New Horizon

[revealed: February 22, 2009]

The following diary extract becomes illegible towards the end – as does the remainder of the Codex Transportica pages.

This will not be the final translation from the book but it will be the last of the current weekly updates. As we manage to decipher the scribble we’ll post our new findings here.

We thank you for your patience.
Mr. Pearson & Mr. Smith

I was staring out towards the horizon. Something was burning, something close. I tried to find the smoke; I could smell it, but I could not see where it was coming from. Then I was indoors; sitting or standing. I could now feel the heat from the fire. The smell of the smoke was becoming unbearable. I began to panic, where are the flames? I could hear the spits and crackles – it was close, immediate and impossibly close.

I shook my head, opened my eyes wide and then stared into each corner of the room; pausing, staring, eyes straining, looking for a small flicker, trying to perceive a slight distortion in the background. The flames were obviously invisible but the heat coming from the fire would cause the light passing through it to bend just like a lens. I saw nothing.

This was very odd. My senses said I was in danger, but from something that was not there. Then I realised, this would not happen in the real world – I had to be asleep. No matter then, I wriggled and stretched the whole of my dream body; this would break through the cocoon of my sleeping outer self and I’d awake – safe and away from the invisible fire.

Instantly, I was back in the real world. Sitting in the armchair and almost upon the hearth as the fire inside it threatened to lash out at my shins. I kicked the gate shut, forcing the fire to die but not without almost burning the end of my slipper. I must have fell asleep, not thinking of how close I was to the fireplace – obviously it wasn’t my intention to burn to death during my cosy slumber. I felt angry at my own stupidity, but I’d avoided an accident and that is all that counts.

Feeling like I’d narrowly escaped a little disaster, well, a possible almighty disaster, I decided I would get a breath of fresh air – better open the doors and windows to let out the smoke too. Walking through the kitchen I picked up the glass of sherry I must have poured myself earlier and stepped out the back door into the garden.

I managed only one step forward. My trailing leg hovering between kitchen and outside. I felt the glass slip away from my grip and as it hit the concrete path I seemed to simultaneously put my foot down onto the sharp jagged remains. I wasn’t certain, but it seemed that a very pointy bit of glass was sticking through my slipper and into the sole of my foot – in a moment, I’d investigate if the perceived pain was justified.

The outside was not my outside, not the outside of my house, at least. I was in a landscape, unrecognisable and scorched. Landmarks gone, or perhaps never even there, I saw nothing familiar – even the sky looked the wrong shade of blue. Too deep, too vivid – too solid.

And then I saw something move directly in front of me, on the horizon, a black spec. Small, almost imperceptible. Perhaps I should follow it, after I’ve tended to my foot, of course. And then I realised the black spec was getting bigger. It was heading towards my house – towards me. I looked down at my slippers. They are awfully threadbare I thought to myself…

(But the soles are still good.)

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15 Responses to “New Horizon”

On February 24th, 2009 at 9:37 pm brotherS said:

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!
On February 25th, 2009 at 1:07 am mouser said:

That’s one hell of a cliffhanger.. but i can’t stand the thought of waiting indefinitely for more entries.. please tell us there will be more!
On February 26th, 2009 at 11:30 am admin said:

Most likely.
On March 18th, 2009 at 1:40 pm Aneela said:

Wow! I was hooked. Is there going to be more?
On March 19th, 2009 at 10:00 am admin said:

Nice to know you are interested, Aneela. Yes, there will be more – and a slightly improved website.
On March 19th, 2009 at 12:55 pm bastiano said:

This site is the best design I have seen.
On March 19th, 2009 at 6:26 pm admin said:

Thanks for saying so bastiano. I like what you are doing with the handmade books, I may well have to commission you to create a special, one off, cover of the Codex Transportia book (when it is finished). I think your work would be just right.

(I’ll contact you via email to discuss more.)
On March 21st, 2009 at 5:38 pm bastiano said:

I’ve read your e-mail and it has made me happy for your offer. I’ve sent you my reply. We are in contact.
On April 2nd, 2009 at 10:47 am jean-marc said:

I LOVE your work! The website design is awesome (same sort of design with a little ajax will put it up there)
I’d love to have an interview with the creators for an article in our blog.
Let me know
Take care and keep up the effort!
On April 2nd, 2009 at 10:49 am jean-marc said:

I just noticed that I did a typo in my email address sorry for that. Cheers.
On April 2nd, 2009 at 8:50 pm admin said:

Thank you for the kind words Jean-Marc. Of course, we’ll do an interview.

(I’ve sent you an email from the Transportica address.)
On May 4th, 2009 at 8:23 pm Ricardo said:

Hello!

This is very, very interesting!

Your first few lines on the home-page state you’re ‘translating’ it; further down it says you’re ‘transcribing’ it, which is it?

If translating it, what is the original language?
I’m 100% bilingual (English/Spanish) and have many dictionaries of the “Romance Languages”. Let me know if I can be of any help.

Ricardo…
On May 4th, 2009 at 9:03 pm admin said:

Hmm, it’s all very confusing I must admit.

I think it is best to assume we are transcribing the words within the book. At first, the text appeared to be an unknown language but later we realised it is, merely, English – although, scrawled in such a terrible hand, it resembles little more than the random scribbles of a child learning to write.

(Or maybe it isn’t and we are just making it all up as we go along.)
On May 5th, 2009 at 3:34 pm Ricardo said:

I see…

Being that the case…

Have a Pharmacists (who interprets MD’s prescriptions) or a kindergarden/elementary teacher assist you.

Ricardo…
On May 5th, 2009 at 4:47 pm admin said:

Ah, that is a very good suggestion, Ricardo.

I shall see what can be done.