When The World Breaks

Chapter Four

The Author opened the notebook and looked at the first page, she nodded and began writing. "Lavender, Seventeen, Betrayal, Cacophony." She tapped the page and the words appeared in the air before her, they shimmered for a moment before weaving themselves into a door.

This door was different from the one The Author had used before. It had a spruce frame and the carvings engraved into the wood seemed to glow with a pale gold in some places, and silver in others. The door was engraved with stars, with a moon and sun on each side, both with their own environments.

The sun was accompanied by the carving of a plump woman wearing greek robes and a gold headpiece, she was smiling and her eyes were illuminated by a brighter gold than the rest of the carving. The Moon had a similar woman by it, she had long hair that flowed around her, she wore a dress that was decorated with stars, and a black crown. Her eyes glowed silver. Where the two met in the middle was a pool of water, the carving giving the impression of depth. The women appeared to each have their own domains, one dark and one light. The water keeping them separate.

"Sonne and Lore." The Author examined the door, "Goddess of the sun and goddess of the moon."

Kyle flew over and perched on her shoulder, "Let's get this over with."

The Author laughed, "It won't be that bad." Smiling, she put her hand on the door, "Lavender, Seventeen, Betrayal, Cacophony."

Lavender: the color of her favorite dress.

Seventeen: the seventeen moons of Rolox.

Betrayal: the feeling that often accompanied having power.

Cacophony: a loud assortment of noises.

The door unlocked and The Author smiled, grabbing onto the brass handle she pulled it open, stepping through the wall of swirling color. She took another step and a door appeared, this one was made of iron.

"Careful you don't trip," Kyle chirped, "I don't want another incident."

The Author rolled her eyes, opening the door, "I'm not daft, I know how to walk."

I think you already know what happened next.

The Author, sadly, managed to step on her cloak, "Fuck." Stumbling she tried to grab onto the door handle but it broke off, "Fuck." She fell through the open doorway, "Fuck!" The Author spun around to face the door, which appeared to be on the outside of a medieval looking castle. But slipped doing so, she looked behind her to see a drop off that lead who knows where, "Fuck!!" she scrambled away, pressing her back against the cold stone of the intimidating building that towered above her.

Kyle gave her an annoyed look, "Apparently you don't know how to walk."

"Shut up." The Author glared at the bird.

Kyle grunted, "You're going to get yourself killed one day. Just jumping in and out of your stories without any plan whatsoever."

"Maybe." The Author frowned, looking around. "Have you seen my bag?"

Kyle frowned, "The one that you use to carry the Book?"

"Yes."

"...did you lose it?"

"...yes."

Kyle flapped his wings in alarm, "What do you mean you lost it?"

"I don't know!" The Author crossed her arms, "I had it when I went through the door and now it's gone."

"Did you drop it?"

She paused, thinking, "That appears to be the most likely option, yes."

"Oh my god." Kyle muttered, exasperated.

"So..." The Author frowned, "What do we do now?"

"Look for it!"

"Right." She nodded, beginning to walk around.

Kyle flapped his wings and flew overhead, looking into the canyon below. "Found it!" he squawked, "Over here!"

The bag was hanging from a small shrub that clung to the stone wall, defying gravity along with the laws of nature.

"Did you put that there?" The Author frowned down at the bag.

"Obviously not." Kyle chirped, landing on the ground beside her.

"I'll go get it." The Author pulled out a ladder from her pocket and began lowering it down.

"Where did you get that?" Kyle questioned, rather alarmed.

"Like I've said before; I got skills." She propped the ladder on a small ledge and began climbing down towards her bag.

"Be careful!" Kyle urged.

"I know what I'm doing." The Author snapped, looking up at the bird.

And this, my dear reader, was her mistake.

The Author tried to take another step down without looking and missed one of the rings, the ladder wobbled and she shrieked in alarm, grabbing onto a small area of rock that protruded from the wall of jagged stone. The ladder swayed, and fell, leaving The Author hanging onto the cliff face. She watched as the ladder disappeared, quite literally, it vanished with a flash of light.

"What was that?" Kyle flew down to her, looking into the ravine.

The Author gulped, "Uh, this might be the Disappearing River..."

"Which is?"

"A, um, a river that if anything touches its mists or waters gets zapped to another part of the world..."

"What?!" Kyle squawked, flying up and away from the danger.

The Author found a small foothold in the rock, "It's fine, we aren't anywhere near the mist."

Kyle looked down, "Don't fall."

"I won't." The Author started inching her way along the cliff face, using small ledges as handholds and footholds, slowly getting closer and closer to the bag.

Just then, a strong gust of wind was sent in her direction, causing The Author to yell and stop moving, and causing the bag to slip closer to falling into the mist below.

Kyle swooped down, "Grab it!"

"I'm trying!" The Author began to climb faster, the bag slipped again and was close to falling. She reached out a hand and almost touched the strap, when another gust of air caused it to slip, and fall into the canyon, disappearing with a flash of light.

There was a silence as The Author and Kyle looked at where the bag had once been.

"Well," The Author frowned, "we're screwed."