Somnia

Chapter Ten

They say they found me in a coma.

They say I've been asleep for six months.

They say the doctors have no explanation.

I say nothing.

Eventually the dad has to leave for work, and the mother takes one of the boys to a soccer game. At least I think that's where she said they were going. I wasn't really paying attention at the time.

The taller of the two boys- who is also the older one- sits quietly at my bedside. I've learned his name is Jace. I'm told he's my brother, but I don't remember him. I don't remember any of them. Not that I would expect to. This is my first time in this book, after all.

Jace fluffs up my pillows so that I can sit more comfortably. I take the oxygen mask off even though the nurse asks me not to.

"You really don't remember us, do you?" Jace asks, his voice consistent and quiet. I shake my head. We both judge each other silently.

There are so many questions I want to ask. So many answers I crave. But it doesn't matter if Jace is the nicest, most caring person in the book. I already know he won't be able to help me.

Jace holds something between his hands. He glances down at it for a moment and then sets it on my lap.

"Thought you might want this. It's all you ever used to talk about," he says. I stare at the leather bound object in my lap.

It's a journal. My journal.

"How did you find this?" I whisper with excitement. I thought the old thing had been lost back in Somnia.

"It was on your bed where you always keep it," Jace says. I'm not sure what he means by this. Maybe whatever character I'm currently portraying likes to keep a journal, too. But then how do we have the same one?

By the amused look on his face I don't think Jace expected me to be this excited to have the journal. I flip it open and thumb through the first few pages. Unlike my journal back in Somnia, this journal is only half-filled. Every story that I wrote while alone, every paragraph I created to free myself from a story world, all of them are gone. I try not to look disappointed.

"Do you have a pen?" I ask. I swear I'm going to strap a bag of ten thousands pens to my waist from now on.

Jace smiles, no doubt taking my request as a sign that I'm feeling better.

He finds one and hands it to me only after making sure it works. I thank him and immediately put the pen to the page.

"Whatcha writing about?" he asks after I've been going at it for a while. I'm too absorbed in what I need to do to answer him. I finish off with a final dot for a period and close the journal. I start removing the tape and tubes from my arms. Jace gets out of his chair.

"Hey, Riles, you're not supposed to take those off."

"My name is Wiles," I say and ignore the rest of his comment.

"Riley!" His voice is sharper than I expected. It's the first time I've heard him raise his voice above a low tone. I stop to look at him. Jace lets out a small breath and averts his gaze for a moment. I wonder if our characters were close before this all happened, or if we were just as distant as I feel now. Maybe his Author should consider writing him with a stronger control over his emotions.

"Just take it easy, okay?" Jace puts a hand on my shoulder, but I pull back. Written as my family or not, he's still a stranger to me. And he won't be family for long. I don't know if an Author chose me, but either way I'm not staying in this story.