazy place.
"Classmate Zhou."
"What's wrong?"
"What I said just now seems to be a bit much. I'm sorry, but I shouldn't talk about death - and that I'm thirsty - so flippantly."
"...You talk too much."
She stood up from the bed and went to the water dispenser in the corner to pour water. During this time, he looked at the black umbrella placed next to the bedside table. The more carefully I looked at it, the more inexplicably friendly I felt, and I finally picked it up involuntarily. When she came back from the water fountain, what she saw was him holding an umbrella in his hand, holding it up like a sword.
“When I think of death,” he said, “I think of a story.”
"The African Magician's Journey to the East?"
"No, it has nothing to do with that. It's a European folk myth that I heard from a professional course professor I have a good relationship with. It means that there is a hazy temple like the moon, where the Eternal King lives. On the steps of the Amyrlin of the temple , a motto was engraved by the wise Son of God. The general meaning of that sentence is: Nothing is immortal and invincible. Later, the eternal kingdom was destroyed, and the world was handed over to the hands of chaos. After experiencing various disasters, the God of Death I walked into the temple and sat on the throne of the Eternal King. From now on, there is no eternal thing in the world except death."
Words flowed from the mouth. The umbrella handle is held out by the palm of the hand. The slender umbrella head points towards the bronze bell like the tip of a sword. There was no thought involved, his body just did it naturally.
"One day, the God of Death lowered his head on the throne and saw the motto left by the Son of God. He burst out laughing. So he pretended to be a mortal and traveled around the world to find all kinds of people who were chasing death. people."
The muscles at the corners of his mouth stretched unnaturally. The longer the narrative continues, the more the unconscious sneer becomes apparent.
"He collected countless deaths and mixed them all into the sludge."
The sound of the clock seemed to slow down.
"——Then, he used the mud to completely fill in the motto on the steps."
