The Skelitin Saga: Volume One

Chpt. 03 | The Man who Escaped Time

Every breath Gray took, rattled his ribcage. This was insane. No, it wasn't insane. It was impossible.

"You're a... book," he choked out, dumbfounded.

"I'm a what?" Scary snapped. He spun to face Grayson, frustration and rage pouring out of him like a terrifying aura.

"Well, not a- a book book. You know," Crystal laughed nervously, somehow under more control than Gray was in that moment. At least she was able to make complete sentences.

"Just because you say a word twice, doesn't change it's meaning," Scary glared at them each in turn, then began to pace.

"You aren't supposed to be here," Gray choked out flatly "This isn't your world. You're from a book,"

Scary stopped, and turned on his heel to stare at Gray. "What does that mean?"

"You're a character in a book. I have it in my bedroom. You're in the real world right now, not your story,"

"Someone has been tracking my actions?" Scary demanded. "Who wrote this book?"

"Uh, the author was..." Gray thumped his head a few times with the heel of his hand. In the spur of the moment, he'd forgotten a name that hadn't slipped his mind for nearly two decades. How embarrassing. "Sara... Uh, Sara McKinney?"

For a split second, Gray thought he saw something like surprise behind the eyes of Scary Skelitin. Then it was gone, and Scary only nodded.

"Than yes. I am a character in a book," he glanced down the hall that Gray had come in from "But the book was based on my life. Not the other way around,"

Gray snapped his mouth shut. He'd never thought about that possibility... probably because it was absolutely crazy. "You truly expect me to believe that the Skelitin Saga is a true story?"

"I don't expect you to believe anything. It's none of my business what you choose to do with that worthless muscle in your skull," Scary stood over Gray with a menacing look on his face. "But I do expect us to make a deal here. You two are going to show me how do get out of this place, and I'll make sure we all make it out alive,"

"I don't know how long you've been in that statue, bro, but it's been a while," Gray informed him. "Something tells me that the Committee doesn't have any assassins out there waiting for us, in a random forest in the middle of South Dakota,"

It'd been a long time since Gray had thought about the Committee. He used to play games all the time, with a little stick as a wand. He and Luke used to pretend to be Scary's helpers, and hide him from the High Committee of all the bad guys who were hunting Scary down.

"Well if the Committee doesn't have anyone out here looking for us, than that's a weight off of both of our shoulders. Isn't it?" Scary reached down and seized the collar of Gray's shirt.

Gray stared at the wizard hesitantly. Oh, what the hell. He knew that when he woke up from this dream, he'd beat himself up for saying no. "Alright," Gray shrugged. "Let's get out of here,"

Scary nodded and yanked Gray to his feet. For the first time, Gray got a really good look at the boy that escaped time. He was tall and built, with wide shoulders and a head of short, black, hair. Even without magic, Scary could probably whip him in a fight.

Scary looked every bit as grim as the book had lead him to believe, but he was still searching for the "lonesome" bit of the description. Scary looked like he could live a hundred lifetimes by himself, running from the law.

Gray pulled Crystal to her feet, and lead Scary back down the hall which they'd come from.

"Okay. Okay. Okay," Crystal took a deep breath and pulled Gray's arm a little closer. "I want you to tell me everything you know about this book. Quickly," she hissed.