Author Vs. Character (Short Story)

Author Vs. Character

Outline and Notes

Chapter Five

Author:

The night passes quietly. Character sleeps soundly and wakes up at first light. Rooster crows. Climbs down from the hay loft and stretches, pleased to see that the fog of the night before has cleared and he can now see the town -- a couple dozen buildings, including a travelers' inn. He'd found refuge in their stable. Grateful for the chance to sleep so comfortably --

Character:

You know, I've been quiet and gone along with you for the previous four chapters without a complaint, but this is too much. I've spent six days sleeping on leaves, huddled by a tree in the rain, and half-drowned and miserable. And now you think sleeping in a hay pile is comfortable? I tossed and turned all night. Hay isn't down feathers, you know -- its dried twigs. They stab. And what the hell is this? (Holds up something between his fingers.)

Author:

(Peers closely) Looks like a needle to me.

Character:

Right. What perverted person would put a needle in a pile of hay? It jabbed me.

Author:

Did it? (Looks hopefully at the needle and then glances at research books) Is it rusty? Tetanus . . . severe muscle spasms, also called lockjaw . . . this might be interesting! I hadn't thought of that sort of illness, before they had shots and everything. Let me see it.

Character:

See what?

Author:

The needle!

Character:

(Brushing hands) What needle? There's no needle here . . . and no tetanus.

Author:

(Reluctantly puts aside the books) Oh well. Okay, where were we?

Character:

New day, no fog, etc.

Author:

Right. Okay. Character makes his way through the stable yard and past the open door to the inn's kitchen --

Character:

His stomach growling --

Author:

If you're hungry, eat the journey bread in your pocket.

Character:

Are you joking? That stuffs so hard I could chip rocks with it. A caveman with this journey bread could have ruled the world.

Author:

Character walks past the door and out into the street where he sees something that makes him shut up and forget everything else. There, on the hilltop overlooking the village, is the black stone castle that has haunted his dreams for the last five years! He anxiously turns that way, heading toward the distant castle gate --

Character:

Are you crazy? Or do you just think I'm stupid?

Author:

What's the problem now? That's the castle -- your goal in sight --

Character:

Yeah, the castle. Those dreams would be the ones where I wake up in a cold sweat, screaming because the castle sucked me in and buried me alive. And now you expect me to blithely head straight up and walk in? To hell with that. I'm heading the opposite way on this road, just as fast as I can --