Worlds Apart

Chapter Three

I woke up in a soft, warm bed, and upon realizing this, jumped hurriedly out of the tangled mess of sheets. Checking my surroundings, I found myself in a bedroom with only a small twin sized mattress, a closet, and a wooden nightstand. On the nightstand, I found a lamp and an alarm clock staring back at me. The clock read 7:47 am, and still in shock, I looked around the room again, taking in my surroundings. Then I noticed it. The scratching was here again. It was slower, and as I listened, it sounded smoother. Like something silky gliding over a surface. I listened for a while, and while doing so, I noticed that my room was improving. Clothes filled the closet, my mattress was an actual bed now, and I now had a bathroom. I blinked once, and the scratching stopped. I looked around anxiously, not knowing what was going on. 

After waiting a moment, I went into the bathroom, and found nothing extraordinary. I checked the drawers in my bathroom, and was rewarded with soaps and towels, a toothbrush and hair brush, and many more necessities. Stepping out of the restroom, I looked around, waiting to hear the scratching again, yet I heard nothing. I didn't know what it was, or what it meant, but a quiet voice told me it was important, and I was determined to find out why. I quickly got ready, and not quite knowing what to do with myself, decided to head outside again. With a home destination now set in stone, I felt more secure and happier, and I was grateful. I didn't know where the small apartments had come from, or why I had gotten one at a seemingly random time. All I knew was that I was grateful for the simple luxury of a home.

I stopped in front of the coffee shop, the same one I went in yesterday, and looked at the sign above the door. Two simple trees lined the frame of the door, and the sign read, Welcome to Twin Tree Cafe! I smiled, remembering the kind, older Scottish barista, and went in. I was welcomed again by the homely coffee smell once more, and as I walked up to the counter, I grinned. Looking around, I saw a myriad of baked goods, as well as coffee cups, paper bags, and of course, coffee machines. Making a decision, I stepped up to the counter and was greeted by a familiar smiling face.

"Welcome back, deary! Couldn't get enough of the wee beans, could Ye?"

I chuckled before replying,

"Hehe, I guess not. One croissant and one espresso please." I licked my lips anxiously, and paid quickly, then returned to the lounge chairs. I stared out at the window, daydreaming idly, when I heard the scratching noise return. I beamed, not knowing why, and, grabbing my coffee and my croissant, raced outside.

I ran back to the orchard, and as I sat among the apple trees, I tried to decipher where the noise was coming from. It sounded distant, like it was miles and miles away, but not on the ground. I stared at the sky, taking in its light blue brightness and its puffy white clouds. It was perfect weather, and as I stared, they formed different shapes. I saw a bear, a plane, and a tree. Then I heard it. A soft rumble, like thunder, and I jumped. There were no dark clouds in the sky, and I looked around nervously before calling,

"Hello?" No reply. "HELLO?" I yelled, this time a little louder, and was rewarded with silence. No scratching, no rumbling- just silence. I sighed, and started to climb down from my perch when I heard a voice.

"You can hear me?" This time, I jumped so high I fell off my tree branch and hit the soft dirt ground beneath me. Groaning, I got up and brushed the dirt off me. The voice was muffled, and hard to hear, but the message was clear enough. Standing taller, I stared at the sky and called,

"Hello? I can, I can hear you! My name's Sam! Can you hear me?" I hear more rumbling, and it was then that I wondered if I was going crazy. It wouldn't be a terribly far fetched idea; I did just hit my head last night after collapsing. I rubbed my head, remembering, then got up and started walking when I heard it again.

"But how? How can she hear me? That's not- she can't- how can-"

Hey! I can still hear you! I stared at the sky, but nothing had changed.

"Who are you?"

"I am your Creator. I made this world from scratch, everything from the grass, the trees, the buildings, the city; all of it. I made-"

"Are you a god?" Bewildered, I shrunk back timidly as I heard more rumbles among the puffy white clouds. It took me a moment to realize that the thunder I heard was actually laughter, then the voice returned and said,

"No, no. I'm not a god, although that would be something. I am a human, don't worry, and I only made your world from pencil and paper. My name's Jesse, I'm just an author, and a humble one at that."

"Oh." My voice sounded very small and shrewd, and I cursed myself inwardly. "Where are you?"

"Well, I'm not exactly in your world, but I like to think of it as I'm all around you, watching and protecting you and your little town. When I see an area that needs improving, I fix it. I may add a few trees here and there, or a new lake if I feel like it. If the city runs into an major issues like floods or famine, I fix it by building a dam or start farms. And when people like you need help, I do my best. I give you houses, food, and clothes, in the hopes that you'll be happy. Normally I know the outcome but with you..." The voice trailed off, and I anxiously cried out,

"Wait! What about me? How can I hear you? Why did you forget me? What do you mean you're 'an author'? Where-"

"Relax, I'm still here! You don't need to worry, I'm going to be here for a while. And as for your other questions, I'm willing to answer them, if you are patient enough. Now, ask away..."

We talked through the entire day, each asking and answering each other's questions. Before I knew it, the sun was melting into the horizon again, and I asked my final question,

"Will you be back here tomorrow?"

"Of course I will. I wouldn't miss it for the world. " I saw the sun give one last glow of warmth, then smiled and climbed down from my tree.

It had been a long day, and, walking back through the city, I looked around. The city hadn't changed, but as I gazed at the bright lights coming to life around me, I knew that my world would be changed forever. I walked home, quietly taking everything in, and when my head finally hit the pillow that night, I glanced at my surroundings one last time before grinning gratefully and falling into a deep sleep.

•••Author's Note•••

Hello hello! So this was the first chapter without the POV in the title, so I hope you all read my last note! For the record, it's still from Sam's POV, and it will most likely stay that way, for the sake of continuity. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, (notably longer than the last), and stay tuned for more!