It is always necessary to know what a book is about, not just what has been written in it but what was intended when it was written.

The kitten was born without eyes or fur pattern. Her paws fell silent on the stone. The only sound in the courtyard was the whack of the glass marble against the pool’s stone edge followed by a fast and thin roll, like chalk drawn swiftly in a straight line. She sped after it, listening to anticipate its movement. She never missed.

There were often more people in the park at night. Some there in spite, others fear. Gymnasium students making out or drinking, the claustrophobics who couldn’t stay in the basement shelters, workers from the TV tower smoking. They arrived, as the dogs did, one by one, to take their place on a bench or in the soft, dry areas under the trees. As the night neared midnight, the park grew still and silent, everything in it, a giant ear.

It was useless to close eyes, shut mouths, plug noses and ears, cover skins, to prevent seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing, and touching. Vibration could not be shut out or denied. It forced the city to absorb its own destruction. This fact sedimented into all bodies, and with radiation, corrupted them, corroded them.

Vibration had no mercy. All life understood.

The two guests then became malleable. Both sets of their arms slowly morphed into spoons that began at the elbow and curved to a scoop well beyond where the fingers used to be. The spoons were longer than their legs. Everyone gasped. Both women looked down with sudden horror, releasing two shrieks. They scared their new arms together. Filled with fright they tried to shake the spoons from where they connected to bone. Impossible. The sleeves of earmuffs’ long jacket had shredded at several points, some revealing broken skin. The once empty bowl, recently conjured to the center of the table, was now full of fragrant broth with fresh mushrooms, herbs, peas and thick noodles floating on top. The bowl rested between the two women as a divider. They sad confused for a time, recovering from the recent shock. Many hours passed before hunger reanimated the resigned lethargy that had come over them. The soup remained fresh, steaming, unchanged. The two women’s stomachs grumbled as they reached their spoons into the bowl, scooping its contents. Soon, they realized they were unable to feed themselves. Each time they tried, the more angry they got, imprisoned by the impossible angle, for there was no bend to the spoon and there was no elbow to bring the end closer than arm’s length. Mouths could not be reached.

Without fail, most did not understand. Tell me about the probability. No, I really want to know! Some trembled with such rage, their boned fractured. The spoons were too long. For a time, they would flail, careening the spoon, filled with a noodle or a dribble of broth, towards their mouths, never reaching. Failure often took many days and finally the spoon took possession of their bodies and they starved to death. The spectators lined the room watched and starved.

However, it was a certain few that understood. IT was an instinct or sheer accident to extend the spoon outward to the mouth of others or their companion as an offering. This was the case for earmuffs and handbag. Earmuffs splattered some soup, enraged, at handbag. The both stopped as they realised that they could reach each other. A look cemented the revelation and they slowly practiced getting across to the other’s mouth. They continued to feed until each was full and their bellies warm. And with a gentle, “Would you mind?”, earmuffs nudged, and handbag scooped the napkin below to her companion’s face, wiping away a line of soup from her top lip. They continued by reaching out to people lining the room, who were starving, exhausted from looking. Many approached, fed, and returned to the walls.

Suddenly, earmuffs remembered, and asked, “It’s Monday, isn’t it?” Thwomp! The Chairs released the duo.

Earmuffs stood up, with a dizzying twirl, feeling her full belly. Handbag thought, when I’m out of here, I might sign up for English lessons. Their arms returned, to include an elbow, forearm and a hand attached to both ends. Fast, they went for the door. The spectators, unlocked from the floor and energized by a bit of nourishment, wandered out after them.