The Book of Paradoxia Whispers

Chapter Seventeen: Arthur

"What? How could that be the end?", Arthur asked himself

As he flipped through the blank pages, he could see that the sun began to drift away and rest for the night

"Oh no! It's getting late, I need to get going back home!", he said as he started walking back to Fable still with the book in hand. Iorvia was not safe at night, the creatures of the night that would sleep during the day would emerge at night and attack any wanderer. Hence, all the kingdoms issued a law that no one not even the guards were allowed at night. The gates of each kingdom were also instructed to close at night, so anyone that was outside and arrived just as the gates closed would be immediately shut out into the dangerous forest of Iorvia and no one would ever make a whole night

Arthur needed to get back home as quickly as possible. Pushing through the bushes and branches trying to run back home, thankfully he made it back to Fable, but, the gates of the kingdom were already closed

"Oh no!", Arthur said in a worrying tone. The gates had closed before the required time, very odd. Arthur ran to the gate and tried pushing the gates with little to no success

"Dammit!", he shouted

"Hello!? Anyone near these damn gates kind enough to open them for me?", he shouted with no answer

"Shoot!", Arthur had given up and started to walk back into the forest, hoping to reach another kingdom in time

As he started to walk back into the forest, the gate into Fable opened slowly. Arthur turned round and said, "Oh finally! Thank you very much!", he said as he rushed in in fear that the gate would close on him, thankfully it did not. As he rushed in, the gate closed behind him

Pitch black everywhere. No Jamestown, no annoying townsfolk, no Fable

"Um... hello?", Arthur said with no answer

A white spot appeared then white covered the whole black void then a crack, and then another crack, then another one. Then a white shaped dome collapsed around Arthur. Arthur was frozen in fear, he did not know what was going on

Now, Arthur was in another different place completely. It seemed like he was in space. Galaxies and stars all over then suddenly doors started emerging from nowhere

"Okay... this is weird", Arthur said as he started walking around

Doors in random places. Everything was out of place. He then saw a person, what seemed to be a girl, young, probably the same age, give or take a few years possibly

"Um, excuse me? Can you help me? I'm lost", Arthur said

"So am I, I'm lost too", the girl said

Arthur giggled and then said, "So we're both lost. What's your name?"

The girl seemed reluctant but said, "Um... M... Mabel"

"Mabel, that's a nice name"

"What's your name?", Mabel asked Arthur

"Arthur, my name is Arthur", Arthur said

"Arthur? Are you by any chance from the kingdom of Fable?", Mabel asked

Arthur was concerned but said, "Yes, I am. How did you know that?"

Mabel seemed to have paused for a second or two but then said, "I've read about you..."

"Read about me? How could you have read about me? I'm not famous or anything"

"I read about you in a book, a thick brown book to be precise"

Arthur could identify which book Mabel was talking about, "Wait... this book?", he lifted his hand up but no book was there

"Huh? Where's the book!?", he said as he was trying to look for it

"By any chance, was the book called Paradoxia?", Mabel asked

Arthur stopped in his tracks and looked straight at Mabel and said, "Yes"

"I think this 'book' has been telling our lives to each other", Mabel said

"It can't be, I was reading about a girl called Violet", Arthur said

"Same! I read about her after you're story!"

"Impossible!", they were both baffled by the notion that this so called 'book' they were reading recounted their lives to one another

"Excuse me?", a voice said. Arthur and Mabel both turned round and saw a girl dressed in tacky clothing

"Can you help me? I've suddenly arrived in this strange place", Mabel and Arthur both looked at each other then back at the girl

"Is your name by any chance Violet?", Arthur asked the girl

"Yes... why?", Violet said

"Long story...", Mabel said