The topic for this task
was Endings. See below for some of the
responses.
Too few pages by
Melinda McNaught
My arms struggle with the weight of the book and I decide
that a pillow could come in handy here, but I don't want to
stop reading and get out of bed to go and get one. I realise
by the rapidly diminishing thickness of the pages gripped by
my right fingers, that only a few unread pages remain. How
annoying! The thought flitters in my mind. I had waited so
long to read this book, I don't want it to be finished yet.
There was a seeming eternity between this book and the
previous book in the series. When I heard that this book was
actually going to be coming out soon, I had decided that there
was just enough time to re-read the series I had started
reading as a teenager.
So when it was time to head down to the bookstore, I
excitedly spotted the new release propped up on the shelf from
across the aisle. It's huge! I marvelled. Staring at the
massive 1000-page epic that is book five, the final
instalment, I started to reverently sort through the copies on
the shelf until I found the one that I wished to be mine; no
bent corners, no grubby marks on the sides of the pages, all
nice and crisp and ready to read. I have waited so long to get
my hands on this!
I ended up taking it home, and then it went on holidays
with me, and then it sat next to my bed for a while. Then I
realised that I was hesitant to start reading it. But why?
Because if I start reading it then I won't be able to stop and
that will mean I will finish it and then that's it. It was
then that I realised I didn't want this story to end. I
decided to just scan over the first few pages-the beginning
bits. My eyes caught her acknowledgements:
"And a special heartfelt thank you to the faithful
readers of this series for waiting, patiently and impatiently,
for what turned out to be, after all, not quite the last
book."
Not quite the last book? She hasn't finished it yet? You
mean I have to wait some more? I fear this woman is more
attached than I am, and doesn't wish for the epic tale to end
either. I resisted typing the name of the series into Google
in an effort to find the release date for the final book, if
that's what book six will really be. I felt suspicion creeping
in. But there I was with book five in my hands, and it was
time for me to finally dive right in.
I really can't remember when I have ever carved through the
pages of a book so fast before. It was such a long wait, that
I tried to slow down and stretch it out a bit. I tried going
for a few days without reading any of it. Not very effective.
That just made me want to read it more! So much happening, I
can't stop reading there, its right in the middle of a very
hairy situation that the beloved characters need to get out
of, now!
So there I was, all cosy in bed, suspecting that I had
reached the final chapter. I carefully skim ahead to confirm
this, taking care not to focus on any words on the pages I
haven't read yet, just in case I see a word or words that
leads me to interpret something that I have yet to learn
about. I realise how terribly I suffer from that 'Don't tell
me!' syndrome that happens when someone is talking about a
book or movie you have waited for ages to come out but haven't
read or seen it yet, but they have, and they are gushing about
it within earshot. I will even admit to using my hands to
cover over sentences, particularly towards the end of a
chapter, so that my eyes won't flicker forward and see
something they shouldn't just yet.
It's confirmed; it really is the final chapter. But I spy
that there is also an epilogue, though it's not very long.
That won't take long to read. I hesitate. Again. When I get to
the end of the chapter I will just have to continue on to the
epilogue and when I do that, I will have reached the end of
the book. How annoying! But I really need to know, I really
need to finish this book. So I will, eventually, read the last
few pages and return to that inevitable state of waiting, all
over again, in infuriating impatience, for book six.
