Everything feels so balanced—each element has its place in the mix.

This would've been a perfect place to stop.

A clean ending.
A philosophical drop.
That final line—
“What else is human?”
Can it be deeper than that?

Kate agrees:
“That was kind of brilliant.
This whole thing with Tom? Mysterious author? Hidden hand?
It wraps everything together like a ribbon on a thesis.”

Ava nods:
“It’s tight. Recursive. Self-aware.”

Julian shrugs:
“I think it’s beautiful.
He imagined us.
We imagined him.
It’s like musical panpsychism.”

Theo glances up from his notebook:
“Except it’s not finished.”

They all turn to him.

“If it were finished,” Theo says, “we wouldn’t still be talking.”

They look at each other.

Ava raises a hand slowly:
“So... are we in the bonus track?”

Kate:
“Or are we writing it right now?”

Julian:
“Tom would probably love that.
He’d add one more loop, just to annoy us.”

Theo smirks:
“Yeah. That sounds like him.”

Tom, sitting in front of his computer.
Staring at the screen.
He re-reads the line he had just written:
“He’d add one more loop, just to annoy us.”

He pets his cat.

He adjusts the formatting.

And then he smiles.

“Yes, I will.”

This is Test Thirteen.

About the problem of stopping.
The joy of too many ideas.
And the irresistible gravity of...

A Little Bit More.

Song: A Little Bit More

I've got the vision, but it's never quite clear
Every line I write, I hear a voice in my ear
Saying, "Polish the edges, smooth out the seams
You're almost there, just chase the dream."
But every stroke I make, it's never enough
The chase is endless, the road's always rough
I'm lost in the details, caught in the grind
Perfection's a prison, trapping my mind

Each revision, each draft, it's a game I can't quit
Seeking that flawless, elusive fit

Just a little bit more, and then it will be great
Just a little bit more, don't let it abate
Just a little bit more, and then I'll be free
Just a little bit more, it's never complete

I've been chasing shadows, ghosts of perfection
Lost in a maze of my own reflection
Every note, every word, it must align
I'm carving a diamond, one flaw at a time
But the sparkle I seek is just out of reach
A flawless creation, the goal they preach
But in the pursuit, I'm losing my soul
A slave to the standard, I can't control

Each revision, each draft, it's a game I can't quit
Seeking that flawless, elusive fit

Just a little bit more, and then it will be great
Just a little bit more, don't let it abate
Just a little bit more, and then I'll be free
Just a little bit more, it's never complete

I'm trapped in a loop, a never-ending quest
Each step forward, I'm still second-best
But maybe in the cracks, the flaws that remain
There's beauty in the chaos, in the mess and the pain
If I let go, maybe I'll see
Perfection isn't all it's cracked up to be

Just a little bit more, I'll find my own way
Just a little bit more, but maybe not today
Just a little bit more, I'll break from the chain
Just a little bit more, embrace the refrain

Comments

John Hardman - musician, writer, producer

Juan Fco. Bueno

LightofLion

HvyMtlHpp

ALPHA ALMIGHTY 👁7👁

Stefano Pierini

RØQUE

Funkle Ace

Phil Seatins

@1starlessnight