Narrator

Oh—oh, hello. I didn't see you there. Come in, come in. Pardon the mess.

Have a seat, I insist. It's been a long journey, and the road ahead is even longer. But rest awhile, and regain your strength. You'll need it.

Oh, I know lots of things. I am a Narrator—didn't you know?—and it is my obligation to know such things, and to treat all my guests with the utmost hospitality. Here, have some tea. From the moment you stepped inside, our small world became entirely yours. For just a spell, that is, until the moment you leave. Where are you from? I don't recognize your accent.

I see. Why—that's very far away. Not that it matters, of course, not in here. I was just making small talk. Personally, I despise small talk, but it seems to bring people a thin veil of comfort when speaking to strangers. I don't mean to offend, please understand. There is every type of person in this world. Some that exist for the universe, like you. Some that exist for everything beyond. Like me.

Would you like to hear a story?

No, no, certainly not. That's called Spoiling, and I simply won't do it. I suppose you'll just have to hear it and see.

Oh, good. I do love having guests. But first—a warning. From now on, let the world fall away around you. Leave your troubles at the door—behind the door, I would prefer, for worries have a distinctive and persistent odor that I've caught lingering about in past years. Forget everything you know and think instead of what you have yet to learn. Most importantly, forget me. I am but a vessel for knowledge, no concern of yours. Listen to my story. Not to me.

If you fail any of these tasks, I hold myself one hundred percent responsible and will send you promptly on your way with a complimentary volume from my collection, so you may enjoy my stories without my interference. Though I must admit, a certain magic is lost when a story settles into text.

Feel free to laugh, cry out—that is, express your emotions, over the course of the story, but know that I will take no notice, as you must take no notice of me.

Who am I? Why—I've already told you. I am a Narrator; it is my calling. It is my name.

Allow your surroundings to dissolve. Are you ready? Good.

Let us begin.