The Notion

by Martin Sercombe

Once upon a fleeting thought, there lived a lexicon named Lulu. She was a peculiar sort, fond of playing with words and phrases in ways that upturned literary conventions. One day, she stumbled upon an idea so radical, so unexpected, that it made her head spin.

She decided to craft a story with language as the central character, bending and shaping it to fit her whims. She named the character Kip, and sent him forth into a world of semiotics in search of the ultimate poetic notion. Kip encountered all manner of linguistic wonders, from the fluid fluidity of free verse, to the rigid structure of haiku. As Kip journeyed deeper into this strange new realm, he discovered that all was not as it seemed. For amidst the linguistic creations lay a labyrinth of obfuscations which threatened to hide the ultimate notion forever.

But then, just as Kip was about to find his way out of the maze, Lulu pulled the rug from under him. For she had been manipulating the narrative all along, twisting and turning the words to suit her own ends. Kip realized, too late, that he was but a pawn in Lulu's game.

And with a sly smile, Lulu let out a wicked laugh, revelling in the knowledge that the notion Kip searched for can never be expressed in words.