the smell. both musty and fresh. like wood that’s been growing for hundreds of years. although the wood is old, your senses are filled with the smell of bark, leaves, and flowers. books smell like that. musty but fresh. pages lined with black ink that loop and twirl. eyes track those loops and find symbols within. a smile appears upon lips. a laugh sounds. a cry falls. tears splash on the page, wet spots left in their wake. the sound of pages crinkling and turning are heard. a book. feelings are being felt. thoughts are being thought. a book. a novel. a story.