The Writer

My pen and ink come together on a page to create something extraordinary. The dim light peering over my shoulder jostles for space on the desk, and I let it. I wrote until my fingers were stiff and my head was spinning, then sat back in my chair and reread my work. I had created a world on a page, and the next step was to make it come to life.

I close my eyes and become part of the fantasy.

I was running from my own invention--my own villain. I looked down and realized that I had on the torn blue dress that I had described in chapter three. Gunshots broke the silence that I had first walked into, and then suddenly there was action everywhere. Cars zoomed by me, unaware of my situation, failing to see the man with the gun gaining on me. With every shot, my heart thumped an extra time, and my breathing caught. A semi blurred past, and the sound of it's horn covered up the sound that ripped through me. Bright blood rushed from my should, instantly soaking my dress. I stumbled and nearly fell, but caught myself and started running again. The bright red chucks that flew out from under my dress with every step reflected the blood on my shoulder. I let go of my dress and ran harder, harder, breaths coming in short gasps now.

The next shot brought me to the ground and I rolled, screaming in pain. My leg! I lay on the sidewalk and gasped, shuddering with sobs.

My villain walked up to me slowly. He held the gun out in front of him, cautiously, almost as if he was as scared of it as I was. Ridiculous. I was hallucinating. But then he lowered it slowly, and I caught his face.

Moreo! The friend of my brother--the man I had once loved. He was trying to kill me! He looked into my eyes and half-smiled. I used to love that smile. Now, I realized that it scared me more than the gun. But then his smile quivered, and the worry behind the mouth showed in his eyes.

"I can't kill you, Lijuette. They told me to, but I can't do it. I never stopped loving you." He leaned down and put the cold gun in my hand. "Shoot me. Please. I want you to. I can't kill you, but you can kill me. They will never know what happened to me. Please!"

I pulled the gun close to me and stared at it, exhaustion and pain making my head spin. Slowly, I put it to his lowered head. I stayed like that for hours--perhaps it was just seconds. I don't know. But then I pulled back my arm and threw the gun over the bridge. My villain stared at me. "Why, Lijuette?"

"Because, Moreo, I never stopped loving you either."

I opened my eyes and smiled. A good beginning to a last chapter.

I pick up my black pen and make the white pages come to life.