Dear Mr. Montag,
Hello, I hope this finds you well. That's how a proper letter is always supposed to start. I am in a better place! Please, I ask you not to worry. Everything is wonderful. My family and I moved away as you know. I left for another world. Well, really I am still on Earth, but it feels like a new world. I am sorry that I didn't get a chance to say, "good bye" to you. The matter of departure was very urgent. Running away takes a surprising amount of planning. Everything happened so fast; it had to run precisely to be successful. You would enjoy it here. Everything is so fresh and green and natural: trees the size of mountains, butterflies so brightly colored and flowers to match. Come and live with me, enjoy freedom. Enjoy life! Be happy. We will live in this wonderland together. I could my send my family to you and they would gladly bring you here with them. I know you think you are happy as a fireman with your torches and your parlor "family" but here you will really be happy. Trust me. There are books, you want to read them. Uncle said that it is wrong for the government to take them away, secretly they are draining our minds not allowing us to think, not allowing people to learn or know anything. Books take you around the world on many adventures. You learn things that you may never have known otherwise. There is something about books, the real, cold, hard cover between your hands and the dry paper that scratches roughly when you turn each page. Not only do books hold knowledge and stories but, they also have feelings, emotions, individual voices begging you to read more and uncover thier secrets. They fill a void inside, like tea, steaming and smelling so inviting, when you drink it and you can feel its warmth as you swallow, it takes over your entire body. Books and tea go well together.
At night the sky is so clear. Black silk is the sky. The stars sparkle like diamonds. I say they look like mother's earrings. Mother says they remind her of my eyes. Nothing else on Earth is like these stars, whether they look like jewels or my eyes really doesn't matter. They are so bright. And the moon! Oh, the moon is so much bigger and brighter too. When the clouds are gone and the black silk studded with diamonds is cleaned, the man in the moon smiles and watches over me. He's a guardian. I sleep under his watchful gaze feeling safe and very happy. You would feel that way too. I can do whatever I want here. Montag, do you remember when I told you how people would ignore me or were scared of me when I talked to them about the smells of flowers? People here are different. They talk back... Just like you. It is amazing how we talk here. Like my uncle, everyone knows so much. We talk about everything. Leaves here, when they are old and dry, smell like cinnamon too. We all agree to that. Now that I am here in this wonderful world I understand what living really is. Compared to... What is the city you live in? I never cared to learn the name. This place is home to me anyway. Home is so real. So warm and comfortable. You Montag, are living in a fake, dream world. No, only a fake world, this is the dream world. It is absolutely fantastic, better than a dream, although in my dreams I can fly. No matter. Please join us here. We camp out every night. Have you roasted marshmallows? They taste wonderful. I think that's how clouds would taste, fluffy and warm. Have you ever slept in a tent? It is a small, very small house made of only waterproof canvas. Wonderful! Do you know what a cabin is like? It is much like a house but built from trees. Charley, a man the same age as my father, said houses used to look like cabins in the old days. My first few days I stayed in a tent but when my family came we moved into a cabin. You could move in with us. There is enough room.
At night the sky is so clear. Black silk is the sky. The stars sparkle like diamonds. I say they look like mother's earrings. Mother says they remind her of my eyes. Nothing else on Earth is like these stars, whether they look like jewels or my eyes really doesn't matter. They are so bright. And the moon! Oh, the moon is so much bigger and brighter too. When the clouds are gone and the black silk studded with diamonds is cleaned, the man in the moon smiles and watches over me. He's a guardian. I sleep under his watchful gaze feeling safe and very happy. You would feel that way too. I can do whatever I want here. Montag, do you remember when I told you how people would ignore me or were scared of me when I talked to them about the smells of flowers? People here are different. They talk back... Just like you. It is amazing how we talk here. Like my uncle, everyone knows so much. We talk about everything. Leaves here, when they are old and dry, smell like cinnamon too. We all agree to that. Now that I am here in this wonderful world I understand what living really is. Compared to... What is the city you live in? I never cared to learn the name. This place is home to me anyway. Home is so real. So warm and comfortable. You Montag, are living in a fake, dream world. No, only a fake world, this is the dream world. It is absolutely fantastic, better than a dream, although in my dreams I can fly. No matter. Please join us here. We camp out every night. Have you roasted marshmallows? They taste wonderful. I think that's how clouds would taste, fluffy and warm. Have you ever slept in a tent? It is a small, very small house made of only waterproof canvas. Wonderful! Do you know what a cabin is like? It is much like a house but built from trees. Charley, a man the same age as my father, said houses used to look like cabins in the old days. My first few days I stayed in a tent but when my family came we moved into a cabin. You could move in with us. There is enough room.
It is nearly midnight. I should be sleeping now but I had to write to you first. The thought came to me just as I was settling in to bed. Have you ever noticed how many thoughts flood into your mind like water breaking through a dam and flooding a valley? I have decided that it's because you are finally able to relax and let your mind wander, when a mind is free it can bring the most interesting ideas. That's what your world lacks. I really should go to sleep now. I hope you decide to come.
Good Night,
Sincerly, Clarisse
