The Portal Series: Sample Sunday
What if you were a character in a book, and you knew it? For Twitter’s ongoing Sample Sunday campaign, this week, I’m reposting something I wrote in response to a challenge on Facebook – How would your characters describe you?
The knock at the door barely disturbed Lily, she knew who it would be. Sure enough the door opened behind her, and she didn’t bother turning round.
“What’s up?” Kate’s voice, concerned, as she moved through the kitchen. Lily smiled as she heard the kettle click and begin to hiss, followed by the clink of mugs.
“Has she got a bit of writer’s block again?” Lily pushed the chair back and joined Kate at the sink, the dirty mug in her hand sliding into the red washing up bowl.
“What?” Kate frowned.
“Sarah, we always have tea when she’s got writer’s block, or when something important needs talking about. So, unless you’ve got something important to discuss….”
Kate laughed, “You’re right, she’s murder for that. But you called me, what’s up?”
“Other than the incessant tea drinking?” Lily waited until the kettle finished bubbling, made the tea and grabbed…
“No, I do not want biscuits this time, ok?” She glared up at the ceiling, where she imagined the author of her story looked down on them.
Fine, no biscuits.
“She’s taken the magic away, so I’m stuck here.” Lily grumbled, ignoring the soft chuckles from the shadows.
“But you refused to talk to her, you said it was over and you’d had enough? You wanted the magic taken away?” Kate leaned back in the chair. “You know, coffee might be nice for a change!” She called towards the ceiling. The laughter got a little bit louder.
Lily giggled. “Shall we pour the tea down the sink and make coffee, just to see what she does? After all, the books are finished, she’s not writing us any more.”
“What’s this then?” Kate waved her hand vaguely round the room. “If she’s not typing this, then how is it happening?”
“So, if we pour the tea away and make coffee it’s because she’s let us do it?” Lily thought for a moment, Kate nodded with a grin. “Dammit, I hate that.” Lily drank her tea.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit odd though? All of us living in her head? And we’re not the only ones.” Kate mused.
“I have had enough, really. She’s thrown me over waterfalls, taken my daughter from me, taken my life and ripped it apart. Look at what she did to Sam, what she’s put us all through.” Lily was still grumbling even as she followed the reasoning to the end.
“While you had the magic then she had more to write about us, more grief to land us in. Without it we can just be us, living quietly, drinking whatever the hell we want when she’s not looking.” Kate smiled across the table.
“That won’t bring Sam back though.”
“No, it won’t.” A voice from the shadows, “Lily, you and I need a chat.”
The Portal Series.
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