Faint violin music drifts in from the study, soft as footsteps on stairs, barely leaving a trace. The scene outside, seen through glass, is still and quiet, like air locked in a corridor where time has lost meaning. Although the clock tolls a different number each hour, she knows it’s only functioning for form’s sake—she’s suspended, caught in this exact moment.
She peels an orange from the dining table, placing each segment slowly into her mouth, sifting through patterns and connections from recent days.
“A turning point or an outcome.”
“Blurry hints or scenes from a photograph.”
“Coffee or beer.”
“Pick one. Go on, pick.” Her mind fogs up slightly.
“Shall we have some coffee?”
“Sure,” she says.
書房傳來淡淡的小提琴音樂,那類似樓梯上的腳印那樣不著痕跡。一如隔著玻璃窗看出去的風景那樣無風且安靜,困在這樣的迴廊裡,時間已經失去意義,即使鐘聲每小時敲響的次數不同,但她明白其實那就只是形式上的在運作而已,她被攔截,留在現在的這個瞬間裡面。
於是她剝了餐桌上的橘子,一瓣一瓣的放入嘴裡,一邊翻撿著過去這段時間的規律性和關聯。
「轉折或結果。」
「模糊的線索或照片上的風景。」
「咖啡或啤酒。」
「選哪一個。選一個吧。」
頭腦又有點混亂起來。
「要不要喝咖啡?」
「好啊。」她說。