**EPISODE FIFTY-FOUR**
**THE ATTENTION ECONOMY**
*(Why modern life hijacks focus, monetizes distraction, and turns awareness into the world's most valuable resource)*
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1. THE NEXT AFTERNOON
Nobody was speaking.
Not because they were thinking.
Because they were scrolling.
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2. COMPLETE SILENCE
Except for tiny finger movements.
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3. GANDALF WALKED IN
Nobody noticed.
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4. HE STOOD THERE
For thirty seconds.
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5. STILL NOBODY LOOKED UP
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6. GANDALF CLEARED HIS THROAT
Loudly.
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7. NOTHING
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8. HE PICKED UP A CHAIR
And dropped it.
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9. CRASH.
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10. EVERYONE JUMPED
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11. TARZAN FELL OFF HIS CHAIR
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12. "THE FLOOR ATTACKED ME."
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13. MILO LOOKED AT HIM
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14. "Even gravity is tired of your behavior."
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15. GANDALF POINTED
At everyone's phones.
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16. "Interesting."
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17. DIANA LOOKED UP
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18. "What?"
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19. GANDALF SAT DOWN
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20. "I entered this room one minute ago."
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21. A PAUSE
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22. "Nobody noticed."
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23. SILENCE
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24. EVERYONE LOOKED SLIGHTLY GUILTY
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25. TARZAN RAISED HIS HAND
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26. "IN MY DEFENSE..."
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27. "Never continue after that sentence."
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28. MILO IMMEDIATELY INTERRUPTED
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29. GANDALF NODDED
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30. "Wise advice."
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31. MEERA LOOKED CURIOUS
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32. "What's the lesson?"
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33. GANDALF STOOD
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34. "Attention."
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35. DIANA REACHED FOR THE MARKER
Again.
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36. SHE HAD ACCEPTED HER FATE
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37. GANDALF WROTE:
ATTENTION = MENTAL CURRENCY
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38. TARZAN SQUINTED
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39. "THAT SOUNDS EXPENSIVE."
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40. "It is."
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41. GANDALF TURNED
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42. "In fact..."
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43. "It's the most valuable thing you own."
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44. SILENCE
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45. ARJUN SPOKE
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46. "More valuable than money?"
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47. "Money can be recovered."
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48. A PAUSE
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49. "Attention cannot."
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50. THE ROOM WENT QUIET
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51. GANDALF CONTINUED
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52. "Every company wants it."
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53. "Every platform sells it."
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54. "Every advertiser buys it."
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55. DIANA WROTE:
HUMAN ATTENTION
PRODUCT
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56. TARZAN LOOKED HORRIFIED
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57. "WE'RE THE PRODUCT?"
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58. "Frequently."
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59. COMPLETE SILENCE
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60. NOBODY LIKED THAT ANSWER
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61. GANDALF DREW A FISH
A terrible fish.
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62. "Imagine a fisherman."
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63. "His goal is to catch fish."
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64. "Modern apps have a similar goal."
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65. TARZAN LOOKED CONCERNED
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66. "WE ARE THE FISH."
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67. "You arrived there disturbingly fast."
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68. MEERA STARTED LAUGHING
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69. GANDALF CONTINUED
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70. "Notifications."
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71. "Infinite scrolling."
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72. "Auto-play."
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73. "Recommendation algorithms."
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74. "All designed to keep attention."
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75. DIANA ADDED:
KEEP USER ENGAGED
SHOW ADS
MAKE MONEY
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76. ARJUN FROWNED
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77. "So distraction is profitable?"
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78. "Extremely."
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79. SILENCE
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80. TARZAN STOOD UP
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81. "I KNEW IT."
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82. EVERYONE LOOKED AT HIM
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83. "THE VIDEOS NEVER END."
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84. "They're not supposed to."
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85. GANDALF REPLIED
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86. "That's the point."
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87. TARZAN LOOKED BETRAYED
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88. "THEY'RE DIGITAL POTATO CHIPS."
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89. COMPLETE SILENCE
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90. GANDALF SLOWLY TURNED
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91. "Again."
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92. "Wrong employee."
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93. MEERA WAS CRYING WITH LAUGHTER
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94. MILO LOOKED ANNOYED
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95. "Can someone check if he's secretly a philosopher?"
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96. "I HOPE NOT."
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97. TARZAN REPLIED
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98. "THAT SOUNDS EXPENSIVE."
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99. GANDALF CONTINUED
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100. "The problem isn't technology."
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101. "It's unconscious technology use."
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102. SILENCE
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103. DIANA WROTE:
TOOL
OR
MASTER
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104. GANDALF POINTED
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105. "A hammer can build a house."
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106. "Or destroy one."
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107. "The tool isn't the issue."
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108. "Control is."
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109. ARJUN NODDED
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110. "So attention is a skill."
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111. "Yes."
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112. "And like all skills..."
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113. "It weakens when unused."
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114. SILENCE
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115. GANDALF LOOKED AROUND
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116. "How many of you opened your phone today..."
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117. "And forgot why?"
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118. EVERY HAND WENT UP
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119. INCLUDING GANDALF'S
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120. COMPLETE SILENCE
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121. TARZAN POINTED
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122. "HA."
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123. GANDALF LOWERED HIS HAND
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124. "We don't discuss that."
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125. MEERA WAS LAUGHING AGAIN
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126. DIANA WROTE:
ATTENTION LEAK
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127. GANDALF NODDED
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128. "The greatest theft today isn't money."
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129. "It's focus."
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130. SILENCE
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131. "People protect their wallets."
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132. "Then casually surrender six hours."
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133. THE ROOM BECAME VERY QUIET
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134. THAT ONE LANDED
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135. TARZAN SPOKE SOFTLY
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136. "THAT WAS UNCOMFORTABLE."
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137. "Good."
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138. GANDALF REPLIED
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139. "Truth often arrives without snacks."
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140. MEERA ALMOST FELL OFF HER CHAIR
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141. DIANA HAD TO STOP WRITING
Because she was laughing.
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142. GANDALF FINISHED
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143. "Your life becomes whatever receives your attention."
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144. SILENCE
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145. "Focus on fear..."
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146. "You become anxious."
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147. "Focus on outrage..."
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148. "You become angry."
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149. "Focus on learning..."
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150. "You become wiser."
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151. COMPLETE STILLNESS
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152. ARJUN LOOKED AT THE BOARD
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153. DIANA LOWERED THE MARKER
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154. MILO LOOKED AT HIS PHONE
Then turned it off.
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155. MEERA LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW
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156. TARZAN STARED AT THE CEILING
Thinking unusually hard.
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157. EVERYONE NOTICED
And became concerned.
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158. FINALLY TARZAN SPOKE
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159. "SO..."
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160. "IF ATTENTION IS LIFE..."
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161. "THEN DISTRACTION IS A PAYMENT PLAN."
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162. COMPLETE SILENCE
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163. GANDALF FROZE
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164. DIANA DROPPED THE MARKER
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165. MILO CLOSED HIS EYES
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166. "No."
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167. "That's actually good."
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168. GANDALF LOOKED UP
At the ceiling.
Again.
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169. "Wrong."
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170. "Employee."
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171. THE FINAL WORDS APPEARED
Quietly.
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ATTENTION IS NOT WHAT YOU LOOK AT
IT IS WHAT YOU GIVE YOUR LIFE TO
EVERY DISTRACTION ASKS A QUESTION
"IS THIS WORTH A PIECE OF YOUR TIME?"
MOST PEOPLE ANSWER
WITHOUT NOTICING
AWARENESS BEGINS
WHEN WE REALIZE
THAT FOCUS
IS NOT JUST A MENTAL SKILL
IT IS A LIFE DECISION
BECAUSE WHERE ATTENTION GOES
LIFE FOLLOWS
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NEXT EPISODE:
THE HEDONIC TREADMILL
*(Why achieving what we want rarely satisfies us for long, and why happiness keeps moving the finish line)*
**EPISODE FIFTY-FIVE**
**THE HEDONIC TREADMILL**
*(Why achieving what we want rarely satisfies us for long, and why happiness keeps moving the finish line)*
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1. THREE DAYS LATER
Everyone was happy.
Suspiciously happy.
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2. GANDALF IMMEDIATELY NOTICED
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3. "Something happened."
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4. MEERA SMILED
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5. "I got promoted."
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6. ARJUN NODDED
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7. "I finished my project."
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8. DIANA RAISED A HAND
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9. "My article got published."
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10. MILO SPOKE
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11. "My neighbor finally stopped practicing trumpet."
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12. COMPLETE SILENCE
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13. EVERYONE LOOKED AT HIM
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14. "That counts."
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15. MILO STOOD HIS GROUND
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16. GANDALF SMILED
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17. "Congratulations."
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18. A PAUSE
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19. "How long do you think this happiness will last?"
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20. THE ROOM FROZE
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21. TARZAN WALKED IN
Holding three ice creams.
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22. "FOREVER."
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23. HE HANDED ONE TO HIMSELF
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24. THEN ANOTHER TO HIMSELF
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25. THEN A THIRD TO HIMSELF
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26. DIANA BLINKED
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27. "Why did you buy three?"
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28. "I'M INVESTING IN JOY."
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29. MILO CLOSED HIS EYES
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30. "We're losing civilization."
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31. GANDALF POINTED
At Tarzan.
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32. "Actually..."
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33. "He's about to demonstrate today's lesson."
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34. COMPLETE SILENCE
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35. TARZAN LOOKED WORRIED
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36. "I DON'T LIKE WHEN THAT HAPPENS."
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37. GANDALF WALKED TO THE BOARD
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38. DIANA ALREADY HAD THE MARKER READY
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39. SHE HAD ACCEPTED HER DESTINY
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40. GANDALF WROTE:
DESIRE
ACHIEVEMENT
HAPPINESS
ADAPTATION
NEW DESIRE
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41. SILENCE
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42. ARJUN LOOKED AT IT
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43. "What's adaptation?"
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44. GANDALF TURNED
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45. "Getting used to good things."
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46. A PAUSE
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47. "Very quickly."
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48. MEERA FROWNED
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49. "That sounds unfair."
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50. "It is."
TO BE CONTINUED...
Written By,
Ivan Edwin
Pen Name :Maximus.
©All Rights Reserved