DIFFERENT The Book Thief Fanfic

DIFFERENT

Alphabets are written out with different strokes. Words are formed with a combination of different alphabets. Sentences are strung together by different words. With many different sentences, a story is woven.

A story that would lead Liesel to a different world.

She adored many things in life, grateful of almost everything. But like any and every human being, she wanted more. Liesel thought her life was all too boring. A student with average grades with a nice loving family, her future did not look bleak. Liesel was satisfied, but maybe just a little more hopeful of the impossible.

For one thing, she read books. To her, books were truly a miracle. The power of words that could send her to a whirlpool of emotions, she simply could not believe it was just a combination of different letters. Once she found a book or a story to her liking, the pages would fly to the end before she knew it. Although she would later regret for not enjoying the process, Liesel was always shock at how her friends finished the book only after weeks. Are they not anxious to find out the end, are they not impatient?

How could they pull themselves out of the world so fast and jump back in whenever they like so easily? No, Liesel could not manage that. A world, an entire new world so different from hers, constructed up by beautiful words! Words like bricks creating a realm for her to escape to. The temptation would seize Liesel desperately and grip her tightly. Only until the end, when the world slowly collapsed into the last few words of the book, would the tension release slightly. However, overwhelmed with so much emotions and excitement, Liesel was already on her way hungrily devouring more.

And then one day, Liesel found herself trapped. It was a brown book with an astonishingly grand cover and title. She held on to it dearly, as though it was her life, burning painfully into her arms. Her eyes singed and her mind was lost to the other world. The different strokes of alphabets danced tauntingly at her, the words strapping her to the chair tightly until she could not move, could barely breathe. She was so far away from reality, and she could not find her way back.

Sometimes, Liesel would cry for a character's death. Sometimes, she would be utterly stunned by the plot twist, unable to comprehend the sudden change. She was not exactly in the world; the world was in her heart, tearing at her emotions wildly. She could not stop or break the spell. Her feeble attempts at clawing the walls open would be washed away by a giant wave of words. The words were different, always different, and very strong.

Even when Liesel finished her book, the world did not let her go. You are still our prisoner, it would whisper the reminder into her ears. Every day, every moment, would be spent thinking and visiting the world again. It was a maddening love. The worst, and best, part was her urge to be in the world. It was the desire to go on to an adventure, the desire to be someone important, like a main character somewhere. Liesel desired to be different, or maybe be part of something different. The books she read, be it fictional or not, be it the past or the future, be it real or imaginary, it was all different. And she desired for the different world.

This was Liesel's dream. Unfortunately, it cannot be achieved. The world she lived in was not as exciting, not as eventful, and not as dangerous. Liesel was not complaining, but she would still hope. This little spark of hope led her to daydreaming, even her night dreams were of alternative worlds, different worlds. That was all she could do, dream.

Liesel set down the book and stared at it, a slight smile playing at her lips. She picked up another one, a blue colour hardback, and opened it. She needed to move on, she needed to leave. But that was not stopping her from embracing the new words, the new stories. Different strokes of letters reached out and led the anticipating girl to another different world.