𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥/𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 Oɴᴇsʜᴏᴛs

Rest

You trudged up the driveway which bore no cars, wondering why you were here and how you got here. However, something compelled you to keep walking, up to the only house in an otherwise empty street, if you could call it that.

There was grass here, and pavements branching off, though there were no houses nor cars and the sky above was as though it had been painted, not a cloud, star or the moon itself in the sky.

You grasped the door handle, turning it and opening the door. Inside, it was a cozy sort of warm, not overwhelming but just enough to make you think of home.

You stepped in, shutting the door behind you. It was a simple hallway and, upon noticing a shoe rack, you took off your own and placed them with the others.

You stretched, feeling tired. Your stomach rumbled. There were lights on, but you weren't sure if anyone owned the home, given how you hadn't seen anyone (or anything) else. You noticed another door, this one a simple wooden one, barely cracked open.

You stepped toward it, opening it. On the other side was a living room, a large TV on a stand that was playing some cartoon with a yellow square on and comfortable look chairs positioned around, with a coffee table in the centre and small drawers off to the side, fashionable and small, and not too many.

What caught your eye, however, was the figure sat cross-legged on the couch, phone in hand, typing away and focused. They had muted purple hair, a grey shirt of mid length and black shorts on, magenta knee-high socks and black fingerless gloves. Part of their hair was tied back in a bun with a red tassel.

They looked up, their verdant eyes combing over you before they went wide, seemingly remembering something.

They turned their phone off, standing up and smiling welcomingly at you. "It's so nice to see you. I take it you don't really remember me?"

Your memory weakly sputtered some vague description of someone you'd seen before, talked to before, but you weren't entirely sure who. You tilted your hand side to side: so-so.

The figure seemed to expect this, continuing to smile and nodded. "Well, how about we go into the kitchen?" you nod, and the figure takes you to a separate room of moderate size, looking fairly modern. The sky outside was still black and gave the illusion of floating in nothingness.

You turned to the person, a boy it appeared, who stood a little away from you. "Sorry, this is all so sudden, let me explain who I am," he said, when he caught on to why you'd been staring. "To put it simply, I'm the character (puppet, really) that portrays the actual Author of the many places you go (just better looking, because damn the author hates themself)."

It was then you remembered, and smiled. "You are so inactive it's like waiting on zombie's to rise." you quip, with a smirk. The author looks stunned, grumbling after a moment but not denying it. "To make it easier, just call me-" the author paused. "what would it be easier for you to call me?" he muttered himself.

Then, he scoffed, "listen, call me whatever, just don't make it too long or stupid or something." they said. "Now, are you going to get something from here, or are we going to continue standing around like some middle aged mum's having a chat for nothing?"

You chuckled.

---

Now sat at the island in the middle of the room (a counter, not an actual island, I'm not that magical), you indulged yourself in a conversation.

"So, where are we?" you ask curiously, glancing at the abyss just outside the window. "Oh, uh. I don't know, I kinda just made this should you stop by. Didn't really put anything cool in." they answered with a chuckle, taking a sip of their tea. Their phone was beside them, face down, and you could sense they were itching to return to it.

"You having writers block?" you ask, nodding to the phone. The author sighed, "Sadly. I start and idea and can't finish it because it sucks." he shrugs, sipping his tea again. Then, they shrugged. "Not much I can do, I suppose, so I just end up writing more and ending back at square one."

You frowned, "why do you still write then?" the author stared into their tea before laughing. "I am addicted, to be fair. I see writing as a job, even though I'm not getting paid and they're pretty bad anyway, they make me feel... Important? Wanted? I don't know, nor do I care. Thinking about it gives me a headache."

The air felt heavier, more tense.

"Hey, uh, do you remember that one story? Where it auto-corrected to "husband" instead of "his hand"?" you laughed, nodding. "Or that time I mentioned about Sun having a rope? Damn, some of you really made me laugh..." he trailed off, looking at his tea before taking a swig once more.

"Or that time you made Sun have a tongue?" you joked, making the boy opposite burst into fits of laughter. "Honestly, I regret that so much, you have no idea-" they said, then paused before adding "Nope, I don't regret it all the much. Watching some of you suffer was hilarious."

For the next few hours (had it been a few hours?) You continued to joke and talk with the author, who was an alright person to be around. Then, you yawned, and the author sighed. "I can't try and make you walk home, that's too far of a walk, so how about this? See, while you've been here, I've made you a room specifically designed for you, so if you go sleep there you'll wake up where you want to be."

The explanation seemed kind of rushed and reflective of how the author themself wanted to go to bed and dream of something along the lines of am action adventure and, at the end, got to kiss their favourite character, but how would you know?

You just nod, accepting your time had come to an end and let yourself be shown the way to your room.

The author paused at the door, looking at you for a moment before saying "If you ever want to come back, just think of this house, and you'll be at the end of the driveway." before letting you into your room.

He bid you goodnight, giving you one last smile before they closed the door, weak light sliding in from under it, and you were alone once more.

You yawned again, laying in your bed. You could just close your eyes for a couple minutes...