Lethe

“The light tells you, "You owe your shadow to me!" You tell it, "If I didn't exist, I wouldn't have a shadow!" Don't let anyone belittle your value.”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“The children, however, just accepted it. They raced through the closet. They played in it. They inhabited it. They denied paradox by swallowing it whole. Paradox, after all, is two irreconcilable truths. But children do not know the laws of the world well enough yet to fear the ramifications of the irreconcilable.”
― Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves

“Little Blaine: You're making him angry. Oh, you're making him SO angry.
Eddie: (kindly) Get lost, squirt. (to Blaine) Answer this one, Blaine: the big moron and the little moron were fighting on the bridge over the River Send. The big moron fell off. How come the little moron didn't fall off, too?
Blaine: THAT IS UNWORTHY OF OUR CONTEST. I WILL NOT ANSWER.
Roland: (with blazing eyes) What do you say, Blaine? I would not understand you well. Are you saying that you cry off?
Blaine: NO! OF COURSE NOT! BUT--
Roland: Then answer, if you can. Answer the riddle.
Blaine: (gratingly) IT'S NOT A RIDDLE! IT'S A JOKE, SOMETHING FOR STUPID CHILDREN TO CACKLE OVER IN THE PLAY YARD!
Roland: (confidently) Answer now or I declare the contest over and our winner. You must answer, for it is stupidity you complain of, not transgression of the rules, which we agreed upon mutually.
Blaine: (clicking his tongue loudly and gratingly, causing Eddie to wince and Oy to flatten his ears against his skull; a pause of three seconds, then, sulkily) THE LITTLE MORON DID NOT FALL OFF BECAUSE HE WAS A LITTLE MORE ON. MORE PHONETIC COINCIDENCE. TO EVEN ANSWER SUCH AN UNWORTHY RIDDLE MAKES ME FEEL SOILED.”
― Stephen King, Wizard and Glass

“He lay awake most of that night. It came over him that now he understood one thing: a conflict had been waged in the whole of Creation since the dawn of the ages between God and His enemy, and all that had life, soul or spirit took part in the fight in one host or the other, whether they knew it or not–angels and sprites, men here on earth and on the farther side of death. And it was most commonly by a man's own cowardice that the Devil could entice him into his service–because the man was afraid God might demand too much of him–command him to utter a truth which was hard to force through his lips, or to abandon a cherished delight without which he believed himself not strong enough to live: gain or welfare, wantonness or the respect of others. Then came the old father of lies and caught that man's soul with his old master-lie–that he demanded less of his servants and rewarded them better–so long as it lasted. But now Olav himself had to choose whether he would serve in one army or in the other.”
― Sigrid Undset, The Snake Pit