| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe: This shutting up of houses was at first counted a very cruel and
unchristian method, and the poor people so confined made bitter
lamentations. Complaints of the severity of it were also daily brought
to my Lord Mayor, of houses causelessly (and some maliciously) shut
up. I cannot say; but upon inquiry many that complained so loudly
were found in a condition to be continued; and others again,
inspection being made upon the sick person, and the sickness not
appearing infectious, or if uncertain, yet on his being content to be
carried to the pest-house, were released.
It is true that the locking up the doors of people's houses, and setting
a watchman there night and day to prevent their stirring out or any
A Journal of the Plague Year |
The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Catherine de Medici by Honore de Balzac: "If that were the king's intention you would not be accompanied by a
prince of the Church, nor by me," replied the chancellor.
These two personages escorted the prince to an apartment, where guards
of honor--so-called--were given him. There he remained, without seeing
any one, for some hours. From his window he looked down upon the Loire
and the meadows of the beautiful valley stretching from Amboise to
Tours. He was reflecting on the situation, and asking himself whether
the Guises would really dare anything against his person, when the
door of his chamber opened and Chicot, the king's fool, formerly a
dependent of his own, entered the room.
"They told me you were in disgrace," said the prince.
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The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from Shadow out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft: the lock I sought. My fingers, half numb from climbing, were very
clumsy at first; but I soon saw that they were anatomically adequate.
And the memory-rhythm was strong in them.
Out of unknown gulfs
of time the intricate, secret motions had somehow reached my brain
correctly in every detail - for after less than five minutes of
trying there came a click whose familiarity was all the more startling
because I had not consciously anticipated it. In another instant
the metal door was slowly swinging open with only the faintest
grating sound.
Dazedly I looked over the row of greyish case
Shadow out of Time |
