Finally. After drafts upon drafts of hard-work and time, patience and turmoil, obstacles and difficulty...it was complete. Ryan's beautiful work of literary genius "Stop Reading My Story" had met the end of creation. Now, at such a late hour, his first, and one might say articulate, novel would be published.
Of course, no one would read it. The very title itself commanded so. Yet a constant, nagging though persisted in Ryan's mind. "What if they do? What if they ignore the ever-present order listed so carefully and meticulously at the top of the masterpiece?" And so, Ryan hesitated, his finger hovering above the publish button. He felt the urge to press down on it and end the suspense...but still, the thought remained in his head.
"Perhaps, if someone sees it, they will compliment it! What's the worst that could happen?" Ryan thought.
"I can take a few harsh criticisms from the self-proclaimed book reviewers of the endless internet". He repeated this to himself over and over until he truly believed it. Indeed, what is the worst that could happen? Little did he know, Ryan was about to discover the answer to that very question.
His finger depressed the publish button until he was sure the deed had been done. Then, he lifted up his finger and stared at the screen, unaware of the impending implications of his actions.
Suddenly, a notification materialized on his laptop screen. It was...a read? Sure enough, one person had already read his work of pure brilliance. Now his finger hovered above a different button, the one to view his literary admirers. Upon pressing it, it was revealed to him that his fan was none other than Lauren. Hmph. Oh well.
As he began to close the lid of his laptop, he could not decide to feel grateful or somber. Maybe many more had come across his book yet heeded the title's instruction. After all, he had never intended for anyone to read it. However, the thought of being revered by others for his writing accomplishments was overwhelming.
And then, another notification popped up across his screen. Strange. Another reader, perhaps? One was a coincidence. But two? How could two people find his story in the wide, expansive library of Wattpad?
Probably Breanna, Ryan guessed. She never could follow rules. He opened up a conversation tab and jokingly typed "Are you illiterate? The title clearly says 'Stop Reading My Story'", followed by a Laughing-Crying Face Emoji x3. She didn't respond, and after five minutes, Ryan grew uneasy. There was an easier way to know.
He clicked on the readers button, ready to confirm his accurate guess. "What...that can't be right..." He doubted. But the proof was there, bright as day, or at least as bright as the maximum screen setting. It wasn't Breanna who had read his story. He squinted at the screen as if partially closing his eyes would open them to the truth. "What on earth...what kind of name is that?".
Just as he was about to check out this new reader's profile, a comment appeared in Ryan's conversation stream from the mysterious figure himself. It was simply four words, harmless when apart, but in this particular order, in this particular fashion, inspiring fear and suspense.
"I will find you".
Ryan's head swam with a jumble of agitation and questions. He sat, there unable to think, until finally, he replied:
"Who are you?"
A minute passed, maybe two. Ryan gathered his thoughts and decided to do the one thing he should have done in the first place. View his profile.
But in an instant, the mystery reader was no more. When he tried clicking on the profile, a Wattpad window appeared: "Sorry, this page does not exist". His attempts to view the profile twice more were in vain. Upon returning to his conversation stream, the singular comment had vanished. Instead, a "Who are you?" written by Ryan was alone, a question that, to a random onlooker, would have no specific audience. Ryan knew though. He knew he was not alone.
Who was this elusive figure, and what did his comment mean?
Who is Jacob Hockey?
