Young Writers Society

This is just this weird idea I got from a dream. What would it be like if all of the characters from past books and stories were stuck in your mind? I mean, you go through all this time getting to know them, and develping them, they take over your heart and mind. Sometimes, they never leave.

So I bring to you, The JC House, a series of episodes of things that could be going on with past characters. It's starting out with Anica, the narrator of Illusions, my first novel.

Enjoy bordems spawn.

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The JC House- Episode 1: The Welcoming

The house, so we called it. It’s just like any other place, only those of here have problems. Not your average, everyday, lost-my-cell-phone kind of problems. I’ve heard of things like rape, and suicide around here. You would think that’s bad, there’s also been murder, and the realms.

About now, you’re probably wondering what I’m going on about.

I’m just the welcoming committee, because you, you’re here now. You’re

going to be on of us.

“Who is ‘us’, exactly?” you want to know.

That’s not an easy question to answer. Those of us here, that

live in the house, we belong to JC. JC is our creator, the one who sealed us

into this fate of roaming halls and screaming at each other. I guess we

should be thankful, I mean, she gave us life; but we aren’t. We all want

our spot time in the limelight, most of us will never get it.

I’m Anica, by the way. I’ll be you’re guide through hell.

When I came here, I was completely alone. It was a small place

at first, more one room apartment than expansive mansion as it is now. I

spent day’s in that small white room, pacing around. Then, quick as

lightning I had a purpose. Soon the room expanded to become large

enough for the new people, my best friends Kylia and Jake.

For a little over a year it was just us, the cast of Illusions, JC’s

first expedition into the writing world. A place we would all come to know as

crazy.

After us came a bunch of random characters from short stories.

Some stayed, some left, one committed suicide. Some of us have held

true, but we’re all fighting. We’re fighting for more space on paper.

Being written, it’s like a drug. You can do anything, be anyone,

live anyway. While it’s happening, it’s a rush. You’re here, learning some

piece of vital information, then like that you’re somewhere else, and your

life changes even more. We would all give something fierce for more of

that experience.

I suppose I’m a bit bitter, Kylia call’s it cockyness. I was part of

a five part series, about as good as you can get without being Harry Potter.

I wonder what life is like for him. Of course though, JC being who she is

stopped right after the first book. That was hell. Now we’re stuck to roam

here forever, hoping that we’ll get our own episode of the JC house.

In case you’re wondering the JC house is what we’ve all fought

for, though it took a lot of dream invading to persuade her into. It’s all of

our chances to have one last bit of fresh air before the door shuts again.

The only problem is, as characters, we have no free rein. We’re

stuck to what JC wants, and what she wants in her stories, she gets.

Sometimes she can be so bossy.

Apparently though, I’ve had too much free time. I’ve said to

much, shown too little.

“Come on JC. Time to pull in the reins.”

I was walking up the worn down stairs to my room. At the hall I

took a left toward the Battle hall. Since our books stopped there’s been

very little happening. Zander never leaves his room. He has to have private

therapy sessions for his depression. He really misses the filenze. After the

books stopped being written, the filenze clan was lost in translation. Stuck

in vertigo between paper and mind.

I passed Malorie and Kara’s room. Like Zander, Malorie has

severe depression, she really misses the realms. Kara’s doing better

through, she doesn’t even have therapy anymore. I hope she doesn’t

leave, she’s really nice.

Kylia was in our room reading a book when I walked in.

“Hey,” I said to her, throwing my stuff on the bed. This room

was an exact replica of the one at Skyrian Cross. Two beds on adjacent

walls, dirty once-white walls, tall oak wardrobe closets and the same vanity

table. It was almost a depressing reminder of how wonderful life used to

be.

“Hey,” she said back, not looking up from the book. “How was

Madame?”

Madame, the therapist was neck deep in depressed characters.

I think she hated JC more than the rest of us.

“Dull,” I said with a smile, “as always.”

Kylia laughed and marked her place in her book.

“Jake’s coming here after his group session.”

I searched through my wardrobe closet for something else to

wear. Tucked into the very back was my old school uniform. I remember

the day’s when I used to hate having to wear that monochromatic scratchy

material. Funny how the tables have turned.

I changed into a red sweater and jeans. Kylia wrinkled her nose

at the baggy clothes, I just shrugged at her.

“I was this close to getting you out of that habit,” She said

holding her pointer finger and thumb a centimeter away from each other.

“Whatever.”

Jake came into the room without knocking, he was out of

breath, as if he had run here.

“What if I had been changing?” I joked, my voice filled with

faux appall.

“Then I would have seen you changing.”

“Jake, what happened?” Kylia asked, catching his tone of

urgency.

“The door,” he replied, “it’s open.”

Time froze right then.

About now, I would love to tell you the importance of this event.

How much we have willed it to happen. How much we longed for one last

taste of it. JC would never approve, as she hates it when I beg her to break

into rants for me.

How I wish I had mind control. Ah, if only.

We ran full speed down the Battle Hall. There was a crowd

around the door, it was our last portal into the realms. I could see the door

was ajar.

The entire cast was here, Malorie, Kara, Zander, even Caelum

had found his way to the door. A few others were there too, wondering what

all the commotion was about. What could be so drastic?

I pushed my way past the crowd and found myself face to face

with my most hated foe. The tall wooden door that had kept me away from

home for so long.

I find it terrible that I have been degraded to having my

greatest foe a piece of large wood. But I will gladly take was I can get. For

now.

“Who’s in there?” I asked.

Kara shrugged, her blue eyes locked on the crack of light.

“Nobody can get through,” Malorie said.

I took a step forward, my heart tugged as I got closer.

“Anica,” Kylia called in a hushed voice. “You know the rules.”

“Temptation is the calling which leads to the dismissal of that

rule,” I said listlessly. I felt lightheaded as I got closer and closer to the

door. I could feel the power pushing and pulling me at the same time. The

power I had longed for so long was suddenly within reach. All I had to do,

was take it.

I felt my arm extend, push open the door. There was a

collective gasp behind me as I walked into the blazing light. Back in the

realms again. I was free.

They were just a beautiful as I remembered. The vibrant green

of the waist high grass, speckled with delicate purple flowers. My heart

swelled as my eyes swept across the land, taking in the waterfall and it’s

rainbow of colors. The mist that made up that gravity defying arch. With

only air to hold the water, it was still perfectly shaped, blending smoothly

into the rest of the lake.

I felt like I could fly. Like I could do anything.

Then I could see Fisix, hiding behind a waterfall. He floated

cautiously over to me. His bright gold mist form was the same as I had

remembered it. I was exploding with happiness. I was back. I was back. I

was back.

Nothing could kill this moment.

Anica? Is that you?

Fisix’s voice rang through my mind, sending me into the air with

happiness. I spun through the air, the magic creating possibilities I had

once forgotten.

I was home.

Something in the air changed, there was this tension, this

heavyness that brought me back to the ground.

JC was here. I could never see her, only feel her presence like

snow falling over me in a thick avalanche. The cold knowledge that she had

my life wrapped around her pinky finger. With a flourish of the pen, or a

flick of a finger over a keyboard, she could, and would change everything.

“What do you want?” I called out into the air.

I felt something pushing at me. Unconsciously I was heading

back toward the door, still visible it was now as part of the realms as the

waterfall.

I didn’t want to leave. Every fiber in my body screamed at me to

fight back, but I couldn’t. I was forced to leave home, probably to never go

back. Only Fisix came with me. He walked through the door before I did,

and the fact that he was there made everything just a little bit better.

The crowd jumped at me the minute they saw me. They wanted

to know what happened, had anything changed, why did I come back.

Only Kara stood back watching me with an understanding look in

her eyes.

Maybe I will never go back to the realms, maybe I’ll never finish

my journey like so many other fantasy characters. All I ask is for a second

chance at life, though it’s as vain a hope as thinking I’ll be able to walk

through that door again.

You’re done here, I’ve showed you what it’s like. Take it or

leave it. Could you cope with taking a chance on being stuck here like the

rest of us? In waves of therapy sessions, glimmers of hope and depression

pills. This is your tour, this is what it’s really like. Can you handle being one

of us?

I raise my glass to those that have made it to the world beyond

this one. Out of the trapped corridors of their creators minds and into the

hearts of millions. I raise my glass to those who are like me, trapped in a

never ending, unfinished world. You put up with more than most people can

dream of.

I have a feeling I’ll be seeing you again soon. Next time? No,

that’s somebody else’s time to shine. I’m not that selfish, we all need our

chance to get back on paper, I know that much.

But I will be back, I know that. JC is a wrapped around my

pinkie as I am hers. She’s a pushover, and know just where the buttons

are.

THE END

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It's so weird seeing these names in print again. I thought they were done. Apparently not

It's funny though, the way Anica described being in the realms is exactly how I felt while writing that scene. It's crazy going back to that world....whew.