AWOL: A Character Lost Read Online Free PDF Page B

square one, the place where he was created.
    “Hold on one second.” The words flashed on the wall, our communication, and then I finished up my blog post, saving it for later. Once finished, I returned to him. There was no use trying to do two things at one time. “I’m not much of a multi-tasker.
    Ask my wife,” I replied, words of neon pink and green flashing on the wall.
    “That was a pretty shitty way to end me in the last story. Getting crushed by a truck like that.”
    “I see you remember the last story you came out of, or at least parts of it.”
    “I just came out of it, so I think I would.”
    “But you still can’t remember where you belong?”
    “Can you?”
    “Good point.”
    “By the way, zombies on skies, and ones that use snow blowers. Don’t you think that’s all pretty stupid?”
    “I thought it was pretty clever.”
    “I bet your audience is laughing at you right now.”
    “I tried to poke fun at myself a bit, during it.”
    “Anyway, shit in one hand, wipe in the other. I guess I am off to the next story now.” He picked up the lamp on the floor and turned it on. He shined the light on door number 2 and frowned. He had forgotten what genre came next. “Vampires? I nearly get mauled by zombies, and now you want me to go after vampires.”
    “I think Eric did a good job of taking care of you. You didn’t really get into that much danger.”
    “I nearly froze to death, lost my damn feet, and I did get crushed by a truck at the end of it, but no, not too much danger. It was a regular fucking cub scout meeting.”
    I had nothing to say. He had every reason to rant, stuck out here without his family, asked to go into all of these crazy stories, dancing for me as characters so often do for writers.
    “Why vampires?”
    “I have always enjoyed that genre, and they are pretty popular right now on my side of things.”
    “Are you doing this for yourself or for your audience?”
    “Believe me, I ask myself that question every day. On my blog, I wonder if it is traffic, likes, or comments that matter. Is it the subject matter that is more important? Is it what I write that is important? Do I do it just for me or to have an audience?”
    “Yeah, and blah, blah, blah. That shit means nothing to me. I need to move on in order to find my family.” The character paused for a moment. “What happened to Eric and his cat?”
    “They made it safely to a compound, and now they are home. The zombies were eventually defeated, and it all ended well.”
    “So, a happy ending.”
    “I usually try to write them that way. I don’t like sad endings. I might put you and my other characters through hell, but I try to give all you guys a nice finish. I also want my audience to be entertained, and not depressed. I write what I like to read. It is as simple as that.”
    “I guess that gives me hope.” He reached for the door handle to the door marked “vampire” and stopped. “By the way, can you give me a name this time? Eric never even asked for it.”
    “Oops, skimmed that part. Will do?”
    He turned the handle. “Wish me luck.”
    “Take comfort in this. It looks like if you die in the wrong story, you at least get pushed back into here.”
    “Yeah, but that means I have to go through the next door and die again, which sucks, believe me.” He shined the light on Door 3. “Actually that one isn’t so bad. I could see myself in a western.”
    “There’s something off about that one. I can feel it, but I’m not sure what.”
    “In your mind, it could be anything. I’m sure it’s not a simple western, and that I will find out what evil lurks in due time.”
    “That is, of course, if you come back to this room. You might be home in the next story.”
    “Honestly. I hope not.” He opened the door and stared out into a new story, a new place, and a new time. A cold chill filled the room, and a bluish full moon light poured its rays on top of him. A wolf howled somewhere in the distance.