Written in Life

(Chapter 4)

I woke up gasping for air and coughing as the cobwebs got caught in my throat. I looked around and found the opening to the barn, I rubbing my head. Who was that guy and what happened that I didn't see? I probably threw him to the ground for all I know. I pulled at my hair and thought of the consequences for reading ahead in your own story. Execution, erasement, being redrawn, or worst of all... being taken off the shelf. That definitely something I never want to deal with. I noticed that my hands were now covered with leather gloves, but I didn't bother them and left them on. I crawled out of my small hiding place and looked at the door. Some of the boards were beginning to split. I sighed and screamed in surprise as a huge black head appeared out of nowhere. I stood up and brushed the hay off of my backside as Shadow whinnied in laughter. I looked at the horse with a sarcastic smile." Very funny," I said and Shadow reached his head out to me. I rubbed the horses soft nose and he closed his eyes in pleasure. I looked at the door again and sighed." Wish me luck guys," I said, as I walked to the door unsurely. I was gonna face this one way or another. I slid the door open slowly and a chill went up my spine. Everything was in chaos. The fields were lifeless and dead, the cars were upside-down and so was I. I looked ahead of me to see nothing but a huge blue blanket  splayed out before me. It's like as soon as I was gone the world had collapsed. A shot of fear ran through me. Was this because of my dream? I put a cautious foot out in front of me and it hit something solid. I stepped all the way out of the barn and I was standing on the sky. I took several careful steps until I realized the surface wouldn't end and sprinted until the house was right under me.... or over me. I looked around in panic and tried to make sense of what was going on. Suddenly, a shower of water came from below me and soaked me to the bone. It cleared quickly, falling into the sky and a half fish figure was a hundred feet away from me and spasming frantically. I ran over and put a hand on the creatures shoulder. It looked up to me and I instantly knew the deep blue eyes I peered into." Renae?"

"Bernie, whats going on?" she asked, taking quick, wheezing breaths.

"I don't know," I replied, grabbing her scaly arm.

"I was just in my story and suddenly everything fell apart and fell upward," she explained. Suddenly, people started appearing everywhere out of mid-air, landing hard on their backs against the oddly solid sky. Everybody began to panic and a huge cauldron came crashing down and turning most everyone into some type of furry animal. Renae began to wheeze even louder and I looked around. Everybody was in their story but me." Can you breathe okay?" I asked the hyperventilating mermaid beside me.

"I, think, I.... need, water..." she managed, holding her throat.

"Does anyone have any water?" I asked desperately, yelling to the confused people spread across the sky like butter on bread. I noticed Renae's scales starting to flake and she was gasping, searching to relieve for her lungs of the harsh, dry air. If there was such a thing as a mermaid inhaler, I would've given her one. I grabbed her shoulders and slipped my glove up. Suddenly, the salty water dispersed on her skin. She began to breathe normally and her gills relaxed. Suddenly, there was a flash of color from beneath us and a group of councilors appeared, my mother among them. Damn it, they knew now. I looked into my mothers bright gray eyes and she seemed worried.

"Mom?" I said. She nodded and rest of the council were all focused on me.

"Bernice," they said in unison. Confused murmurs echoed from around me and I looked around for some sort of escape. The eldest held out her hand." Come with me." I looked to my mother again and her eyes told me I should obey, sooner rather than later. I walked up and looked behind me at Renae who was looking at me in shock. I looked to the woman and pointed my thumb over my shoulder towards Renae.

"The mermaid?" I asked. She smiled.

"Taken care of," she said, snapping her fingers. I looked behind me again to see Renae swimming freely in a pool of water that was kept together in mid-air. I looked back to the woman and looked at the palm of her out-stretched hand. I placed my hand in hers and she smiled wide and wrapped her fingers around my hand.

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We all appeared in a temple looking environment with paintings making faces and clocks spinning out of control. The room was completely upside down and the long rug that normally stretched down the hallway was floating in the air and the chandelier was reaching up to the ceiling. We walked around the chandelier and sat on the stairs, the only thing that was still in place in the whole room. I stood in front of them and my mother stayed standing on the side next to a thirty year old woman. The eldest woman cleared her throat and looked at me questioningly. I tightened my gloves behind my back nervously and looked into her worn eyes.

"Miss Wilson," she said. I nodded nervously." We understand that you were the last person to finish your story?" I nodded again. The suspense was unbearable as I stood there and the whole council glared at me. I looked at my mother and she shook her head slightly. If you weren't looking close enough, you wouldn't have seen it. I bit my lip and looked at each face staring back.

"Listen, it's not my fault I'm Inked! I'm just like any other person!" I burst out. I couldn't hold it in any longer. They all looked at me with wide eyes of shock. Damn it. I just sold myself out like a complete idiot. The instantly looked to my mother and the seven year old looked to me. Oh no. I turned to run, but I was frozen in place. One of the men from the council walked in front of me.

"How long has this been?" he asked. My mother was crouched in the corner, crying.

"As long as, she's been alive," she sobbed. The man shook his head in disappointment and looked into my frozen eyes." Take her to the back," he ordered. I felt a forceful pull on my arm and broke out of my spell. I grabbed the man's arm and wrapped it around his neck and pulled the pistol out of my belt." Nobody move!" I warned. I looked down at myself and I was in my army uniform with a misplaced diamond ring on my finger. I looked up and saw my mother. It was like I was stuck in between my story and the Page. Everyone was standing still and my mother shook her head, tears in her eyes." Don't resist," she begged. I loosened my grip on the mans arm and dropped the gun, letting go completely. They led me along cautiously and my mother sobbed as I walked by." Be careful with her," she said to the man holding my hands behind my back.

"I don't think we can hurt her compared to what she could do to us." We went through a large black door and everything was drained of color and life. The man threw me in and slammed the door behind him. I looked at the door disgusted through my dark red hair and blew it from my face. So much for giving the seven year old the one wish to be careful with her daughter. I looked around and stood up. I looked like some sort of parallel universe. Either that or a really old story. I ran my hands over the rough wallpaper as I turned the corner and each room seemed to have its own story. The front room was filled with doorways and paths, like a maze it couldn't figure out but it tried to lure you in for company. The second room looked like a prison, preparing you for your 'home sweet home' if you turned to the life of crime. I felt colorblind. There wasn't a single green or blue, red or yellow. Just black, white, gray, and a faint brown. I turned to the right and there was a hallway that seemed to be endless. It stretched further than the human eye could see. It reminded me of The Labyrinth. I turned the other way and I walked into a blinding white room with a cold metal table and a lamp above it, surrounded with sharp surgical tools. I picked up one of the tools and examined it. The tip was rusted and the handle had worn from many uses. It looked like a cork screw in some sort of way. I twirled it in between my fingers with boredom and spun around, looking at the ceiling.

"What are you doing here?" I spun around and hurled the tool at the man behind me and he ducked before it hit him right in the forehead. He stood up and looked at the tool lodged in the wall, looking to me." Was that necessary?" he said, sounding like Renae in one of her lecture moments. I grabbed  my knife shooter from my belt and held it at ready." Who are you and what is your purpose?" I asked strictly.

"Now, I don't think that's too fair. I asked you first," he pointed out. Was he really that stupid to argue with the person who just chucked a cork screw at his head. When neither of us said anything, I hesitated." Are you here to erase me?" I asked cautiously.

"No," he answered.

"Then why are you here?" I asked.

"I was born here. I'm Inked."