Fairy Tale

by Stephen King

You have to keep in mind that high school kids—no matter how big the boys, no matter how beautiful the girls—are still mostly children inside.

“Tempus fugit is a good one,” she said, “but time doesn’t always fly, as everyone who’s ever had to wait around for something knows. I think tempus est umbra in mente is a better one. Roughly translated, it means time is a shadow in the mind.”

“It didn’t speak to me,” I said. Woody smiled at that. “Were you listening?” Of course I hadn’t been; my mind had been filled with my own thoughts… just as the minds of many who passed Elsa didn’t hear her songs because they were too busy to listen. That much is true about songs (and many stories) even in my own world. They speak mind to mind, but only if you listen.

But please don’t leave us in anger. Please.” Did I know before then that a person can choose not to be angry? I don’t think I did. What I knew was that I didn’t want to leave that way, either.