A Annahlyse

“Come in," he said gently. And inwardly raged at this portion of his being that rendered him helpless; that
he could not control; that lay coiled within him like a length of rope, always ready to fling itself unbidden
at the cry of someone else's need. It gave him -no peace. Not even in sleep. At the edge of his dreams,
there was often a sound like a faint, brief cry of someone in distress. It was almost inaudible in the
distance. Always the same. And for minutes after waking, he would feel the anxiety of some duty
unfulfilled.”
― William Peter Blatty, The Exorcist

“Is this what sadness is all about? Is it what comes over us when beautiful memories shatter in hindsight because the remembered happiness fed not just on actual circumstances but on a promise that was not kept?”
― Bernhard Schlink, The Reader

“How slow life is, how violent hope is.”
― Guillaume Apollinaire

“Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years. Death hangs over you. While you live, while it is in your power, be good.”
― Marcus Aurelius