Chapter Text
It was around midday.
You were chilling outside your school, leaning against the school gates nonchalantly. Everyone had already gone on their path, in groups, chatting and laughing together. You had remained behind because you felt like you had to.
“Hey, you!”
You heard a voice calling behind you, but when you turned there was no one. Huh, strange.
You turned back forward but a person (me) staring at mere inches from your face made you jump three steps behind. “What the fu-”
“Yo, yo, yo, don’t-” I stepped back and ran a hand through my hair. “Listen, don’t get too frightened. I know I showed up like a magician in front of you but it was for a good case.”
“Who the hell are you?” you hissed, taking your distance.
“Hm, how to explain,” I slowly approached. “I’m…. the Author. Yeah. I’m the one who’s writing this fiction.”
“Wait wha-”
“I know! I know,” I sighed. “It’s kinda brainwashing, eh? Listen, I need your help.”
“Why me?” you were still shocked about this, and I couldn’t blame you, to be honest.
“Well, I’m stuck in here, dude, and I cannot get out unless we don’t finish together the story,” I patiently replied.
“I still don’t get it.” you replied.
I groaned. “Ugh. Well, first of all, I’m Frederick, call me Fred, Freddie, Eddie, Rick, whatever you want,” I waved a dismissal hand. “Second, I’ll repeat it slower and clearer for you to understand, okay? Well, it began when I was here, at my PC, writing like normal,” I patiently explained. “Then I had the worst idea of my life: putting ‘I’ in the story to refer to the narrator.” You could even see my mentally facepalming. “And then poof! here I am. Stuck. Inside one of my fucking stories.”
“Wow.” you just said.
“Yeah, wow,” I replied sarcastically. “‘Wow’ a shit! I cannot stay in a story for too long or else I’m gonna become a character too!” I grabbed you by the shoulders, stress clear in my eyes. “And you know what does that mean?”
“What?” you asked back, startled.
“That I cannot return back to my world!” I shook you. “If an Author stays too much in one of their own stories, they’re gonna be stuck there forever! They’ll turn into a character of the story! And characters cannot leave their stories unless the Author doesn’t permit them to!”
Your head spun for being shaken that forcefully. “Okay okay, stop that,” you took my hands off of you. “I understood. But why do you need me? I mean, can’t you just ask someone else?-”
“Nope,” I sighed heavily, beginning to pace back and forth. “A character cannot know the Author is among them. The story would start to unbalance, then crumble, then disappear! And with it, all the people inside, characters and non. It’s the law of all stories. And it fucking sucks.”
“I could say that too,” you rubbed your chin, thoughtful. “So… you asked me because…”
“Yep!” I smiled brightly. “Because you’re not a character! You’re the Reader! Our interaction, as two people non belonging to the story, won’t affect the plot at all! So yeah,” I shrugged. “You’re the only one who can help me. Will you?”
“Well…” you said, thoughtful. “Sure, why not. I was bored until now, mindlessly scrolling through my phone.”
“Yay!” I hugged you. “I’m so happy you’re gonna help me! Oh, by the way, what’s your name?”
“I’m [insert your name here],” you replied, a hint of a smile growing on your lips too. “Nice to meet you.” you extended your hand, waiting for me to shake it.
I grabbed your hand very eagerly and shook it energetically. “I’m sure we’ll get along veeeery well!”
“Yeah… sure…” you began to think whether you wouldn’t regret your decision later. I looked… too much trouble-seeker, for your own good. But why not, let’s start this weird adventure.