Intrigued by the title Justin pulled the old looking, brown-leathered book from the shelf and began to read.
‘What is inanimate? Is it the state where in a metaphysical form all things can or do exist and therefore don’t or is it simply a state that cannot be understand as it moves temporally slower? If the latter is such a case then…’
‘What?’ Exclaimed Justin, rather inquisitively. ‘What the Hell does this stuff mean? I’m not going to get anywhere if I have to understand this.’ He said rather disappointed.’
Flicking through the pages of the book Justin noticed a titled called ‘Need Help? Try the Books Mentor’. Immediately he stopped, and began to read the page. It said to summon the Mentor simply wish it so. Justin thought for a moment and wished not only for the Mentor but for this feature to be on the other books as well.
‘So, you called me with a small problem then?’ Came a voice from behind Justin.
Immediately Justin turned too see a humanoid figure standing there that looked to be made from wood. It had no real features to speak of; it’s surface smooth and varnished, with there being no facial features to speak of either. It reminded him of a wooden mannequin that can be brought in gift shops.
‘Well, what’s your problem? And get off that chair!’ The voice seemed to come from the mannequin, but there was no movement of a mouth that Justin could see. ‘Well, I’m waiting!’
Justin looked perplexed for a moment, and then stood up remembering the Mentors words.
‘That’s better, now having trouble with the concept of inanimation then?’ Asked Mentor
‘Huh, yes. Just can’t seem to visual it.’ Replied Justin.
‘Oh well, I can help with that. Please take your clothes off.’
‘Huh, what?’
‘Your clothes remove them. You don’t see me wearing any do you? Or that desk, chair, pen, or door either.’
‘Well…alright’ replied Justin rather hesitantly.
Justin began to disrobe, closed the blinds and locked the door.
‘Tsk, tsk.’ Remarked Mentor, ‘You do not observe us inanimates worried about modesty or vanity do you?’
‘Bear with me will you, I am new to this.’ Replied Justin.
‘Very well, shall we begin?’ Mentor walked towards Justin, who was reminded of an old stringed puppet, and began to move round him.
Mentor brushed his hand behind Justin’s neck and drew it down his back, ending with his tailbone. Justin could feel his back seize and stiffen as the Mentors hand moved past.
‘What the?’ exclaimed Justin, ‘I can’t move my back. What are you…’ Justin froze in mid sentence, he had caught sight of his back in the mirror hanging on the inside of his wardrobe door and the wall mounted one on the opposite side of the room.
Running from his neck down the entirety of his back was wood. His skin, and most likely his backbone, had been turned to wood by the Mentors touch.
‘Hey, what are you doing? You could have warned…’ Justin started to argue.
‘Oh do be quiet boy.’ Retorted Mentor, brushing his hand across Justin’s mouth causing it to seal with a slight hint of wood fusing the lips together. You wanted to know what inanimation was like, well here’s your chance.
Mentor moved to Justin’s side and placed one hand on his back and the other on his hip. With a quick shove Justin was bent over forwards, and pushed to the floor. Justin’s stiff back caused him to end up on his hands and knees feeling extremely exposed and only able to view the floor directly beneath him. Mentor moved behind him and pressed into his buttocks, pushing hard down over the back of his thighs and slightly past his knees causing them to stiffen as his back did moments before. Justin assumed that this meant his legs and hips were now stuck in the bent position of his current pose.
‘Am I glad I locked the door.’ Thought Justin, ‘I would hate for anybody to see me like this, especially that guy down the corridor, what’s his name? Lee, that’s it. He’s been checking me out ever since I got here.’
Pain suddenly shot down Justin’s body as Mentor grabbed his arms and twisted, and pulled them down the side of his body. Justin could feel that his arms were somehow stretching as Mentor pulled, gaining leverage by placing a foot in-between his buttocks. Soon Justin’s elbows were level with his hips, and his arms started to merge into his torso above them. This left his forearms stuck out backwards in line with his lower legs. Justin could feel Mentor changing his hands, crushing and compressing them into flat-ended stumps. He lost all mobility of his wrists as his lower arms completed their change to wood. His feet and legs were treated in the same manner, becoming more wooden with each passing second.
Mentor took hold of his shoulders and lifted Justin backwards until he came to rest on his hands and feet, which were now in a position that caused Justin to sit like a chair. Justin could see himself in the wardrobe mirror, and he could see that his arms and legs were wooden, his thighs moulded together to form a flat surface to sit on. His upper body, his stomach, chest and face were still very much human although he suspected this wouldn’t last for long.
He was right, Mentor had started to smooth his chest and stomach by stroking and pushing down his body. The features of his muscles started to disappear and a tint of brown began to show. Mentor also worked on his back, and soon the change to wood was up to his neck. His torso had been flattened, although it retained some shape of his original form. Mentor moved his attention to his head and Justin could feel and see Mentors hand come over his face, smoothing and flattening the features until Justins nose, eyes and eyes had been completely smoothed away. With these gone Justin was completely shut off from the outside world with all but the faintest sensation of touch. Despite this Justin knew that his head was being brought down into his body, and flattened from the front and back, perhaps to make a head rest of some kind.