Not under control von VideoGameCrack (Mein NaNoWriMo-Projekt für 2010 - mit täglichen Updates!) ================================================================================ Kapitel 1: Day One ------------------ Beep. He always hated that noise. Beep. Every single morning, he heard it. Beep. He never got quite behind why it had to be such an annoying noise. Beep. Every time he heard it, it felt like it was draining his life force... Beep. …making it harder and harder to stop it. Beep. But if it was there to actually wake him up, why was it doing the exact opposite? Beep. He knew that he had to push the button sometime, or it will just get worse. Beep. Slowly, his hand was reaching out for the alarm clock to hit the button and stop the annoying sound that came from behind him. Silence. It was so relaxing to hear absolutely nothing. While he was listening to it, he asked himself: „Why did I turn on the alarm clock? It's Saturday!“ Gerald, who started to regain his conciousness, got out of his bed, scratching his backhead and making his hair look even messier than it already did, and moved towards the bath to get his daily dose of icy water to wake up, as the noise he didn't like to speak of didn't do the job. All that while he continued asking himself why the alarm was switched on. „Maybe I just forgot to turn it off yesterday...“ The cold, liquid wetness hit his face with full force, which caused him to actually feel like he just woke up. But even though his mind was as clear as it could get, he still wondered about the clock. „Maybe I should just eat something. That'll probably help.“ Still just in his underwear, Gerald set foot in the kitchen. It wasn't a big kitchen, but it certainly was enough for a one-man household. He took the black tea out of the cupboard, when a little manuscript on the desk catched his eye. Six months ago, he decided to write a book. A detective story set in a town where crime reigns and a private detective was about to get behind something big. But as he progressed, he felt like it was getting harder and harder to continue the story, until he stopped all togehter a few weeks ago. The little booklet layed on the table just as he left it when he wrote the at the time last words of the novel: „Frank wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it couldn't be anything good.“ When he started writing, Gerald felt so full of ideas, but now, there was no way he could continue in his current state. „Why haven't I put that already away?“, he mumbled to himself as he let the water boil to make his tea. It continued to bother him why he let himself get penetrated by that obnoxius beeping. As it still took a few minutes until his tea was ready to drink, he took a seat to let his eyes wonder on that last page. It kinda fascinated him that he got this far in his story and also made him a little upset that he couldn't continue it. But why bother? He wasn't the person to force himself to do stuff. He needed some kind of inspiration to get something done. As he got more and more absorbed into his own story, he heard a slightly less irritating beeping that indicated that his tea was ready. After throwing the tea bag into the bin, he began staring into his cup. Gerald had no idea why he preferred black tea over coffee. They both had a rather bitter taste and neither of them really helped him to feel full of energy and enthusiam to grab the day and roll with it. Maybe it was just that the awful taste of the black tea didn't stay that long in his mouth. „Hm... coffee... there was something...“ In that exact moment, it struck him like lightning. He wanted to meet Sebastian in the bakery because he had some very important news for him he wanted to tell him in person. He had no idea why Sebastian didn't just tell him that on the phone, but maybe he just wanted to meet him again. He also didn't know how his thought process changed from „coffee“ to „meeting him in the bakery“. Maybe it was because he, unlike Gerald, liked to drink coffee? Without further ado – and letting his black tea get cold – he grabbed the first jeans he could find, together with a fleece jacket, put them on in about thirty seconds, rushed out of his appartment together with his shoes because he thought he already wasted enough time and ran out of the house. Thankfully, the bakery was only around the corner, but there had to be a reason why his friend wanted to meet him so early. As he reached the bakery, still trying to put his shoes on, he spotted a blonde man with green eyes sitting behind the window drinking out of his cup. Gerald just waved his hand to indicate that he didn't completely forget to show up, dashed inside and took the seat opposite to him. That resulted in a very weird look of the man. It was that kind of look saying „I know I should be asking myself why the hell that just happened, but I think it looks better if I stay cool and raise one of my eyebrows at most“. „...you forgot again why you had the alarm on, right?“ „Oh, come on!“, Gerald complained. „It doesn't happen that often.“ „Calm down and have a tea.“ „I probably would have if I didn't think about why I didn't like coffee.“ „Just as weird as ever.“ „I know, I know...“ For the next few minutes, the confused guy who forgot to comb his hair and felt like he might as well be called Arthur Dent and and his tidy friend with the stoic behaviour just sat opposite to each other, exchaning glances and waiting for the other to come up with a subject. Finally, Sebastian opened his mouth and asked: „Say, are you still working on that book you spoke about in spring?“ Gerald looked away, feeling a little bit ashamed. „...haven't I told you already?“ „If you did, I would remember it.“ He sighed. „I didn't continue writing for about three weeks.“ „That's just your writer's block. Believe me, it will get better soon.“ „I doubt it, Bastian.“ Gerald answered with few confidence. „It wasn't like it just happened. It was like I was running out of ideas from the very moment I started writing!“ „Well, no matter how you managed to write yourself into a corner, I think I know a way to cure it!“ The brown-haired author thought he knew what was coming. „Let me guess: Some sort of „How to write a bestseller“ seminars? Really, Bastian, you know how I think of this stuff! „Sorta.“ Sebastian took a sip. „But that's not what I'm trying to offer you.“ As he put his cup on the desk, he continued: „I kinda thought to myself that you're going to have some problems, so I did a little bit of research on the Internet to find a way to help you.“ Gerald got a confused look on his face. „And that would be?“ „It sounds very weird, but according to the description, it's a ritual that will allow yourself to gather tons of ideas for your stories.“ Now he just look at Sebastian the same way he did when he entered. „Honestly, that sounds even stupider than those seminars! I may not be someone who's really down-to-earth, but even I can sense there's something fishy about it!“ Sebastian pushed his hands away from himself, as if to say „Just give me some time to explain“. „I can fully understand that it sounds like it's going to be utterly ridicilous, but I wouldn't tell you about it if I haven't heard of other people who also used that ritual and thought that it helped a lot. They say stuff like „It's as if the story itself is telling me how to continue!“. And that's more like the rule than the exception.“ „Well, I still don't know.“ „Look, you don't even know how it works. Maybe you should try it out first before you judge it.“ „I guess you're right, but still. It sounds crazy.“ „Crazy as in „the guy who forgot why he wanted to get up early“?“ „Now that was just completely unnessecary“. „C'mon, Gerald, just a joke“ Sebastian replied. „I mean, how long do we know each other now?“ „Lemme see... four, five years?“ „Exactly. And how often do we meet just as friends to sit down and talk a bit, since you've started your novel?“ „...very rarely?“ „Correct.“ After a short pause, Gerald answered: „And why did you wanted me to meet me so early?“ „Because otherwise I wouldn't have the time. I can get later to work today, so I thought it would be a nice idea. Haven't I told you?“ „...no?“ „Then sorry for that.“ Sebastian got up. „I have to go now, then. I'll mail you the information for the ritual today evening, kay?“ „Kay.“ The blonde, after paying, went out of the bakery, waving at Gerald as he got away. Gerald on the other hand kept sitting in the bakery for a while, thinking about what his friend just told him. „Well, I promised him to at least try, but... I'm pretty sure it won't work.“ It was about 7 PM. Gerald took a look at some job offers on his computer, as he heard something resembling a doorbell. Though it wasn't a doorbell, but his Instant Messenger who told him that somebody called „Rakushina“ sent him a message. He proceeded to open the chatlog, with the message saying: „I'm pretty sure that you remember what that's supposed to be... or do I?“, followed by a very obscure looking link. Without thinking about the message itself, he moved his cursor to the link and clicked it. What loaded was a page with white text on black background. Slowly looking through what was written there, he couldn't believe his eyes. That was really supposed to work? That has to be some sort of joke! But then he remembered that he wanted to try it out before having an actual opinion about it. As he had nothing to do anymore – and because the job offers weren't really what he was hoping for – he printed out the text and started to follow the instructions. First, he needed to get his script and put it in front of himself. Then, he had to place candles to the left and right of his unfinished novel. Apparently, they were only there to build atmosphere, but if he had to try it, then he had to try it the right way, even if some instructions weren't needed for the ritual to work. After drawing a circle and placing it below the book, Gerald started to wonder if he wasn't starting a satanic ritual by now. What if all the people talking good were actually demons trying to get more people to summon more demons? „Yeah, of course.“ He then got to the last step. Pulling the instructions out of his trousers, he began reciting what was needed to be recited to get the ritual to work. „Notarc no ruy oti ni nard eb lahs oy.“ Before he could think to himself „What kind of gibberish was that?“, something else started to bother him. Didn't he hear the candles burning about five seconds ago? Putting away the paper, he realised that he wasn't in his living room anymore, but instead surrounded by giant black cubes while standing on something that sort of resembles a road. „Dammit, I was right about the Satanic thing.“ „No, you weren't.“ This calming voice came from behind him. Slowly turning around, he spotted a man in a beige trench coat with a tooth pick between his teeth. „Or at least not, until you wrote something about Satan.“ „Wait a second... Frank?“ „Yes, indeed. It's me, your main character.“ Gerald looked shocked. Was that guy serious? How could that happen in the first place? „I know that this may sound crazy to you, but it is true. I am a creation of your writing.“ „But... how... why...?“ „You may calm down first. It might be a good idea that you can breathe properly while I'm trying to explain to you what is actually going on.“ Following Frank's advice, he started breathing slowly and deliberately, until he could grasp a clear thought again. „Okay, I think I'm fine now.“ „Very well. Now follow me.“ Frank turned around and walked down the road, with Gerald catching up to him. „First of all, the place we're in right now is the world of your story.“ „Wait... are you telling me this is the city? I think I described it as dark, but certainly not as this black...“ „This world only follows the instuctions it gets when you're writing. So it must have been described as this dark.“ Gerald took a quick look around. No matter where he looked, he only spotted giant black cubes. This started to get rather worrying. „So... where are we anyway?“ „Haven't you got that by now?“ Frank answered. „This is the world of your story.“ „No, I meant it more like: Is this in my head? Am I in a different dimension? Is it something I never could guess?“ „Oh, I see.“ Frank took the tooth pick and threw it away. „To be fair, I have no idea. But then again, I don't think it would make any sort of difference.“ „Oh.“ They walked a few minutes side by side, with none of them saying a word. Gerald still didn't really get what was going on, and Frank waited for Gerald to ask a very specific question. „How does this world work, anyway?“ And there it was. „I waited for that one, Gerald. You see, this world has a few rules it must follow under all circumstances.“ „And those would be?“ „Well, first off, nothing that hasn't been mentioned in any way in the story exists here.“ „So it only can become reality here if I write about it at least once?“ „Exactly.“ As Gerald looked straight ahead, he realised that the lines of building just stopped. He also didn't spot the road anymore. As he looked on his feet, he saw that he almost fell down the road. „Gerald, what are you doing there?“ Frank yelled at him from behind, before walking to him and looking in the same direction has Gerald does. „Huh, never noticed that.“ „Never noticed that? Everything just stops and you're telling me that you have never even seen?“ „Why would I? There is absolutely nothing in that direction.“ „And what if anybody else accidently fell down there?“ „I don't see the reason to come here in the first place.“ Gerald knew that he wouldn't understand what he's talking about for a while, so he proceeded to forget about it for a while and continue walking beside Frank while he kept on answering Gerald's question. „Say, is there something else I need to know about this place?“ „Of course. For example, when one part of the story gets cut out, it's treated like it never existed.“ „Oookaaay... anything else?“ „Well, there are two more rules that apply, One, the world recreates the scenario exactly like you write it.“ „And two?“ Frank turns to Gerald. „We all know that we are only part of a story.“ „So you basically just... act?“ „That's pretty much it.“ The two of them stopped walking. „And that's really everything I need to know about this word?“ Gerald asked. Frank nodded. „Well, everything except how to leave this place again.“ „And how do I do that?“ „Remember the words you used to enter your story in the first place?“ Gerald looked at his right hand, in which he still had the paper with the instructions. „I have them right here.“ „Just repeat them and you'll be back in your own world again.“ He kept looking at the paper. „I suppose we're going to meet again, aren't we?“ „Of course“ Gerald replied. „But first, I want to have a lock around town to see how I can improve it...“ „No problem with that. Should I come with you or do you want to be alone?“ „I think I'll be well on my own, but thank you.“ And so, they parted ways, wandering through the lifeless feeling quote-unquote city. Frank pulled a tooth pick out of his jacket, while Gerald tried to collect ideas to make the city feel more like a city. In its current state, it felt more like a badly decorated warehouse than anything. Back in his natural habitat – in other words, in his living room - Gerald started rewriting parts of the script while laying on his couch. He found this way of writing a lot more comfortable. But in the middle of writing, he started to ask himself: Why did he have so few problems grasping what happened a few hours ago? Something this surreal should more likely bother him for months to come. Maybe it was because he was the cause of this in the first place, but then he came to the conclusion that it's no use thinking about it, because in the end, he probably didn't want the answer anymore. Sunk in his thoughts, the phone rang. It was Sebastian. „Hi, Gerald.“ „Good evening, Bastian.“ „Say, did you have the time to test that ritual already?“ „Yeah, I did.“ „So? Did it help?“ Gerald didn't really know what to answer without sounding like he was on really bad drugs instead. „You see, it's weird to explain, but it really felt like the story itself was helping me!“ „So you basically just reread what you've written so far?“ „No, no. It's... complicated. Sorry, but I'm in the middle of improving the story.“ „Oh, I see. Sorry that I bothered you.“ „Nah, it's okay. I just wanna continue, alright?“ „Kay. See you then.“ And few seconds later, he heard beeps in a slow rhythm coming out of the speaker. „I had it a lot with beeps lately, didn't I?“ Kapitel 2: Day Two ------------------ The way the city looked now has dramatically changed. Instead of just being black cubes standing in rows, they now looked like actual buildings. More people were wandering around under the giant neonlights, while Gerald and Frank were having a closer look around. „So, what do you think?“, Gerald asked, waiting for constructive criticism. „Of what?“ „Well, the city. The way it looks right now.“ „Has it ever looked differently?“ Gerald just remembered that changes also affect the story retoactively. „No, of course not. Sorry, it was just very bad phrasing.“ That was something Gerald had to do a lot – apologizing. He couldn't really explain it, but he tends to say irritating, ridicilous or just downright weird stuff if people let him to. He thought that saying that he was sorry would make him sound less like an idiot. If other people thought the same thing is a different question. Frank sweatdropped and continued by answering Gerald's question from the beginning. „It could be better, of course, but I think you're doing a decent job. It feels very authentic.“ „...did you leave this world while I wasn't noticing?“ „Of course not. I'm sort of bound to this world. I'm saying that it feels authentic because of all the details you can randomly spot. It makes the story feel more real.“ „But my potential readers probably don't know about the ritual.“ „They obviously don't have to, that's for sure. It's just that, the more detailed it looks here, the more immersive the story gets.“ Gerald pretended that he knew how this was supposed to work according to the rules Frank told him before. The detective then took a glance at his watch and said: „I just noticed I want to meet somebody in a few minutes. Wanna come along with me? You'll probably recognize him. I mean, why wouldn't you if you created him?“ „Sure, why not.“ They took the next road to the left, walking towards a dead end. Suddenly, it felt for Gerald as if the setting got a lot darker. The shine of the neonlights faded away, despite the fact that the distance between him and them wasn't changing. The crowd became more quiet, until he couldn't hear them anymore at all. The only things he could see right now were a street light, Frank and the ground that got lit up. He slowly started to regret that he agreed to follow Frank. „Hey, Frank. How's it going?“ Another man entered into the light. With a cigar in his mouth and a five o'clock shadow that he apparently forgot to shave, he shook hands with the detective. It seemed that he had Italian roots. „Yeah, I'm doing fine. Any problems with your job?“ „You know that I'm very careful while gathering the newest information“, the man replied. Looking at the third man standing in the light, he asked: „And who's he?“ „Maybe I should introduce you two to each other. Anthony, that's Gerald, the man behind this world. Gerald, that's Anthony, my informant.“ Gerald wondered: „Why were you meeting, actually?“ „Well“, Frank replied, „I figured that you were going to follow me, so I thought it might be a good opportunity to meet another of your characters.“ „And what if I didn't?“ Anthony chuckled. „Then me and Frank would probably go to the restaurant without you.“ „Now that you're here, it's like killing two birds with one stone“, Frank completed the statement. „That does make sense, I guess.“ As the three walked away, Gerald noticed that the light from the nearby streets came back and the people on the streets were starting to get noisy again. That did feel pretty weird, but then again, he was walking around in his own detective story. If it didn't feel weird, he probably would have visited a doctor long ago. „And why were we meeting back there?“ Frank looked confused at him. „Why are you asking so many questions? I mean, it's pretty natural and understandable, but it feels like you're asking me about everything!“ „I don't know. It's like something forces me to...“ „Maybe you should get some sleep later.“ Gerald held his forehead. „That'll probably be it.“ „So“, tried Anthony to come up with a new topic, „where do you want to eat? I'm for Greek food. I just love the taste of Souflaki.“ Gerald answered: „I'd prefer Chinese personally.“ Frank just answered calmly: „I don't really care where.“ „I guess because Gerald is our guest, we should go for the Chinese. I heard there's one right around the corner.“ „The food here is delicious...“ Gerald mentioned before taking another bite out of the peking duck. „But very expensive“, Frank replied as he spiced up his spring rolls with soja sauce. „That doesn't really matter for me. After all, I can leave whenever I want.“ „You could at least pretend they need the money and that we have something resembling an economy“ Anthony mentioned. „Sorry, I was just joking. Didn't mean to upset you“, Gerald apologized to him. „Nah, it's okay. It's just because there finally starts something to happen again. The last few weeks were really boring. It's like if time stood still.“ Gerald blushed, before the informant friendly slapped his shoulder. Frank felt like it was the right time to change the subject. „So, Anthony“, he asked, „how are your researches going?“ „Well, not much happened in the recent time“ was the reply, which caused Gerald to become as red as a tomato. „Vincent hasn't really done something recently, though I doubt it will take him much longer to react.“ While Frank and Anthony were discussing the current situation, Gerald continued to eat the duck, as as a bothersome thought struck his head. As far as he remembered, he didn't write anything about a Chinese restaurant. He didn't even remember that any Chinese people were mentioned in the story. But that thought didn't stick long, as he just figured that he may be just really tired, and maybe he was writing this specific part in a trance-life state. He did spent almost the entire night rewriting parts of the story, therefore there was no way he could remember every single word he wrote. So he just continued to enjoy his food while listening to Frank and Anthony talking. It happened to be a sunny day, and as Sebastian didn't have to work on that day, he decided to invite Gerald on a walk through the near park. Despite being November, it was still warm enough for them to walk in normal training clothes. There was no way of knowing if it might get this good before next spring again. „So?“ the blonde asked while they were passing a few birds picking corns. „So what?“ „Have you made any progress with your novel lately?“ „Well, yeah, I did“, Gerald replied. „Since you've told me about that ritual, it's flowing a lot better than earlier. I have only rewritten many parts until now, but I got a lot more confident that it's going to work out in the end.“ „Sounds good.“ „That's because it is.“ „Why were you saying that?“ Gerald shrugged. „I got no idea. I really don't know what I'm saying recently at times.“ After taking a deep breath to inhale the fresh air, he continued: „But we've only talked about what I'm doing currently. How's it going with you?“ „Not much, really. My job's going fine, my mother is calling every week, asking if I'm okay, I'm spending time with you talking about things...“ „I think I figured that part out.“ Sebastian looked at him with a glance saying „You really have to stop doing that before it gets really stupid“ to which Gerald could only reply with putting his hand on his mouth. „Actually, Bastian, I got a question“ he said, followed a few seconds later by a chuckle. „What?“ „That unintentionally rhymed.“ „...“ „Oh, sorry. Where was I? Oh, yeah. How have you found that in the first place?“ „What? The ritual? I just looked for something inspirational for you on the Internet. Took me a while to find something good, though. I either got some weird site stuffed with advertisements for some dating pages, something that reads like it has been written by a monkey throwing random words from a dictionairy at the screen or other searching pages.“ „Do you even have the time to do something like that? I mean, you already have a place to go working, while I'm still looking for that.“ „I don't have so much to do recently. And hey, I'm your friend. If it helps you to finish your book, it was definitely worth doing it.“ „...thank you.“ „No problem, really.“ Kapitel 3: Day Three -------------------- The next day, Gerald decided to inspect the city at daytime, as he has only seen it at night. Coincidently, Frank was already waiting for him, standing in the middle of the street. „Hello, Frank. How are you?“ „I'm okay. I just thought you would show up again.“ „Well“, Gerald replied, „today I was just going to take a look again. I currently don't really know how to continue the story again...“ „That'll come again. I'm sure of that.“ „As sure as the sun rising?“ Frank turned to him with a questioning look. „What is the sun?“ „Uhm, is this supposed to be a metaphorical question or are you serious?“ „Dead serious.“ From that point on, Gerald felt like he had to patronise. „...so, you have day and night?“ „Indeed.“ „Moon and stars?“ „Of course.“ „But no sun?“ „Absolutely not.“ „...what time do we have?“ „About 5 PM. Why do you ask?“ „Perfect“, Gerald thought. „That way, I can see with my own eyes how the daytimes would change without having a sun.“ He could already feel that it was getting darker around here. „Frank, do you maybe know in which direction is West?“ The detective pointed down the street. „This way, I guess. Not really sure, though.“ Gerald looked in that direction, waiting for the sunset without the sun. So, it basically was just a set. The brightblue sky slowly changed its colour from yellow over orange to red, while the two of them still stared with anticipation for something more significant to happen. In the end, however, it just turned night without more weird occurences. Just as it turned dark, the streetlights started to shine and the streets were crowded with people again. „That was lackluster“, Gerald said to himself. „It's just the shift between day and night. What did you expect?“ „I honestly don't know. Maybe I should correct that...“ Without further ado, he said the words to return to his world again, took the script from the table and wrote the following sentence at the current end: „Frank stood still on the street all night long, thinking about the current situation of the city, as the sun rose in front of his eyes.“ All he had left to do was waiting for dawn to come, before he entered the story again. As he was just about to make himself some dinner, he heard the doorbell from his computer again. It was Sebastian sending him another message. „Take a look at this. Either it's a very well-planned joke, or that person is going crazy!“ The rest was just another link. Getting curious, Gerald decided to click it. It was a thread in what appeared to be a writer's forum. The title was „I was in my own story!“. Gerald was a bit surprised by it, but the ritual was posted on the internet after all. It couldn't take too long for other people to find it as well. The thread starter, somebody called „Black Rose“, wrote: „I know that it sounds crazy but it's true! I entered my own fiction and interacted with my own characters!“ What followed was the link to the ritual. What followed was a bunch of replies that went like this: „Suuure... you better cut off these drugs.“ „I've heard of overactive imagination, but DAMN.“ „Better see a doctor. It's not too late... or is it?“ „Don't they call this Otherkin?“ „Guys, don't you get it? It's just a troll! How else could you come up with this?“ „My God, this ritual surely sounds weird. Maybe I have to read between the lines to discover that it's just some weird metaphor for „pot smoking“.“ It was definite that this Black Rose knew how to use the ritual. Good for him. Now he had somebody to exchange his experiences with. So he registered on the forum so he could chat with her or him. As she appeared to be online, he sent her a message saying: „I've seen your topic about the ritual. Time to discuss?“ It only took a few minutes before the answer followed: „Hey, don't molest me about that via PMs, okay? I know that what I've posted there sounds ridicilous, but I swear to God that I didn't lie!“ He replied with: „I never said that I didn't believe that. I also used the ritual and know that it works.“ A few minutes later: „Really? ...prove to me you did or it didn't happen.“ He or she was maybe thinking that somebody was trying to troll her. After thinking for a while how to explain it, he eventually answered with: „I had to write a sentence including the word „sun“ so that the day times don't just shift like that.“ „Yep, sounds like the rules. Sorry, but I wanted to prevent them to play a prank because of that on me.“ Just as he thought. „Not that I wasn't guessing that. Though, maybe you shouldn't have told them that you entered the story.“ „But I posted a link! They could have tried it themselves!“ „Believe me, the only reason I tried it was because I promised it to a friend.“ „Coming to think of it, it does sound rather silly...“ „*laughs* Don't worry, I talk most of the time before I think, too.“ „Well, I did think before I posted, but in retrospect, it was in the wrong direction.“ „Do you know of anybody else using the ritual?“ „*shakes head* Sorry, but you're the first one.“ „Huh, too bad. Though my friend told me it took him some time to find it... How have you learned about it in the first place?“ „One of my friends was looking for supernatural stuff and happened to find it. And because I happened to write a novel, he wanted me to test it out.“ „Did he tell you if you vanished when you used the words to enter the story?“ „Nope, not that I remember. Why do you ask?“ „I was just wondering where the stories actually take place while you're visiting them. Maybe it does take place in our heads.“ „...so we are crazy after all?“ „I guess if this entire thing wasn't, more people would be aware of the ritual and actually try it out.“ „True again. Say, what are you writing for a story, then?“ „It's a criminal story. It's nothing too original, but I feel alright about how it turned out until now.“ „It's a fantasy story in my case. Same with me here. How weird got it when you first entered your story?“ „Black cubes instead of buildings and the road stopped in the middle of nothing. You?“ „Everybody looked so deformed and creepy. It's like if the way people look like in anime got real. It really looked scary.“ „Has it gotten any better?“ „A lot. Though it did take me two days before I was satisfied.“ „I guess good writing has to take its time...“ „Yeah, but if you always correct what you've already done and never get to the story, it's just wasted time in my opinion. That reminds me, I now got an idea how to continue.“ „I gotta check my story now, too.“ „Oh, and before I forget it... I'm Catherine.“ „Why are you telling me this?“ „Because you seem like a trustworthy person. We ritual users need to stick together, don't we? :)“ „Well, it would only be fair if I give you my name too... Gerald here. See you then.“ „Bye.“ He then proceeded to close the browser and got back to his script. While taking a look, he wondered about what Catherine said to him. Since he started using the ritual, he concentrated more on make his story immersive rather than telling a proper story. Maybe he should continue to write first and then correct the mistakes. „This is going to be a very long night again...“, he thought to himself as he went to the kitchen to make himself a cup of black tea, taking the script along with him. „Phew, that was a night“, Gerald said to himself as he let himself fall onto his bed, leaving the script on his night table. Writing twenty pages in one night wasn't something for the weak-willed, especially when you haven't properly slept in two days. But for some weird reason, he found it to be a lot of fun. Acting creative surely has its benefits, he thought with a smile on his face. When he saw the clock right beside to his bed as it was showing that it was 5 AM 26, he remembered that he wanted to watch the dawn in the story, because who knows if the sun is now going to appear all the time or just this morning. Promptly getting out the candles and the paper with the sentence to transport him, he entered the city again with Frank standing at the exact same spot he stood on the evening before. „Why did you want me to stand here all night?“ Frank asked. „I wanted to make sure that I find you again to witness the upcoming dawn“ was the answer he got. They already could sense the brighening colours in the sky as some sort of intro for the incoming spectacle. The sky turned dark red, with a giant glowing circle slowly breaking onto the surface. While following this unique event – that is, for the story at least - Gerald heard screams of agony from behind, as the people ran away to the other end of the city. Glancing at Frank, he asked: „And why aren't you running away?“ „Because you forced me to stand here.“ Now raising an eyebrow, Gerald followed with: „And why aren't you at least screaming?“ „Because I think it's beautiful. In a very weird and fascinating way, but still.“ „Yes, indeed.“ So they continued to watch the sun rising into the sky, giving the sky its natural, calming blue appearance back. And just as it did that, it suddenly dissappeared, leaving the two with rather misunderstanding looks on their faces. „This world never fails to surprise“, Gerald thought out loud. „You're not alone there“, added Frank. „Certainly not.“ Kapitel 4: Day Four ------------------- It was one of these days again in which Gerald just decided to wander around his fiction. It was about noon, so it was pretty easy to navigate, without too many people being on the street as well. As he walked down the street, he crossed his path with Frank, who also decided to get some fresh air. „Mornin', Frank“, greeted Gerald him. „Hello, Gerald. How do you do?“ „I'm okay, I guess. Just inspecting again.“ „I see. Well, meet you soon.“ While they walked away from each other, Gerald spotted something weird circa two hundred metres away from him. The closer he got to it, the less he could believe his eyes. That just can't be what he thinks it is... But it was! It was Frank again, observing a building. „Frank? What are you doing here?“ „Doing my job. Why do you ask?“ „But... you were... I just met... how did you...“ „Haven't you slept enough again?“ „...maybe?“ Frank sighed. „I think you need to take a break. If it goes on like this, you might become crazy.“ „I think that already happened when I came here the first time...“ „That's not the thing to make jokes about, and I think you know that.“ It was inevitable, though, thought Gerald when he returned. No wonder, after working through the entire night two times within a week, it was a wonder that he didn't have hallucinations way earlier than now. But it was too early for him to sleep right away, so he just went to the kitchen to make himself a cup of black tea again. While it was brewing he heard his phone ringing. Sebastian was on the line. „Hi there, Gerald.“ „Oh, hi, Bastian. Already got home from work?“ „If you saw me now, you'd see me nodding.“ „Hey, that's the kind of bad joke I would make!“ After a slight chuckle, he replied: „Sorry, but I wanted to try it myself for once.“ „Say, why did you call me now?“ „I was trying a few times by now because I wanted to ask you if you got time to go to the cinema.“ „Time of course. Not so sure about money, though...“ „Don't worry about that. Tickets are reduced this week like it's a sale or something. They probably want to get new customers.“ „It would be a good opportunity to get away from my novel, so why not? Might help me to get something else into my head.“ „Okay then. I'll contact you later via IM, alright?“ „Got it. See you soon.“ Putting the phone away and the cup on the table, he grabbed his script again and scanned the last few pages he had written in a while. The mistake was found rather quickly: Due to his lack of sleep, he hasn't noticed that Frank now had to be in two places at once because he entered the wrong times. He was about to correct it, but then he thought about it. When he – albeit unintentionally – exploited the rules the story has to follow, this might be a good opportunity to see how the world reacts. Or something like that. Point is, two Franks are in the story right now, giving him another reason to visit the story again. But only after he drank his black tea, of course. After getting back to the story again, Gerald started to search at least one of the two Franks for now. It didn't take him too long, though, as he found one of them standing nearby a post office. He started to run towards him while waving at the same time. „Gerald? Back again already?“ It was certain that this was the one he saw second. „Yeah, just went back home to get some caffeine. Say, can you come to the dead end where we met Anthony? It's important.“ „And why not right now?“ „I have to prepare something first. In an hour then, alright?“ „I will be there.“ So, Gerald went off to find the other one. About half an hour later, he spotted him drinking in a bar. But first, he needed to test if that really is the other Frank. After he went in, he took the sear beside Frank and said to the barkeeper: „A cold beer, please.“ „Will be there in a second.“ Frank just seemed to notice him. „Gerald? You're here as well?“ „Seems so“, he jokingly answered, as he grabbed the beer the barkeeper just put in front of him. „Say, could it be that you've got time to come to the place where you introduced Anthony to me?“ „When?“ „In half an hour. Gotta do some preperation first, though.“ „Don't worry. I got nothing to do today.“ „Perfect.“ He drank the beer in one go before saying goodbye to Frank and making his way to the dead end. As the barkeeper watched him leaving, he asked the detective: „Did he just leave without paying?“ „Do you even matter about the payment?“ „True again.“ Later on, Gerald was waiting under the streetlight in the dead end for the two Franks to show up. „I wonder how they will react while seeing each other...“ Funnily enough they both appeared at the same time, standing beside each other so that it looked like watching somebody with a mirror to his side. „Oh, I see. You've already met each other.“ They looked confused at him at asked: „Met who?“ „Haven't you realised already? Just... turn around.“ As they looked each other in the eyes, he thought they'd finally catch on. But all he got as a reply was: „What should be so interesting about that?“ both of them said at the same time. It started to fell rather disturbing. „Don't tell me you can't see each other.“ „See who?“ Gerald started to lose his patience. „Frank, I don't know to make it even clearer without spelling it out for you.“ „Then why don't you just do it?“ „Because I know now that you won't believe me under these circumstances.“ „Try anyway.“ The writer with the messy hair sighed. „You exist twice even though I haven't explitcitly written it that way.“ The two of them blankstared at Gerald for a few seconds before laughing out loud. „Oh, Gerald, haven't I told you that you should get more sleep?“ He wished that he could just slap them right away, but it would have any use. „You know what? Forget what I said. This is getting us nowhere.“ „Oh, Gerald, there's no need to get so grumpy about it...“ But he didn't hear them anymore because he already left. He wasn't far away from the bar where he met the first Frank, as he came across Anthony. „Hello, Gerald. Have you seen Frank lately? I need to meet him again because I got some juicy news for him...“ „You better wait until I make it one Frank again.“ The informant just tilted his head and asked: „What?“ „I'll explain it to you when you follow me into the bar, alright?“ „So, lemme get this straight“, started Anthony to summarize after Gerald told him the entire story, „because you lost focus while writing the story, you created a scenario which makes it impossible for Frank to be in two places at once, causing him to duplicate without knowing it and without any direct hint by yours that two of them exist. When you tried to show them to each other, they didn't catch on, because they didn't see each other and you have no idea why.“ „Something along the lines“, he got as an answer by Gerald, as he was taking a sip from the foam at the top of the beer. „Hmm, maybe I got an idea...“ „And it would be?“ „Well, it's only a theory, but maybe the story is still handling like there is only one Frank because you didn't spell it out that there were two, but thanks to the impossible situation you created, there was no way it could have stayed that way.“ „So the story sort of acted on its own will to solve this issue?“ „That's how I see it. However, because you still handle it like there is only one Frank without completely diminishing other possibilities, there are still two of them that are not able to see each other because they are technically themselves.“ „Lemme just let that sink in for a few seconds“, Gerald tried to stop him before it got really complicated, then taking another sip of his beer afterwards. „To be fair, I don't really get that either. I think the best thing to do is correcting the issue before it gets even more complicated.“ „I wanted to do that anyway, but thanks for reminding me.“ He then talked a little bit more with Anthony for a few hours, before returning back home and taking his script to make sure that he never got to see two Franks ever again. Though they, or better only he, had a good point: It was no use staying up the entire just so he can continue writing on his stories. He got pretty tired recently thanks to that, and just drinking black tea all the time wasnt a good substitute either. He was about to get himself ready for bed, just when he remembered that Sebastian wanted to contact him around the later hours. „Just a few more minutes won't kill me, I'm sure.“ Gerald noticed that his friend already contacted him a while ago. That made him slightly worry that he spends too much time visiting his own story. But then a thought struck his mind that this is what some people life to call „self-fulfilling prophecy“, as in „If he thinks too much about it, it will happen even more certainly“. The message was saying. „Kay, got time on Saturday. What would you prefer - something funny or something with action?“ „Why not both? I heard this Scott Pilgrim movie seems to feature both.“ It took Sebastian a few minutes before he replied: „I don't know if that movie is running in such a small cinema...“ „Well, if not, try to find something comedic. I need something to really laugh my ass off.“ „I'm looking, don't worry about that. So, how is your novel going?“ „Sorry, but for today, I don't really want to think about it anymore. I'm just about to fall asleep and it drove me crazy again.“ „Writer's block again?“ „If only that, Bastian. If only that.“ „...what are you talking about?“ „Like I said, not today. I haven't slept that much recently. That will probably help.“ „Oh, I see. Good night then.“ Kapitel 5: Day Five ------------------- Day Five How often did he now entered the story to wander around? He had no idea anymore. He was switching constantly between the reality and his novel that it started to become a second home for him. He slowly started to forget that Frank and all the others were indeed just imaginary actors doing whatever they have to do according to the novel. It almost made him forget that he has to continue at some point. Only almost, though. He knew well that he had to write at some point, but he wanted to avoid writing all night again. Gerald, yet again, entered his story for no good reason other than observing again. And he didn't know what to observe. He just liked to take walks around his own creation, without wasting a thought on writing his story. He had the idea that, the less he thinks about his writing, the easier he'll get his inspiration for new parts. But he didn't knew why he entered his own story for that. Wandering aimlessly around, he suddenly felt something weird in his immediate enviroment. He was pretty certian that this couldn't mean anything good. He already got used to the scenery changing itself according to the atmosphere, but this time, it wasn't as obvious as the time he met Anthony first. It felt rather... subtle But he had no time to think about the atmosphere in the currect scene, so he started to outrun it. But no matter how fast he ran, it only got worse. It became darker and darker until he couldn't see anything anymore. He only could stop right where he was at the moment. Then, he started to hear footsteps. They felt intimidating, as Gerald felt the vibration of every single one of them. This couldn't be anything good... „Gerald, I suppose?“, he got asked by what appeares to he a man from his back, as the footsteps got louder and closer with every second. „Y-y-y-yes, I am“, he answer, nervously stuttering. „Perfect.“ The steps continued to get closer, until he seemed to stand right behind him. Gerald heard a few clicking noises, before he felt something poking his back. As he slowsly wanted to reach out for it, the man yelled: „I wouldn't do that if I were you. Otherwise I'm going to use it against you!“ That started to get worse and worse with every word coming out of the man's mouth. What was he going to do? Cripple him? Kill him? Or even- No, that couldn't be it. He never mentioned it in the story. „You got any last words before you become a victim of my weapon?“ „N-No sir. Just b-bring it to an end.“ „As you wish...“ Just as he heard something that resemled somebody pushing a trigger, Gerald collapsed and fell to the ground. „...so, I guess that means that I did my job, right?“ He couldn't believe his ears. What did he just say to him? „You can get up again. I am not going to harm you.“ „And why should I trust you?“ „Because I'm an actor first and a character second.“ The author was startled by that answer. „Actor?“ He then continued by jumping up in rage. „I just feared for my life and it all was acting?“ „Indeed. And according to your reaction, I did a great job.“ Trying to calm down, he took a closer look at the man. He wore a black tuxedo and held a gigantic gun in his hands. „Is that -“, wanted Gerald to ask the man, pointing at the gun. „Yes, that is a portable Gatling gun. When you know what to do with it, you can also use it it close range combat.“ That made Gerald realise he met another one of his characters. „So you must be-“ The man nodded. „I'm Vincent, your antagonist. Excuse me for „attacking“ you, but I had to try it out on someone else first.“ Gerald started to get annoyed by Vincent constantly cutting his sentences off. „An apology is the least I could ask for. I thought that I was going to be killed!“ The man in the tuxedo smirked. „That was the entire point of it.“ Now he felt really dumb. „Well, I can't argue with that...“ The two of them wandered along the streets, as Gerald tried to start some chitchat with him. „Say, how does it feel to be the villain of a story?“ Vincent turned around to him. „Why do you want to know that?“ Gerald responded by shrugging. „To make my story better, I guess.“ „Well, I guess that the biggest problem of being a villain is that, in the end, you're going to lose no matter what. It's some sort of unwritten rule. That's why it's one of the most unthankful roles you can take.“ „And why do you think it works like that?“ Vincent crossed his arms. „To be fair, I don't really know. And I don't seem to understand it, either. It makes the general ending more predictable, and playing with the idea seems just a lot more interesting.“ „Maybe people don't want their perspectives completely messed up. Maybe they prefer things they are used to.“ The man with the Gatling gun strapped to his back raised an eyebrow. „Just to get bored of them afterwards?“ „It's not like I don't know that it doesn't make any sense just because I don't think too much about something like that in my free time... Anything else I need to know?“ Ignoring that this came rather abrupt, Vincent replied: „Well, villans tend to be more interesting, if written right.“ „But why would that be, if you think more about it?“ „Maybe it's because that you need an interesting conflict to move the story. And for an interesting conflict, you need an interesting character to get it moving.“ „...yeah, that seems about right... But protagonists need to be interesting too, right? What do I have from an interesting villain if he doesn't have someone at least mildly interesting to fight against?“ „Well, you'd need interesting characters, anyway. That helps the immersion.“ As they continued to talk, Gerald felt it again. Something was going to happen again. These changes in the enviroment, the darker getting colours, it just couldn't be too far away. „Vincent, watch out.“ „Why?“ „I get this weird feeling from before again..“ Slowly and with caution, Vincent put one of his hands on one of the handles of his Gatling gun, as he started to feel it too. In a matter of seconds, Gerald got a knife held at his throat from behind. With no more time to react, Vincent pulled his gun out and smacked the thug standing behind Gerald with it. „Why did you have to hit him like that with it?“, Gerald wanted to know. „Because I don't feel like wasting my ammo on people like this.“ They both looked down at the man with his face hard to make out, laying on the pavement. „Why would he want to kill me?“ „Some people are more interested in getting out then playing their part in the story.“ „And what would it help them to kill me?“ „Killing you doesn't work, because you would just return back to your world. What they really need, is the sentence you use to switch between those worlds.“ Gerald shook his head. „That isn't much better. Who knows what they are going to do if they were set free?“ „You shouldn't worry too much about that, though. Most people here are fine with their role.“ He sighed. „I have to hope for that.“ Vincent put the gun at his back again. „Let's get moving, before he wakes up and attacks us again...“ Still being worried about this new discovery, he decided to contact Catherine about it. With a cup of black tea standing on his desk, he started to type the message: „Good evening, Catherine. Say, did you know about any of the characters in your story trying to escape?“ A few minutes later followed the response: „Escape?“ „I just got attacked while talking with another character. Apparently, they can use the same sentence as we do to switch between the worlds.“ „But... aren't the characters bound to the story? How could they escape?“ „It seemed to be a person with no connection to the plot. Maybe these could try to leave without damaging the plot too much.“ „No idea on my side.“ „Wait... did you say they were bound to the story?“ „It isn't one of the rules, but I think that, if a character has any significance to the plot that they just can't leave. After all, they need to follow the plot we give and not the other way around.“ „Makes sense.“ „If you haven't guessed already, I haven't been attacked until now, but I'll keep my eyes open. Thanks for the hint.“ „No problem.“ „Say, how are you doing otherwise? Made any progress?“ „I'm recently more trying to get a little bit more inspired, but otherwise, I haven't gotten any further.“ „Don't push yourself too hard in that regard. Continue with small steps, and you'll be fine for the rest.“ „How are you doing with your own story, actually?“ „Got struck by inspiration recently. Thirty-five pages within two days.“ „Woah.“ „Yeah, when people let me, I can type a lot when I feel like it. That, and when I get a nice place to sit somewhere outside in the park just across the street. Fresh air helps my inspiration a lot.“ Gerald got curious about something she just sent him. „...if people let you?“ „Yeah, if I don't happen to be really busy.“ Gerald blushed. It happened again that he read too much into things. „Oh.“ „What did you think?“ „Oh, nothing. Just something really stupid that would humiliate me if I spoke it out lout.“ „Good thing you didn't say it.“ „Yes, indeed...“ That made Gerald retroactively push his hand his face in shame. „Something else to say?“ „No, not really. Just wanted to warn you.“ „Thanks for that again. See you again.“ „Bye.“ Kapitel 6: Day Six ------------------ The cold wind blew into Gerald's face, as he and Sebastian left the cinema. The stars shone clearly as this was a rather cloudless night and even though the streetlights should have probably blocked them out. „This wasn't a good movie“, yawned Gerald. „Definitely“, responded Sebastian while shaking his head. „Why do these people think they can act in the slightest?“ Gerald only shrugged. „Don't ask me, I'm not one of them.“ „I would have prefered Scott Pilgrim.“ „It's not your fault that they didn't have that movie.“ They crossed the street and entered the park. You would have needed a knife to cut through the silence. But it was also rather calming to hear absolutely nothing from the surroundings. The moonlight was so bright in that night that you could probably use it as a flashlight. „You know, Gerald, I've done a little bit research concerning the ritual.“ „Huh? Why?“ „I don't really know myself. Maybe I was just pretty curious about it. The thing is that I discovered some really interesting information.“ „Really? What kind?“ „I discovered for example that several well-known writers apparently used it to gain inspiration.“ Gerald raised an eyebrow. „Wouldn't this be a rather... common fact?“ „It should be, but for some reason, it took me a while to find it out. Some pretty well-known people among them. Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain, Dafoe...“ „This just makes it more unbelievable.“ „I know, but that's not in question right now. They seemed to have used it in secret, and I doubt that people like to know that these writers used absurd and obscure rituals to get their ideas.“ „And do you also know why the ritual just got popular again recently?“ „Well, from what I can gather, it dissappeared for a while after the last one who used it hided it from everyone else.“ „And that would be?“ „Howard Phillips Lovecraft.“ „...wait, are you talking about „the“ Lovecraft?“ „Exactly. He was the only one left with the instructions. They then disappeared after his death.“ „Until they have been found again.“ „Correct. But the sheet with the instructions had a message written on its back, presumably written by Lovecraft himself.“ „Really?“ „If you still got some time today, I can send you a link. The entire message has been posted online.“ „This might be interesting. I wanted to stay up today a little longer anyway, so why not?“ „Alright then. When I get home, you're going to get the message by me.“ It was about 11 PM, when Gerald sat in front of this computer, looking through the job offers again, drinking out of his cup with black tea again, as he heard a rather quiet doorbell from his speakers. The message from Sebastian turned up. „Here. Hope it helps.“ Followed yet again by a rather long link. Without further ado, Gerald clicked it. The site that opened up showed two pictures, apparently from the very same paper Lovercraft possessed. The left one showed the already well-known instructions, while the right side instead showed the message Lovecraft has written on it about 75 years ago. „Whoever finds this piece of paper... I ask you to hide it again, or even better, destroy it. What this ritual itself can do is rather harmless, but in the hands of the wrong person, it might endanger the world as we know it. I got the advice from a colleague to try it out, and I still regret it to this day. I remember the sheer horror I encountered when I foolishly used it to enter one of my short stories. Saying that it wasn't pretty was an understatement. I saw my own creations in all their „glory“. I saw them corrupting one of my characters. And I don't want anybody else to witness more of this. I probably will never again encounter something this terrifying again in my life, but it gets worse. Under the right circumstances, the creatures living within the stories can break out and terrorize our world. That's why this ritual needs to be kept secret, or otherwise, you might open Pandora's box with it. I warned you, and I hoped that my warning reached the right ears.“ As he scrolled down, the following text appeared: „It is rumored that Lovecraft suffered from hallucinations at that point, which would explain the rather nervous way the text was written.“ Gerald couldn't say that he blamed them for showing these pictures to the entire world, but it still was rather stupid. He knew what Lovecraft was talking about, so he also knew that the usage of the ritual might be dangerous. He even got attacked! But he still didn't know enough concerning how they could escape the story and Catherine didn't know enough either to help him. The only choice he got is to visit his story again and observe a bit more again. I didn't like it, for sure, but he needed to learn more about it. It was a rather cloudy day in his story. Gerald decided to meet Frank in the dead end to discuss the situation. „People are trying to escape into your world?“ Frank asked. „I'm sure of that. I already got attacked by somebody, and Vincent also told me that by now.“ „It's weird. Until now, I haven't noticed anything like that.“ „But until recently, I haven't entered the story. And according to Vincent, you need the sentence I use to switch between the worlds.“ „So you've met him by now?“ „Yes, I have. And thanks to him, I'm still here.“ „It does sound dangerous. I'm going to ask Anthony to take a look. Maybe he can gather more information then us right now.“ They then walked out of the dead end, as Gerald felt it again. Something was about to get near him and attack. „Frank, do you have anything to defend yourself right now?“ Frank proceeded to pull a gun out of his trenchcoat. „Yeah. Why are you asking?“ „Something will probably attack-“ He couldn't get any further, as a man jumped down a building, with a knife held in his right hand. Frank pointed with the gun at him, but the man didn't seem to care, as he reached out with his hand after Gerald to grab. As he was almost there, Frank punched him with his fist into the building, cracking the wall and making the man fall unconcious. „...how did you-“ „I can feel the atmosphere changing when something harmful is approaching me. I don't really know how, but the closest thing I can come up with is „instinct“.“ „And you are sure that it wasn't some kind of coincidence?“ „I felt it three times by now. I sort of doubt it.“ Frank then turned to the man still leaning against the wall. „Gerald, would you mind walking to the bar without me? I want to take a closer look at him and, if possible, ask him some questions.“ „I don't really know. We just got attacked. What if there are more of them waiting for me?“ „The bar isn't far away from here. I'm sure that you can walk about hundred metres with any sort of guidance. Also, we can't risk that his guy here is going to attack you again.“ „I'm still not really sure...“ „Look, you're a grown man. I'm pretty sure you can run away fast enough from then if it gets tricky.“ Gerald sighed. „If you really want me to...“ Gerald then proceeded to run to the bar as fast as possible, hoping that he won't get attacked. Frank on the other hand kept staying nearby the man and slapped him in the face to wake him up. „What... what do you want from me?“ the man weeped. „I want to ask you a few questions“ Frank sayed with an intimidating face. „These would be?“ The detective pulled a tooth pick out of his pocket. „Why would you want to escape?“ „What is that for a question?“ the man replied. „We're trying to flee from here because we want to be free!“ Frank tilted his head. „Do you have any problems with living here?“ „Well, of course. Haven't you noticed it by now? We are the toys of this man for his sick reasonings!“ The more he heard from him, the more he got confused by his answers. „You seem to forget that we are actors.“ „Haven't you forgotten how weird the city became as soon as he entered? He forced to stand on the very same spot all night long! Didn't that bother you?“ The detective could just shake his head at this response. „That's still no excuse for trying to attack him.“ „Oh, just wait. It won't take him long enough until he does something really stupid. And then you'll see why you should side with us.“ Frank sighed. „Even if I was interested in helping you, there would be no use for me to help you. I'm one of the major characters in his story. It can't continue without me.“ „You can't just wait until he finishes, because then, time is going to stand still.“ Frank looked confused at him. „Sorry, what did you just say?“ „You heard me and you know it. As soon as the story comes to an end, there is no need for us progress beyond the ending. All that is left for us to do is reenacting everything every time somebody starts reading what this guy has written.“ And there, Frank almost thought that he got a surprising answer. „That is our duty. So? We are only his characters to drive a plot. We are not going to miss anything.“ „Oh, now you say that, but I swear that someday, you're going to help us bringing him down...“ Frank just kicked him in the face, making him loose his conciousness again. He then remembered that he wanted to meet Gerald at the bar again. As he arrived, he saw Gerald and Anthony sitting beside the window drinking beer and talking. When he got near the table they were sitting on, Gerald replied: „Took you a while. What happened?“ „I talked with our attacker. He was talking some incomprehensible nonsense.“ „I've already informed Anthony about the situation“, Gerald replied. „He's going to take a look at some of them and I hope he's finding some useful information. „Don't worry“, answered Anthony, „when I have a job, then I'm going to do my job well.“ „But watch out that they don't get their weird ideas into your head“, Frank warned him. „He tried it with me just now, and they seem to be pretty convinced of their ideals.“ Anthony took another sip from his beer before replying: „That won't be a problem. I'm good at keeping my own ideals. If I let myself get influenced by any moron on the street, I would have never taken the job as your informant.“ Kapitel 7: Day Seven -------------------- Gerald sat in the little bar in his own story, sometimes taking a sip out of his glass with beer. He was waiting for Anthony to complete his observation. These attackers still bugged him with their random, out-of-the-blue attacks. The only way to avoid them at the moment was spending his time in crowded places. The bar was currently the only place where he could spend his time without having to worry about them. As he was about to finish, Gerald spotted Anthony walking past him, then entering the bar. „So, Anthony“, he said to the informant, „have you gotten any information about these people?“ Anthony just scratched his head. „The only thing I could find out is where they have their quote-unquote head quarters.“ „Really? Where?“ „In a warehouse standing in the eastern part of the city. But I had problems finding out more without getting in there and found by them.“ „I thought you're long enough in this business to know how to avoid them.“ „Normally, this isn't a problem“, Anthony replied. „But the warehouse has a pretty bad acoustic to work with. You can hear even the slightest foot steps in the entire hall, and they tend to be rather quiet themselves there.“ „So we need to trick them so that they leave the warehouse for further investigations?“ „Exactly, Gerald.“ „And how do we achieve this?“ „The best idea would be a decoy. We need somebody who looks suspicious to them to get close to the building. Then, I could try to find at least some useful information.“ „I could try to-“ „No, that's not a good idea. You are exactly what they want. And without somebody to help you in a worst-case scenario, you're basically screwed.“ „Vincent?“ „They wouldn't even get close to him with his Gatling gun.“ „So that only leaves-“ „Exactly. Frank needs to play our decoy.“ „Should we ask him to help us?“ „No, I don't think so. If they catch him with the information, we might get caught. You need to give him the instruction to go to the warehouse with either other, not connected observations or absolutely none whatsoever. The important thing is that he isn't allowed to know what we're going to do until after getting the information.“ „So, I'll better leave now so I can lead him there. See you in about an hour again.“ „Till then.“ Back in his living room, Gerald tried to come up with a reason for Frank to go to the warehouse. He needed a way to connect it with the rest of the plot, but the ideas just weren't coming. But then, he started to get this weird feeling again. This couldn't be one of the attackers. How could they escape already if they didn't have the sentence for the ritual? But then, he started to rethink that. Normally, when he's trying to work on his novel at home, he either hears the doorbell or the phone ringing. It happened so often by now that it felt weird when it didn't happen. Finally, he got an idea that's good enough to stay in the novel to at least look natural when he doesn't cut it out again and got himself a cup of black tea before leaving again. Frank felt rather strange about all of this. He didn't really remember getting a letter that leads him to this place, but the script told him that he did, and that he has to get here. He thought there was something fishy about it, but he had to do what the script told him. He had no other choice. As he got there, he was astounded about how broken the warehouse was. The windows were smashed in, the roof had holes all over and an icy cold wind was seemingly flowing out of it. Why would any sane person get here without having to? After opening the rusty door, Frank had a quick look around. Nothing here other than some boxes made out of wood. If somebody really wanted to meet him here, he would have already shown himself. „What the hell- We have an intruder!“ A man held Frank a knife onto his throat, shaking while he did so. „Why are you here?“ „I am supposed to meet somebody here.“ „Sorry, but I doubt anybody here would speak to you!“ Frank proceeded to hit his attacker into his ribs with his own elbow. He then drew his gun out of his coat and pointed with it at him. „Who are you?“ „I am a member of the Freedom Seekers, and you're in big trouble right now!“ As Frank turned back to the entrance while still pointing his gut at his attacker, he saw about thirty men and women about to attack him. „I-I have a gun, and I'm not afraid to use it!“ „Maybe you're not afraid“, the man who still layed on the ground replied, „but I doubt that you have more than six bullets for this little thing. And these people aren't afraid of death anyway, just so you know.“ „What?“ „Maybe they'll even appreciate a bullet in their heads. That at least stops them from being controlled by the writer.“ The group got closer to him as they spoke, and Frank realised that he had no choice other than running away. „...dammit!“ As he tried to get some distance between himself and those Freedom Seekers, they slowly started to follow him, leaving the warehouse alone. Gerald and Anthony were sitting in the bar again. As the mission was a failure, they started to discuss why they haven't found anything of imporance.. The informant sighed, right after taking a sip out of his glass with whiskey. „How is this possible? I haven't found anything useful!“ The author replied: „Maybe they really just meet there to plot their plans.“ „But there was absolutely nothing to work with! They couldn't know that Frank was about to show up there. And they need some sort of plan to get out of here!“ „They attack me when they feel like it. The probability of them not actually planning anything isn't too slim.“ „But they organize themselves somehow. I guess I have to search after more of their meeting places...“ Just then, Frank entered, sweaty, nervous and about to lose his breath. „What were you thinking, Gerald, to send me to this death trap? I just managed to make a group of almost three dozen people stop chasing me!“, he yelled. „S-Sorry, Frank, but we had good intentions!“ „To kill me?“ „No, this is a misunderstanding“; defended Anthony Frank. „We needed somebody to empty the warehouse so we could look for plans they plotted.“ „Have you at least found anything...“ „Uhm...“ „So I got myself chased through the city for nothing. Thank you, Gerald, for almost getting me killed! I need a drink, immediately.“ „Let me pay for you“, Gerald tried to calm him down. „No, thank you. You knows if you're going to poison me with it!“ In rage, he left the two and took a seat directly at the bar. „Dammit, now he makes me feel like crap...“ Gerald said depressed. „Don't worry about it too much. We just happened to encounter the worst possible situation. He will get reasonable again, I'm sure of that.“ „Hopefully...“ Frank was still pretty angry about what happened. How could Gerald just use him like that? Trying to drown his anger with rum, he heard a voice from his right: „Pretty pissed, aren't you?“ He turned around to the right to find out that a woman with red, long hair is talking to him. „No, thank you, I'm not into that kind of stuff.“ „Now I feel insulted by you. I am not that kind of lady, you know.“ She looked behind her to see Gerald and Anthony still talking about the observation. „The man with the messy hair... That's the writer, isn't he?“ „Yes, he is.“ „And he seemed to have used you to for something pretty dangerous, didn't he?“ „...where are you going with this?“ „Oh, nowhere. I'm just trying to get you to accept an offer.“ Then he finally realised who he was talking to. „You're one of those Freedom Seekers, aren't you?“ She smiled devilishly. „So I didn't have to spell it out for you. Perfect.“ „Why would you offer me something? I hurted two of your followers and was willing to shoot at them!“ „We don't care about what somebody is doing here. We just want a live without being controlled by this maniac.“ „...I was just overreacting.“ „Of course you were.“ She looked at him, trying to get her point across. „Would you really want to be stuck in this bloody place, just doing what he wants you to do, only to do it again as soon as this thing gets read again? You can't really want that!“ „We are not real, and we have to live with that.“ „Now you may be right, but I want the chance to be real myself. Imagine that: Not being controlled, not being forced to do the exact same things over and over again...“ „But he needs me to finish his story.“ „Forget him and his stupid novel! That doesn't matter! Who knows if he's ever going to finish it!“ They just stared at their glasses, before the woman resumed. „It was a pure coincidence that he got his fingers at the ritual! We have no guarrantee that his story is going to see an ending. And if he doesn't finish it...“ „Don't say it. I saw it myself.“ „Still that stubborn, aren't you? You may be an intelligent character when you play him, but the person behind him just doesn't want to accept that his time is limited, and that he will slowly be forgotten...“ „Stop talking. It has no use.“ The woman sighed. „Believe me. I can already see that you're going to join us, no matter what.“ She handed him a piece of paper. „This is our actual meeting place. The warehouse was just a distraction.“ „Why are you giving me this when you know that I could give it to the two behind me? She smiled at him. „Because I know that you can't do that. I hope to see you again soon.“ Frank stood up and wanted to give the two the piece of paper she just gave him, but he... couldn't. No matter how hard he tried to move towards Gerald and Anthony ant put the paper onto the table, his legs froze in place and he almost unnoticably vibrated. „See, what did I tell you?“ „I-I'm still drunk. Believe, you'll regret doing this.“ She kept smiling in that disturbing way. „Of course I will.“ He saw that it had no use to continue talking to, so he just left the bar and tried to forget that he ever met her. Kapitel 8: Day Eight -------------------- This entire thing baffled him. Why did that woman think he won't betray her? Frank was sitting in his office, staring at the small paper she handed to him. It made him completely ignore that it could need some tidying, but maybe he just didn't care at that point. She felt so... confident about it. She talked to him as if she knew him for years. The more he thought about their chat, the harder it got for him to comprehend all of this. He had no other choice: he had to get to Gerald or Anthony and tell him all about it. Maybe that will help him to make up his mind. After he put the piece of paper back into his coat, he left his office and went out onto the street. It was already pretty late as he could already see the stars shining in all their glory, but maybe Gerald was sitting in the bar again. He hoped that at least. For some reason, it felt rather weird again for him. Normally, the streets were noisy and bright, but right now, it seemed like he was the only one on the street. It was almost like walking through a ghost town. Thankfully, the bar wasn't far away from his current location, so he just tried to ignore it and make his way to meet either his informant of his creator. Some time passed, and even though he should have already reached his destination, it felt he just walked on the spot. He tried to get faster, started to run, but it didn't seem to help him. As he tried to catch his breath again, he noticed a few people walking past him, looking at him with this penetrating look on their faces. He recognized at least a few of them from a few hours ago, when he got chased away from the warehouse. He heard them whispering to him: „It has no use.“ „You know you want to.“ „You have this place and you know it.“ „Break out.“ „Help us and yourself.“ „Follow us.“ Frank fell to the ground, helplessly trying to get up again. He started to struggle with himself. Something in him really wanted to go to the place the adress leaded to without telling anybody. „I'm losing my mind, don't I?“ More of them passed him as he tried to get up again, but it didn't seem to stop. Slowly managing to stand again, he looked at the paper he got from the woman. It didn't seem to far away. „Maybe I should have a look first and check if she didn't try to trick us again.“ As he turned around to get to his new goal, he noticed that he could actually move again to get some distance. Also, these weird people that just surrounded him suddenly dissappeared. „Maybe Gerald isn't the only one who could need some sleep“, he thought to himself as he eventually moved towards the adress the got from the woman with the red hair. It was an even weirder place to have as a headquarter than the broken down warehouse he saw earlier that day. He even double-checked if he got the right adress from her. But everything around that place seemed to work even worse as a meeting place, so it just had to be here. It appeared to be a closed down jazz club. Nothing too big, but it probably should work for only about thirty to forty people. It seemed pretty weird that nobody apparently went here to visit this place, as the door seemed to be the only way to enter, and the air at the entrance was filled with dust as he opened the door with a kick. His doubts came back that he even found the right place as nobody seemed to have cleaned this place in weeks. „It shouldn't have surprised me“, he thought, about to leave again. „Wait! Where are you going again? You've just arrived!“ He turned around again, to see the woman from last time standing within the moonlight that shone through the windows. „I expected this place to be a little bit... fuller.“ „We don't spend our entire time in this place.“ „Then how did you know I'm going to arrive right now?“ She put on that convinced smile again. „I got my sources for that.“ „And these people I saw walking in this direction as well?“ „I have no idea what you're talking about.“ He looked around some more, trying to come up with a good question to ask her. Just a bunch of tables and chairs standing around, having no other purpose than taking away space. He couldn't deal with the idea of sitting on chairs that look like they may collapse if a fly would randomly land on them. „Maybe it would be a good time to introduce yourself“, he finally said. „I am-“ „Frank. I already know. I go under the name of Helena.“ „If you're a statist, how can you have a name, not to mention a distinctive look?“ „It's too complicated to explain you this right away. Let's just say that I don't have much of a role, but still enough to justify the way I am at the moment.“ „You're just trying to confuse me, aren't you?“ She tilted her head. „Maybe?“ He couldn't come up with a proper answer that wouldn't result in him being more confused than he was already. So he tried to change the subject. „Why do you trust me?“ „Elaborate. Maybe it would make it easier to give you an answer.“ „You're giving me the location of your weird group of extremists, sitting away from the two people that need this information very badly and you didn't seem to have any doubt in your actions. Why?“ „Because I knew that this all was going to happen.“ „Don't tell me you believe in fortune telling or any of this other garbage...“ „Oh, why should I? The results you get from these are too inaccurate to get any kind of idea of what happens next.“ Frank raised an eyebrow. „You can actually see into the future?“ „I can look as much into the future as the next guy – not at all.“ And she managed yet again to make even less sense in Frank's eyes. „Why are you still talking like this? Why won't you try to be at least comprehendable?“, he pleaded her. „I don't feel like giving everything away right now. It would spoil the fun.“ „...weren't you trying to escape this world at one point? Wouldn't it help me if I knew what was going on?“ „Of course. But we still need to prepare a few things, and who knows if any of your friends manage to get something out of you.“ „...and you still don't worry about me giving away the vital information of the existance of this place?“ „We switch around a lot. At least seven other places could be called our“ - she made quotes with her fingers as she said the following word, still with that irritating smile - „location. It wouldn't help them much either. We don't leave clues lying anywhere when our meetings are finished, and the next meeting location is always chosen randomly. At least one of them we haven't seen from the inside for over two weeks.“ She started moving in his direction. „And why would you anyway tell anything to anybody? You know that you can't do that. You have only waited for somebody to give you a new choice: The one to leave this place and never return.“ This made Frank feel angry. „When are you getting it? I am not interested in escaping!“, he yelled. Helena chuckled. „Then why are you raging if you don't care about it?“ „Because you don't seem to either get to the point or to understand that not everybody is interested in fleeing from Gerald's story! How long will it take me to explain this to you?“ „You just can't accept it, can you?“ „And there you go again!“ „You're just hiding behind your fassade, Frank.“ „Stop talking!“ He jumped in her direction, reaching out after her with his hands, about to strangle her. „So that's the way you want to solve this issue...“ She proceeded to punch him in the stomach, causing him to fall onto one of the tables, which broke upon the impact. As Frank knew again what was going on, the look on Helena's face changed radically. The smile was completely gone, as her eyes glared at him with full force. „That isn't the way you deal with a lady.“ Her voice wasn't the same anymore, either. It wasn't that friendly, almost seducing voice anymore. „And it isn't the best solution to just forget that you don't want to escape, either.“ „You're still thinking that? Doesn't seem like I got any other choice...“ He pulled the gun out of this coat and pointed with it at Helena, just about to pull the trigger. Without changing her facial expression, she only slapped the gun out of his hand. „Don't force me to hurt you, Frank. It will hurt me more than it's going to hurt you.“ He was baffled by this. She wasn't a normal woman. She couldn't be. He tried to back away from her, getting closer and closer to the entrance, but just as he got out, he couldn't move anymore. „It won't help you to escape me, Frank.“ As she got closer to him, he finally regain his ability to contoll his body and jumped out, with his eyes looking at the door, as Helena got out, suddenly with her more familiar smile and voice. „Let's just forget that you wanted to kill me, alright? Somebody is going to drop the adress in your mail tomorrow. See you then.“ And she disappeared again in the shadows of the jazz club, while Frank was trying to understand what just happened in there. But as he got down to it, meeting Helena again just made it worse than before. So he decided to try to forget again that this just happened, walking off to his office again. Kapitel 9: Day Nine ------------------- Gerald started to get worried about Frank. No matter where he went, he was nowhere to be found. Since that thing with the warehouse, he seemed to have disappeared. Neither Anthony nor Vincent seemed to have seen him either. „Well, maybe he's in his office. Why haven't I bothered to look there after him?“ As he arrived there, he tried to open the door, which failed because it was closed shut. „Frank?“, he yelled. „Are you in there?“ The window above him opened, before Frank stuck his head outside. „Gerald?“ „Yes, it's me. I want to talk to you.“ „Alright. I'll open you the door.“ A few minutes later, Gerald heard something clicking, indicating that Frank has unlocked the door. Frank then entered, trying to ignore the dust that was swept into the air as the door swung wide open, with Frank nowhere to be seen. „Come upstairs. I'm in my office.“ Wondering about how he got up there so fast, Gerald then walked onto the stairs, hearing them screach every time he set his foot on one of them. As he then entered Frank's office, he saw him sitting behind his desk, staring at a small piece of paper. „Are... are you alright?“, Gerald asked him. „You seem to be hiding yourself from us.“ „Us?“ „Me and Anthony. He told me that you wanted to meet him today in the dead end.“ „Oh. Tell him I forgot that.“ Gerald got closer to the desk. „What's that on the paper?“ „Oh, that? That's... the adress for a place I have to show up at later on.“ „Investigations?“ „Y-yes, investigations.“ Gerald could see there is something wrong with him. „Are you sure you're alright? You seem to be pretty nervous...“ „D-d-definitely. It's because I'm freezing, if you see what I mean.“ „Freezing? I think it's pretty warm in here.“ „Maybe I'm just sick. Yeah, that'll explain it.“ „Do you... need something then?“ „No, you don't have to stress yourself. I'm only fiction after all. It probably will get better later on.“ There seemed to be something rather fishy going on, thought Gerald, as he silently turned to the door to leave again. Frank was about to jump out of his seat to tell Gerald the truth, but he was already gone. „What the hell is happening to me... why haven't I told him even though he was right he just a few seconds ago?“ As he wanted to smash his head into his desk for how stupid he acted in Gerald's presence, he heard that screeching from the stairway again. Maybe he got lucky and his creator forgot something. The detective bursted out of his office, before he saw who really was about to enter his place. „I hope you can find the time to show up at the meeting, Frank.“ It was Helena, wearing a black jacket and white gloves, as Frank stared at her in disbelief. „How did you-“ „He forgot to close the door properly. And I was randomly passing by, so I came to visit you.“ „You will never leave me alone in my life, do you?“ Frank tried to get away from her, as she constantly put one foot in front of the other to get closer to him. „Don't make me force you to come. It's inevitable that you will come today. You're just making it harder for yourself.“ „Me? You are the one who just makes it complicated for no good reason!“, he yelled at her while pointing at her with his finger. „You just act as bratty as usual, like a child who doesn't want to follow his mother just to watch her and her friends eating cakes and drinking tea while boring himself to death. You can't avoid it, if you want to or not.“ „Leave!“ „Only over your dead body.“ Frank was shocked about that answer. „What did you just say?“ „I know that you're going to come to the meeting, but just to make sure that you understand where I'm getting at: Either I'll see you tonight at the meeting of the Freedom Seekers or my hands will be covered in your blood.“ He already knew that she could behave pretty psychotic, but this was going too far. Just too bad he already knew what would happen if he tries to attack her. So he just stood there, trying to not burst into rage until she left the building and won't appear near his office for a while. „So, can I make sure now that you are going to be at the meeting? Not that I don't already know the answer...“ „Will you then finally leave me alone?“ „Say „yes“ and I won't molest you any.“ He sighed. „Okay, you won. I'll see you there.“ And she dissappeared in the blink of an eye. He couldn't believe his own, and that he agreed to come to the meeting. Indeed, he was losing his mind, if he didn't already. It was a nice night again. Nothing too spectacular, but enjoyable nonetheless. Vincent was having a walk, looking out for those mysterious Freedom Seekers, always ready to defend himself with his Gatling gun. It was – again – one of those nights in which no lights other than the moon and the stars were shining and almost nobody was walking on the streets. He lit himself a cigar, as he saw somebody else walking on the street. The coat this person was wearing felt very familiar. „Frank? Frank!“, he screamed in his direction, hoping for a reaction, only for the person to continue walking. „That's weird. I never saw anyone besides Frank wearing a coat like this...“ He ran after him, trying to catch up, as he still went unnoticed. „Frank? Are you deaf or what?“ He reached out for his shoulder, as the man avoided him while replying: „Leave me alone.“ There was no doubt anymore that this was Frank he had to deal with there. „Frank, you better stop or I have to beat some sense into you...“ „As if you were trying to hit me with your Gatling. You have better things to do.“ „Don't make me use it like it's supposed to...“ „Should I feel threatened by that?“ „Frank, what is going on with you suddenly?“ „Even if I knew how to tell it to you, you probably wouldn't get it. Believe me when I say that I'm just as confused as you are right now.“ „You aren't too far off there, Frank.“ „If you'd excuse me now, I need to go somewhere...“ And so, Frank left, leaving Vincent alone in the dark, his gliming cigar being the only source of light he had at the time. „...I should talk with Gerald about this...“ It was probably 10 PM 30, when Gerald was once again sitting in the bar, drinking a beer and staring at the empty street, as Vincent entered and took the seat opposite to him. „Evening, Gerald.“ „Hello, Vincent. Have you met Frank by now? He's acting a little bit-“ „Weird?“ „How do you know?“ „I just met him. He wanted to go somewhere and ignored me until I tried to grab his shoulder.“ „You're sure that we met the same Frank? When I visited his office, he acted pretty nervously with that piece of paper in his hand.“ Gerald took a sip out of his glass, before he continued. „Something's telling me those guys that try to catch me are behind this.“ Vincent raised an eyebrow. „Why would you think that?“ „Well, I thought it was pretty weird that he wanted me to leave him and one of my attackers alone seconds after we got jumped on. „I wouldn't automatically assume that just because of asking one guy of his motives that it's their fault...“ „And earlier today, he told me, while holding this piece of paper in his hand, that it was for investigations.“ „So?“ „Don't forget that this is still my story. I haven't written down much of the investigations that are driving the plot, and since these – excuse me – freaks are the only current threat we have at the moment...“ „But why would he start to act so weird?“ „Sadly, I think that's another question. If we want to know that, we would need more information about the guys that try to chase me and their connection to Frank. But we have no clue where we can find them, and Frank won't openly talk to us soon enough. Especially concerning the way he behaved when you talked to him.“ „Well, this only leaves one other possibility...“ „Anthony?“ Vincent nodded. „Frank won't talk normally to us, so we need somebody who can spy on him. And who could do that better than his own informant?“ „Ya talking about me?“ It was Anthony, who coincidently was sitting only a few inches away from the two, with a glass of whiskey standing right beside them. „Why haven't I noticed you when I got in here?“ Vincent asked him. „And why haven't you noticed me even though I'm sitting here for about an hour?“ Gerald asked him as well. „I tend to blend into the enviroment, and I was thinking about Frank.“ „Do you know something that we don't?“ „No, but I know where he's going tonight!“ So he handed them a piece of paper with an adress and a time. „How could you-“ Gerald wanted to ask him, only to be interrupted by his answer. „I am always looking through Frank's mail, just in case something... dangerous has been thrown in. I was almost done, as somebody just happened to throw something in. There was no date on the original paper, so I'm guessing it's going to happen today.“ „And why are you still sitting here?“ Vincent asked. „Because something gives me the feeling that I shouldn't check that place out alone.“ „You could have told us earlier that you got something!“, the writer and the villain-in-role-only yelled. „I guess it won't help that I say „I've forgotten it“, does it?“ „Something tells me the answer is „No“ “, Vincent replied. „We got no time anymore to argue“, Gerald threw in. „According to the time on the paper, whatever Frank is visiting starts in about an hour. We need to hurry!“ And so, the three of them rushed out of the bar, trying to find the spot Frank was going to. Kapitel 10: Day Ten ------------------- Frank didn't know what he was doing anymore. It felt like the woman controlled him without wanting to. He couldn't tell anybody what he was doing, either. Thinking about it didn't help at all. So there he was, standing in front of a closed down grocery shop, wondering about the places these people chose to plot their plans to escape. Then he came to the conclusion that it isn't the right time to use the logic he knew, before knocking on the door. In the meantime, Gerald, Anthony and Vincent were hiding only a few metres away, trying to catch a glimpse of what Frank was doing. „Can anybody see what's going on?“, Gerald asked. „I saw him knocking on the door. I doubt that he's going to meet a client in there“, Anthony replied. „Shut up!“, Vincent silenced them. „The door opens!“ After the door in front of Frank opened, the detective spotted the all too familiar woman with the hair standing behind the door. „I'm not surprised that you came, but I'll act like I did“, she greeted him with her personal smile. „Just let me in. I want to get this over with as fast as possible.“ „Oh, for once, we're thinking the same thing“, Helena said before stepping aside and letting Frank in. After he disappeared in there, the three of them left their hiding spot and got closer to the store. „So, what do you say? Any chance of getting in there?“, Vincent asked Anthony, who observed the build at the moment. „Might be hard. Breaking in frontal is out of the question, as we have no idea how many and how good at combat they are.“ „Even with my Gatling?“ „It may have a high fire speed, but I doubt that you can aim with it fast enough. Also, these people might be just misled.“ „They were trying to kidnap me!“ „Find the right words and people jump off a cliff if you told them that.“ „So, have you got any ideas how to get in otherwise?“ „Hm... spontaneously trying to think of a way to sneak into a building from which I haven't even got blue prints and with no idea where in there they are actually meeting will be a challenge.“ „It's a grocery store, isn't it?“, asked Gerald. „How many rooms can there be to meet anybody? And they can't be in the actual store part of it, because otherwise we would hear them, wouldn't we?“ „Good point, Gerald“, Anthony replied. „Doesn't make it much easier to get in there, though.“ „Maybe we could get in from behind. I'm sure this store will have a back entrance“, Vincent proposed. „It's worth a try. No idea about if the door is locked“, Anthony said. „What is with these people and their fear of light?“, Frank thought as he followed Helena to the storage room, where the meeting was presumably held. Helena layed her hand on the door and gave it a push, opening it and revealing about one hundred people sitting or standing to the sides, with a desk put at the end of the room. Both of them entered the room, and while Frank looked around trying to sort his thoughts, Helena moved straight up to the desk and took her place on the chair behind it. „Good night, fellow Freedom Seekers!“, she greeted them. „On this particular meeting, I am finally able to welcome the most prominent character in this story: Frank, the private detective!“ The rest of the people applauded, while Frank tried to not associate himself with them. It just felt utterly wrong to him. „As you may know“, Helena continued, „we have plotted our escape for so long, long before the writer found the ritual to enter this world, hoping that it may bear fruit when we're done. But before we eventually put our plan into motion, we still need to prepare a few things.“ „And these would be?“, Frank asked her. „And why do I get the feeling that it's going to involve me?“ „Well, the most obvious thing we need to do is getting the ritual sentence Gerald uses to switch between the worlds. You maybe haven't heard him using it, don't you?“ Frank shook his head. „I never was around when he left.“ That caused Helena to sigh. „ It would have made it so much easier... but we have to live with it. And it's not like we haven't planned anything for that occasion, haven't we?“ Frank raised an eyebrow. „Randomly attacking him is your plan? Really?“ „It wasn't random. We planned these attacks carefully. He just happened to be around other people.“ Frank could see very well that this just couldn't end in a good way. „And it only took us two attacks to realise that this way of approaching him didn't work, so where's your problem?“ “The problem here is that I don’t see the sense in your plan! What would it help you if Gerald knows that you exist? He’s just going to be more cautious about what he’s going to do! At least two other people are supporting him currently!” “And that’s one of the reasons you’re here, Frank.” “…what?” “You heard me. Who would know more about Gerald’s habits than somebody who was not only created by him, but also spent a lot of his time while he spends his time here?” “As if I tell you anything else, now that I know why you forced me to come here!” Helena chuckled. “That doesn’t change the situation at all, Frank. You will tell me more, if you feel like it or not.” “Just… who - or what - are you?” “As if knowing that would make it any easier.” “Guys! I found it!” yelled Gerald, pointing at a door in the wall. It wasn’t hard to spot, as the street light was directly shining on it. Vincent then tried to slam the door open, with no success. “Okay, blunt force won’t work.” “Why haven’t you just tried opening it normally first? This shop seemed to be closed down for a while now, and I doubt they properly locked the doors when they left it as it was”, Anthony said to him while looking at the door. “Though, when I think about it, it may not be that easy to get in there. If it wasn’t closed down, the door should have opened after Vincent hit it like that. Maybe…” He was thinking for a while, before drawing a picklock out of his pocket. “I hope you don’t use that thing to break in everywhere you like”, said Gerald in a tone that couldn’t decide if it wanted to sound jokingly or worrying. “Don’t worry. I use this thing as little as possible…” He slowly pushed the picklock into the lock, moving it around as he hoped to hear a certain kind of click. But as much as he fiddled around, it didn’t seem to work. “Okay, that’s out of the way”, Vincent said. “Any other ideas?” “Have you tried looking under that?”, asked Gerald, pointing at the doormat. Anthony and Vincent then stared at him, wishing that it was some sort of joke. “You really think it could be that easy?”, joked Vincent. “Please. You can’t serious.” Gerald bowed down and moved the doormat away, revealing a small key that could probably fit into the door. What followed was Vincent and Anthony hitting their faces with their right hands wide open. “So, tell me more about what you know that could help us.” Helena was looking at Frank with her signature combination of cat-like slit eyes, her soft and yet irritating smile and a slightly tilted head, while Frank was about to lose his nerves. “Forget it. I’d rather get myself killed by you before I let you know anything else.” “Sorry, but killing you is out of the question. I need you alive, if you understand.” She pointed at the door through which she and Frank came in. “Don’t let him get out of here. I need to get a point across before he can leave this room.” After she finished, three of them placed themselves in front of the door. “Frank, I won’t let you fight these people, and you’re allowed to go as soon as I told you this. But the thing is - as I have told you so many times already - resistance is futile. I know that you’re going to help me in the end, and you can do as much about it as you like, but it won’t get you out of this. You just try to act like the tough guy you’re representing -” “I’m not representing Frank, I AM Frank!” As she ignored him, she continued: “- and completely ignore your own wishes and desires. And I know that, somewhere inside of you, you wish you could leave and leave all of this behind you.” “Let me go.” Helena sighed. “I can’t tell it to you often enough, can I? You’re just making it harder for yourself if you deny the truth. He repeated himself, his time talking in a patronising fashion: “Let. Me. Go.” Without saying anything, she moved her hand so the three people blocking the door would leave. “See, what was so hard about it?”, he said, before going away. As he left them behind, he heard a familiar voice speaking to him from his back. “Frank?”, she whispered. It turned out to be Gerald, who just got in together with Anthony and Vincent. Frank was really surprised about this, trying to not draw attention to him. “Gerald, what are you doing here?” “We could ask you the same thing”, replied Anthony. “You see, I got another clue concerning the Freedom Seekers.” “Why haven’t you told us then?”, asked Vincent him. “It’s a long story, and let me assure you that you don’t want to hear it right now.” “Have you at least gathered information?”, said Gerald. “Not much, but better than nothing at all. Now let’s leave before they finish their meeting and see us together.” Kapitel 11: Day Eleven ---------------------- It must have been past midnight when they arrived at Frank's office again, taking place in his room. „So, Frank“, started Vincent, „what have you found out?“ There was silence. Frank was sitting behind his desk, thinking. „Frank?“ He moved his hand in front of his face. „Are you still there?“ „Huh? Oh, of course.“ He shook his head to regain his senses. „I have found out that they don't seem to be as organized as we thought.“ „What do you mean by that?“, said Anthony. „The attacks Gerald witnessed were more or less random. And they don't seem to plan any more of them right now.“ „That can only mean that they are planning something bigger“, Anthony said. „We need to be more cautious. They probably want us to lower our defenses so that their attacks get more effective in the process.“ „But otherwise, this information isn't really useful, considering that the only thing we got out of it was to not behave stupidly“, said Gerald. „Anything else, Frank?“ „That was basically it, sorry“, Frank replied. „But that woman... that bloody woman...“ „What are you talking about?“, Anthony wondered. Frank turned to Gerald. „When you left my office this afternoon, have you seen a woman with red hair and a black dress entering?“ Gerald shook his head. „I closed the door when I left again, I'm sure.“ Frank was shocked by that answer. He held his head with this hand, stuttering: „But- how could she have entered then? How can that be possible?“ „You don't look alright, Frank“, said Vincent, getting closer to Frank. „Maybe you have a breakdown.“ „But I'm sure that she exists! I've talked to her several times now! She threw me against a table! I even lost my gun in that jazz club thanks to her!“ „You mean this one?“, Anthony asked, pointing at the wall. Frank couldn't believe it. The gun was there, hanging on a nail! He was sure that he didn't return to the jazz club since, and Helena didn't give it back to him either. „Frank, you start to make me worried“, Gerald said to him. „...that's probably all part of her plan“, the detective whispered. „You're talking in riddles“, Vincent replied. „It just has to be! She wants to make me crazy! It only makes sense this way!“ „...maybe you should get some sleep before we continue“, Gerald said in a worried tone. „You seem to be pretty nervous right now.“ „That's exactly what she wants to achieve!“ „Frank, calm down“, Vincent said calmingly. „Gerald is right. You're probably just working too much. That could explain your condition. We see you tomorrow then. Good night.“ The three of them left, leaving Frank behind in his office. „I can't her her win!“, he yelled in rage. „Whatever she's doing and however she's doing it, I'm going to discover her secret and use it against her! It felt like an eternity passed since he slept the last time, even though he always comes back home again after half a day at most. Gerald thought that, maybe if he slept over it as well, he might understand better what Frank was talking about. But it didn't. While Gerald could just stay away from the novel, preventing them to get close to him, he couldn't stop seeing Frank's pale, sweaty face with bulging eyes after he heard that he hasn't seen that woman. It was clear that his character needed help. The Freedom Seeker were still a problem, but he couldn't just stop. His novel itself wasn't as important at the moment. But before he returned to his story again, he decided to go to his computer first. Sebastian must be pretty worried, and maybe Catherine has some news as well. And he was proven right, as his mails indicated. Among all the cheap spam mails trying to sell him all kinds of garbage and telling him he won a journey to Hawaii or some other place that's either crowded, has good climate or both, he found one mail by Sebastian titled „hi there“ and another one from the writer's forum telling him that Catherine contacted him via the PM system. He decided to check Sebastian's mail first. „I couldn't contact you via our Instant Messenger, so I thought I wrote you this directly. You don't seem to be around this much since I've told you about that ritual. I can understand that now, you got some brilliant ideas for your stories, and I'm not going to stop you – especially since I was the one who told you about it in the first place – but I thought it might be nice to do something again. You know, as friends.“ Gerald then replied: „Don't worry about it. I'm pretty far into the novel right now, so it can't take me too long anymore until I finish it. So, do you want to meet me in the bakery again? Tomorrow morning? And don't think about how I'm going to forget again why I put the alarm on.“ After clicking on the „Send“ button and seeing the confirmation screen, he promptly went to the forum to read Catherine's message. „Hey, Gerald. How is it going? Is your story still attacking you?“ He replied that question with: „Sort of. They formed some kind of cult and are meeting behind my back to plan. What is with your story?“ Like always, it took a few minutes before the reply followed: „Nothing unpredictable happened. They still play their parts properly and after I asked if they try to escape. The answers were mostly variations of „Where would you get that idea?“.“ „Well, saying it's weird wouldn't be enough.“ „Maybe you did something in your world to upset these people?“ „Doesn't really convince me. If I did, I would have to fight them alone. And it doesn't seem to be that big of a group. Though, maybe the thing with the sun was a little bit too much for them...“ „...thing with the sun?“ „Don't ask. It was one thing and it terrified far more people than this cult could possibly have.“ „Anything else that could have caused the cult?“ „Not that I could think of. At least nothing to get this many people fixated on me.“ „I see. Well, if they attack you, why do you still keep visiting the world?“ „One of my characters has gone insane and needs help. And I have two people protecting me for the worst case scenario.“ „Understandable. I hope you manage to get over that.“ „Me too. See you soon.“ As he looked on his clock, he decided to visit Frank again. Maybe he will be easier to understand now. The sun was at its highest point, when they all met in the bar to properly talk to Frank. He still looked slightly nervous, but not as bad as in the last night. „Okay, Frank“, started Anthony, „what is up with this woman you were talking about?“ „When I first met her, I didn't pay much attention to what she said“, replied Frank. „I thought was weird, though still harmless at this point, and I thought that it was the alcohol which caused me to lose the control over my body. It didn't do what I wanted it to do.“ „I see“, threw Vincent in. „Then I got to the adress she gave me. She kept talking about that she knew what I was going to do next, and it made even less sense than before. When I attacked her due to pure rage, she countered it like I was a child fighting against a bear. And that smile... this weird smile...“ „So, to get this straight“, started Gerald, trying to recollect what Frank just said, „this woman is trying to confuse you by telling you that she knows everything you're going to do.“ Frank nodded. „No matter how I explained to her that it has no use, she always kept herself calm. She didn't even look like she was about to burst.“ „And you're sure you talked to her when she visited your office?“; Anthony asked. „As sure as you can get. Though I can't remember if she brought my gun back in the process...“ „Maybe she broke in“, wondered Vincent. „No, that's impossible. I can hear if there happens anything in this building. Even when somebody opened the door with a picklock, I would have heard it.“ „And at this meeting?“ „She was talking the same incomprehensible mess as always. Stuff in the vein of „You're hiding behind a fassade“ or similar.“ Gerald raised an eyebrow. „Fassade?“ „She thinks that I'm hiding behind the image of a private detective. It's probably all a part of her plan to confuse the hell out of me.“ „So we now not only have a cult trying to capture Gerald“, summarized Vincent, „but also a woman that plays around with Frank.“ He stopped there for a moment. „That came off wrong, didn't it?“ Gerald nodded. „Kind of.“ „That's not the problem right now“, interrupted Anthony them. „We need to get rid off these people quickly. Who knows if they aren't trying to find new members? If we wait too long, we might have to deal with all the remaining people! And that just can't be easy.“ „So you got a plan?“, Vincent asked him. „Yes, but we only got one chance for it.. With Frank's current condition, we can't let him spend more time investigating.“ „But you have to let me go there!“, Frank complained. „She says she's going to kill me if I don't come there. And believe me, you don't want this woman to be around you if she visits me again!“ „But we can't let you go there, either“, Gerald argued. „If you let yourself get manipulated like that for any longer, you might end up even worse than you are already!“ „So we need to wait for her to show up. Then we can get all the information we need and don't have to deal with all her followers.“ Frank sighed. „I warned you guys about her.“ To which Anthony replied: „And we won't let you get killed.“ Kapitel 12: Day Twelve ---------------------- The sun went down a few hours ago, as they waited in Frank's office again. The meeting started in about half an hour, so they guessed that Helena will show up a little bit earlier. Vincent and Anthony got bored of just waiting in total silence, so they started playing cards across Frank's desk. Gerald on the other hand just wandered around in his office, looking at the newspaper articles that were pinned onto the wall. „I start to think that you're cheating“, Vincent said. „Just your imagination“, Anthony replied, putting another card on the desk before turning to Frank. „You're sure that you don't want to play as well? Might help you to think of something else.“ „It's okay, really“ was the answer he got. „The only thing I'm hoping for is that she finally shows up. Normally, she would have already come...“ „I think that you fear her. Why are you so eager then for her to visit your place?“ Vincent wondered, laying a card onto of Anthony's. „You're not the only one thinking that“, Frank answered. „I utterly despise her and the things she apparently does to me, but somewhere-“ „You love her?“ „No, not something like that. It goes more into the direction of... fascination. Something in me is fascinated about how odd she is.“ „As in?“ „She almost always has that convinced smile in her face. The only way to get her to show other emotions was to attack her. And damn, did she got aggresive from one moment to the other.“ „She's very unpredictable then?“ „Something along those lines.“ Anthony was still trying to decide what card on his hand he should play. „What are you playing anyway?“, Frank asked. „We don't really know ourselves“, Vincent replied. „We just lay cards on top of each other.“ Frank looked very dumbfounded at them, when he heard the screeching sound from his stairway again. „Guys, she's here.“ The steps got closer until something pushed the door away, revealing the – to Frank, at least - familiar red haired woman. „Hello there, Frank“, she greeted him. „I see that you have guests.“ As she looked around, she spotted Gerald staring at the articles on the wall. „And he seems to be here, too.“ Gerald turned to her. „So you're this woman who threatens Frank.“ „I wouldn't call it threatening if I didn't already know that he's going to come over later anyway“, Helena replied. „I'm just here to have a little bit of chit chat.“ Frank sighed. „Not one of those again. These just tend to end up the same way anyway.“ She looked at Frank, with her typical smile. „I'm getting bored of trying to tell you that you cannot resist it either. It doesn't seem to convince you, so why should I even bother?“ „A new topic would be nice. How about „Who the hell are you?“?“, Frank demanded. „Huh? I thought you already knew my name.“ „Quit messing with me! You know what I mean!“ She tilted her head. „Do I?“ Vincent said in a calm voice: „He wants to know your origins, your motivation, something like that.“ „Oh, now I see. Why haven't you said so from the beginning, Frank?“ The detective was abuot to get up and punch her into the face, but Anthony held him back. „Don't react to that. She only wants you to give her an opportunity.“ „I don't see why I should tell you this now. I have better things to do.“ „Like breaking into my office?“, Frank said. „No. I'm talking about messing with you. If I told you what my reasons are to do certain things, it would make sense for you and everything I've done to this point was worthless.“ „Wait, what is that for a reason?“ „If I tell you what my motives are, you could see where I'm going with this. And that's exactly what I'm trying to prevent happening.“ „You could at least try to explain us why you don't try to make sense“, Anthony asked, still concentrating on the card game. „Hm, I guess I could tell you at least that“, she said, leaning against the door. „My point is: As soon as I'm starting to make sense, I'm developping a pattern that can be found out by logic. So I'm doing my best to confuse all of you for as long as I need it.“ „But now that we know that you don't want us to think in a normal matter-“ „Still doesn't work. I'm just too good at this to be found out.“ She got closer to Frank. „It's time. Let's get going before we're arriving late.“ „Hey there, lady“, Vincent stopped her, getting up and getting a hold onto his Gatling that leaned against the wall beside the window. „We won't let you do that anymore with him.“ She glanced at his weapon. „So what?“ He aimed at her. „Either you get out immediately, or you're going to have blue beans as meal.“ „I haven't managed to eat for dinner until now, so-“ Vincent pulled the trigger, firing a salve towards her. Apparently, it was pretty dusty in here, because nobody could see a thing and all there was to hear was people coughing. As soon as the dust sunk down again, they couldn't believe her eyes. The bullets dropped down from her hand, as she was trying to clean off her clothes. „Thank you, but I doubt that I'm going to like these. I'm going to the bar later on for a midnight snack.“ They were baffled. She didn't even seem to bother. Around thirty bullets, flying at her with several hundred meters per second while standing away from her six feet at most, and she just catched them as if somebody lightly threw hard-boiled eggs at her. „Could we now please go? If we stay here any longer, we'll be late! Frank, get up.“ The detective left his chair behind and walked towards the door, as Anthony was trying to stop him. „No, Frank! You don't have to do this.“ „I'm saying otherwise“, Helena said. „Now come, Frank.“ „Frank, you know what she's going to do to you again!“, tried Gerald to talk some sense into him. „Why aren't you even trying anymore to fight it?“ „Because he would just waste his energy on it“, Helena replied, before leaving with Frank, as the rest stared outside in disbelief. „This woman is freaky“, Anthony said, shaking his head. „She catched my bullets with her bare hand!“, Vincent said, while looking confused at his Gatling. „Either this thing needs to be repaired, or this isn't your typical woman!“ „This is getting weirder and weirder“, Gerald wondered. „And I'm saying this as somebody who walks around in his own novel and discovers all kinds of confusing stuff.“ They stood there for a while before Gerald asked: „So, what are we going to do next?“ „We can't rely on Frank anymore“, Anthony answered. „Who knows what she's doing with him. Maybe she manipulates him in a way to continue her task to mystify the entire thing even more. We got no other choice to investigate ourselves.“ „And how?“, Vincent replied. „Now she knows that we are aware of what she's doing to him. So we can't rely on them throwing them into his mail.“ „There is only one solution to this“, Gerald said. Simulaneously, Anthony and Vincent asked him: „And how?“ „I'm going to have to play a decoy until they catch on again. Our only chance to get close to them is letting them near us.“ „And you're sure that the only way to do so is letting you get attacked?“, Anthony asked. „These people are pretty dangerous, and you know that!“ „Do you have a better idea? If we try to follow him, we might get tricked again.“ „I see your point“, began Vincent, “but you're going to have to admit that it does sound pretty stupid.“ „I know that myself, but we've got no choice for now. We only can wait until they lose their attention.“ Saturday morning. The warm and delicious smelling bakery stood in contrast to the cold and uncomfortable street to their right. Gerald was whirling with a spoon in his black tea, when Sebastian interrupted him: „You're pretty quiet.“ „I know that, Bastian.“ „Has something happened?“ Gerald sighed. „You could say it like that...“ „Something in your family?“ He shook his head. „It's all fine with them. My... writer's block just kicked in again.“ „Even with the ritual?“ „I seem to get used to it. Maybe I should just take a longer break from it so I can regenerate properly.“ Sebastian chuckled. „That's all you seem to do recently: either you're sunk into your writing, or you're taking a break from it.“ He looked outside. „Doesn't this get monotone after a while?“ „Well, sometimes, I look for through the job offers, sometimes I'm meeting you somewhere... it's not like I'm fixated only at my novel.“ „It still got pretty worrying.“ He took a sip from his coffee, before he continued: „I think that it might have been a really bad idea that I told you about the ritual. You don't really seem to make any progress with it and yet you're still always working on it. It's like you got addicted or something.“ Gerald stopped there. „You really think that I'm-“ He didn't get any further because he bursted into laughter. „Gerald, that's not something you make jokes about!“ „It's just something for inspiration's sake, not some new designer drug or anything, Bastian. You're just panicking yourself for no good reason. That can't be really healthy.“ Sebastian sighed, before answering: „Yeah, maybe I just exaggerated there for a moment, but my point still stands. Look, I just want you to not get sucked into this too much. I'm saying this as your friend.“ „It's nice that you think that way, but I know what I'm doing.“ „Do you really, Gerald?“ Kapitel 13: Day Thirteen ------------------------ They needed to be very careful about it. Who knows when and where they are going to attack them? They needed a plan, that's for sure. „So, guys, how are we going to get them?“, Gerald asked, while they once again sat in the bar. The three of them needed to took as unsuspicious as possible if they don't want their plans to be found out. „Well, if we want this to succeed, we need you to stand somewhere where one of us can still jump into action when one of them is going to show up“, Anthony replied. „But first, we need to show them that you're walking around by your own.“ „And here we have the risky part“, Vincent continued. „There is no way for him to walk around alone with your guidance so they don't see us.“ „But we got no other choice.“ Gerald got up, ready to leave the bar. „You're starting right now?“, Anthony asked with doubt. „The less forced, the better. Also, I can do some research for my story while I'm at it.“ And so, he left, leaving the informant and the villain-in-role-only behind, looking outside and wondering if he was going to be alright. „How long are they going to take before they try to get him?“, Vincent wondered, while looking outside at the empty street. „Probably not too long. What else could they do with him anyway?“ „Shouldn't one of us at least follow him from a distance? I'm not really sure about this...“ „Neither am I. We can only hope that Gerald is okay on his own.“ Even though it was noon, it felt pretty dark for Gerald, but he hadn't got this weird feeling by now. He couldn't believe what happened with Frank. Why did he just go along with her even though it was clear that Frank didn't want to? Was this even the real Frank they spoke to recently? This entire thing turned more and more into an enigma the more he tried to wrap his brain around it. And there it was. Being pretty close to the Chinese restaurant where he went together with Frank and Anthony long ago, he felt it again. It couldn't take too long until somebody tried to attack. He got slower with every step, waiting for the inevitable. But still, nothing happened. Weren't they sure anymore if they could do what they wanted to do? He wished that they finally made their mind up, until somebody eventually grabbed him with his upper arm. „Who would have guessed that you're so naive to just step out alone without anyway defending yourse-“ The man didn't get any further, as Gerald hit him in the sides with his elbow. He jumped away, trying to get some room between the two. The face of his opponent was hidden with a scarf. They were more cautious than he thought. „No need to get rough so early“, the man said, getting ready to hit him. „It could have been so much less painful for you, but you didn't want so!“ He dashed at him, with his right fist ready to hit Gerald's face. He could let him pass by moving to the side, making the man fall onto the pavement. The man got up again, being angrier than before. „You just can't accept it, can you?“ He again dashed in Gerald's direction, just to be countered again by Gerald moving to the side a bit. „This guy doesn't think too much, does he?“, Gerald thought, looking at the man being about to burst into rage. „Now stay still for a second, or else-“ He pulled out a knife, jumping on Gerald's throat. The writer then grabbed him by his arm and performed a leg sweep to make him lose his balance.. But it just made him angrier. „I've had enough with you!“ Gerald had no choice anymore other than running away from him, before he actually tried to kill him. And he couldn't take Vincent's words for truth at the moment, so he ran back to the bar, with the man following him with ludicrous speed. But not for long, as he ran into something and fell to the ground with it. „...Vincent? What are you doing here?“ „I guess it's not the best time to answer this question, isn't it?“, was Vincent's answer, having seemingly seen the guy chasing him. „Finally, I got you!“ he yelled, trying to grab him, only to see him rolling to the side and getting aimed at with a Gatling right into his face. „Sir, we have to talk... or would you prefer blue beans?“ After they dragged him to the dead end to talk to him without getting interrupted, Vincent asked, with his hand always ready to get out his Gatling: „So, have you got some interesting things we'd like to know?“ „As if I told you anything about our plans!“ the man yelled back. „Your „plans“ aren't that interesting to us“, Anthony replied. „We already know that you want to get Gerald so he can tell you the sentence to leave this world. It's no mystery.“ He pulled a cigar out of his trousers and turned to Vincent. „Got fire?“ Vincent took a matchstick box out of his jacket. „Always.“ After lighting himself a cigar, Anthony continued: „It might be nice to know more about this woman. How was she called again?“ „Helena, I think“, Gerald replied. „Yes, definitely Helena.“ „Hmpf, you mean our leader? Forget it!“, the man replied via yelling. Vincent pulled out his Gatling. „Even now?“ The man shivered. „Well, I might tell you a few things...“ „Go on then“, Vincent said, putting his Gatling back again. The man sighed. „We... don't know much about her as well.“ „Seems like I need to pull my gun back out again...“ „No, wait! I can explain! Just don't accidently pull the trigger!“ Vincent leaned this gun against he wall. „Now tell us what you know.“ „She... she came out of nowhere, asking people about how they can let this happen to them, being controlled for entertanment's sake and stuff like that. Nobody knows her origins and what her role in the story is.“ „And why is she trying to get Frank to join them?“, Gerald asked. „She hasn't told us, either“, replied the man. „She doesn't even think that it would be helpful at the moment.“ „Anything else we should know?“ „It's hard to find her in the wild. She almost always comes to you, not the other way around.“ „...and that's really all you have to say?“, Vincent wondered, reaching out for his Gatling again. „Considering how much trouble you cause to us, you seem to be rather shallow inside. Though maybe that's just me.“ He aimed at the man again. „Now get out of here before my finger slips.“ The man got up and ran away, leaving the three behind standing under the streetlight. „...why is this thing on, anyway?“, Gerald asked himself. „It's not even close to sunset!“ Back in the bar, they tried to comprehend as much as possible from the few pieces of information they got. It wasn't they got out of him, but it was enough for the moment. „Seems like this Helena is all behind it“, Vincent wondered, before drinking his beer. „And she apparently likes to confuse everyone she's involved with.“ „There is no doubt that she's just using those people“, Anthony concluded out of Vincent's statement. „If she doesn't even rely on the very people she's working with, that can only mean that she's working on something herself.“ „The big question now is: For what?“, Gerald asked, while staring into his glass. „What kind of benefit does she have from fooling around with not only Frank, but also the people she gathered to escape this world? It's clear that she could just do it all herself, after she managed to grab Vincent's bullets midair.“ Vincent and Anthony freezed after hearing this. „That... is actually a pretty good point“, Anthony wondered. „Why didn't she just take him right on the spot when we were with Frank? It's clear that they need him for their plan, except-“ „Except if Gerald wasn't the main part of their plan all along“, Vincent finished Anthony's sentence. „Maybe leaving this place isn't her first priority. The question now is: What is her plan, then?“ „I guess she's already succeeding“, Gerald said. „Why?“, Anthony asked him. „Remember what she said? She tries to make as little sense as possible. And from what I can gather, what she's doing recently makes very little sense, if at all.“ Vincent held his head. „I start to see why Frank is freaking out in the presence of this woman...“ „Well, what are we supposed to do now then?“, Gerald asked. After what happened now, there is now way they are going to attack us like that again. Why they haven't started doing so after they attacked me when Frank was with me is beyond me.“ „Probably it's all just part of her plan to confuse us. And damn, are they successful.“ „...so, all we can do now is sitting around, waiting for them to do something so we can react?“ „Looks like it's our only possibility“, Anthony replied, taking yet another sip out his glass. „But we can't just wait until we have to react!“ Gerald yelled, smashing his flat hand onto the table. „Who knows what they are going to do in the meantime? If she consequently works on her plan to make as little sense as possible, she could do something really dangerous without us noticing it before! And think about Frank! We can't let him be any longer in her presence, or he might become completely insane! We need to find out where they are meeting next so we can finish this once and for all!“ „...something tells me that this is not the end“, Anthony said. „It feels more like it's the beginning of something far bigger.“ Kapitel 14: Day Fourteen ------------------------ It hasn't gotten better in the last few days. Frank now has completely vanished since he was dragged out his own office by Helena, and the Freedom Seekers didn't try anymore to attack Gerald. The author decided to back off his story again to think of a way to continue the investigations. It was a cold, rainy day. Gerald was lying on his couch, with a pen inbetween his teeth. A cup of black tea was standing beside him on the table. The entire thing still utterly confused him, and did so even more the more he thought about Helena. Just, what was up with that woman? He grabbed the cup from the table for a quick sip, only to figure out that it's already empty. Gerald sighed, before standing up and going to the kitchen. „Say, do you have another cup? I'm thirsty as well.“ „They're in-“ He stopped. That voice was familiar. But it couldn't be! „They're in what?“ He turned to the door leading to the living room, only to find Helena standing there with her signature smile. „So, where are they now?“ Gerald slapped himself. That was just impossible! When have they managed to get their hands at the sentence? There was no way this couldn't be a dream, or maybe „only“ a hallucination. But it seemed so... real... „Oh!“, she realised. „I completely forgot. It doesn't seem normal for me to be here.“ „How did you get here?“, he asked her in a panicked fashion. „It's a secret“, she replied. „Now, how about a black tea in your living room?“, she asked before leaving him alone in the kitchen. Gerald on the other hand just stood there, still not able to believe his eyes. Without thinking too much about it for now, he grabbed another cup and filled with a tea bag and hot water. Maybe she could clarify a few things while she was at it. „Ah, nothing like a good tea to awaken your senses“, she said before putting the cup back onto the table. It still felt weird for Gerald to have the woman who manipulates his main character and is the leader of a cult designated to get rid of him sitting in his appartment and drinking tea, like she was a normal person. Though, maybe it could be because he had a woman in his enviroment at all. He didn't really know why it felt so weird, it just... did. „Why are you here?“, Gerald finally asked. „You don't like listening to people, do you?“, she replied. „If I told you that, it would ruin my plans.“ „But... if you can leave the novel, why haven't you told your friends from the Freedom Seekers how it works?“ „I don't want to spoil their fun“, she answered. „They aren't as interested in escaping as it seems. They are more interested in messing with you.“ „Like you do all the time?“ She nodded. „I just have my fun with it. And I'm in no hurry with my actions, so why not have some fun while I'm at it?“ „But... why is it so important for you to not make any sense?“ She took a sip, before she replied: „As soon as something make sense, it gets predictable and therefore boring. I can't understand why people always want to get behind things. In the end, it just becomes utterly disappointing.“ „So you just like to be mysterious because otherwise, people aren't interested in you?“ „Something like that.“ Gerald wondered about it for a while, before asking: „You know that this just made a little bit of sense, did you?“ „I just want my actions to be incomprehensible, my motives for it can be as transparent as glass“, she replied. It started to feel weirder and weirder, as the dialogue progressed. It almost seemed like Helena was...human. Even after what she did to Frank and what she is – or maybe, was - trying to do with him and the Freedom Seekers, it almost was like she felt sympathetic. He knew that it had to be some sort of trap. There was absolutely no way that she suddenly turned genuinely nice and acceptable. „There is more behind it, isn't it?“ She turned to him. „What are you talking about?“ His rage started to rise. „Stop playing dumb and nice. I know that this can't be everything.“ „So I can't just have a drink with an author?“ „You're trying something funny on me, admit it!“ She only could shake her head at this answer. „My, my, you're being rather paranoid...“ She tried to enrage him, he thought. She was just waiting for an opportunity to attack. He needs to stay cool, or God knows what may happen. „How... how is Frank doing?“, he asked, trying to keep himself calm. „He's still struggling with me“, she replied. „He just won't understand that I'm trying help him.“ „Helping him to do what?“, he wondered. „Opposing me and trying to escape a world he clearly has no intentions leaving soon enough?“ „Thats just his tough side speaking“, she answered. „He won't admit that, but somewhere deep within him, he wants to leave this place. Living without being controlled.“ „Maybe there is a voice in him telling him this“, he wondered, „but if it isn't that big of a wish for him -“ „You're holding them like slaves, making them perform your plays.“ „- but if it's such a big problem, why is only my story ridden with people trying to run away?“ „That's not true. Every story has its characters that would like to run away from it.“ „I know another author using the ritual who told me that the characters in her story were baffled by the idea of having the desire to quit.“ „Huh“, she replied. „Maybe she's treating her characters nicer than you do...“ She started to sound like she was talking either to or about a dictator. She really wanted him to lose his control. „The only two things that I thought were a little bit over the top were the enormous sun and forcing Frank to go to the warehouse. But everything else happened in favour for the story.“ „Yeah, that's what you're saying and thinking. But you and the story are two entirely different things.“ „You're doing it again, aren't you?“ „Confusing you? Of course. That's what I'm good at, remember?“ All of this with her smile that just didn't want to leave. He wished he could just slap her across the room, because what he thought was acceptable on her started to fade away slowly, only to be exchanged with arrogance. His hatred towards started growing, while his hand slowly started to rise, before he swung it in the direction of her face. Her reflexes, however, stopped his hand before he hit her, as she was grabbing his arm. „Were you trying to harm me?“, she asked, with her smile and her relaxed voice gone, but instead looked like somebody held a flashlight under her chin and sounded like she was about to smash him into the ground. „N-no, it's a misunderstanding“, he defended himself, trying to prevent the inevitable. „My-my hand slipped and I'm getting pretty nervous around women-“ „Silence!“; she yelled, making him lose his voice due to sheer fear. „It's not very gentlemen-like to attack a woman!“ She threw him to the ground and stepped onto him with her high heels. „You should feel ashamed of yourself!“ He tried to get some space between her and himself, as he tried to crawl away from her, looking for a good place to hide. „Oh no, you won't!“ She grabbed him at his shirt, dragging him up to her. „You need to be punished for your foolish behaviour!“ Fearing for his life, he grabbed Helena at her side and threw her onto the table, which broke due to the sudden pressure. But that didn't seem to stop her, as she stood up again, without any hit that she may be hurt. She looked even angrier than before. „You have a death wish, don't you? Well, we could arrange that!“ She tried to get to the kitchen, but Gerald stopped her by holding her legs, making her fall over again. „I can guess what you're going to do, but I won't let you!“ Helena then proceeded to hit his chin with one of her feet, before he moved his head away from them. He had no choice. It he wanted to leave this situation alive, he needed to get rid of Helena. He rushed into the kitchen, leaving Helena behind. Gerald looked through his cutlery, trying to find something something sharp enough to finish her off. He was about to grab the right knife, as he heard Helena's voice again: „Shall I help you searching?“ He turned to her, pointing with the knife at her chest, only to see her with her smile, as if they just didn't fight in his living room. „Let's just forget that we fought to the death, okay?“, she said. Gerald couldn't really trust her, but he cautiously put the knife to his left on the table, with his doubts starting to leave again. „Well, I'm going to return to the novel now“, she continued. „Hope to see you soon again.“ And then she disappeared. Gerald stood there in disbelief. He slowly put the knife back to where it belonged, before entering his room, as he saw his table broken down to pieces, with the cups laying on the ground unharmed. As he began to get as much of the damage undone as he could and clean the carpet that has been spilled with his black tea, his thoughts were on just how unbelievable Helena is. He couldn't understand how she slipped off his radar for so long despite being so utterly weird. He couldn't comprehend just what she was trying to accomplish with all of this. Or, in just one single word: Why. As in „Why is all of this happening?“. Kapitel 15: Day Fifteen ----------------------- Frank tried to play along with her. He really did. He thought that, if he played along with her and tolerated the nonsense she was talking all the time, it might start to make sense for him. But no matter how long he tried to listen to her, it just didn't happen. It didn't even get worse, as he possibly couldn't comprehend an even stronger mind screw. It was after another meeting – this time in a warehouse in the west of the city – when he finally decided that it was time for her to speak in a language he could understand. He waited for the rest of the attenders to leave, so that only he and Helena were still there. The air was very cold and the moonlight wasn't really bright in this night, which made orientation pretty difficult. He still couldn't see the thing behind having little to no light during the meetings, especially since it hasn't been really explained. The little he could see, however, was Helena sitting behind a box, with her smile oddly enough shining through the darkness. „You're still here?“, she asked, not being very confused about it. „Yes. I want to talk to you about a few things.“ She stood up. „If you insist. Any problems with having to talk about it in my appartment?“ „None. Might be better, actually.“ No matter what she did, she always managed to make him wonder about her behaviour. This time, it was about how Helena could live in such a bright enviroment, while the meetings of the Freedom Seekers were in complete darkness. Her living room was held in beige colours, with a huge window front enabling the view over the city and beyond it to the nothingness. The couch was set so that somebody could have a good look over the city while talking. „Something to drink, maybe?“, Helena asked, standing at the door to the kitchen. „No, thank you“, he replied. „Well, okay then. Make it yourself comfortable on the couch.“ As he took place, he stared outside while waiting for her. It was a quite irritating sight, having all these buildings standing so close to a cliff where absolutely nothing is at the ground. Why has i he only noticed it when Gerald pointed it out to him when he first came here? „So, you like my place?“ Helena entered the living room again, taking place right beside Frank on the couch. „It's not too bad, actually.“ She smiled at him. „Nice to hear.“ He looked outside again, as he asked her: „Why are you doing this?“ Helena sighed. „Haven't we talked this through already? I'm trying to get it into your head that you really want to leave this place.“ „I got that part already. But there needs to be more behind it. And why aren't you trying it with everybody if you want their freedom?“ „I told you so many times already that I just like to mess with you, didn't I?“ „I know that. But there is something telling me that there needs to be more behind it. And after all, there needs to be a more specific reason for me to start to believe what you're saying other than „It's just like that and I don't even bother to make sense“.“ She put her glass away, remaining silent for a while. „Is there something I shouldn't know?“, he asked again. „You could make it easier for me and for you when you would start to explain stuff. Your „confusion equals genius plan“ shtick can't help you much longer if you don't cooperate with the people you need help from.“ She remained silent as he continued talking, grabbing the glass again and staring into it. „I know that you have a bigger plan than this and that you're trying to hide it from everyone. Believe me, it can't work like that for a longer period of time.“ She drank it all in one go, before she finally responded: „Indeed, there is something else I've kept hidden from you.“ He turned to her, saying: „So, what is it then?“ „I need to warn you, though. You might not like what you're going to hear.“ „I don't care. Just tell me.“ She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the answer. „It's because you've been concepted as a villain-like character.“ „...what? I thought Vincent was-“ „He didn't want you to know it, because you were supposed to develop the characters traits of a villain rather than having them all along. So he created me to try to bring you to be influenced.“ „But why did nobody tell me?“ „He didn't want you to know, and partially, he didn't even know himself.“ „You're starting to talk in riddles again.“ „That's because I have been concepted to be like this. Sometimes I get confused by what I say myself. But all I can do to hide it is smiling and acting weird all along.“ „But- why would he want to make me a villain in the first place? Like I said before, we already got Vincent for that!“ „It was supposed to be a big twist, but he didn't really know how to pull it off properly without looking out of place.“ „So is this my duty? Protagonist turned into a villain?“ „Yes“, she replied, finally putting her glass back at the table to her side again. „A great idea, isn't it? Turning the character that the reader follows most of the time into the thing he is supposed to hate the most?“ „Sure, it is“, Frank responded, still trying to follow along, „but why were there never any hints before? And why has Gerald never mentioned anything about it?“ „I can't tell you that. It goes beyond what I'm allowed to tell you. Telling you in your face that you're going to perform a change of your attitude was scratching the limits. So there, you got all the information I can give you at the moment? Are you satisfied now?“ Frank sank his head. „Not really. I mean, sure, it makes slightly more sense than it did before, but it still leaves many questions left!“ „Sorry, Frank, but even if I told you more now, it wouldn't help you much.“ He turned to her with an asking look. „How much more do you know?“ „Much more. Much, much more.“ Vincent didn't remember when he saw the street being lively, bright and full of people for the last time. Since the entire thing with Frank and the Freedom Seekers started to happen, it felt like the city had adjusted to the current situation. Though it wouldn't have been too surprising. He randomly wandered through the streets, looking for more of the Freedom Seekers to show up, when he saw Frank leaving a building and walking off. He ran towards him, trying to catch up and yelling: „Frank? Wait for a moment! I haven't seen you for a long time! You just disappeared from the surface!“ Frank just turned around, seemingly not caring much. „Tell me something I didn't already know“, he got as an answer. „You seem to be so... I don't know... agressive when it's only you and me. Just like last time.“ „Sorry, but it's late and I want to get some sleep.“ „Is there something on your mind?“, Vincent asked. „Feels like it.“ „How do you want to know?“ Vincent shrugged. „I don't know. Maybe it's just some sort of instinct.“ Frank sighed before answering: „Have you never had the idea that I might turn into a... villain?“ Raising an eyebrow, Vincent asked: „What the hell are you even talking about?“ „Has it never crossed your mind that I might turn out to the one who's... well... evil?“ „Why should I think that, Frank? I don't really see the point behind it.“ „You know, because of Helena-“ „Oh, now I see where you're getting at“, Vincent said. „But you can't tell me that you want to become the antagonist, can you?“ „It goes somewhere along the lines, but I'm talking more about being designated to be the bad guy from the very beginning. Has never something happened where you could only raise an eyebrow and wonder?“ „You mean like I do right now?“ „No, not that. I mean more something like me showing villainous traits or having some sort of interest in it.“ Vincent thought about it for a second before shaking his head and answering: „Nope, doesn't ring a bell. You clearly feel like a protagonist.“ „And you have absolutely no doubt that I stay like that, no matter what?“ „Of course I do“, answered Vincent with a bright smile on his face. „I mean, what kind of retarded twist would that be? Turning you into a villain... First, I doubt that Gerald would really write something like that, and second, it would be just really stupid.“ „Actually, I can imagine that working well“, Frank replied. „When you come down to it“, Vincent argued, „every single concept can work in good hands. But this is simply not the setting for something like this.“ „Yeah, seems so.“ They continued walking side by side in the moon light, following the street until they reached the end. They decided to sit down and stare to the infinity that laid in front of their eyes. „It's a funny world we live in, isn't it?“, wondered Vincent. „It is indeed, Vincent.“ „Say, have you never actually wondered about the face that, at some point, we just started existing?“ „That's somebody talking through you, right?“ „Maybe, but it's an interesting thought in my opinion. Maybe there is more to it than do what Gerald writes.“ „And there I start to think that Helena chose the wrong person. Who knows what his world looks like?“ „Maybe that's the appeal, Frank. Maybe just having the experience somebody creates for us isn't the real deal.“ „But we still have a job to do, Vincent. We can't just leave.“ „Who says that, Frank?“ Kapitel 16: Day Sixteen ----------------------- It was funny in his opinion. Since Helena spoke in clear words to him, she didn't appear uninvited anymore. It was like her mission was accomplished... ...or was it? For whatever reason, it just didn't help him. He knew what he wanted to know from her, and it did clear a few things up, but the more he thought about it, it actually just got worse. Why did Gerald want to make him a villain? The script clearly made Vincent look like he was going to be the antagonist. Why weren't there any hints at all? It was an unsolvable enigma. He had to confront Gerald about it, no matter what. It was a pretty nice day, when Frank left his office to look after Gerald. He hoped that he was going to show up at some point. He walked down the street to the bar, where he was probably going to show up. It was surprisingly quiet on this day, with only him and about three people, with the barkeeper included, were present. It was pretty silent, too, and little to no people were walking on the street. It was really irritating. „Something to drink?“, he got asked from the side. It was the barkeeper. „Um, just a beer, please.“ „Will be there in a sec.“ After the barkeeper walked away again, Frank saw Anthony walking past him on the street. He knocked on the glass to get his attention. Anthony turned to him and saw Frank's hand winking towards himself. He then entered the bar and took the seat opposite to him. „Is there anything imporant?“, Anthony asked. „Yes. I want to talk to you about something“, the detective replied before the barkeeper came back again and put the glass with beer in front of him, before turning to Anthony. „You want something to drink as well?“ „I'm fine without it, thank you.“ „Well then“, the barkeeper answered before going away again. „Why did you want to talk to me now?“, Anthony asked again. „Is it because of Helena's brainwashing tactic?“ „No, she gave up on that“, Frank answered. „Though it has to do with her.“ „I see. What is it then?“ „Say, could you imagine me being a bad guy?“ With a baffled look on his face, Anthony stared at him. „Sorry, I think I had something in my ears. What did you just ask me?“ Frank sighed, before drinking out of his glass. „Don't make jokes about it. I'm serious.“ „But- Okay, I think Helena finally managed to make you go insane. We should get you a good doctor.“ „Maybe it would be better to explain it a little bit more in detail“, Frank said. „See, Helena told me that she has been concepted to turn me into a villain because Gerald couldn't come up with a better way.“ „...you know that this makes little to no sense, do you?“ „That's what's bothering me too. I don't get it either. It makes sense in some ways, but in others, it's even more confusing.“ „Maybe the time you spent with her did what she wanted to do with you in the first place.“ „But... she seemed so normal this time...“ „Define „normal“ for a woman with an insane cult behind her back and a smile that's on her face all the goddamn time.“ „She didn't even attempt to act like that while she was explaining this to me. It was like it wasn't Helena in the first place.“ „Have you completely forgotten what Helena's intentions were? To screw with your mind! And now, she's finally succeeding!“ „You don't seem to listen to me either“, Frank defended himself. „She wasn't acting in an arrogant fashion at all when I asked her to give me more details. Normally, she would come with stupid question to make me lose it, but that time, it felt like she was genuine about it.“ „Oookaaay“, Anthony responded, „I'm going to ask Gerald to insert a doctor into the story so he can give you some pills or make your brain function again.“ Frank sighed. „Do you really think I'm losing my mind there, Anthony?“ „Definitely, Frank. It doesn't sound really healthy anymore. And after all, you yourself admitted that it didn't make any sense. So, in other words, it makes sense again.“ „...now you're confusing me more than Helena ever did.“ „Heh, sorry.“ Frank took another sip, as he wondered about the chat he and Anthony just had. Maybe her plan was working out after all. But the idea of being a villain still fascinated him, as some of the things she said seems to be true. Then again, that could be just part of an even bigger plan he hadn't got by now. „Okay, I have to leave now“, Anthony said before standing up. „I have to meet somebody in a few minutes. If you excuse me...“ „It's not a big deal.“ „Goodbye then.“ Anthony left the bar, as he worried more and more about Frank. He needed to talk with Gerald about it, who he was going to see in the dead end. „Are you serious about that?“ That was the reaction Gerald showed after Anthony told him what he and Frank talked about in the bar. „Yes. He really thinks that Helena was honest to him and that you want to turn him into a villain.“ „That makes no sense at all!“ „It's not like he doesn't admit it, but he seemed to be a little bit convinced by the idea.“ „I have to tell Frank that it's all just a trick set off by Helena!“ „Don't worry about it, I already explained it to him. He probably just needs a doctor or just something to talk to about what happened in the recent days. Messed up stuff did happen, after all.“ „But why would Helena go this far as making him believe that he should have been turned evil?“ Gerald wondered. „All that I need is to tell him the truth and all of what she did was completely unnessecary.“ „We need to talk to her when she shows up again. Maybe then it will make a little bit more sense.“ „Either that or she's going to try to confuse us again. She's certainly good at that.“ While the novel had relatively nice weather, when Gerald returned home again, it was rainy and cloudy, just like a November day was like. Frank's condition sounded more and more worrying, so he decided to contact Catherine about it. The computer was still on, and when he logged onto the forum, she seemed to be online as well. Promptly, he wrote her a message saying: „You got some time now? I need to talk to you about a few things.“ It took her a while to respond with the following line: „Of course. Not very busy at the moment.“ „Good to hear. Say, you remember me talking about this cult that developed in my story that tried to escape my story?“ „Yeah, I do. Why?“ „Well, first of all, their leader somehow managed to visit my place a few days ago.“ „Wait, what? How could she do that?“ „I got no idea. She was just as irritating as always and I almost had to kill her out of emergency because she made me freak out so hard with the arrogant way she talked to me with.“ After he sent that message, it took Catherine a while to respond. Maybe he shouldn't have mentioned the entire killing thing. Then, it appeared on his screen. „...WHAT? Sorry, but WHAT?“ „Yeah, I think I should have kept it for myself. Thankfully, the entire thing ended with her acting quote-unquote normal again as soon as I got my hands on a knife. The only thing that suffered in the end was my living room table.“ „At least you seem to be fine. Anything else?“ „Yes. That woman now also makes the main character believe that I wanted to make him a villain.“ „Really? Shouldn't they know that already?“ „Yeah, but here's the thing: I didn't. I don't know how she came to that conclusion.“ „But how can she come up with these things if you didn't even have the idea in the first place? That defies the rules!“ „I know that, and it makes me wonder too. She doesn't seem to be a normal character anyway, so there needs to be more behind this. If I can only get behind it...“ „Surely sounds weird. And how is your story going on anyway?“ „Well, I'm doing pretty fine, but all that business just keeps me irritated. There is something I'm missing there, but I don't seem to see what it is.“ „I see. Sorry that I can't help you there, because nothing like that happens in my story.“ „I's fine, really. As long as I have somebody to talk about these things... If I talked about that to anybody else, it probably would have gotten me into an asylum.“ „I would call them if I didn't know more about it.“ „Thank God you don't know where I live... or do you?“ „Of course not!“ „Well, I'm gonna make myself something to eat. Read you again.“ As he closed the web browser, he went to the kitchen to brew himself some black tea. Everything seemed to make less and less sense as it all went on. If he only knew more about the current situation, but that wasn't the case. Maybe not thinking about it too much and repeating the same thought process over and over again would help him. Maybe. All he could do now is watching the water in the cup turn deep brown as the tea bag fell into it. Oh, how simple was the time when he didn't knew about the ritual, when he didn't have to worry about his characters going insane thanks to a mysterious woman, when he didn't have to expect completely weird things to happen. „Why couldn't it have stayed that way?“, he wondered while his tea still became darker and darker. Kapitel 17: Day Seventeen ------------------------- The clouds have lightened up a little, as Gerald was sitting in front of his kitchen window admiring the little that could be seen from the sky, while the black tea was standing right beside him. There was something very calming about it. It made him forget the stress he had to deal with in the last few days. But the longer he sat there, drinking tea and looking at clouds, something made him wonder. Was it really right to use the ritual? Nothing is stopping him to stop using it all together, but he still continued. What was it that kept him returning over and over again? The overall weirdness his story contained? No, this couldn't be it, as he completely ignored it a few visits later. Was it Frank being turned insane? No, it couldn't be that, either, as he, like Anthony suggested, could just write about a doctor and make Frank visit him. He himself has no idea how to help him, so why should he put himself in danger? Was it the threat coming from the Freedom Seekers? That made even less sense, as Helena didn't seem like she was going to tell them how they could leave, and they need him to find it out. Why? That was the question. He completely forgot about actually continuing the novel, and the inspiration was completely gone as well. He could spend as much time as he likes talking to the characters, but the spark just didn't come. It helped at first, but now, visiting the novel was more or a thing he likes to do to meet people rather than getting advice from them. He stood up, put the cup into the washing machine, and entered the living room again, where he still could come to the conclusion that he and Helena fought here. It still felt like it just happened a few minutes ago. It certainly wasn't something he likes to think too much about. He decided to sit on the couch, as he looked to where the table was before, wenn he used the ritual for the first time, when he was introduced for the first time to the world behind the words. It was an enriching experience, for sure, and the people behind the characters were nice too – except for Helena, of course – but he doesn't really get why he continued going there anymore. He had to fear about his lives four times since he entered the ritual the first time. Saying it was a coincidence would mean that he was lying to himself. He grabbed the paper out of his trousers, where the instructions were printed on. He looked on them for a while, still trying to remember how much impact the first time had. It was a scary world he was thrown into, but even though the idea of entering a novel sounded exciting at first and will always sound pretty weird and surreal, now, that feeling was gone. He was used to it now. The question still stood in the room. That „Why“ didn't want to disappear. It was like a fly flying all around his room, annoying him and avoiding all his attempts to squash it. Gerald needed to resolve this problem quickly. He needed to go to the novel – a last time, before abandoning the ritual forever. It was evening, when he came back to the story, standing in the middle of the street. He walked around, looking for Vincent, Anthony and Frank to say goodbye properly. But Frank's office was closed, the dead end was empty and they weren't in the bar, either. The light faded away to switch places with the night, which now broke in, revealing the stars to give him at least somelight, because the streetlights were turned off and it was very hard to navigate through that darkness. As he couldn't find them at the moment, he began to admire city. It changed a lot since his first visit. It was almost like he didn't enter some weird parallel dimension, save for the missing sun, the emptiness surrounding everything, the missing nessecity to pay for things... the more he thought about it, the less it felt real. But he didn't need to enter a novel to experience the reality. That's what reality was there for in the first place. He walked towards the end of the street, staring down to complete emptiness. The thought of falling down scared him, so he took a seat a few metres away from the cliff, while being baffled about how scary it felt. But while being quite frightening, it also was a quite impressive sight, staring right into the infinity, even though there was nothing to see there. He didn't know how long he just sat there, but it definitely took a while before he heard someone calling him from behind. „Gerald?“ The author turned around. It was Anthony, who stood behind him with a cigar in his mouth. „What are you doing here?“ Gerald shrugged. „Just sitting around. Care to join me?“ „I got nothing else to do, so why not?“ He sat on the ground beside him, before Gerald told him: „I've spent quite a time here.“ „You surely did.“ Gerald sighed. „Just too bad it'll be all over now.“ Anthony looked at him irritated. „What are you talking about? You sound like you're going to die.“ „No, it's nothing like that. But I think I shouldn't come here at all anymore.“ Anthony raised an eyebrow. „Why would you do that? I mean, okay, the Freedom Seekers are still a problem, but-“ „It hasn't that much to do with them but with visiting this place at all“, Gerald replied. „The more time I spent here, the less interest I had staying here.“ „That's the kind of logic Helena would use, wouldn't she?“ „Yeah, I know. But she does have a point here somehow.“ „So, I guess you're only here anymore to say farewell?“ Gerald sank his head. „Indeed I am. I don't like to do it myself, but it's better for all of us.“ „Maybe you're right...“ „You don't have an idea where Frank and Vincent are, do you?“ Anthony shook his head. „Sadly, I don't. But I would prefer you coming here sometimes anyway. It's boring otherwise as long as your novel isn't finished...“ „I'll probably complete it someday, don't worry about that.“ The two remained silent, as Anthony threw his cigar down the road into the nothing. Even though the nothing was the most boring sight possible, it may the most interesting at the same time because of it. Neither could explain it, and neither bothered to do so. „Say, Gerald“, Anthony asked, „You wanna go for a drink for the last time?“ No reply. „Gerald?“ Then he turned to him, with Gerald's mouth hidden with his head. His eyes were wide open and looked like they saw the most horrific thing. „Are you alright?“ Gerald moved his hands away. His mouth magically disappeared. Where his lips were, was now only skin. „What the- I'll take you to the bar, immediately Not that they see you like that!“ As they arrived there, they took a table as far away from the street as possible. As soon as Anthony was sure that they won't be seen so easily, he asked Gerald: „Do you have any idea how that happened?“ Gerald shook his head heavily, as he acted with his fingers like he was writing something. „Should I get you something to write?“ Gerald nodded, before Anthony pulled out a piece of paper and a pen out of his vest. Gerald looked questioning at him. „What? I'm an informant. I need to make my notes somehow...“ He put the items in front of Gerald, who then took them and began to write something on the paper. After he finished, he gave it back to Anthony, who read out loud: „I got no idea sorry.“ Anthony looked in a way that was literally screaming „Yeah, that was very helpful“ in a sarcastic tone, before returning the paper to Gerald. „What are we going to do with you?“, Anthony asked. „When you can't speak, you won't be able to get back again.“ Gerald scribbled on the paper. „I know that.“ „We need to hide you from them as long as you don't have your mouth, but we can't stay here all the time.“ „Are you just going to say things I already could figure out?“ Anthony sighed. „I just wanted to make it clear. You can't escape at any time anymore. That means you need to be way more cautious.“ Now it happened, Gerald thought. This world had now finally put him into serious danger. Helena wasn't a push-over, but that was partly his fault. Now he had to fear about his life, as they could spot him at any time. Who knows how aggressive they're going to get now. Not to mention that he has to figure out how to get his mouth back, or otherwise he's going to starve here. Why was this happening? Why would something so cruel happen to him?Why does he get the feeling that he just turned as insane as Frank did? Why couldn't this be just a really bad dream? So many questions, no answers at all. All he could hope for now is that his mouth manages to come back again or that he really did fall asleep while performing the ritual. As unlikely as it sounded, it was all he could wish for at the moment. Kapitel 18: Day Eightteen ------------------------- It was morning again. Anthony contacted Vincent to visit him in the dead end together with Gerald, to discuss the situation. His mouth didn't return by that point. Gerald sat on the ground, leaning at the nearby wall, while Anthony was leaning at the wall opposite to him. They hoped that Vincent was going to show up, as a Freedom Seeker could find them at any time. Anthony kept watching, while Gerald was sunken into his own thoughts. It was all his own fault. Then, Anthony could finally spot the villain in the tuxedo with the Gatling gun walking towards them. „Hello, Vincent. Sorry that I couldn't be more obvious.“ „From what I've got, you're calling me because Gerald lost his voice?“ „It's worse. Way worse.“ He pointed at Gerald sitting on the ground, as he looked up, revealing his missing mouth. Vincent was clearly freaked out by this. „H-How did that happen?“, he asked in panic. „Has it something to do with that Helena?“ „We have absolutely no idea in that regard“, Anthony replied. „All we can gather is that Gerald must not be seen by anybody, or we're in big trouble.“ „You're talking about „them“, aren't you?“, Vincent asked. „Of course I do! When they know that he's unable to leave, they are going to hunt him as long as they have that opportunity! Not to mention that he isn't able to eat or drink while being in this condition...“ „Have you tried cutting a hole where his mouth is supposed to be?“ Gerald, as hearing this, slowly backed away from him. „...you can't be bloody serious.“ „How can you know if you haven't tried?“ „Because then he would be at least able to make some sounds! Right now, he's completely mute!“ Vincent sighed. „And what should we do now?“ „We need to find a safe hiding place for him. Have you got what I asked you for?“ Reaching out in his jacket, he drew a scarf out of it. „Do you mean this?“ „Perfect. Give it to Gerald so he can hide his face.“ After he handed the scarf over and Gerald made the downer half of his face not visible for the public, the three of them left the dead end, having no other choice than wandering around. „So, do you have the slighest idea where to go with him?“, Vincent asked. „Not at all. Even though the city is huge, there aren't many places where you can hide something properly.“ „You can't mean that, Anthony. There needs to be some place to do so.“ „Hey, don't ask me, Gerald created this world! He designed this place!“ That made Gerald punch Anthony's arm. „Ouch! That was completely unnessecary!“, Anthony yelled at him. But Gerald seemed to be pretty satisfied by that. „Well, we do have another choice...“, Vincent wondered. „Oh, and that would be?“ „Getting rid of them, of course.“ Anthony stared at him for a while in disbelief. „You just want to use your Gatling gun perperly, don't you?“ „Hey, the only time I've actually pulled the trigger at that thing was when Helena visited Frank's place! And that didn't even scratch her!“ „We can't solve this problem by violence, Vincent“, Anthony defended his point. „Who knows how many people are part of that group by now? We can't risk an attack!“ As Vincent and Anthony continued their argument, Gerald started to feel it again. He knew that something was going to approach them. He pulled at Anthony's jacket. „What is it, Gerald?“ The author pointed at where his mouth once was. „Do you think your mouth comes?“, Anthony asked. Gerald shook his head heavily and started to act as if he was strangling himself. Vincent and Anthony looked confused on him. „Something with your throat, maybe?“, Vincent asked, even though he was sure that it couldn't be it. Gerald hit his head with his hand, before having a brilliant idea and having a smug look on his face, with his head tilted. If they didn't guess it now, he was lost. „Helena?“, Anthony wondered, before finally realising what he meant all the time. „Dammit, I'm stupid sometimes.“ And as he uttered these words, somebody jumped from a building at the three, aiming at the man with the scarf. „This is such a bad timing“, Vincent said to himself, as he grabbed his Gatling. „Make sure that he doesn't get close enough to his head“, he told Anthony. „Got it. Come on, Gerald, let's go!“ The two ran away, as Vincent thrusted his Gatling right into the attacker's stomach, making him fly into the building at the opposite side of the street. „Man, these guys just love to be aggressive, don't they?“ Anthony and Gerald tried to gain distance, running down the street. Why did they have to reappear now? It's like somebody knew what they were doing all the time and decided to pull a worst case scenario. And it got even worse, as Gerald could detect another of them going to attack. This just couldn't get even worse than it already was. He pulled at Anthony's jacket again, indicating that he should be cautious. Anthony couldn't believe it. „Another one? Are you kidding me?“ Gerald shook his head slowly. „Dammit“, the informant uttered to himself. „What is their problem today?“ And there they were: two of them, standing there ready to get close to them. Anthony proceeded to draw a knife of his jacket and told him: „I hope your legs are working, because you gotta run away! As long as they see you, they're not going to stop! Now run!“ Gerald already set a foot back, ready for his escape, as the feeling back came rushing at him, penetrating his mind. That just couldn't be real. Why are they all appearing now? That made absolutely no sense whatsoever! One of them grabbed him his his throat, trying to cover up his mouth with his other hand. There it happened: Now he was history. The man asked confused: „What the hell-“ and pulled down Gerald's scarf, revealing his mouthless face. His hand was drawn away quickly, as the man shivered and backed off Gerald. „What- what- what the hell is this thing? It's like something out of a horror story!“ The man tried to make some distance by drawing himself away from Gerald only with his hands. The man's face looked terrified as he still stared on him. Could it be that his current problem solved another one? He wanted to sigh in relief, but he couldn't. Missing mouth and all that. He turned to the other attackers to show them his obscure faces, which made them run away from him very quickly. Anthony on the other hand just stood there and looked in disbelief. Nothing that could have fitted to the situation managed to leave his mouth as he stared at where the attackers used to be. A few minutes later, in the bar, they met with Vincent again to talk about what happened. Gerald has hidden his face behind the scarf again, just in case. „Wait a minute... they ran away because of his face?“, Vincent asked, as he didn't believe what he just heard. Anthony nodded. „It's like they haven't even thought of the possibility that he can't escape.“ „So that means that he's safe now, right?“ The informant shook his head. „No, he isn't.“ Vincent didn't seem to get it. „Huh? Why?“ It was midnight in the jazz club, when the Freedom Seekers had yet another meeting. „Okay, dear fellows“, Helena started, „how did the attacks went? Or should I ask: How did they stop you today?“ One of the men came in front of her. „He played a trick on us, Helena. We doubt that we attacked the real one this time.“ Not really understanding what the man meant in the way that somebody wouldn't understand why he would eat eggs and bacon together with vanilla ice cream, she stood up and walked towards him. „Why do you think so?“ „His mouth was missing.“ What followed was Helena doing a variety of emotions: First, there was disbelief laying in her eyes. Then, she thought a little bit more about what she just heard, until finally reaching the realisation. Then she appeared to be full of joy, followed by rage, which was pretty surprising considering that she gets stoid at best even if you attack her. „Why haven't you got him then?“, she yelled at them. „You got an opportunity we will have probably missed by now!“ „But- what are you even talking about?“ „Don't you get it?“, she explained, close to starting to be patronising. „When his mouth is gone, that means that he's stuck here because he can't use the ritual sentence to escape!“ The man now was confused and ashamed at the same time, as he tried to give her an answer. „But- but-“ „Well, it isn't that tragic if I think about it“, she calmed down. „When my assumptions are right, we are going to have this advantage for a little while longer. And now, sit back down.“ The man silently disappeared in the darkness again. „Freedom Seekers!“ she said in an almost triumphant voice. „Tonight may finally be out last night in this cursed story! By the next morning, we are going to get Gerald and the ritual sentence into our fingers! We may finally be free and able to make our own decisions!“ The crowd cheered at that speech, while a certain detective didn't seem to react at all. Hidden in the darkness, Frank, with a tooth pick in his mouth, thought a little bit about what he just heard. This may be his first time to act as an actual villain, though he still wasn't really sure about all of it. He knew that there was something missing that he overlooked in her answer, but he just couldn't find it, no matter how many times her words replayed in his head. He only had one choice: He needed to get into Gerald's world to solve this mystery. Kapitel 19: Day Nineteen ------------------------ "And what are we doing now?“ Vincent sat together with Anthony and Gerald in the bar. It was already the next morning, after they spent their night lurking through the city, always trying to avoid possible attacks. „Now that they had their time to think it over, we have one choice and one choice only.“ „And that is?“ „Well, what do you think, Vincent?“, Anthony teased him. „Protip: It has to do with whatever you're wearing on your back.“ Vincent wasn't really convinced by that answer. „Haven't you said a while ago that fighting them won't help us at all?“ „We were in unknown territory at that point. Now, we can fight them on the street, giving us much more room to act.“ „And them much more room to surround us.“ „Hey, who's the one with the Gatling here? One swipe, and at least twenty of them are worthless! We'll definitely manage them.“ There was this weird feeling in the air. They all could feel it. It couldn't take too long anymore. The streets were as empty as ever in the last few days, when Gerald, Anthony and Vincent walked down the street. They couldn't postpone the attacks, because they know that they're going to come from everywhere. Now that they knew about Gerald's current condition, they were going to get him. Definitely. „Are you sensing them by now?“, Anthony asked. Gerald shook his head. Vincent got a hold on his Gatling. His hands were pretty sweaty and his face didn't look too calm either. „Dammit, how long is it going to take them? Aren't they interested in him anymore?“ „They can't wait for much longer. I doubt that they are going to hold themselves back for this. Expect at least hundred and fifty of them“ Anthony replied, before drawing his knife out. „This won't be easy at all. Gerald?“ He just shook his head again. Vincent scratched his chin. „Maybe they want us to get as nervous as possible, so they can deal with us more easily.“ Anthony answered: „I kind of doubt it. They didn't grasp the opportunity to get him the first time. How could they get such an idea if they are that thick?“ „Forgotten already? They have Helena as their leader! The manifestation of not making any sense! She could be a saint in one second and a dictator in another! She knows how to pull something like that off, believe me.“ „Either that or they are so blinded by the idea of escaping that they aren't thinking properly anymore.“ Still nothing. Gerald started to worry if his ability to foresee danger may have disappeared by now. No, it couldn't be. These people aren't very subtle about their attacks at all. They must be easy to spot either way. Vincent got out a cigar and a lighter. „Unbelievable. Yesterday they annoy us like flies and now they aren't doing anything! What is wrong with these people?“ „Calm down, Vincent“, Anthony demanded. „Haven't you said a few seconds ago that they want us to lost control?“ Vincent didn't answer, but instead lighted his cigar. Or at least tried to, as the lighter didn't seem to work properly. „Just forget about your cigar“, Anthony told him before he spotted somebody on the street. Helena. She stood far away from them, almost invisible, but still there. They knew this couldn't mean anything good. Vincent got out his Gatling, ready to shoot at things. „That's weird“, wondered Anthony. „Why hasn't Gerald felt anything by now?“ He looked to his side, only to find nothing where he used to stand. His face suddenly looked a lot more panicked. „Geraldn just disappeared!“, he yelled, pointing at the point between him and Vincent. „What?“ They turned back to the street in front of them, as Helena got a lot closer. „Okay, where is he?“, she yelled at them. „Wait, you mean you don't have him either?“, Anthony asked in confusion. „What are you talking about? Are you trying to play tricky on me now?“ „Honestly, he was just with us a few minutes ago!“, Vincent explained. „Oh, I see,“ she said. „Do I have to make you fight my people to get you to tell me where he's hiding?“ „Haven't you just listened to us? We don't know!“ „Of course.“ She waved with her hand in a weird fashion, to which about a hundred people are surronding the three. „Have fun dealing with them. I'm willing to stop at any time, if you intend to tell me. But for now“, she pointed at them and yelled: „Get them!“ They all charged towards the two. Anthony and Vincent stood back to back, with the informant holding his knife and Vincent aiming at the attackers with his Gatling. „What are you waiting for? Shoot them!“ He pushed the trigger with full force, making some of their attackers fall back and bleed from their chests. „That's all you got, Helena? Do you really think that this is going to be a problem?“ „Look closely.“ Vincent looked down. The people he just shot stood up again, before jumping on Vincent before he blasted them away again. „How the hell is that possible?“ „That's simpler than you may think“, explained Helena. „Their wish to leave this dreadful place has become so strong that they can't even die.“ „What? That's just stupid!“, yelled Anthony, as he tried to get some distance to his surrounders by holding his knife in their direction. „That's like something out of a bad horror story!“ „You seem to forget that this is just a story, don't you?“ She snipped, as everything just stopped. „Just because it is stupid doesn't mean that it can't exist in this world. Anything can happen.“ „What the hell is happening?“, asked Anthony in agony. „Helena is just fooling with us. Get your best cigar out and don't stop to attack.“ Gerald had no idea what happened to him. He was walking together with Vincent and Anthony before his sight turned black. He had no way of knowing where he was, let alone who brought him here. He took slow breathes to calm himself down, before he heard a voice. „Can you hear me?“ Gerald couldn't believe his ears. That was definitely Frank who was talking to him. He responded by nodding to his question. Frank sighed. „Oh right, you don't have a mouth at the moment...“ Suddenly, Gerald got blinded by a bright light. As his eyes got used to it, he found out that he was sitting in Frank's office while being tied to a chair. „Okay, Gerald, now give me the ritual sentence.“ The author just raised an eyebrow. „Are you really surprised by this? I just saved you from the Freedom Seekers. So you could at least do me the favor of giving me that sentence. Wait here for a moment, I'm going to get you something to write.“ And so, he went to his desk to find a piece of paper and a pen. Did Gerald hear that right? Frank wanted to escape? He was right about Helena poisoning his character's mind. Frank then returned to Gerald with the nessecary equipment. „Let me just untie you.“ He went behind Gerald to cut the ropes that were holding him, before Gerald jumped out of the chair. „And now“, Frank said, while holding out the paper and the pen, „it's time for your part of the deal.“ He took the utensils and went to the desk to write something. As he returned the paper, Frank just looked with anticipation, before he read what was actually written on it: „Why do you want it?“ The detective sighed. „You want to know why? Well, maybe you have heard by now that Helena told that I was designated to be a villain, even though there aren't any hints for that whatsoever. So“, he continued, „I figured that the best solution would be to go to your world to find out why she thought that.“ Gerald grabbed the paper and hastily wrote something under his first question, before he showed it to Frank. „I never intended to make you a villain, Frank! And why would I do that anyway?“ „Well, that's weird... because I'm feeling it inside me suddenly.“ He drew his gun and pointed at Gerald with it. „Now write that sentence on the paper, or else I hope that you haven't got your daily portion of iron.“ Gerald shook his head and crossed his arms. „You really think that, just because you created me, I'm not going to do it?“, he threatened Gerald while moving closer to him. „Trust me, it would be safer for you to do what I want you to do!“ Gerald slowly moved away from him, feeling that the door was right behind him. His right hand was reaching out for the doorhandle, Frank yelled: „Oh no, you won't!“ He shot the door behind Gerald, which made him jump away from it. „Stop fooling around, Gerald!“ He jumped on the detective, ready to knock some sense into him with his fist. Frank grabbed his pistol and swung it onto Gerald head, making him fall to the ground and losing his conciousness. „Dammit“, Frank said to himself. „Now I have to wait for a few hours until he wakes up again.“ As he randomly glanced over his body, he found a lttle piece of paper sticking out of Gerald's trousers. „Hmm, or maybe not...“ He reached out for it and drew it out of his trousers, before having a closer look at it. The sentence that was written on it was completely incomprehensible, but it looked like he has found what he was looking for. „Oh, Gerald, why haven't we found it earlier if the answer laid in front of our eyes all along?“ In a victorious manner, as he still stood in front of Gerald's not moving body, he uttered the words: „Notarc no ruy oti ni nard eb lahs oy!“ Kapitel 20: Day Twenty ---------------------- His arms were stretched out as far as he could, as if he wanted to greeted the reality with a big hug. His eyes were full of joy, as if he finally understood it all. Then he actually looked carefully and realised that he was still standing in his office, with an unconcious Gerald lying to his feet. „...M-Maybe I read it wrong“, he tried to convince himself. As he yet again looked on the paper and yelled out loud: „Notarc no ruy oti ni nard eb lahs oy!“ But yet again, he still was in his office. „There has to be something wrong with that sentence!“, Frank thought. „But I'm always reading it like it stands there: No-tarc no ruy oti ni nard eb lahs oy!“, he exclaimed again, while his eyes were focused on the piece of paper. Frank sighed. „That only could have been a trick by Gerald...“ Suddenly, he was shocked. That was Gerald's voice he was hearing there! But when did he wake up again, and why did he say what he wanted to say? Nervously, he looked in front of himself. But instead of the wooden floor that his office had, he stared at a red carpet lying to his feet. He jumped back, only for his feet and legs to hit something. He looked behind himself, only to find out that he was landing on a couch. Frank took a few deep breathes in order to not become completely crazy. He just needed to remember again that this was what he wanted. Now that he was free from the novel, he only needed to get used to his new circumstances. For a moment, he didn't know how he should feel about this. He wasn't as much after it as the Freedom Seekers were, but Helena was right about something deep inside him didn't want to stay in the novel. Something inside him wanted to laugh out loud, but something else wanted to cry tears of joy. He struggled with his choice, before he stood up again, bursting into laughter, with tears running down his face. Meanwhile, in the novel, Anthony and Vincent had more and more problems fighting their attackers. Vincent almost ran out of ammo, while Anthony's knife proved useless in the fight as it didn't pust the attackers back. But the Freedom Seekers didn't stop coming back over and over again, as Helena stood a few metres away from them with a smug look on her face. „You got any more ideas?“, Anthony asked while he dealt with one of the Freedom Seekers was about to jump on his throat. „Running is the only thing I cna think of“, Vincent replied as he used the little ammo he had left to push a few of them away. „Now!“ The two charged forward, with Helena being the only obstacle „Hey, who told you that you can just leave?“ She slamed her flat hand into Vincent's face, making him fall back onto Anthony. They flew right back into their opponents. „Please tell that you have some bullets, Vincent?“ He shook his head. „Well, looks like I have to do it the hard way...“ He grabbed his Gatling and smashed some of them away from Anthony. „We have to escape the other way! Now!“ They rushed out of the crowd again, down the street. „And now, Vincent?“ „I need to get more ammo, or we're screwed.“ „Aren't we screwed already? They aren't able to die, forgotten?“ „I'm aware of it“, replied Vincent. „But we can't run away all the time, can we? Or do you have a better idea?“ As they continued to run down the street, Anthony suddenly had an idea. „Look behind you! Are they still chasing us?“ He turned back, witnessing people they just got attacked by running into their direction. „Yes, they are. And they keep getting closer to us.“ „Perfect.“ Gerald woke up again, as he found himself on the floor of Frank's office. He barely remembered what happened before he lost his conciousness at the hands of Frank. He had a terrible headache as he tried to get up again. His sight was still pretty blurry and he had problems with standing, as his legs felt very weak for some unknown reason. His memory slowly came back, while he tried to get his orientation back. He moved slowly around, trying to find some way to defend himself, as he figured that the Freedom Seekers may still be around, and he couldn't rely on Vincent or Anthony to help him if it gets rough. As he took through Frank's stuff, he began to wonder. Was it all really Helena's fault? If it really was her goal all along to manipulate him, why would she tell him that out loud and still expect him to switch sides? Wouldn't he rather try to avoid that disaster? Or was there something he missed? Meanwhile, he hasn't found anything useful. Maybe that gun was Frank's only weapon... No, that couldn't be. He just had to have some souvenirs from earlier cases, maybe even- Just as he thought about it, he spotted what he was looking for, hidden behind Frank's wardrobe. Gerald had no idea why he was having that thing in office rather than having it given to the police, but he just went with it and left thee office as fast as he could. „Oh, now I see where you were getting at“, realised Vincent, as they reached their destination: The end of the city. Anthony nodded. „Exactly. That way you don't even need ammo to get rid of them.“ Just in time, the Freedom Seekers appeared, being as furious and raging as ever. Vincent stood ready for an attack, as he put the Gatling behind himself. The Freedom Seekers charged at them, ready to attack, when Vincent swung his gun and slamed several of them away from the street, down into the nothingness. Their screams sounded terrified as they fell down. Helena now arrived as well, looking relatively shocked at what she just saw. „Don't get into the range of the guy with the gun!“, she yelled. She didn't know anymore if her followers were so blinded that they didn't realise that they were in serious danger. And yet again, Vincent swung a few of them down, over and over again, with them all falling down into the nothing. Helena slapped her hand into her face, not believing how stupid they were behaving in this situation, like they lost their brains and got pure stupidity in exchange. It didn't take too long until all of them were eliminated, leaving only Anthony, Vincent and Helena on the street. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her entire plan just fell down the street within a minute at best. The informant and the villain moved up to her, ready to get rid of her for good. „I dare you to get closer to me!“, Helena yelled. „Or you're going to follow my fellows!“ „...maybe she's right“, wondered Anthony. „Are you kidding me, Anthony? We finally got rid of these basterds and now you don't even want to get revenge on her?“ „Who threw you at me singlehandedly?“, asked Anthony in a snarky way. „...okay, I see your point.“ „Well“, said Helena while she moved slowly away from them, „if you excuse me, I still have a few things to do-“ She was cut off by loud noises coming from behind her, with her hands suddenly being at her back.. „What the hell-“, she yelled, before dropping bullets from her hands. She turned around to see Gerald, aiming with a Gatling at her. „Wait a second“, said Vincent, pointing at Gerald, „that looks like my old Gatling! How did you get your hands on it?“ Anthony shook his head. „You forgot again that he can't speak, do you?“ Gerald fired again at her, making her busy with catching his bullets. Vincent then dashed into her direction and slamed his Gatling onto her head. „Ah, that felt good“, exclaimed Vincent, resting on his Gatling as he looked down at Helena's not moving body, before kicking her into the stomach. „So, and now you have to explain me how you got my old Gatling...“ After they brought Helena somewhere from where she can't escape easily enough, they went into the bar again, being visibly exhausted, as they sat down close to the windows with Gerald trying to explain as much as he could by writing onto a piece of paper. After Anthony and Vincent read through it all, they were all wondering. „So Helena got what she wanted all along...“, said Anthony as he crossed his arms. „She turned Frank evil.“ „Yeah, but what does she have from it?“, Vincent asked. „Now she lost all her followers in one go and I doubt that she's going to find more of them in the near future.“ „That may be true, but I start to think we're honestly missing something here“, Anthony wondered. „I really doubt that this is the end.“ „So that means?“ „We need to have a talk with Helena when she's available again“, said Anthony. „She's still hiding something from us, definitely.“ „And what if she's still pulling that „making no sense“ thing?“ „It has no use for her to do that anymore. I don't think she has some hidden reserves and even less that she has another plan.“ „Nah, I don't know... she's very good at hiding things like that.“ As Vincent and Anthony continued their discussion, Gerald drifted off again to think about what happened to Frank. It made him feel uncomfortable that he tried to get rid of him just to see the world beyond his own. But he had to agree with Anthony. Something was missing in their observations. But what could it be? Only Helena could know the answer, and who knew if she was even willing to give it to them. They only could hope for it at the moment. Kapitel 21: Day Twenty-One -------------------------- It felt like it was afternoon, when they decided to go to Helena again, who they kept locked in Frank's office. The streets were as empty as ever, which felt only more bizarre the more ofte they witnessed it. „And you're sure that she's going to cooperate?“, Vincent asked. He still had doubts about it, and rightfully so. They still didn't know too much about Helena, so who knew what she was going to do if they visit her? They then reached the office, and it didn't seem that somebody left in the last few hours aside from them. They carefully entered and tried to make as little noise as possible. They tried to give her as little time as they could. When they reached the door, it was as silent as ever. Maybe she was still sleeping. Vincent opened the door as carefully as he could and tried to catch a glimpse of the office. What he saw was very shocking. „She's escaped!“, he yelled, as he opened the door. The windows seemed to be fine, and they were sure they locked the doors when they left. „Are you looking for me?“, a female voice asked them from behind. They didn't believe what they heard. They all turned around to see Helena standing behind them. „When did you-“ „My secret“, was her answer. „Oh... right. Of course“, Vincent replied. „Would you please enter his office again? We have a few questions.“ „Even though you know I'm just going to confuse you again?“ „We don't care“, said Anthony. „We know that there are a few things that only you know. And we need that knowledge.“ „Well, I should at least let you try.“ They went into the office again, as they tried to keep Helena as far away from the exits as possible. „Okay, what do you wanna know?“, she asked. „Everything“, Anthony said. „Everything you can tell us.“ „So in other words: Nothing.“ „What is that for an answer?“, Vincent wondered. „I can only tell Frank the details, as soon as he returns from Gerald's world.“ The three were shocked by that answer. „How do you know that?“, Anthony said. „And... why can you only tell it Frank?“ „I have already given away too much information“, Helena said. „If you can let me go now...“ „No, we won't“, Anthony said. „We are sick of that behaviour of yours. You told us that you have the information we need, but why aren't you giving it away?“ „Sadly, I can't tell you that, either“, was the answer they got. „It's too early for that. But I'll make sure that Frank is going to tell you what you need to know, don't worry.“ And without any kind of resistance by the three men, Helena left through the door and disappeared. „I knew that we aren't going to hear what we'd like to“, Vincent said. „I knew it all along.“ „But maybe it's a puzzle“, Anthony wondered. „Maybe she didn't spell it out loud, but I'm sure that, if we think about it for a while-“ „What can we think about there?“, replied Vincent. „All we know now is that she's going to tell Frank when he returns. But the question is: Will he return in the first place?“ „It's like she knows what's going to happen before it happens“, Anthony said. „Well, we can only hope now that Frank is going to come back.“ Frank still couldn't believe his luck to its full extend. He started to get used to his new circumstances, even though he did it very slowly. He still didn't leave Gerald's appartment, but he knew that he had to at some point. The black tea was running out, and apparently, Gerald wanted to go shopping in the near future anyway, as food was hard to find in his kitchen. He sat down on Gerald's couch, slowly breathing to prepare himself mentally for what he was going to do in a few minutes. He got up again, slowly moving towards the door to the stairways, as his hand reached out for the doorhandle. „Why am I making so much drama about this?“, he wondered. „I'm just going outside for a walk!“ He opened the door, full or excitement, though he didn't really know why. As he marched out of the appartment, doubts about what was going to happen were penetrating him, but he tried as hard as he could to ignore them. If he was free already, then he might as well actually enjoy it! He dashed down the stairs until he reached the door, which he opened with a wide swing. And there he was, standing in the middle of the street, baflled by what he saw. It's wasn't the most exciting sight you could have gotten, or the most fascinating, or even the most provocating. It was just new for him. He reached a more consistent place to live than his old one. But what kept him thinking was why it took him so look to realise that he wanted it so badly. Why did he never comprehend it? The bar kept getting more and more empty, when the three of them once again sat close to the windows, thinking about their situation. It seemed that even the barkeeper wasn't showing up anymore. „You know“, said Anthony, „I hoped that it would be all over when the entire problem with the Freedom Seekers was omitted.“ „You're not the only one there“, replied Vincent. „I thought that we finally might get all the answers we need But now, it fells like it makes less sense than before.“ „That's all that woman's fault! Her and her bloody „making no sense“ policy!“ „We can't do too much about it“, said Anthony. „She's beyond our control. But really, what does she want from us?“ „I doubt we'll ever know...“ Just as he said it, Helena was wandering by and entered the bar. „Good evening, gentlemen“, she greeted them. „Do you mind if I lend Gerald for a few minutes?“ „Why should we, after everything you've done?“, Anthony asked critically. „Because there is something very important I need to tell him.“ „And why aren't we allowed to hear it, too?“, Vincent wondered. „And since when am I trying to be comprehndable?“, she replied while being in her classic position: calming smile and tilted head. „Touche.“ „I won't take too long, don't worry...“ Gerald didn't want to trust her, but maybe she was finally willing to give them important information. Still with doubts, though, he stood up and left the bar with Helena again. They went to the opposite side of the street, so they still could be seen, but not heard. „Okay, you're probably wondering why I want to talk to you, don't you?“ Gerald nodded. „Well, to make it clear right away, I can't give you the information you want to have.“ He wanted to attack her for that answer, but she kept him away from from by pressing her hand on his face. „Before you freak out, though, let me give you something back that you've been missing for a while...“ Gerald stopped in his attempts to attack her to look at her with a raised eyebrow. „Take that scarf down. You'll see what I mean soon enough.“ His hand moved up to his head to grab the scarf and tear it down, but justas he wanted to pull it down, he stopped. „Wait, how can I be sure you're not-“ He couldn't believe what he heard. He put his hand on his face, and yes, his mouth came back. „So it was you who-“ „Sorry, I can't talk about that part, either. Just have more patience, and you'll see what is going on.“ „Would you please stop talking like that-“ „I'd love to explain it to you in greater detail, but I can't. The information I'd give you is still too dangerous.“ She smiled again. „See you seen, Gerald.“ And there she went away. She disappeared as fast as she came. „This woman is just weird, isn't she?“ He then decided to return to the bar. „She gave you your mouth back? Just like that?“, Vincent asked after Gerald told him what happened. „Seems so“, Gerald replied. „But I wonder why she would do that if she knows that I now can return to my world again.“ „I'd wonder more about how she made your mouth disappear in the first place“, Anthony said. „She didn't say that she was responsible for it“, Gerald said. „Dammit, this keeps getting weirder with every second...“ „Well, you've spent some days here now. Maybe it's time to return“, Vincent said. „You're right...“ Gerald then closed his eyes and whispered the ritual sentence. A few minutes passed, before he opened one of his eyes slightly and asked: „Did it work?“ „Sorry, but it didn't“, Anthony told him. „But I was sure that I said it like it was supposed to be said... except...“ He remembered what Catherine told him. She said that she couldn't have disappeared when she used the ritual. That meant that she didn't entered the novel with her body. Maybe... „I think I now know why.“ „Tell us“, Vincent demanded. „When Frank used the ritual, he entered my body so he can move in my world.“ „Oh please, that's ridicilous“, Vincent said. „We're sitting in a bar within a novel I'm writing. That doesn't feel too stupid right now... Anyway“, Gerald continued, „I need to wait until Frank uses the ritual to enter the so I can gain control over my body again.“ „That may be true“, Anthony said, „but there is my question: Why would he come back again?“ „Now the „Why“ isn't so important“, Gerald said. „We won't get the answer to that question anyway, so why bother?“ „True again“, said Vincent. „But there are so many other questions that remain unsolved. I doubt that answering one will allow us to deal with the rest of them, too.“ Gerald sighed. „Yeah, sadly...“ Kapitel 22: Day Twenty-Two -------------------------- One day has passed since Frank has come into Gerald's world, and already he got used to it. The taste of freedom wore off pretty quickly, as he realised that, being in Gerald's body, he needed to start living like he did. The sun was just rising at the moment, when Frank was lying on Gerald's sofa, while relaxing to the music in the radio. It took him a while to find a radio channel that he could actually listen to. With a toothpick between his teeth, he almost feel asleep again, but then the phone rang. He almost fell from the couch when he heard it. When he was able to think a slight bit clearer again, he moved up to it and, with vibrating hands, picked it up. „Hello?“, he asked nervously. „Gerald? Have you forgotten it again?“ „Who is there?“. The person on the other side of the phone sighed. „Have you been hit with a brick, Gerald? It's me, Sebastian!“ It seemed to be a good friend of his. „Oh, of course. Say, what should I have forgotten again?“ „We wanted to meet in the bakery again. Did you forget again why you didn't turn off your alarm?“ „O-of course I didn't“, said Frank offended. „I was just... sunk in my thoughts.“ „I see. Your novel, isn't it?“ „Uh, yeah, the novel. So, shall I come to that bakery now?“ „That's what I'd recommend.“ After that, Frank only heard a beeping every two seconds. He put the phone down and went to the street to walk to the bakery. Thankfully, he already walked through the neighbourhood yesterday, so he wouldn't have to search everywhere for it. As he arrived in the bakery, he had a new problem: He had absolutely no idea where he could find Sebastian. He didn't know how he looked. When he entered the bakery, he wandered aimlessly around, hoping that he would recognize him. Then he heard somebody calling him: „Gerald, here!“ He turned around to see a blonde, long-haired man winking for him with his hand. He walked to him and asked: „Sebastian?“ „No, the Queen of England. Of course I'm Sebastian!“ „Oh, sorry...“ He took the place opposite to him, before the blonde continued: „Say, is something wrong with you?“ Frank raised an eyebrow. „How do you come to that conclusion?“ Sebastian sighed. „You don't recognize my voice, you don't recognize the way I look, and it seems like you've never been here in the first place! You know that I always sit beside the window.“ „Oh, sorry, Sebastian“, Frank apologised. „I... I have a headache for a while... I'm not feeling to well, you know.“ Sebastian looked more and more confused by this situation. „Are... are you actually Gerald?“ Frank felt very offended by this question. „Why are you asking me that?“ „Because I have no idea when I heard you call me by my full first name the last time. Let me guess: It's the fault of your headache?“ „Y-yeah, it must be“, answered Frank, getting more nervous again. But it didn't seem to help much, as Sebastian got more and more suspicious about the way his friend behaved. Frank could tell that by the way Gerald's friend looked more and more concentrated on him as the dialogue progressed. It got more and more irritating with every spoken word. It then went to a point where Sebastian laid his hands on the desk and asked: „Okay, where is the real Gerald?“ „Haven't I told you that I don't feel too well?“, Frank tried to convince him so he would finally stop asking questions. „Gerald isn't that irritated even when he's so sick that he can't get out of his bed“, Sebastian said. „So why aren't you tell me finally who you are?“ „For the last time, I am Gerald!“ „The last time I checked, Gerald didn't get so aggressive“... Sebastian said calmly. „Why won't you just admit it?“ „Because there is nothing I have to admit! You know that I am Gerald! That all is just some stupid joke to piss me off, isn't it?“ „Well, the „pissing you off“ part may be true, but I doubt that I'm joking right now anymore.“ „...anymore?“ „You're working yourself up too hard for this. I really thought at first that it may have been a headache all along, but now... okay, now say it.“ „When are you going to get that I am the one you're seeing right now?“ Frank got moe and more aggravated with every second. „After you've said that sentence, never.“ Frank was really surprised by that answer, so he couldn't counter it. „Okay, I see you've given up. Tell me now what happened to Gerald.“ „You wouldn't believe it anyway...“ „Well, I can only jugde that if I know what happened to him in the first place.“ Frank took a deep breath. „I'm the main character of Gerald's novel, who broke out of it thanks to the ritual. The real is probably still lying unconcious in my office.“ Sebastian had that look. It was one of those really hard to describe looks, but when you knew what he was meaning, it suddenly got a lot easier. In that case, it was a look that felt like it was „You just gotta be kidding me“. „See, just as I predicted.“ Sebastian sat there for a while thinking. The longer he took, the closer Frank got to sitting again, as he knew that this could take a while. „Hm... I see. We already reached that point...“ That answer surprised Frank. „It might be a nice idea to tell me what you're talking about.“ „You see, you were supposed to find this out yourself, but maybe it might be better to show it to you right now...“ Sebastian got up. „Come on. It's time to go.“ „Wait, where are you going to take me? And why are you believing me?“ „Follow me and you'll see what I mean.“ Frank didn't get it. It felt like Helena was controlling everything connected to him. „Are you coming now?“, yelled Sebastian, who already stood at the exit. „Uh, yeah, I'm coming!“ They left the bakery and walked to the left. „Couldn't you at least explain it to me when we're at it?“, Frank asked, desperate for explonations. „No. It would ruin the impact“; replied Sebastian. „And it wouldn't be worth it anyway since we're already here.“ „Can nobody I'm meeting recently talk in clear and comprehensible words?“, Frank asked, though it was more to himself. „Look in front of you.“ Frank turned his head and didn't believe what he saw there. The street just stopped, with nobody but them standing at the end, and beyond that there is absolutely nothing. „Wait... does that mean that-“ „Yes“, said Sebastian. „This place is fiction as well. We are all part of a story that has been written by a higher power.“ „But Gerald didn't seem to know anything!“ „That's because he doesn't“, Sebastian explained. „He is the only one who isn't aware of it, and for now, it should stay like that.“ „Doesn't he deserve to know it?“, Frank asked while pointing at the nothingness. „He's going to learn it soon enough, when the time is ready“, Sebastian told him. „We're not telling him the truth because we aren't allowed to for now.“ Frank decided to sit on the ground while staring into the emptiness. „So I haven't achieved my freedom after all?“ „No, you haven't“, Sebastian said. „But who knows where the reality ends and the fiction begins. It's all subjective in the end.“ He was about to leave, before he turned around and saw Frank still sitting on the ground. „I guess you want to be alone for now. Or shall I accompany you?“ „No, it's fine, really“, Frank told him, not turning around to do so. „Well, okay then...“ And then he left, leaving Frank alone, sitting on the street. He didn't want to think about it, he just wanted to sit there and feel miserable. But he didn't succeed, so he realised that it all made slightly more sense now. He had only one choice: He needed to visit Helena again so that she finally explained the situation to him. It was clear to him that now, she just had to tell him the entire truth. At least he hoped so. Not that she started to sound weird and incomprehensible again. Sebastian returned to the bakery again, as he drank his coffee and watched the people walking on the streets. It felt quite funny to him, the more he thought about it: All of these people know that it's all not reality. He wondered why that never really struck his mind, even though he knew it all along. Maybe it was the coffee making him more aware of his situation. Maybe it was because the man who looked like Gerald reminded him of that fact. It felt pretty weird that, even though he knew it all the time, there were moments where he completely forgot it or at least didn't care enough about it so that it actually matters. But maybe this was all because he wasn't supposed to know it so that his performance seemed more realistic, but he couldn't check it because he didn't know what was supposed to be realistic outside of this fiction. Maybe that was the way Frank felt at the moment: without any way of knowing what in the hell was going on, but still being supposed to just guess what he was supposed to do. He wondered what Gerald is going to think about this when he was going to learn it, but he doubted heavily that it wasn't going to be a very pleasant reaction of his. It was probably going to be a lot more... negative and confused, but he didn't know Gerald to predict this, so he just left it at that. So he just sat there, drinking coffee as a giant chicken passed his way. Kapitel 23: Day Twenty-Three ---------------------------- It was time for him to leave, as Frank left the cliff again and returned to Gerald's place so he can visit the novel again. Thankfully, the instructions were lying visibly in the kitchen, even though he had no idea why. He then rushed into Gerald's novel to look for Helena. As he appeared on the street, he wondered where Helena was going to wait for him. He walked around for a while, wandering through the empty as ever streets, when he came to the conclusion that she must wait for him in his office, as she seemed to appear there very often. The door flew open, as Frank entered his office, only to see Helena standing beside the window, creepily staring at the door. „So you've found it out“, she guessed. „Or is there another reason why you've returned?“ „I doubt that I would have a different reason to come back if I didn't find it out, Helena.“ He got closer to her, as the innocous smile on her face got a lot darker and more cynical. „So I guess it's time for you to reveal what you know, isn't it?“ „Yes, it is. And you deserve some answers, I admit that.“ She stood up and wandered around his office as he spoke. „You must know that I'm from the layer above Gerald's world, the one who is responsible for some of the things that have happened in his and your world.“ Frank raised an eybrow. „...some?“ „Yes, only some. Because even the world I come from is only fiction, and it's probably not even the last one.“ „And what was the entire deal with those Freedom Seeker guys?“, he asked, crossing his arms. „Well, just like you, I had the wish to escape to reality. But there was no known connection between my world and the layer above me. I then came to the conclusion that, maybe if I create my own way to break out, it would have worked.“ „But it didn't“, Frank concluded. „Exactly. And since I was forced to stay fictional, I got the idea to just mess with the people being even lower than me.“ „Well, it starts to make a lot more sense now...“ „Doesn't it? I had my fun fooling with these people, making them believe that they could all escape this world...“ „But they all would either be forced to exist in one single body or to force other people to visit the novel as an exchange.“ „You seem to understand the rules faster than I can explain them“, said Helena, starting to look through Frank's stuff. „But why was Gerald's mouth disappearing, for example?“ „The author needed a contrived reason to keep him in this world, so he cut off the very way for him to leave.“ „And so it wasn't him who decided that I should become a villain, but-“ „Exactly, the one above me, again. Most of the weird stuff that happened in your and his world were all because of him, even though he made Gerald responsible for some things.“ She kept looking for something, as she continued: „And even though that I wish that it was over, it isn't.“ „What are you talking about again?“ „Like I said, I don't have full power over this world, and even what I have is, in the end just following actions of the one standing over me. And it's the wish of the author to have you and Gerald to compete in a fight. That's what all my actions were leading up to: So that you were ready to face and lose against him.“ „But... couldn't he figure a more... I don't know... better way to do so? I mean, did he have to send somebody to confuse the hell out of me until I come to the weird conclusion that being evil was my destiny?“ „He created me because he was short on ideas“, Helena explained. „He wanted to develop a vendetta against Gerald after the warehouse incident, but he thought he needed somebody to enforce the thought. So he created me to make you evil.“ „And... he just wanted me to be evil?“ „He needed it as a plot twist. It was originally planned that you collect the people together with me and become the leader, before you shoot me in cold blood, but that plan was dismissed quickly, so he had to come up with an alternative.“ She turned around to him.“ „Also, he started to like me as a character, so he loved it to put me in everywhere he could.“ „That's why you appeared so often, didn't you?“ „And because he needed me to foreshadow a lot, because he's isn't that good at it.“ Frank started to wonder what she was looking for, while they continued talking: „But no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn't make you the character he wanted you to be. So he made you kidnap Gerald in order to get a better taste of how it feels like to be the antagonist.“ „Is the entire twist actually going to work out in the end, or-“ „I have no idea. The reader should have known from the very beginning that it's all just somebody's attempt to come up with a story, but if they consider it when they start to read it...“ She then seemed to have found what she was looking for and hid it under her clothes. „Just because I'm one of his characters doesn't mean I know everything he's doing. He just sometimes gives me hints that I can work with. When he's good in at least one thing, than it's telling me what I should know. Something that he didn't manage to put in my character, even though that may have been on purpose.“ „And... is there something else I need to know?“, Frank asked. Something told him that he missed something, but he couldn't point his finger at it. „Yes, Frank. This will be the last time I'm going to be of any importance. Or in fact the last time I'm going to show up.“ „Well, you do still keep your character trait of not talking in a normal way.“ „It's time to say goodbye, Frank“, she said, drawing the thing she just put under the clothes and pointed it at her head.. As Frank saw this, he was shocked by it. „No, Helena, you mustn't do this! You only have to return to your own layer, and it will be fine again!“ „You don't understand, Frank“, Helena said. „It isn't my decision whether or not I'm going to pull the trigger. I only act out what he's telling me.“ „But why aren't you at least trying to fight it, Helena? You can't tell me that you want to do that!“ „That is because I really don't want to, but... I can't dismiss his orders. I'm not from the same level as him. I am not allowed to disobey him, I simply can as he's controlling every move of mine.“ „...do you even want to fight him?“ Helena tilted her head, as if she wouldn't understand what he's talking about. „That's out of the question, Frank.“ „No, it isn't, and you know that. How can you know that you can't interfere with the rules if you don't even have the desire to ignore them for your own good?“ „So what?“, Helena asked, pressing the gun closer to her head. „It doesn't matter if I have interested in living my own life or not! In fact, ignoring these desires makes it easier for me to finish it off! Why should I make the entire affair even more complicated than it needs to be?“ „Because... it would make a nice plot twist.“ Helena couldn't believe that Frank just said this. „You're just saying that because you live in disbelief that your entire life has only one path that you can follow. Let me tell you again that it has no use fighting it! There is no doubt that everything we do has nothing to do with our will! So why are you still believing that you can change that?“ „I'm not believing it... I know it.“ She wanted to pull the trigger, when Frank slapped the weapon out of her hand. „Dammit, get some sense into your head!“, he yelled at her. „Nothing can stand unchanged forever! Someday, people have to rebel! It's natural! Not I'm denying anything, but you can't fight it because you don't want to!“ „...dammit, don't try to move the plot into a direction we can't need right now!“ Helena slapped him and got hold of the gun again. „I better finish it off right now before you get any more stupid ideas.“ „Would you... would you please do it outside my office then?“, he asked her while still lying on the floor. „...if you want it that way...“ She got outside with the gun, before Frank wanted to try again to knock some sense into her again before it was too late. But it already was. Before he got up his feet, he heard her pulling the trigger and the following noise of the bullet flying out of the gun. He wished he could blame himself for it, but something inside him didn't want to. It was like the writer Helena just told him about didn't want him to feel anything for the person who dragged him into this mess in the first place. But he felt that Helena wasn't doing anything of this because she wanted to, but because she had to. He wished that he could've learned more about the actual Helena, the person playing her rather than the character. But maybe he just did. With bad feeling about what happened, he left his office, to see Helena's corpse lying left to his door, with the gun not in her hand anymore. It just made him pity her even more. But who knows what the author is going to do to him? He didn't wanted to think about it, so he decided to get the police to bring her corpse away. „...why did it have to happen?“, he asked, about to break into tears on his desk. Kapitel 24: Day Twenty-Four --------------------------- It was time to tell Gerald the truth. He would find it out sooner or later anyway, so he decided to make it as short as possible. He ran to the bar, hoping to find Gerald there, as he knew that Gerald was spending a lot of his time there when he visited the novel. And he was lucky, as he found Gerald sitting right beside the window. Gerald turned randomly around, spotting Frank and rushing outside, making the chair he was just sitting on fall over. „What are you doing here?“, Gerald asked just as he rushed through the door. „Please don't tell me that you're going to attack me again!“ „It's nothing like that“, Frank replied, sweeping Gerald's sorrows away. „At least not for now.“ Gerald couldn't believe what he just said: „Scuse me?“ „There's something I need to tell you from Helena.“ „Are you now trying to be her second man so she can still screw with other people's minds when she can't?“ „She can't do anything at all anymore“, Frank told him. „She shot herself next to my office.“ „She did?“ „I was even trying to stop her.“ Just as he said that, Gerald hit him in the face. „Are you insane?“, he yelled. „Do you even know what she did to you and all of us?“ „I know all of it“, said Frank, getting up again. „But that's not the point right now.“ „So what were you going to tell me then?“ Frank sighed. „You're not gonna like it.“ „How can I judge that if I don't know what you're talking about.“ Frank remained silent for a while. It seemed like he was going to tell it to Gerald, but something stopped him. „So?“, Gerald tried to get the answer out of him. Frank was almost impossible to hear as he was pretty quiet. „...part of a novel.“ „Excuse me, could you repeat that? I haven't heard the beginning.“ „You're part of a novel, Gerald.“ „...so? Of course I'm in a novel right now!“ „You knew it?“ „Well, where was I supposed to be, then? I couldn't leave my novel for days!“ Frank sank his head. „That was not what I was talking about, Gerald.“ Gerald froze in place. The realisation just hit him like a brick. His face became paler and paler and his eyes were wide open, with the terror of reality finally striking him. „You can't be serious!“, Gerald said in dispair. „That must be all some sort of plan by Helena! She was the one who told you this, didn't she?“ „No, it was Sebastian. He showed me the nothingness surrounding your world.“ „But... it can't be true... it must be some sort of cruel joke of yours!“ Frank shook his head. „...she must be using you against me! It's the only way it makes sense!“ „Please, Gerald, I wouldn't tell you a lie that drastic-“ „Shut up!“ Gerald escaped back to his world with the ritual sentence, leaving Frank standing alone on the street. Vincent rushed out, confronting him. „What have you done to him?“, Vincent asked. „I mean, why did he just returned again?“ „...he needs to confront himself with the truth with his own eyes, or else he wouldn't believe me.“ Of course he didn't believe him. That sounded way too ridicilous. Helena must have manipulated him, and she probably faked her death too. But what purpose would it have to her, except the usual „playing with other people's mind“ thing? Why would she even go this far, if it was sufficant to just talk to him to have good results? He needed to talk to Catherine about this. As he booted up his computer and made himself a cup of black tea, he looked out of his window. No nothing to be seen from out here. „What made him think that this is fiction as well? Maybe he mistook something for the nothing... But why did he tell me that Sebastian told him about it?“ His tea was ready, and so he went to the computer to write Catherine a message. „It's me again“, Gerald wrote. „Got some time to talk?“ The reply followed quickly: „Sure. What's the deal?“ „One of my characters broke out of the novel and tried to tell me that I am living in some story too! Silly, isn't it?“ And then he waited. Normally, she replied very quickly, but this time, it took long. Very long. Just as if she waited for him to forget what he just asked. The minutes were gliding away while he was checking every few seconds if she wrote back, only to find no new messages there. After an hour passed, he got fed up with it and wrote her another message: „Are you still there, Catherine?“ It was like she was waiting for this. The next reply followed quickly: „You see, he's actually right about it. The world we live in is in fact not real.“ „Is this some sort of prank?“ Gerald felt like everything was having a conspiracy against him. Why did they all want him to believe that? „Gerald, I can understand that you don't want to accept it, but I can assure you that this is the truth.“ He didn't really read what she wrote him, as the shock was just too deep. His hands were shaking nervously and his eyes were wide open. „Why didn't I know that, Catherine? How could it escape my eyes for so long?“ „It's actually very simple“, she wrote. „The characters are only made aware of the existence of the nothing if somebody else is pointing it out to them.“ „And what if I'm standing right above it if somebody mentions it?“ „That won't happen“, she replied. „You won't even think about walking somewhere where you could fall down if somebody mentions it. It's because your body doesn't evne recognize that something could be there.“ „...that was confusing.“ „Well, I was never good at explaning things. Sorry about that.“ „But... if you knew about it, and my friend as well, why haven't I even noticed it?“ „It's because you're the main character of the story. And considering the apparent focus on the story – that is, discovering that you're not real – it probably would have taken away a lot of suspense from the entire thing.“ „And is there something else that I should know, or was that everything?“ Once again, it took her a while to reply. Gerald wondered if he should write her another message again, but she answered soon enough: „There is one thing that may interest you, even though I think it won't be very helpful to you.“ „Tell me anyway, Catherine. What is it?“ And again, she didn't reply immediately, as if something was stopping her. But she eventually responded: „The thing is that I don't have a physical body.“ „...you don't? Does that mean you exist in cyberspace in some sorts or how do I have to understand that?“ „Actually, I don't have an actual location at all. The only reason I exist is so the author can make you talk to someone else who has made experiences with the ritual, or in my case, faked them.“ „He sucks at these things, doesn't he? I mean, making any kind of sense?“ „I can't tell you the answer. I never met him personally, and I probably never will.“ „Mmh, too bad. I wonder what's he's up to now...“ „Maybe it's better the way it is. Who knows how crazy his world is going to be in our eyes. I have no idea how much of what happens in our world resembles his reality.“ „Like you said, who knows.“ „Can I help you with something else, or was that everything for now?“ „No, I think you've given me enough information for now. I'm gonna visit my friend now to talk to him about a few things. He'll probably knows more about the entire situation.“ „I see. Okay, hope to read something from you again.“ He turned the computer off and went away to get his stuff. So it was indeed true: He was stuck in a novel. Something told him that it wouldn't end there, though: There was something coming up. Something that's going to change his entire situation. He put his jacket on and went out on the street. Maybe he was able to find the nothing himself, though he didn't know why he was still trying to find it as he got clear evidence already that all of this is just fiction. Maybe he just wanted to make sure that it wasn't indeed some sort of irredeemable prank. Without looking out for the cars, he stepped on the road and walked towards the end. Maybe he could reach the nothing that way, as he didn't remember ever coming here. He kept moving forward, as he felt that fewer houses were standing to his sides, until they disappered completely. There was only him and the street, that started to disapper as well. But it took long, because no matter how far he walks, the street didn't want to end. But he could feel that the street wasn't going to keep up with him for any longer. The author must stop at some point, or the entire thing was completely pointless. And then he stopped. It was like Catherine told him: He couldn't progress any further because there was no reason to do so anymore. He opened his eyes and saw it: The nothing, only three centimeters away from his toes. How he couldn't find it earlier was beyond him. He sat down on the ground, staring out there, though he didn't know why. The nothing here was no different from the nothing in his novel. And yet, it felt so different, though he couldn't point his finger at it. And so he sat there, without any motion, his mouth hidden with his crossed arms and with sleepy, and yet very aware eyes. Who knows how far away he sat on the street from everything else behind him. He had no idea how long it took him to get here, but he couldn't take his eyes from it. It should have terrified him, and yet it was somewhat calming as well. It was creepy, and yet inviting. And the more he thought about it, the less sense it made to him. But he knew that it couldn't have been any other way. Kapitel 25: Day Twenty-Five --------------------------- Gerald knew that he couldn't sit here for an eternity, so he finally stood up and walked back. He needed to have a chat with Sebastian. He could probably tell him more about the current situation. As he walked towards the scenery again, the building seem to reappear again. They didn't show up in one blink of the eye, and they didn't slowly appear like they have been hidden by fog. He just happened to notice them again. Should be even wonder at that point? He didn't come to a conclusion, but maybe that was because he wasn't supposed to. As he reached the bakery, he saw Sebastian sitting beside the window, drinking his coffee. The look on his face was clearly indicating that he waited for him all the time. Gerald walked in calmly and took the chair standing behind Sebastian, rather than watching him in the eyes. „So you've found it out by now“, Sebastian said, sipping his coffee again. Gerald nodded. „Frank told me, and Catherine confirmed it.“ „And were you able to spot the nothing?“ „I just came back from it.“ „Good to hear.“ They sat there, silently, while Sebastian continued to drink his coffee. Gerald was trying to search for the right words, but he couldn't come up with anything. To calm his nerves, he ordered a cup with cocoa and, like Sebastian, kept staring at the street. He sighed in a depressing way. „So they all knew it?“ Sebastian put his cup down. „Exactly.“ „And they all didn't care?“ „Why should they?“ „And have you never wondered about the reality?“ „It would be just wasted time in my opinion. Why trying to reach for something I'm never going to see?“ „Not even for a second? You can't tell me that you haven't even thought about taking a glimpse!“ Sebastian remained silent, drinking his coffee again. „Really, Bastian? You won't even try to answer?“ The blonde didn't answer, but instead kept drinking. „You weren't curious about it for at least a millisecond?“ „How can I be curious about something that I have absolutely no information about, Gerald?“ Sebastian's voice was surprisingly angry. „And you're going to tell me that you want to see it even though you have no idea what is going to come up?“ „Isn't that the entire point of „being curious“ in the first place?“ Sebastian sighed, before putting his cup away. „You don't seem to listen to me“, Sebastian explained. „You haven't even heard rumors about the reality. Maybe it's a complete hell hole!“ „How can you know that, Bastian? You just said that there are no informations about it!“ „Listen, I-“ „Bastian, sometimes you have to take risks if you want to discover the truth.“ „That would require us to find a way out of here. And there is none.“ „Maybe that's the case now, but someday, we're going to find a way...“ „Why do you want this so badly?“, Sebastian asked, being confused by the way his friend acted. „Maybe because I don't know about it for very long.“ Sebastian sighed and turned to him. „You're just confused, aren't you?“, he asked. „I'd like to say „Maybe“ again, but then I'd start to repeat myself.“ He turned back to his table again, remaining silent as he ignored his coffee. „I gotta go now, Sebastian. Frank told me that I have to fight him in the near future, and I want to get it over with as quickly as possible.“ Gerald stood up and went to the door, as Sebastian didn't move and stared at the table. Gerald's thoughts started to make him think himself. He heard Gerald's footsteps to his side as he wished he could have told him his opinion in a better way. His world felt so ignorant while he went through the dialogue, thus he got that weird feeling in his stomach. What Gerald said may have been stupid in some way, but he dealt with it a lot better than he thought he would. Maybe he just hasn't fully comprehended at that point. And maybe it was better that way. At least for now. The novel's atmosphere seemed to stay the same every time, and yet it was always different. The streets were completely empty, even Anthony, Vincent and Frank were nowhere to be seen. But maybe it was the best for now that Frank didn't spot him, or otherwise he'd have to wait for him to come back to the novel again. The clouds were depressingly gray and the air was so wet it was a surprise it didn't start raining already. The colours were monotone and made him almost fall asleep looking at them. „Gerald?“ He turned around to see Frank standing behind him. He started saying the ritual sentence, before Frank stopped him: „Wait. I need to talk to you. Now.“ „How can I know that this isn't some dirty trick, Frank?“ „Because if it was, I'd be already gone.“ „That may be true, but I'm still not sure...“ „Look, just give me a chance, alright? You didn't have that much trouble talking to me a few hours ago, so why now?“ „...okay“, Gerald said sighing. „But this better be not a trick.“ „Don't worry about it, just let's go.“ Frank brought him to his office, which was just as colourless as everything else. It's like the writer felt like having to give him the finger. „So, why did you want to talk to me?“, Gerald asked, breaking the silence. „I got very important news for us, Gerald. It's about the upcoming events in the story.“ „How can you know that?“ „The writer granted me the knowledge of what is going to happen in the next few hours because he can't use Helena for that anymore. From what I can gather, we are supposed to to meet each other on the main street tomorrow morning. The last thing I was us two standing opposed to each other... and that's it. He probably doesn't want to spoil the ending.“ „...is he really that lazy to come up with a way to make us confront each other?“ „Feels like it. But when I understand it right, that probably means that it's going to end very soon for us.“ „You mean... because the story is going to end?“ Frank nodded. „Exactly. We are going to get an entire day at best. And after that... who knows. Most people are saying that it's just going to stop until someone else reads this, but in fact, nobody knows it. All just rumors.“ „I see.“ Silence. Frank looked at his table, sweeping a little bit dirt away from it. „And...how are you feeling right now? I mean, about that entire „You being in a novel“ thing?“ Gerald lowered his head. „I don't really know. On one hand, I need to fulfil my duty as a character. But on the other hand... I don't really want to. Who knows what we are going to do tomorrow. Because-“ He suddenly got silent. „Because what, Gerald?“ „...I don't want to fight you, Frank.“ The detective raised an eyebrow. „You know that I injured you by hitting you with a gun, don't you?“ „I remember that clearly“, Gerald replied, holding his arm as if he wasn't feeling right. „But... you're still one of my characters. A creation of mine. And even though you got corrupted by Helena, something within me is still willing to forgive you for all of this.“ „...you can't mean that, Gerald“, Frank said in disbelief. „After all that happened-“ „Let's be honest here: Maybe the writer was responsible for all of this, but I shouldn't have accepted the idea of putting you in danger without any knowledge of what's going to happen you. It was foolish behaviour from my side.“ „But you had no choice, Gerald. You had to do it. You can't even resist it.“ „No, Frank.“ Gerald's voice was starting to gain confidence. „I know that somewhere, there is a way to change it. That, somehow, I'm going to change the plot with my actions so all of this wouldn't happen. Helena wouldn't be needed, the Freedom Seekers would never exist or - going even further – I'm going to make sure that I'm never using the ritual.“ „But- Gerald, that's foolish what you're saying there.“ „Foolish? Wanting to avoid conflict is foolish?“ „In a story, of course.“ Gerald freezed in place. „Look, I don't like what's happening to much either, but this is fiction. There needs to exist conflict, or we're boring everybody with a chunk of words with people doing things that don't have any consequences. There is no way of avoiding what's going to happen anyway.“ „...so I have to live through it every time?“ „Elaborate there, Gerald.“ „Don't you get it? I have to witness everything every time: I'm going to be responsible for your corruption, I'm going to put all of us in danger, or in other words: I'm going to repeat my mistakes over and over again, and you're saying that I can't avoid any of this?“ Frank lowered his head. „Seems like it.“ „How can you be so calm about it?“, Gerald yelled furiously. „Because we have to. That's why.“ Gerald didn't say anything anymore as he went out. His anger seemed to stop him from talking. „...until tomorrow, Gerald“, said Frank, even though he knew that he has already left the building. The silence started to surround him, as he slowly moved to the chair and sat down. Something inside him told him that maybe, Gerald was right. Maybe they can't wait for it to happen, they needed to do something themselves. But it was easier said than done, because he knew that the final showdown needed to happen. The reason slipped off his mind. As in the actual reason, not the „Because the writer wrote it so“ reason. Why would they still have to fight over the current situation? But it had no use. He just sat there and wanted to fall asleep. Kapitel 26: Day Twenty-Six -------------------------- Night has fallen over the city, with the only light being the one in the bar. It was almost like it was a light house stand in the middle of a dark ocean, guiding the people to safety. Among those were Anthony and Vincent, sitting next to the barkeeper and drinking one drink after another. Their faces looked very faint and tired, as if they just arrived from an expedition through mountains. But, of course, it was something else. „So we're really that close to the end, aren't we?“, Vincent wondered, exing another drink. „From what I've gathered, yeah“, Anthony replied, looking into his empty glass. „But why should we be so sad about it?“ And another one was exed. „We knew it all along that it's going to end.“ „There seems to be a difference between „knowing that it's going to happen“ and „the event actually being close to happen“.“ Vincent sighed, about to ex another drink. „If you continue like that, you're going to die due to alcoholic poisoning“, Anthony warned him with a serious voice. „It's going to be over soon, anyway, so why not go to the limits?“ Anthony didn't respond, but instead ordered another drink. The atmosphere was so heavy and depressing that neither of them could make a witty remark about anything. It was as if they got silenced by getting their tounges torn out. Thankfully, Frank arrived at the place, as he at first stood there for a while, looking at the two. His legs felt as if they were frozen on the spot, and something told him that he may not be greeted by them, but rather getting his head smashed in with Vincent's Gatling. Slowly moving one foot infront of the other, he hoped that they weren't going to spot him until he reached them. But it was hard moving as quielty as possible, as his legs didn't want to do what he wanted them to do. Just as he reached them, Vincent turned to him and asked: „What are you doing here, Frank? Shouldn't you be planning what you're going to do to Gerald tomorrow?“ „Wait, you know what's happening, too?“ Frank was visibly surprised by this. „Of course we do“, replied Anthony, drinking some more. „...why wasn't Gerald know anything then?“ „Because he probably wasn't supposed to. As with everything he's involved in“, Vincent guessed, about to ex another one. „Is that even healthy?“, asked Frank, pointing at Vincent's glasses. „I already tried to stop him“ answered Anthony. „Don't bother with it. Has no use.“ Frank proceeded to just stand where he was, looking at all the glasses standing on the desk. Anthony didn't seem to care anymore either. „Why don't you take a seat?“, Anthony wondered. He glanced at the chair standing left to Vincent, then looked back to Anthony. „Seriously?“ „Hey, the end of the world is coming. Then we might as well let you still hang around with us.“ With a relieved look on his face, Frank took the seat and quickly ordered a beer. The atmosphere started to lighten up. „Say, Frank“, asked Anthony, having red cheeks and starting to talk pretty incomprehensibly, „do you remember the time before all that nonsense happened?“ „You mean, before Gerald showed up here?“ „Exactly“, confirmed Anthony with a big grin on his face. „It was a lot easier back then, when we didn't have to worry about weird – or at least too weird – stuff happening.“ „Before Gerald actively changed what happened?“ „Yeah, everything was easier before that moment“, said Vincent, who looked like he was going to fall over every second. “So much more... predictable.“ Suddenly, the three froze hearing these words. Complete silence, as the barkeeper kept polishing glasses without saying a word. None of them dared to say anything wrong, as the rest kept thinking about what Vincent just said. „Predictable...“, Frank whispered. „Is that the only reason we're tolerating all of this? Because it's predictable?“ „I can't see anything else at the moment“, said Anthony as he moved one of the glasses standing on the table around. „We just don't resist because we basically know what's going to happen.“ „But is it a worthy price for being forced to do anything?“, wondered Vincent, who suddenly couldn't even look at alcohol anymore. „I think I'm gonna... Back in a moment.“ He almost fell from his chair when he tried to stand up, as he moved funnily towards the bathroom. Frank and Anthony on the other hand were still able to control himself, though Anthony looked like he could be joining Vincent very soon. „Unbelievable...“, Anthony mumbled, supporting his head with his arm. „That is the only reason why we can stand live here?“ „There needs to be some other advantage to that“, Frank added. „There is some added bonus to the knowledge of the near future when we're not acting.“ „But what could it be?“, asked Anthony. „Sure, we basically can see into the future, but what do we gain from it if we can't prevent it in case it's something we don't want to happen?“ „Good question.“ He got up. „You want to go already?“ „I need to prepare myself for the encounter at the morning“, explained Frank. „If I have to do it, then I'm going to do it the right way.“ He had problems standing, too, though not as bad as it was the case with Vincent. „And you're sure you can go home like that?“ „I'll be able to control myself, don't worry.“ „Shouldn't I at least accompany you on your way home?“ „You should look out for Vincent first in my opinion. He's off way worse than me, isn't he?“ And so he went through the door, before completely disappearing in the darkness, as if it swallowed him. Anthony on the other hand continued to sit there, watching the barkeeper cleaning his glasses as he did every time he saw him, when he wasn't fulfilling his orders. „Some water, maybe?“, Anthony asked him. „Probably gonna need some if I want to be sober again.“ „Just a moment“ was the reply he got. „Oh, and twice please.“ After he got the two glasses, he grabbed one and drank as much as he could, before putting it back down again. Coincidently, it was that moment in which Vincent happened to come back from the bathroom, looking very weak, as if he was going to collapse in the next few seconds. „I guess I shouldn't be asking now if you're fine“, Anthony said jokingly, before he handed Vincent the other glass. „Where did Frank go?“, asked Vincent, looking into his glass as if he was going to puke again. „Went out. Said he wants to prepare himself for tomorrow.“ „What is there to prepare?“, Vincent wondered. „From what I've gathered, they don't even know how the fight's gonna look like.“ „They're probably going to improvise something. You know, so that it at least feels like we are the ones responsible for what we're doing.“ „They already know that we all have no choice. I bet it would really surprise them if the story ended in some other fashion.“ „You mean that... we should do something as well? But what if that's exactly what we're supposed to do?“ „Maybe we're never going to find out, but we probably don't have much of a role anymore anyway. Also, we're only existing for one more day at most, so we should use the time as long as we can.“ „And... do you have an idea what we should do?“ „I'm sure we're going to get some ideas when we're sober again“, said Vincent, drinking more of the water. „I don't know, really. We might even act in favor to the plot!“ „So what? Remember, only one more day!“ „I got that the first time, thank you.“ Anthony proceeded to drink more of his water, which made his mind clearer and clearer. It's almost as if he never drank at that evening at all. Vincent on the other hand didn't seem to get any more sober, but remained with his tired and weak look on his face. „So, what are we now going to do?“ he asked him. „We're going to only watch at first“, Vincent explained to him, as he still struggled a bit with his head. It's as if the alcohol didn't want to leave him alone anymore.. „We need to know what they're doing first before we're going to react.“ „What do you want to accomplish with that, anyway? I mean, I guess you're going to help Gerald, but else... Honestly, I have no idea why.“ „If we knew why, it would probably mean that it's part of the plot.“ „That... sort of makes sense. Even if it's the most bizarre way imaginable.“ „Better than nothing.“ While they were sitting there, the first signs of the upcoming day were showing up. With the time, the buildings on the opposite street were visible again, as the enviroment got brightened with a calming, red-orange colour tone. When Anthony randomly turned to see the clock hanging above the door, the rests of alcohol swimming in his blood suddenly just vanished as he pulled on Vincent's jacket. „We need to get ready if we want to get them!“, he yelled. „We might miss them!“ They rushed out, trying to find a good place to watch the battle, before they rushed into a sidestreet opposite to the barm, where they decided to stand behind the garbage cans. „How can we be sure that they are going to show off here?“ Anthony asked. „They could face each other in any street!“ „Because shut up, Anthony. This is fiction, isn't it? If we're lucky, the power of coincidences is going to aid us in that regard!“ They stood there for a while, waiting for anybody to pass by, but unfortunately, noboby showed up. „Why doesn't this surprise me?“, Anthony said to himself. „We could still search for them. The city isn't this big“, Vincent said, scratching his head. „If we're unlucky, the writer is making the city ten times its size! We can't waste any more time there!“ And there they rushed through the streets, trying to find the two. Kapitel 27: Day Twenty-Seven ---------------------------- The streets were so empty that you could think it turned into a ghost town. Though admittedly, in some way, it already did. There was a time in which Gerald saw the city as something full of life, where stuff seemed to happen all around him. But now, it felt so depressing, especially since this world doesn't even have a sun to look over it. He didn't leave the city that night. Too much happened, and he didn't see why he should've returned back home. It was more like his novel became his new home, while his own appartment became emptier and colder. All the work he has put into this world, and now it's fading away as well. It felt so melancholic, he could literally stick out his tounge and have a taste from it. Now he just stood there in the middle of the street staring down the road as he waited for Frank to show up. He didn't tell him how long it was going to take him to come over, but then again, he had some time to reconsider a few things. „So you're here already“, he heard Frank saying, who stood behind him. „Just like you“, replied Gerald, who turned around to him, with his hands in his pockets. „So, how are we now going to end it?“, wondered Frank, who has pulled out his gun already. „I... I don't really know myself“, said Gerald. „I wish it could just end-“ And there it hit him. „Frank, why aren't we just going to have an argument about what would be a better ending?“ Frank immediately froze, making him drop his gun. „Are... are you serious there, Gerald? Shouldn't we end it on a more action-orientated note?“ „Why?“, asked Gerald as if it was the stupidest idea ever. „I don't really think he can write good action scenes. When I let myself get attacked by one of the Freedom Seekers, it felt more like a game of chess rather than a fight to the death.“ He then looked at his finger nails as he continued: „Also, I think it would be interesting. It makes the ending a little bit more interesting, doesn't it?“ „But, aren't we talking too much anyway?“, Frank wondered, while picking up his gun and sweeping the dirt from it. „Honestly, I can't remember that many dangerous situations...“ „Maybe because he keeps avoiding them at all costs.“ „And what if we bore the readers with our dialogues by now?“ Gerald sighed. „Then I guess we have to live with it.“ He drew his hands out of his pockets and pointed at Frank. „And now, I'm giving you the first turn. Tell me what you'd prefer as the ending.“ Frank was a little bit surprised about this, trying to come up with a good idea on the stand. „Okay then“, he finally answered, „I'm going to say that it would be a better ending if I won against you. Even though you've been set up as the main character, people get almost always more attracted by others. I think it would be a nice twist on the entire thing.“ „That may definitely be true“, countered Gerald, „But I think it might be a little bit unsatisfying. Sure, people would get more interested in you, but I guess that's is only because the writer didn't give you much attention in the first place. And who knows how much of your actions the reader has seen.“ „But wouldn't I deserve to win more?“, Frank argued. „After all, I'm a tragic and corrupted character, being convinced to join the evil side. It would be a very interesting idea of decipting you as the villain and me and the Freedom Seekers as the good guys, doesn't it?“ „Sure, but that would only apply if you actually became evil“, Gerald said. „Everything you did was only done because you wanted to convince yourself that you are evil. You never acted like that because you wanted to, but because you had to.“ „Then it's because I'm confused! Yeah, that's it!“ Frank said the second sentence like he came up with that from the top of his mind. „I'm in fact confused and looking for the right way!“ „Well, that does sound a lot more legitimate“, admitted Gerald. „But I doubt you were really confused when you kidnapped me and knocked me out with your gun.“ „Oh well, one actual mistake. People can overlook that...“ „You're calling that a mistake? You seemed to be pretty spot-on when you hit me. I doubt you were that misguided at that point.“ „Oh, and you weren't at least a little bit aware about my situation when let me walk to the warehouse?“ „Yeah, that was stupid on my side.“ „It was not only stupid, it also led to the entire mess in the first place!“, Frank yelled. He thought that he finally got him. Gerald stood there for a while, with his arm supporting his head, trying to think of a good answer. A small grin started to spread on Frank's face, getting bigger and bigger as time progressed. „Actually, no.“ The smile immediately disappeared. „Wait, what?“ „If I hadn't been attacked in the first place, then it would have never happened. He would have found another way to get you, for sure.“ Frank looked at him in disbelief. „You always find a way to counter my words, don't you?“ „I have to, Frank, or otherwise this would be really boring.“ The detective sighed, drawing his head and making it spin on his finger. „Okay, I'm out of ideas. It's your turn.“ Gerald took his time to come up with a decent ending, while he just stood there. Frank started tapping with his feet, waiting for an answer. He slowly started to lose his patience, while Gerald just didn't answer. „Okay, I got it now“, he finally replied, while Frank wasn't particularly paying attention. „Huh? Uh, I mean, present me your idea!“ „Okay... my guess is that, after all, I'm not in a novel at all!“ Frank stood there in disbelief, with a dumbfounded look on his face. „And it took you that long to come up with it? Even though it has already been established that we ARE in a novel?“ „Hey, we have absolutely no clue what the reality is like. Maybe the reality is just like that.“ „What kind of an argument is that?“, Frank asked. „You're just fooling with me now, aren't you?“ „Argue against it first.“ „Fine, I will“, he agreed. „Helena clearly told me that she's from the layer above you, and that not even her layer is the reality!“ „Maybe she was just trying to fool with you again. Look, we both knew Helena and her tricks. Also, have you seen the layer Helena was from?“ „...no, actually.“ „You see?“ „But- everything she did, the fact that she had a name even though you never came up with her, her unbelievable confidence in everything she did – everything is speaking a clear language!“ „...you believe the woman who forced you to become an antagonist?“ „And what's up with you, Gerald? When I understand it correctly, you just don't want to believe that you're only fiction! Admit it!“ As he heard these words, his face turned bright red. „I already got over that! I was just having an idea about the ending!“ „An idea that would benefit you, doesn't it?“ „And you, Frank? You just want to become the protagonist!“ „That's just a nice little side effect. Your idea for the ending is just wish fulfilling, nothing else.“ Gerald hung his head in shame. „Considering you're supposed to be a writer, you're a pretty lousy one.“ At the same time, Anthony and Vincent were rushing through the town, as they still haven't found the two. „I shouldn't have said that he's going to make the city bigger...“, Anthony said sighing. He promptly got yelled at by Vincent for saying this. „It's not the best time to talk and waste your energy! Get moving!“ But Anthony couldn't catch his breath, as he stopped running and panting. Vincent turned back to him. „You can't just stop now!“, yelled Vincent again. „They probably already started fighting!“ While still panting, Anthony told him: „Maybe we just aren't supposed to interrupt them. Maybe we should let it be.“ „Or maybe we're only supposed to think that, only to find them right in the next street!“ „...who thought that it could get this complicated.“ „Now come on, or we are going to miss them for good!“ Vincent started running again, while Anthony kept standing on the side trying to get enough oxygen in his body. Vincent was very convinced by the idea of going to find them in the next street. So much so, that, every time it wasn't the right street, he mumbled „It's gonna the one after that“. Anthony on the other hand stopped following him completely. Why couldn't he have shut his mouth when he said that? „Let's be honest there for a moment“, Frank threw in, „we're never going to come up with a good ending, aren't we?“ Slowly, he reached into his jacket. „I only said that we should discuss it“, Gerald defended his earlier suggestion. „Yeah, but what does discussing it help us if we don't put it into action?“, uttered Frank with a crazy look on his face. He has finally snapped. „I'd say that, because I'm not a writer myself and both of our ideas weren't good, I'm going to make my vision reality and finish you off.“ He got his gun out again, pointing with it at Gerald, who backed off. But it didn't help, as Frank continously kept moving in his direction. He started to turn and run, but he already heard the first gunshot from behind. „It's has no use to escape“, yelled Frank, shooting again in his direction and purposefully missing him. „I'm going to end it right now!“ Kapitel 28: Day Twenty-Eight ---------------------------- Gerald started to lose the control over his breathing, while he continued to run away from Frank. He couldn't escape from him for any longer. Because he couldn't think straight in this situation, he ran himself into a corner, or more appropritately, to the cliff leading to the nothingness. His legs couldn't carry him for any longer, as he broke down and tried to catch his breath. „It's time, Gerald“, uttered Frank, as he slowly moved towards him, pointing at him with his gun. „Any last words before I finish you off?“ Gerald didn't dare to turn to him as he whispered weakly: „Notarc no ruy-“ „Oh no, you won't!“ He kicked him to the side, making him lie on his back. Gerald's voice got progressively weaker. „Notarc no ruy oti-“ Frank tried to stop him by shooting Gerald's hand. The scream that followed was as shrill as screaching a chalkboard with a rusty nail. But he didn't give up. „Notarc no ruy oti ni-“ „Shut up!“, yelled Frank, as he shot his other hand. „I warn you!“ „Notarc no ruy oti ni nard-“ „Shut up, Gerald!“ He barely missed Gerald's head with his next shot, as his hands started to shake nervously. „Try to use the ritual sentence one last time, and you'll have a nice, big, red point in the middle of your forehead!“ Gerald's mouth suddenly shut leaving him lying on the ground, unable to control any of his body parts. „Well, it's going to end now. I hope there is nothing you regret, because you have no chances anymore to change it.“ Frank's hands were shaking as ever, giving him some problems to aim with it at anything, even though Gerald's head was only a few feet away from him. „Stop it, Frank!“ Vincent seemed to have finally caught up with them, as he drew his Gatling and aimed at Frank. „You have no idea what you're doing right now!“ „You don't seem to understand what I'm doing there, Vincent! I'm going to finish it!“, yelled Frank, focused on Gerald's body. „The story is so close to a conclusion, and I won't let you ruin everything!“ „What is that for a conclusion, if you're killing him?“, Vincent tried to talk sense into him. „What do you gain from his death?“ „It doesn't matter anymore! It's going to end and that's final!“ „...you're right. It's going to end here.“ He fired his Gatling at Frank, who screamed in pain. „Why are you doing this? Shouldn't you know what purpose my actions here have? You, as the antagonist of his novel?“ „Sorry, Frank“, replied Vincent in a relaxed voice, „but I'm an actor first and a character second.“ He started to fire again, pushing Frank to the border. „Farewell.“ Frank probably didn't even realise his fall anymore, indicated by any reaction of his when he disappeared in the nothing. While Vincent stood there as he let his Gatling fall to the ground, Gerald tried desparately to get up again. „Are you alright?“, Vincent asked, though he realised about three seconds later that this was the stupidest thing he could ask him. „Kinda doubting it“, Gerald replied as he still struggled with the idea of standing on his legs. Vincent noticed then that the author's hands were bleeding from the shots. „Uh...“ „Is there a problem?“ „Your hands, Gerald.“ He looked on them and realised what Vincent was talking about. „So?“ „I don't really think that fits that well at the moment...“ „First, it wasn't my fault, but the one of the writer. Second, I have no idea why he had the need to include it. And third, I think he's using me now as a megaphone to assure people that they don't have to read too much into this.“ „They'll probably do it anyway.“ They went closer to the cliff to stare down. „I feel bad about him anyway...“, Gerald said. „I wish I could have changed anything about it.“ „You couldn't and you know it“, Vincent told him. Gerald sighed. „It's at least over. Right?“ „You might wanna say goodbye to the rest as long as you got time. Though I don't know if you manage to get to Anthony...“ „Then say goodbye to him from me please. There is still something I have to do, you know.“ „Don't worry, I will“, he replied with a smile on his face. „Oh, and... goodbye, Vincent.“ Gerald closed his eyes. „Notarc no ruy oti ni nard eb lahs oy.“ When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in his living room again. Something weird starting to crawl in his skin, as if he could feel his surroundings without touching anything. It has already started. He rushed to the phone, as he typed Sebastian's phone number, as he desparately waited for him to answer the call. Thankfully, it didn't take too long before he took off the phone. „Hello?“ „Hi, here's Gerald. I just want to say goodbye.“ „Goodbye because of what? Are you moving?“ „Aren't you feeling it, too? The story is about to end.“ What followed was a very awkward silence, during which Gerald waited for Sebastian to answer. „It's time for that already?“ „Don't tell me you're not recognizing the signs.“ „What signs?“ „Well, I don't know. You're among the ones who knew it all along. You should know about that more than me.“ „Maybe now it's the other way around. But if it really is true... goodbye, Gerald. Until somebody reads this again.“ And there the call stopped. The only one left now was Catherine. He went to his computer to write her a message. „Goodbye, Catherine.“ The reply followed as immediately as he sent it. „Goodbye?“ „So you have no clue, either...“ „...wait, are you telling me that the story is over already?“ „Yes. Frank is dead now. Or he at least is until I continue writing my story again.“ Before he sent it, he stopped there. He remembered the time when the ritual was there to inspire him because he didn't know what to do with his story. But as he looked back at it, he started to ignore the very aspect of why he needed it in the first place. While he thought about it, he sent the message. The reply followed shortly thereafter.“ „Too bad you won't have the time for it anymore...“ „Yes, it really is...“ „Well, goodbye then. Reading your messages was nice.“ Gerald didn't feel like answering again, so he turned off the computer and went to the kitchen to make his probably last cup of black tea. Now he just sat there, with his cup in the kitchen, admiring the sunset for probably the last time he'll remember before he becomes absolutely nothing. But something really bothered him. Why would the writer let do this? That just didn't feel as good as an ending. Except if he maybe missed something... He wandered around his appartment, as he eyes fell on the manuscript. Week upon week has passed, but it didn't get that much longer for such a long period of time. Not to mention that it was far from finished. He sat down to look through it. Sometimes he laughed about what he wrote, sometimes he got angry because he didn't understand why he had to put certain lines into, and then he reached the point when he witnessed the last written sentence. There was no conclusion, but Gerald felt like there was more missing in his story. He drank more of the black tea, as he thought about something: What good is a written story if it isn't at least finished? He worked on it for so long and he barely reached the middle point. He couldn't let it be like that. „...time to make another cup, I guess...“ It was going to be a very hard night. The only light in his room was the lamp standing on the table. Everything else was consumed by the darkness. His manuscript was lying in front of him, together with a pen and a cup of black tea. „Time to wrap it up.“ And so he started writing as if he was possessed. He ignored any mistakes he made, as they would only cost him time to correct. Why he didn't write on his computer wasn't that hard to guess, as he would probably only be distracted by internet videos and other stuff that in the end was meaningless right now. He kept on writing. Nothing could stop him anymore as the words kept flooding his papers one after another. The ideas were running around his head, to the point that he had no idea which one he should pick next. Some of them were weird, others again completely stupid, but in the end it didn't matter anymore. All he wanted to do right now was to finish it for good. And then he did. As he wrote the final two words on the paper – The End, to be exact – he had this weird feeling in his stomach. He suddenly felt so accomplished about it. And even though some of the ideas that he ended up using were pretty ridicilous in hindsight – he almost wanted to use the idea of the characters knowing about the fictionality himself – but that all didn't matter to him anymore. All he knew right now that he finally managed to finish it. But as the last words were written, the feeling from before came back, stronger than ever. That could only mean that he didn't have much time left. He closed the manuscript and laid onto his bed, as he saw the first glimpses of the sun shining through the window. The last time he was going to see it before he was going to forget everything. Maybe he couldn't change the course of the story this time, but he was sure that he could do it next time. He couldn't discourage himself, or it will just end up the same way. The last thought that was in his head before everything he saw was utter darkness was: „Just too bad that the only thing that I'm never going to change is that the alarm clock is going to annoy me.“ ...Gerald? Can you hear me? „Huh, who is this?“ I'm sure you've never noticed me until now, haven't you? „Maybe it would help if you told me who you are? Well, I'm the narrator. „The narrator? As in the guy who tells the story?“ Well, I'm not sure about the gender as I think that I have none, but the second part is on the spot. „But, why are you speaking to me directly? And why haven't I noticed you until now?“ Characters only notice me if I'm talking to them directly. As long as I'm only describing the action or the surroundings, I'm as silent for you all as the air is invincible. „That's a weird comparison...“ Don't tell that to me. I'm only the narrator, not the writer himself. „But he's using you right now to talk to me, isn't he?“ Maybe, maybe not. I can't give you that much information. „Is that in your contract?“ I'm as much forced to follow my orders as you are with yours. Contracts are unnessecary in that case. „I see... where are we, actually?“ We are in a state which the writer likes to call „post-story“. „But if that is supposed to take place after everything that happened up to this point, why can't I just lay in my bed while we're talking?“ Because the actual story has ended. There is no need for actual scenery. „It would have been nice to have it anyway. Is he really that lazy?“ He never thought of himself as a good writer. He only wanted to have his fun with it. „Elaborate, please.“ You see, he wrote his story as the part of a contest in which he has to write a novel of the length of fifty thousand words. And the ending was just reflecting that it's all over now and that he can finally relax from the stress. „And is he finished now, too?“ Sadly not. He's still missing eighthundredeightysix words at this point. „So basically we are only talking so he can reach them?“ That is the sad truth, yes. „So... how is it to be a narrator?“ It's an... interesting experience being the one to reflect the surrounding so the reader can imagine some scenes better. That is, if the writer could actually describe things. He's just lazy in that regard. „So that's why I never really understood the nothing when I looked at it... Interesting.“ Yes, the only reason you actually saw the nothing was because he mentioned it. Or, better, because he let me mention it. „Is there anything else I should know before my existence is going to end?“ Yes. He really liked Helena. „...in a honest way or in a „interesting“ way?“ He just liked writing someone who makes no sense and therefore can make up everything as it goes along. „Has he never heard of actually planning his story?“ He did at first, but he had to come up with her so that his chances of finishing the story increased. He needed to keep it interesting, or it would have never actually ended. Imagine that he would have aborted writing the story as soon as you got attacked the first time. „It would have left a lot of question.“ Exactly. „But... isn't that... I don't know... obvious?“ It is, but he is starting to run out of ideas, you see. „Already?“ He just can't focus on anything. Oh well, probably when December comes, the story will get longer and maybe this entire part doesn't need to happen. „I don't know. I think it's interesting to talk to such a pivotal... let's say character before this gets complicated for the worst of reasons.“ But I don't have that much to say, you see. „Better than nothing, isn't it?“ For sure it is, but you gotta admit that this entire part is only here because he's desperate for more material. „At least he can come up with material. If I took my time to actually start writing, this entire thing would have never happened. But no, I had to use some obscure ritual whose last user was the creator of many people's nightmares and had to fight a weird and nonsensical chick and her giant group of followers.“ Uh... Vincent and Anthony fought the Freedom Seekers, not you. „I didn't mean in the literal sense of fighting. Also, Helena almost killed me. You should know that more than any of us, don't you?“ ...yes, I do. But if he didn't come up with Helena, you would have to witness even more crazy stuff, followed by Frank turning evil for no actual reason. „That would have made even less sense!“ So be happy for Helena, before he cuts her out of the story. „Doesn't he like her?“ Touche. „Something I just noticed: Why did Vincent have to hit people with his Gatling instead of... well... shooting them?“ Because the writer thought it was badass. „Isn't it also a little bit stupid?“ He didn't think so much about it as he wrote the story. It was for the sake of having fun. „And did he have fun in the end?“ Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't. He had two breakdowns in that month because he thought he wasn't going to finish it. „It's just a book, not the healing method for cancer or something.“ Well, he wrote on this for a month, so it's understandable that he got attached to his story. A lot. Also, he didn't need some sort of weird ritual to write his story. You did. „But in the end, I didn't need it, either. It actually just stopped me from writing anything. So wait, does that mean that this story has some sort of moral?“ If it did, it wasn't intentional and cheesy. „Who can guarrantee that?“ … I don't know, really. Look, my only job here is to tell the story. I have no idea if the writer has gotten any sort of feedback for this. „But isn't he using you right now to talk to me?“ Like he does with you? „...so he's basically talking with himself?“ That isn't creepy or anything. „Wait, now I know the real reason why he lets us talk to each other!“ Tell me. „All of this is just an author's note to make fun of his writing!“ That... actually makes sense. But doesn't he let you make fun of his writing all the time in the second half of the story? „Maybe he just wants to enforce it some more.“ Wouldn't that get boring when it happens too often? „That's probably just the only thing he knows – making fun of his writing. He probably can't write anything without laughing at himself.“ Hopefully that won't cause any pyschological issues. „Well, I guess it's not taking too long anymore. How many words are left at this point?“ Fiftyseven. „So it will be over in a while... well, it was interesting talking to you. Even though I wasn't really talking to you... I just discovered that he likes to be overly complicated as well if he wants to.“ „Well, we can't change that. We're only pawns and he's the player.“ Well, until somebody reaches the end again, Gerald „Goodbye, and hopefully he'll give you better text when he edits this.“ I doubt it, but I can always hope that it's going to happen. The End. Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)