[b]Shirley Jackson
I decided that I would choose three powerful words, words of strong protection, and so long as these great words were never spoken aloud no change would come.[/b]
I suspect there’s not much science behind it.
She brought herself away from the disagreeably clinging thought by her usual method - imagining the sweet sharp sensation of being burned alive.
Me, I just conjure up objectivists. You know the ones.
Where did he go, your father?
Africa.
What for?
To shoot lions, of course.
What on Earth for? said Mrs. Willow blankly.
Some people shoot lions, the girl said pleasantly, and some people do not shoot lions. My father is one of the people who do.
And then of course there are those that don’t, but would if they could.
I shall commence, I think, with a slight exaggeration and go on from there into an outright lie.
You know, like Trump.
Sure, and all the rest of them.
To learn what we fear is to learn who we are.
They do kind of tag along.
In my own experience, contacts with the big world outside the typewriter are puzzling and terrifying; I don’t think I like reality very much. Principally, I don’t understand people outside; people in books are sensible and reasonable, but outside there is no predicting what they will do.
Not only that but how dare they!