24 - The Reading Plague

A reading fever’s come over the whole campus. The silence of utter absence hangs over the courtyards and lingers in the hallways. It’s gotten out of hand.

People used to enjoy wandering round this place. Now it’s just unsettling. No runners circle the running track, no rehearsal sounds drift out from the music room windows, you no longer see people practising tai chi beneath the pines.

Still as statues, readers are stationed all over. They block the stairs and lay out in the doorways. You might try snapping them out of it once, but seeing them snarl like dogs, you’ll no doubt leave them be. You can’t get into the library at all. Those you'd fight against to get in need the books more than you ever could. The librarians blend in, observing the chaos.

Most professors left campus long ago, seeking refuge in the chatter of the streets. One fled in her car, blaring music from the stereo. Some others have embraced the new order and now sit at the centre of reading circles, no longer leading, but following the tide of submission.

Love-makers make their love listelessly, during short breaks from day-long reading sessions. Eating, too, is done in a disinterested way. Some readers linger in the canteen, rationing out the remaining stock. One lad sits in an apple tree, staving off his hunger with unripe apples. His involuntary grimaces show how tart the fruit is.

A fool plummeted off a balcony in the History department. He was so intent on reading while watering his irresponsibly-placed spider plant that he slipped on the wet tiles and fell into a bush below. Students roundabouts, finishing the page they were on, did not attend to him. One girl was snatched from her book slumber and screamed, thinking she'd seen a man die. Seeing this was not the case, she carried on reading.