Introduction to Thomas King: How Evil Came Into The World

The Grooves Of Time

I have a story to tell.

Should you choose to proceed with this reading, the story I tell you will ultimately become your responsibility to bear and re-tell should you choose to do so. Reader, beware the strength of the power you yield in story.

This is the story of how evil came into the world. Curious, aren’t you? I’m sure you’d love to know. The darker parts of your witchy mind and soul beg for this story, salivate for it. Are you willing to take the risk?

Seeing as you’ve made it this far, I’ll take that as a yes. Take a deep breath reader. Here we go…

 

Long ago, in a place known only to humanity as The Deep Forest, a clan of cats lived happily. They were not the kinds of cats we know today, and it would be considered rather extraordinary if you saw one. Humans actively tried to trap them, for reasons soon to be revealed. Which would now be impossible, as this breed is now extinct. How, you wonder? Well, be patient. I’m getting to that.

These cats were of extraordinary intelligence, fully blind with milky white eyes framed in long silky fur. They stood around two to three feet tall, their muscular frames gliding through the underbrush with ease. The Deep Forest was their home, though to them it was named something we as humans cannot begin to comprehend. Their language will always be beyond us. This was not something humanity had come to accept in those times.

The society they built in The Deep Forest was sacred and cherished. Their currency was stories. These stories were all scraped into rolls of thin wood by their elders, using a technique developed using the skilled articulation of their claws. But how could they read the stories if they could not see? Well, they could trace the grooves in the wood with their own claws, and the story would be revealed to them.

They traded stories back and forth based upon the worth of the stories. A worth predetermined by The Librarian, a cat of such majesty who was considered more powerful than any other. The Librarian was also capable of memorizing every story her paws had ever traced, which made her unique among the other cats. With this knowledge she discovered a deep power within her. It was the ability to influence time. She had read so many stories from both the past and present that she could predict which stories she would read next, along with who would write them and who would trade what for them. There was one text which she guarded at all costs. She called it “The Grooves Of Time.” It became legend among the cats, and rumours swirled throughout The Deep Forest for many years.

However, her power was not without its faults. Unknown to her, the humans had gotten ahold of several cats throughout the years along with several scrolls of stories. The humans had threatened the cats with torture unless they taught the humans how to read their language. Therefore, the cats educated the humans, who consumed the information greedily. The Librarian had been so engrossed in guarding “The Grooves Of Time” that she failed to acknowledge the disappearance of the cats. By then, it was too late.

The humans had heard the rumours of the cat who could see beyond time and the sacred text where she hid the secret to her powers. They thought that if they could get ahold of this cat and her sacred text that they too could learn how to manipulate time.

So, the humans raided The Deep Forest and captured The Librarian. To their surprise, she went with them willingly and even offered them her sacred scroll in return for leaving her fellow cats untouched. The humans imprisoned The Librarian and eagerly opened the sacred text. Inside was one simple marking, unlike any the cats had taught them. They became frustrated and demanded that The Librarian teach them how to see beyond time. She told them that by witnessing the marking that the power was inside them already, and that they must return her to her home. They obliged.

Sure enough, upon witnessing the marking in the sacred text, every story ever known to the cats in The Deep Forest flooded into the minds of the humans. It was so overwhelming that many of them fell into a deep sleep and never woke up. One human felt himself going mad, pulsing headaches raging against his every thought. He journeyed to The Deep Forest to speak with The Librarian and beg her to return his sanity.

Upon reaching The Librarian, she told him the truth. There was no taking back a story once it was known, and that by revealing the text to humanity they had done more than destroy their sanity. They had released an uncontrollable evil into the world with their greed. All descendants of the humans who had participated in the raid upon The Deep Forest would be forever cursed for their greedy and careless act. The Librarian then melted into the trees, never to be seen again.

In their rage, the humans torched all of The Deep Forest and neither the cats or their scrolls were ever seen again.

 

Reflection:

Learning this story took quite some time due to its length. It also seemed to change a bit every time I told it as details tended to get mixed up or I’d get new ideas of what could have happened. This organic evolution of the story was interesting, especially for the friend who I told it to twice in the same 24 hours. Both times it was different, she noted. She liked this version (the one I’ve posted) better than the original.

Some friends I told it to were very engaged with the story and demanded further details about the world I had begun to create in this story. Worldbuilding for a small scale piece like this is extremely challenging but I had fun with it! My audience also had fun suggesting different ways to solidify the world as well as integrating the message. I was very grateful for the feedback!

I used to compete in Vancouver Story Slam, and I wonder if I could pare this piece down a bit to fit the requirements of that competition, as this version is a bit long.

Works Cited:

Sambuchino, Chuck, et al. “Tips on World Building for Writers: How to Make Your Imaginary World Real.” Writer’s Digest, 5 June 2019, www.writersdigest.com/guest-columns/tips-on-world-building-for-writers-how-to-make-your-imaginary-world-real.

“Vancouver Story Slam.” Facebook, www.facebook.com/VancouverStorySlam/.