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Authors: Elysa Hendricks
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disappear. He wondered if the conflict between what he loved and what he had yet to obtain might account for his writer's block.
"Is this carriage difficult to drive?" Seri asked. "Could I do so?"
Her question distracted him from his musings and brought him back to reality. "Not too difficult, but you need a license. I don't suppose you happen to have one on you?"
She ignored his challenge. "Tell me about your world. It's so different from mine. This carriage, the way you command light, heat and cold are marvels. Why didn't you include them in the world you created for my people and me? Why force us to use four-legged beasts to travel? To heat and light our homes with wood and smelly oils. What other things that would ease our lives have you denied us?" Her antagonistic questions shattered the companionable atmosphere that had begun to grow between them.
"Since I don't believe you're truly my fictional character Serilda come to life, your questions are meaningless. Serilda, her people and her world are nothing but figments of my imagination. They aren't real. You are."
The fight seemed to drain out of her as she sagged back in her seat. The defeated look on her face made him feel like a bully. Deluded she might be, but that didn't give him leave to verbally beat up on her.
They spent the rest of the trip in silence. As they approached a more populated area, she sat forward and stared intently out the window. Her eyes widened as she caught her first glimpse of the mall.
"This building is larger than the entire city of Marisol!" She spoke of Barue's capital city as she watched the people going in and out of the structure's large glass entrance. "Where are the guards?"
If he weren't positive she couldn't possibly be Serilda, he would have sworn she was seeing everything for the very first time. "There aren't any guards. The mall is open to anyone." He felt silly explaining the world, but he couldn't just ignore her pretense of awestruck curiosity.
He turned in to the parking lot of the mall and found a spot in the crowded lot. With a groan he realized it was Saturday. Living alone and working from home it was easy to lose track of the day.
"You'll have to leave your sword in the car," he said. When she hesitated, he swore, "There's no need for it here. I promise."
He couldn't control his sense of satisfaction when, albeit with evident reluctance, she placed the sheathed sword on the SUV's seat: She trusted him!
Inside the mall, he groaned again. Different booths than usual filled the large walkways, and people milled everywhere.
"Are these the merchants?" Seri approached a booth filled with crystals, diaphanous garments and other New Age items.
"Sort of," he said. "The mall is hosting a science fiction/fantasy fair this weekend." At least he kept a low profile with the public, so he didn't think he'd be recognized.
She gave him a puzzled look but didn't ask for further explanation.
With everything that had happened, not even with Hillary's reminder had it registered that this was the weekend of Sci-con. Several months ago he'd been asked to participate in the book-signing portion of the fair, but as usual he'd declined. Over the years he'd worked hard to overcome his irrational fear of crowds, but he knew better than to push his luck. Shopping was doable, but sitting at a table with a horde of fans pressing around him would strain his limits.
Judging the look-a-like contest had never been an option. The idea of looking at other people's interpretation of Serilda made him queasier than actually interacting with them. He'd created her for himself. Oddly, Seri's resemblance to Serilda didn't bother him. She had a depth he knew his character lacked.
Because she's a real person not some character out of a book, he reminded himself.
Keeping Seri close to his side, he made his way deeper into the mall. Sounds and smells swirled around him. New-age music and the chatter of a hundred voices all talking at once blurred
"Is this carriage difficult to drive?" Seri asked. "Could I do so?"
Her question distracted him from his musings and brought him back to reality. "Not too difficult, but you need a license. I don't suppose you happen to have one on you?"
She ignored his challenge. "Tell me about your world. It's so different from mine. This carriage, the way you command light, heat and cold are marvels. Why didn't you include them in the world you created for my people and me? Why force us to use four-legged beasts to travel? To heat and light our homes with wood and smelly oils. What other things that would ease our lives have you denied us?" Her antagonistic questions shattered the companionable atmosphere that had begun to grow between them.
"Since I don't believe you're truly my fictional character Serilda come to life, your questions are meaningless. Serilda, her people and her world are nothing but figments of my imagination. They aren't real. You are."
The fight seemed to drain out of her as she sagged back in her seat. The defeated look on her face made him feel like a bully. Deluded she might be, but that didn't give him leave to verbally beat up on her.
They spent the rest of the trip in silence. As they approached a more populated area, she sat forward and stared intently out the window. Her eyes widened as she caught her first glimpse of the mall.
"This building is larger than the entire city of Marisol!" She spoke of Barue's capital city as she watched the people going in and out of the structure's large glass entrance. "Where are the guards?"
If he weren't positive she couldn't possibly be Serilda, he would have sworn she was seeing everything for the very first time. "There aren't any guards. The mall is open to anyone." He felt silly explaining the world, but he couldn't just ignore her pretense of awestruck curiosity.
He turned in to the parking lot of the mall and found a spot in the crowded lot. With a groan he realized it was Saturday. Living alone and working from home it was easy to lose track of the day.
"You'll have to leave your sword in the car," he said. When she hesitated, he swore, "There's no need for it here. I promise."
He couldn't control his sense of satisfaction when, albeit with evident reluctance, she placed the sheathed sword on the SUV's seat: She trusted him!
Inside the mall, he groaned again. Different booths than usual filled the large walkways, and people milled everywhere.
"Are these the merchants?" Seri approached a booth filled with crystals, diaphanous garments and other New Age items.
"Sort of," he said. "The mall is hosting a science fiction/fantasy fair this weekend." At least he kept a low profile with the public, so he didn't think he'd be recognized.
She gave him a puzzled look but didn't ask for further explanation.
With everything that had happened, not even with Hillary's reminder had it registered that this was the weekend of Sci-con. Several months ago he'd been asked to participate in the book-signing portion of the fair, but as usual he'd declined. Over the years he'd worked hard to overcome his irrational fear of crowds, but he knew better than to push his luck. Shopping was doable, but sitting at a table with a horde of fans pressing around him would strain his limits.
Judging the look-a-like contest had never been an option. The idea of looking at other people's interpretation of Serilda made him queasier than actually interacting with them. He'd created her for himself. Oddly, Seri's resemblance to Serilda didn't bother him. She had a depth he knew his character lacked.
Because she's a real person not some character out of a book, he reminded himself.
Keeping Seri close to his side, he made his way deeper into the mall. Sounds and smells swirled around him. New-age music and the chatter of a hundred voices all talking at once blurred
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