Chapter 4: Day 4

Day 4,

The music of raindrops played on the roof all through last night.  How can a sound bring nostalgia to someone with no past?  A part of me wanted to run outside and dance in the storm, arms outstretched.  But I was already in bed by then and the blanket was comfortable.  Maybe another time.

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The road into town was muddy this morning, although less than I would have expected after the rain.  Even so, I ought to either get some boots or wear something shorter that won’t get mud on the hems next time.  Or both.

 Had to stop and ask for directions to the library a couple of times again.  Those streets really are a maze.

No visitors today.  Spent my time trying to make sense of the organizational system, such as it is.  Pat left early in the day saying I seemed to have things well in hand.

Nothing else too exciting today, which is admittedly nice.  Might as well take a moment to elaborate on yesterday’s crystal incident in lieu of anything else to write about.

As I said, the library uses glowing crystals for interior lighting in lieu of windows, as, I’m told, do most everyone’s homes for after dark.  Stepping down the stairs from the front entry room into the archive proper there was something wondrously dreamlike about the soft blue-white glow coming up from below.  And then actually seeing the sources of the light hanging from the ceiling like tiny caged stars… well, I’m choosing not to take offense at my fascination causing Pat to chuckle and say I reminded him of his great-grandkids.

This of course immediately derailed the tour of the library as I started asking questions.  While they might be a mundane part of life here glowing rocks were immediately registering as “not normal” for me.  Remembering seeing similar but dun stones back at my house I started wondering if it was a matter of exposing them to sunlight to make them glow in the dark, or maybe activating with a chemical reagent.

As it turns out the answer wasn’t anything so scientific.  There’s a cavern on the island (and a few smaller ones on other islands) full of crystals like this in all manner of colors.  Some small enough to carry in a pocket or lantern, others larger than a grown man.  A few designated villagers regularly remove them as needed while returning the ones that have lost their glow, which then regain their light after being left in the cavern long enough.  Pat suggested that I join in on one of those exchange ventures sometime and see for myself.

It was around this point in the conversation that the word “radiation” sprang to mind and my childlike curiosity abruptly turned to panic.  The Village elder laughed at this when I explained my sudden concern and said that the last outsider to wash up had the same reaction, but the Village has used these crystals for as far back as the archives go and no one’s ever had the sort of symptoms that outsiders explained this “radiation” would cause.

So, it’s still weird and not a real explanation of what they are or how they glow, but for now I’ll be filing them as “intriguing (and pretty) mystery” rather than “hazard to my health.”

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