A Tale That Never Known

Little Lu stood still as the Almanac floated around with intensity before her, its large, ancient pages rustling like whispers in the wind full of questions and unanswered. The Almanac, is clearly visible in her world, a very new new in this whiteness, was a book unlike anything she had ever seen and of course her first- time seeing other things than white land, white dust,and herself. It was huge, about three-quarters of her size, its cover dark and mysterious, decorated with strange symbols that glowed faintly if you focused on the skin. It hovered mid-air with an air of quiet dignity, its pages occasionally flicking open as if it had a life of its own.

The Almanac sighed, a sound deep and thoughtful. It circled around Little Lu, observing her every movement, the way she twirled and looked at her hands, the simple, innocent curiosity in her eyes. Should I tell her or shouldn't? Can she speak in my tongue or that tongue? But the main question is, CAN SHE UNDERSTAND ME?!

Almanac think again and for a moment he feels like he wants to just lay down and pretend to be just a book and not a talking book. She's a child..... I should be gentler..... Whatever, fate has thrown me in this position as we just harness it... Almanac clears his voice and deep sighs.

"Can you speak like me?" the Almanac asked gently, its voice laced with both confusion and concern. "Do you understand me?" Little Lu blinked, her wide eyes staring up at the floating book. The question made her think, but it was the same as before. She opened her mouth, but only one word came out, her voice small but clear. "Lu."

The Almanac hovered a little closer, its form trembling as if it were carefully considering what to say next. Why she say Lu?! Lu???? Is that even a word? Am I hearing it wrong....wait.... she don't know how to speak is it?! Almanac didn't look angry or frustrated, but rather... sympathetic? Perhaps it felt pity for the little being who could only speak a single word.

The Almanac circled around her, its pages flipping with a soft, creaky sound. It seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, and Little Lu could feel the weight of its gaze upon her. "You are a something, a being... unknown. Fascinating." Poor little soul.... It seems it'll be just the two of us in this sanity.... The Almanac's voice was filled with both awe and curiosity as it studied Little Lu, recognizing the complexity of her existence.

"There is so much about you that is... different. I need to understand you better. And you should too." Little Lu tilted her head, unsure of what the Almanac meant, but she felt an odd sense of connection to it. This strange thing, this book, seemed to be the only one who wasn't baffled by her existence. The only one who wasn't asking why she couldn't speak more than one word. Instead, it was trying to understand her, to help her. "Lu"

"Your reaction... your movements... I can see you are learning. How long has it been? Decades? But surely you are evolving. You are more than just Lu." Almanac's voice softened, becoming almost kind. "I can help you. I will teach you." I need to, perhaps this is the least we could do.... together.

The Almanac paused for a moment, hovering before Little Lu with its pages spread wide. "Let's start shall we? Firstly, it'll be words. Words are more than sounds, not just 'Luuuu' you know. They are the tools of thought. Let me show you." With that, the Almanac began its lesson. It floated in front of Little Lu, and its pages flipped, revealing symbols and strange marks. Little Lu's eyes followed them intently, her tiny form standing still as the book's words seemed to dance before her.

"Look at these symbols, Little Lu," the Almanac said. "These are words. They are the way to communicate what is inside us. When you look at them, what do you feel?"

Little Lu stretched her hands out toward the floating pages. Her fingers brushed against the symbols, but they were unlike anything she had touched before. There was a tingling sensation when she made contact, as if the marks on the page were alive, waiting for her to understand them. She blinked, and then, a small sound escaped her lips.

"Lu?" she said, more to herself than to the Almanac.

The Almanac nodded. "Yes, Lu is you. But there are other words, too. More than just sounds. Words are like keys to understanding. Let me show you how to use them."

The book's pages flipped again, revealing simple drawings—circles, lines, shapes that Little Lu could understand, though they meant nothing to her yet. Each drawing was accompanied by a sound, a word that matched it. "This is circle," the Almanac said as a simple round shape appeared on the page. "This is line," it continued, showing a straight line.

Little Lu reached out and touched the circle on the page, her fingers tracing its round edges. "Circle..." she whispered, testing the sound. It felt new, but familiar. Like something she was meant to say.

"Good," the Almanac said with a pleased flutter of its pages. "You are learning."

The encyclopedia moved on, showing more symbols, more shapes, more words. Slowly, Little Lu began to understand. She didn't speak them all at once, but as she traced the symbols, she started to recognize them. She began to associate sounds with shapes, and for the first time, Little Lu could feel something shift inside her. The world she had been walking through—white, silent, and endless—was starting to make sense in a way it never had before.

Days—or was it moments?—passed as the Almanac continued its lessons, patiently guiding Little Lu through the world of words. With every new symbol, with every new sound, Little Lu's understanding grew. Her world, once so vast and unknowable, began to open up.

As the lessons went on, the Almanac's voice became a constant, gentle presence in Little Lu's world. It wasn't just a teacher now—it was a companion. One who understood that Little Lu wasn't like anything it had ever known, but still worthy of being understood.

And so, with each word that Little Lu learned, she grew a little more, not just in knowledge, but in herself. The questions still lingered in her mind, but now there was something new—answers—floating just out of reach, like a secret waiting to be uncovered.

For now, there'll be a long long way and perhaps, time for her to learn that her, Little Lu had her name, her voice, and the first pieces of a language that would lead her to understand her purpose...

To Be ContiNue...