The Floating World
After Cora’s death I had a recurring dream. A heavy black cloud would pass over me. The cloud was evil. I don’t mean that evil was among the incidental properties of the cloud, like its color or its state of
After Cora's death, the narrator experienced recurring dreams of a dark cloud that seemed to embody evil. In these dreams, the cloud would approach the narrator, pinning them down and preventing them from breathing. Upon waking, the narrator would reach for water and practice breathing exercises to calm their panic. The loss of Cora was a daily shock to the narrator, but they found solace in contemplating the immortality of her memory through the persistence of her microbes and the beauty of her story in the universe.
The narrator's day was filled with mundane tasks, such as showering and working at a job that conflicted with their personal principles. Despite the challenges, the narrator found beauty in small moments, like the sight of a spider on a curtain and a man eating spicy food outside a station. On a visit to Tate Modern, the narrator was moved by a painting that seemed to defy the conventions of art.
The painting's simple, primary-colored design resonated with the narrator, and it served as a reminder of the power of art to transcend commercial interests.
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