Forlot - Books 1-3 {Completed}

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"Relax," the shadow girl said. "You are the hero. I am sure that you will have an idea of what you should do and save the shadow people way before you expire."

My teeth chattered. I was a nervous wreck now.

"I...am not...the hero!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I am not!"

Karla grabbed ahold of my jacket. "Stop denying your destiny. Keep denying it, and you will die in the shadow realm. And our readers will be very unhappy with this story. It will not have a twisted ending. It will not have a happy ending. Oh, no. Deny whom I say that you are, and the story will have a sad ending. And this book series is not supposed to be sad! Events that are displayed as sad and heartbroken can occur every once in a while. But not as a whole story! It would be hard to read!"

"...wow." I was surprised at her long explanation. "Did you...did you just break the fourth wall?"

"Of course. Somebody had to do it sooner or later. The series would be nothing without breaking the fourth wall here and there. Plus, nobody has broken the fourth wall for the last few chapters."

I nodded. "Nicely done."

"Thank you." She let go of my jacket. "Onward! To victory!" She started walking away.

"Wait," I spoke up, and she stopped in her shadowy tracks. "Why am I the hero? And how did you know?"

She looked at me. "Hmm. In order to answer your first question, we must stop by the library and take a look at the facts," she replied. "However, I can confirm this. The main reason that you are the hero is because you are the main character. This is your story, not anybody else's."

"Ah. That would explain why I am talking in the first person."

"And the answer for your second question is pretty simple. The shadow people and I have read the legend. We have been waiting for this moment." The shadow girl hugged my arm. "And at last, you have come!"

"Um...okay..."

Jeez. From my point of view, she was acting like a child.

Heck, she could very well be a child, and I just could not tell.

"Follow me," Karla said as she took my hand and led me into the darkness.

Even if I were already in the darkness.

"And stay close to me and watch your step," she added. "The path that we are on is very narrow. One wrong move, and you will be falling forever until you die in the next...fifty-five minutes."

Sweat dripped off my face as she mentioned when I could possibly be gone. I did not want to think on that. Not now.

Oh my goodness.

"How old are you, Nigel?" Karla asked.

I stared at her. "...thirteen," I told her.

"It must be weird for you to talk to a shadow."

I nodded in agreement. "It is not every day that I get thrown in the shadow realm and meet shadows."

She stared back at me. "Hold on. You were forced to come here? You...you did not come here on purpose?"

"No. A shadow forced me."

"Really? Which one?"

"...which one?"

"Which shadow is responsible? There are good shadows and bad shadows after all."

"Not in my case. I have only dealt with bad shadows."

Karla tightened her grip on my hand. "You sure about that?" Her bright blue eyes stared into mine as if she were sucking the life out of me.

My cheeks grew hot. "Well..."

All of a sudden, Karla grabbed me. "Watch out!" she cried out as she pushed me down.

"Oof!" I landed on my back and moaned.

"Sorry about that." The shadow girl helped me up. "It had to be done though."

I rubbed the side of my neck. "What the heck was that for?"

"You were going to fall, and I had to make sure that would not happen." She pointed at the blackness. "You were going to step between the paths. Where there is no solid ground."

I was confused. I felt the ground beneath my sneakers, but I could not see it.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned. "I do not see any paths. And you said that we are only on one path."

"We were," she stated. "But that one path splits itself into three paths." She motioned to where the paths were placed. "And only shadows can see the shadowy objects that are in this dimension."

"Oh."

"Which is why I am helping you on your quest. You will not survive without a shadow helper."

"Well...I appreciate the help."

Karla turned away from me. "Hmm. One of these paths takes us to the Shadowy City."

"Okay. And where do the other paths lead?"

"...to death."

I shook as I heard her reply. "B-but you know which path to take? Right?"

She shook her head. "I do not know."