Sweet Escape

I just sat there with Bayard, his face faded out of the mirror and I was left alone. The mirror just sat there leaning against the tree. Nothing reflected off its surface just the rolling fog and blackness. I felt like crying, I felt like breaking down and just sleeping forever. I never wanted to be in this world, I never wanted to be this in control of something. This world was torture. This life was not for me. Everything was so unfair, I never asked for this.

You know that’s a lie. A little voice sounds from what seems like everywhere. It comes from inside my head but it also comes from the trees and the grass. It could be Bayard for all I know.

“Ok fine it’s a little bit of a lie but everyone that has ever read a book they really loved could’ve wished to be in that book. They don’t wish to be in a book that you can change.” I huff and cross my arms over my stomach. It aches and bubbles inside me. I feel sick to my stomach; I’m going to throw up. I fall over my head stuck in the grass next to the bottom of the mirror.

I could’ve been lying there for days or months or years. I wasn’t even sure. All I knew was that I didn’t want to do anything. I was ready to sit there for all eternity if it got my home faster. I had given up feeling sorry for myself a while ago. Maybe I had done something to piss off God and was sent here as punishment. I wasn’t sure if that was true but it could be. I mean anything could be true; I’m living in a book.

“You cannot just sit here forever you know.” The strange echo sounds. I sit groaning like an old man and look toward the twisted face.

“What do you mean Bayard? I can do whatever I want, remember?” I admit that I was being rude but he was a face that wasn’t a real face in a mirror. I don’t really think it matters if I was rude to a mirror.

“You cannot sit there doing nothing. Even though you think you are little Miss queen-of-the-book there are rules. You must follow them or face the consequences.” His words alone send a shiver down my spine. I wondered what this book could do without my asking it. Probably anything, this was a powerful object, something that I didn’t want to mess with anymore.

“Then what am I supposed to do.” I ask leaning on my hands my face inches from the mirror. The glass fogs over a little from my breath. Bayard waits for the fog to fade before talking again.

“You are supposed to find a way out. You are meant to create a world that has a loop hole; the loop hole is where you will get out.” This was ridiculous. This whole thing was like a test. Why was I the one forced into this? You would think that the book would find someone, you know, better equipped to beat this.

“What is this some kind of twisted test?” The head doesn’t do anything it stays still for a moment, and I’m unsure whether he’s going to talk again. Fog starts to move in from the corner of the mirror, moving around the face until it fades away in the thickness of it all. I slap my hand to the mirror and groan loudly falling to the ground on my back. My eyes burn with tears, I don’t want to be here anymore. I did not want to listen to Bayard; he didn’t even know what he was talking about.

I’d listen to him if I were you. You’re just being stubborn.

“What do you know you stupid little voice. GO AWAY!” I am screaming, I know I am but there is no one to hear my anyways. It doesn’t matter anymore.

I will not go away. You have to listen, listen to Bayard he knows more then you give him credit for.

“Well you know what I’m tired of just doing things. It seems like it doesn’t really help. I just wanna stay here. I don’t want mess up anything. I don’t want magic to be here or anything else for that matter. Just me and my thoughts and this mirror that won’t disappear.” I cross my arms and nod my head indignant.

You won’t be able to ignore the pull, you will have to make something or die. It’s words hit home. I don’t want to die.

“What do you mean die? I’m going to die because I just sit here doing nothing?” I ask wondering why this book is making all these things without my help. It made the mirror stay with me and made this voice that I can’t place to save my life.

Just listen to him

“You are very repetitive.” I sigh shaking my head. I wait.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

No answer. I shake my head and wonder what I want to change first. Since I’m starting from scratch maybe I could start simple. Just changing little things and progressively getting bigger. I pick up the book and flip it open to the first blank page. It is slowly filling with my thoughts and what just happened. The typed words printing onto the pages.

I look around the hill side the simple plain green field that spread on forever. Flowers. That’s what I wanted to change. I closed my eyes and thought of my favorite flowers, a giant field of them, a vast ocean of flowers that would spread in every direction for miles. When I open my eyes I am surrounded by sunflowers. Not just little sunflowers but giant ones, at least five feet tall. I smile and inhale deeply through my nose taking the sweet scent. I lean back on the ground underneath the flowers there is grass still. I relax taking in my new surroundings and wondering what else I want to change. I need shelter.

Once again I close my eyes thinking of the simplest of shelters. When my eyes open I am no longer under the open sky. I am staring up at the white canvas material of a small tent. I smile and realize how tire I am. Outside the sun starts to set faster than it ever would in real life. Practically disappearing and replaced by a giant harvest moon and millions upon millions of stars.