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Stories
167
Chapters
9,217
Words
23.6 M
Comments
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Reading
81 d, 23 h
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Theo reflects on his diary, which he initially intended as a personal exploration of his past but now feels compelled to censor due to growing unease. He locks away his account of Rawlings’s visit, aware that his self-censorship reveals underlying anxiety. The diary, once a cathartic routine, feels pointless if he must deceive rather than illuminate. Theo questions the necessity of such precautions, irritated by the intrusion of fear into what was meant to be a self-indulgent exercise. His frustration…-
76.6 K • Ongoing
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The chapter opens with the narrator, Theo, receiving an invitation from his ex-wife Helena to visit her and her new partner, Rupert, to see their cat Mathilda’s newborn kittens. Theo reflects on the societal rituals surrounding the birth of domestic animals, noting the bittersweet nature of such events due to strict regulations requiring sterilization or culling of most offspring. This sets a tone of melancholy and detachment, underscored by Theo’s realization that the date marks exactly one year since…
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76.6 K • Ongoing
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The chapter opens with the narrator, Dr. Faron, recounting a visit from two State Security Police officers, Chief Inspector George Rawlings and Sergeant Oliver Cathcart. Despite the potential risk to his incriminating diary, the officers did not search his home, focusing instead on broader concerns. Rawlings, the more senior officer, engages in a seemingly casual conversation, subtly undermining Faron’s past lectures on Victorian Life and Times. The dialogue reveals Rawlings’ manipulative tactics, as…
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76.6 K • Ongoing
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The chapter opens with Theo discovering a printed message from a group called the Five Fishes, demanding reforms from the authoritarian government. The demands include holding a general election, granting civil rights to Sojourners (migrant workers), abolishing the Quietus (a euthanasia program), ending deportations to the Isle of Man Penal Colony, and stopping compulsory fertility testing. The message is simple and humane, but Theo reacts with exasperation, doubting its effectiveness. He suspects Julian,…
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76.6 K • Ongoing
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The chapter opens with Theo navigating the eerily empty streets of Oxford, reflecting on how the once-bustling city has changed. His walk to the museum is marked by a sense of nostalgia and unease, as he recalls past visits and contrasts them with the present desolation. The museum, a symbol of Victorian grandeur and confidence, remains unchanged, yet its cold, silent halls amplify Theo's anxiety about his impending meeting with Julian. His focus on the intricate ironwork and carvings serves as a…
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76.6 K • Ongoing
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The chapter opens with Theo meeting Xan, the Warden of England, who insists on walking with him in the park. Xan wears an outdated but cherished coat, sparking a memory of their past conversations about fashion and permanence. Their dialogue quickly turns tense as Xan warns Theo about the dangers of his recent associations, implying he can no longer fully protect him. Theo challenges Xan’s authority, questioning why he clings to power, to which Xan responds with a mix of pragmatism and cynicism,…
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76.6 K • Ongoing
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The chapter opens with Theo entering the Foreign and Commonwealth building, now the residence and office of Xan, the Warden of England. He is greeted by familiar Grenadiers and led to a meeting room where he finds the full Council assembled, seated opposite a single empty chair meant for him. The setup is clearly designed to unsettle him, and Theo reacts with a mix of surprise and anger. Xan wears the Coronation Ring, a symbolic gesture meant to assert his authority, which Theo critiques as unnecessary.…
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76.6 K • Ongoing
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Theo awakens on the morning of the Quietus with a sense of unease, knowing the day will involve witnessing a grim event. He typically distracts himself with small pleasures during unpleasant tasks, but today he opts for the quickest, dullest route to his destination, the Suffolk coast. His journey is marked by efficiency, arriving at Blythburgh by early afternoon. The landscape, though familiar, feels altered, and memories of a past visit with his wife and infant daughter resurface, tinged with guilt and…
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76.6 K • Ongoing
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The narrator recounts a meeting with Xan, the Warden, after three years of separation. Despite their past association as adviser and leader, the encounter is formal and guarded, with Xan’s all-male entourage emphasizing his preference for hierarchical loyalty. The narrator is picked up by a new driver, Hedges, who reveals that George, the previous driver the narrator liked, died in an accident—a detail met with suspicion but left unexplored. The narrator reflects on the strained relationship with Xan,…
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76.6 K • Ongoing
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The chapter opens with Theo committing to a visit with Xan by writing "YES" on a postcard, an act that feels weighty with unspoken significance. He then visits the Cast Museum, a place filled with relics of ancient civilizations, where an elderly custodian sleeps at his post. The museum, once introduced to Theo by Xan, holds personal meaning for him, serving as a refuge during difficult times, particularly after his wife Natalie’s death. The quiet, almost sacred atmosphere of the museum contrasts with…
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76.6 K • Ongoing
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