Fantasy Run-On Sentence

[Totorokoro]

I listened to Vince's reasoning and felt a sudden shiver down my spine. "Never heard of what?" I asked, feeling slightly more uneasy than I was. He still hadn't answered any of my question as to how I got here. "I-I could just say I stumbled in. If they want to sue me, that's preposterous." I said, crossing my arms.

Despite wearing a full sleeved kimono, I felt like the temperature had suddenly dropped. I glanced around in the darkness as Vince bent down to examine something... I think. I couldn't see what it was. "It's... another typewriter..." He said.

"Oh for crying out loud, can you forget about the damned type writer for a second?" I growled (whined) as I stomped my foot, "You claim that I'm in possible danger of trespassing and you care about that type writer more than me."

 

[Lyro]

I swivel on Heather, holding up both typewriters in front of her. "The damned typewriter is your only way out of here, okay?" I hiss at her, as the atmosphere of this place continues to unsettle me more. "You shouldn't be here. We shouldn't be here." I yell the last part as I hurl the typewriter towards the darkness at the edge of the light's radius. It crashes into something with a loud metallic clang, as if it hit another...

"No way." I mutter incredulously as I bound toward the place where it landed, searching the darkness for what it is. My eyes are pretty well-adjusted to the dark by now, and it doesn't take long for me to see it: a huge pile of broken typewriters, with parts of it scattered all over the floor, lying just outside the circle of light. I look on the opposite side, and sure enough, another pile is lying there, just as big if not bigger than the other one.

And now that I am closer, I also finally spot something I had missed before, right beneath the glowing light bulb: an ancient, worn queue ticket dispenser.

I stare in confusion at the strange scene all around me, barely sparing a thought for Heather as I try to puzzle this out.

 

[Totorokoro]

I flinched in shock as he yelled, even more so when he threw the typewriter. For a split second, I thought it was me he was aiming at, but thank God. I glared at him. It wasn't like I wanted to be where ever I was. Heck I don't even know how I got here! To make it worse, with every passing second I felt this unnerving sensation like I really wasn't meant to be here.

"That's it." I said, turning around and walking the way we came. "Bothering you was apparently my mistake. I'll find the exit and be out of your hair in no time." I waved my hand at him and stormed away. I found myself once again bathed in darkness. I kept walking towards the door we entered...

... But the funny thing was, I never found it.

 

[Lyro]

"No, please, don't g-- oh." I stop my pursuit to look around, unable to locate the exit anymore. In fact, I can't even tell where we came from anymore; only the light in the center (center? I thought this was a corridor? but it doesn't look like one anymore, just a great, empty expanse of darkness...) of this room stands out right now, along with the faintly visible form of Header, who seems to be coming to the same realization as me.

"Heather?" I say in a slightly faltering voice as I quickly make my way back to the light. I've never been particularly afraid of the dark, but something about this darkness feels wrong, like it's more than just the absence of light. "Please... come back..."

 

[Totorokoro]

My breathing picked up and I began to panic. I don't know why I felt this afraid, but being trapped in a dark room (?) with seemingly no way out didn't seem to really help. The room, no I'm going to call this an abyss. Whatever, it got a bit more chillier and I hugged myself.

"Heather? Please... come back..." I heard Vince. "If this is a joke, you can stop it right now." I growled, "It's not fu- KYAAAH!"

Thud!​

My face hit the cold floor before I had any time to realize what I tripped on. "Ow..." I sniffled, not even bothering to move. "This is officially the WORST. Day. Ever."

 

[Lyro]

I hesitate for a second before I venture out of the light and go to Heather's location, bending down and offering my hand to help her out. "Really? Worse than that day in chapter 3 when the drunk mime spilled the coffee all over...? Never mind, actually." I stop myself quickly, hoping she doesn't pick up on it; now is still not the time to break the news to her, especially in her current state. I'll just have to wait for a time where she's more... receptive. "Look," I resume, speaking slightly hurriedly, "whatever's going on, I swear it's not a joke. Or, if it is, I'm as much a victim of it as you are. But this is still supposed to be an exit, right? There must be a way out of here. We just have to find it."

 

[Totorokoro]

"Really? Worse than that day in chapter 3 when the drunk mime spilled the coffee all over...? Never mind, actually."
"How did you..." I blinked in surprise. I hadn't told anyone about that day. Gosh, he was right. A drunk mime spilled coffee all over my white cashmere blouse and I had absolutely no way of changing into a different outfit. To make things worse, He "offered to help" by cleaning up the mess with an invisible cloth, which... made it so much more awkward. I had to slap him away and the poor idiot didn't seem to get that I didn't need his help.

I lifted my head up and felt something- I assumed it was Vince's hand. I really needed to stop panicking and get my eyes used to this dull... abyss-room place.

Vince words, though hurried helped me calm down a little bit. "Okay," I nodded as I held onto his hand and stood up. "But I'm so going to get the person whoever did this. Oh yes, the 'razzi will have a field day when I'm done with them."

 

[Lyro]

I let go of her hand and start walking back to the light. "Oh, yes, they're... they're a pain." I would know, I wrote them into her story. "I wouldn't worry about them right now, however."

I look around, trying once more to see anything that might be of interest, but there's absolutely nothing to be seen apart from the vaguely visible piles of broken typewriters and the ticket dispenser directly beneath the light bulb. I take another look at the latter, trying to figure it out, but as far as I can tell it's just what it appears to be - a cheap, plastic, slightly dusty queue ticket ribbon holder. Looking at Heather, I shrug and reach out to take one. With a tug, one of them comes loose, and I give it a look. "Number 241, apparently," I read, wondering if that means that 240--

"NEXT," a booming, disembodied voice announces. I freeze, my head swiveling around quickly to locate its origin, to no avail. Just then, a red light blinks into existence in front of us, illuminating another door above which an old red LCD screen displays the number "241". "NUMBER 241," continues the voice in a bored yet strikingly loud monotone.

 

[Totorokoro]

"NEXT!"
I jumped in surprise. I swear, this creepy thing NEEDS to stop!

"T-two forty one. That's you." I said as I nudged him from the back. "Don't mind me asking, but why is your office so creepy? Isn't it supposed to be... I don't know, boring?"

 

[Lyro]

I shake my head as I look back-and-forth between my ticket and the sign. "This isn't my department. I've... I've never been here." Well, that's an understatement. I'm not even sure what place this is supposed to be. But it's not like we have a whole lot of options here, so I swallow and move towards the door in red, looking at Heather to make sure she's following me.

I reach the door and, with some hesitation, I push against its push bar. It swings open violently, like something pulled it from the inside, and bright light floods in, temporarily blinding me. I blink several times and my vision returns, revealing a small, dusty room at the end of which lie two chairs in front of a counter, behind which sits...

"You!" I exclaim in disbelief as I recognize the woman from Technical Support, sitting behind the desk and still reading the same magazine. She glances briefly at me and waves me forward.

"Yes, please approach the service desk."

 

[Totorokoro]

I had to follow him? I didn't want to follow him into the even more darker space. I had enough darkness to deal with as it is. Regretfully, I trudged behind him. And as it turns out, it wasn't actually a dark room. I shielded my eyes and bit back a curse. Vince seemed to recognize the woman on the other side of the room.

"Yes, please approach the service desk." She said.

"I'll um... wait out here." I nodded, not really finding the room (or the lady) comforting.

 

[Lyro]

"Don't worry, this won't take long," I say through clenched teeth as I approach the woman. I slam my typewriter down on her desk and lean heavily towards her. I don't care who she is or what she claims, she's responsible for this situation and she's going to get us out of it.

"Right. Listen here." I point to the typewriter. "I asked you to fix this. You told me to open it." I point back to Heather, standing just beyond the doorway. "Now she's here, and she shouldn't be here. I'm not going to be held responsible for your mess. Fix this, or else..."

Her sigh is slow and visibly well-practiced as she puts down her magazine and looks up at me impassively. "Your typewriter is not broken. It has fulfilled its purpose." Her head jerks towards Heather. "Thank you for bringing the package here. She will be taken care of. Now please return to your workstation. Dispose of your typewriter on the way out; a new one will be provided shortly."

 

[Totorokoro]

I cheered Vince mentally as he stormed towards the dull boring lady. I didn't see how this would be my way out, but hey! At least his typewriter would get fixed. And maybe then we can find a way out. I waited patiently outside the room, feeling a slight sense of relief, thanks to the light. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but they were the only two in the massively empty room. They seemed to be arguing about something, and I didn't know how I was involved in it. (But since he apparently mentioned and rudely pointed towards me, maybe I was involved... I didn't break the typewriter. I swear.)

"Thank you for bringing the package here. She will be taken care of." The dull lady said. I felt another chill running down my spine. I so totally did not like the way she was addressing me. Package? I'm guessing she's talking about the typewriter... But it's broken.

Well, at least the type writer was taken care of. Vince would get a new one and get back with his life, and I would get back in mine.

 

[Lyro]

I shook my head. "Absolutely not, on both accounts." My earlier rage is already starting to dissipate, but I try to stay firm with her. We're both getting out of here, and I'm certainly not going to trust Heather with this woman of all people, in this place of all places. "I want to personally make sure she gets back... back where she belongs, so that I can continue my work in peace."

The woman's lips purse. "I am afraid this is non-negotiable. If you wish to get out of here, it is the only option. Tell your package to come in and sit down, then leave; you will find the exit you are looking for on your way out." She smiles, a small, cold smile. "Take your time; we have all the time in the world here."

 

[Totorokoro]

I started getting really frustrated with how long this was taking. Also, this lady was NOT nice. When I thought that she was referring to the typewriter as the package, I was wrong. So I snapped.

"Excuse me? Who are you calling a package?" I growled as I stormed into the room. "Now I've had it up till HERE with this stupid organization's way of doing things. Go here, no go there. I don't CARE." I yelled, slamming my fist on the table. My patience was wearing thin and all I wanted was to go back to my trailer.

"I don't know where I am, or how I got here. I haven't had a bite since morning and I am in a skimpy kimono. Now if you still plan on playing games, I swear to God, I'm suing this place for holding a person against their will. And I will make you personally regret making me wait. Do. You. Understand me? Now do be kind and tell us how to get out."

 

[Lyro]

The woman's eyes quickly flit to look at Heather, then go back to Vince. "You should keep a tighter leash on your work. This is your last warning; leave now, or face disciplinary action."

As I'm about to reply that there is no way I'm going to leave Heather here, I spot the door behind the woman. It's discreet, blending into the wall, but its thin outline is unmistakable. I tentatively reach out to Heather's shoulder with my hand as I start to sidle to the side of the table. "Look, Heather, maybe we can talk about this. They must know what they're doing, right?"

 

[Totorokoro]

"A tighter leash?!?" I glared at her in shock, "Listen here you old hag, your attitude is getting really annoying by the minu-" I flinched as Vince placed his hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at him, accidentally still holding my glare from yelling at the old Lunch Lady lady.

"Look, Heather, maybe we can talk about this. They must know what they're doing, right?" He said. I swallowed, not really comforted by those words. I have no idea why, but I was starting to get panicky, scared even. I looked at him, resolute not to shed a tear. Instead, I decided to snap at him.

"No you look here mister! I have had a horrible day and frankly, I am in no mood to be passed around like some kind of a package." I wasn't really mad at him though.

... Maybe now would be a good time to run. Like, really.

 

[Lyro]

I raise my hands in protest as I reach the edge of the desk. Can't she see what I'm doing? I try to shift my eyes back-and-forth between her and the door behind the woman. "I really think we should just go along with what this lady is saying. I certainly don't know how to help you, but maybe she does. It's not like running away will do us any good, and if she helps us it has to be on her terms."

The woman nods approvingly. "Very reasonable. I'll note this in my report. I am glad you are being so cooperative. For a moment, I thought things would get..." Another thin smile. "... confrontational."

 

[Totorokoro]

I opened my mouth to retort and saw that Vince was signalling me towards what seemed like a door behind the old lady. Oh ho ho. Now would be the best time to reveal the true actress in me.

I sniffed, my eyes welling with genuine (NOT) tears as I gazed upon the man who had helped me so far. "Vince," I sniffed, giving my words true sentiment. I held onto his hand, "Alright... I will do as you say."

Of course, I wasn't referring to waiting her with the lunch lady. No way. I was giving him the go signal for him to signal when to take off.

 

[Lyro]

The woman looked quizzically at Heather, then back at Vince. "Yes... very well. Say goodb-- no, halt!" she yelled as I made a dash for the door, pulling Heather along with me. I swerved around the desk and shoved the woman to the floor with my typewriter, then let go of Heather just long enough to swing the door open, before pulling us both into an unexpectedly bright environment.

Blinking furiously as I tried to adjust to the light, I let go of Heather, closed the door shut, manage to spot a small latch and slid it shut, locking the door. Behind us, the woman started frantically shouting and pounding against the door... or maybe that was just my heart beating. I didn't particularly care at that time, and instead just let myself slide down against the door with my eyes closed, shaking from the experience. What had I done? This was the end for me. I was finished. Despite myself, I felt tears welling up in my eyes, which I made no effort to hide.

"Where are we Heather?" I asked in a hoarse voice. I wasn't sure if I was asking about the latest room we found ourselves in, or just this whole situation in general.

 

[Totorokoro]

Yet another room...

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. We managed to get away... Or had we just been cornered? As we ran through the door, I thought I heard the sound of a paper being ripped into two. A small gasp escaped my lips as a sudden jolt of something ran through me. I must be imagining things... It's just an adrenaline thing. Or the temprature drop. Geez. Stop freaking out Heather!

"Where are we Heather?" Vince asked. I think? I mean, that's all I could make out. I turned to face him and squinted as my eyes suddenly lost focus. In an instant, the white room spun around me and I felt that odd dizziness that I felt earlier back at the trailer before I passed out.

"V-Vince..." I whispered as the world went dark all over.

Help me.​

 

[Lyro]

Forcing myself to focus, I turned to look at Heather and opened my eyes... but Heather wasn't there anymore. Except... no, that wasn't quite right. If I squinted, I could just barely make out the faint inky outline of her silhouette, but it shimmered and faded in and out. As far as I could tell, she was asleep, but her facial features were so poorly-defined that I couldn't be sure. I reached out to touch her shoulder, but my fingers slipped right through, having no visible effect. "Heather..." I muttered, feeling a mixture of fear and shame at having done this to her. Whatever "this" was.

Only then did I remember where I was, and I turned to get a good look at my surroundings. It seemed like the complete opposite of the dark room from before - where before there had been only darkness, now I saw only blinding white. But there were... things in the white. I tried to squint my eyes to get a better look at them, but like Heather they were all unfocused and even less defined than she was. One of the things suddenly rushed towards me, and I braced for an impact that never came - like Heather, it simply passed through me, leaving only a faint tingling feeling.

They were like ghosts.

Was this what this place was? Where characters came to die? But that didn't make any sense, there wasn't anything to be gained from this. Still, the more I looked at these things, the more they looked like ghosts of people. Could they still think? Were they aware of their situation, or just empty shells floating here forever?

Well, it wasn't going to happen to Heather. I grabbed my typewriter and reached into the ink compartment. Most of the ink had spilled out when I opened it, but some of it was still in a secondary cartridge. I ripped it out from the jammed machine, then took out my old fountain pen. Gently, taking care not to spill any of it, I started to pour the ink from the cartridge to the pen, slowly filling it up. I then put the cartridge back, took out some sheets of paper and wrote.

Heather's spell of sleep was interrupted when Vince slapped her violently across the face, and she awoke with a start.

"Sorry about this." Trying my best to avoid hitting her too hard, I slapped her.

 

[Totorokoro]

Hnng... Where am I?
A-am I dead? Pssh no. If I was dead I wouldn't be talking to myself as I float aimlessly in the darkness. But wait... How would I know that that's not what dead people do?​

I felt paralyzed, like literally. I couldn't move my arms or my legs. But at the same time, I didn't feel the need to worry because I don't think I was physically awake. So I was inside... my conscience?

Uuurgh! This doesn't make any sense!​

I looked around, but in all honesty, there was nothing for me to look at. I couldn't even look down to see my own body.

Okay. Let me see. I ran through a door with Vince and then... And then I passed out. That's it!
..... But what was I doing here?
​

I paused for a moment.

Maybe I'm having a concussion. Oh no, no no no. That's not good at all.
Also, I don't remember being hit on the head.
Let's see. My name is Heather Stars and I'm an actress.
I'm twenty tw-... I'm twenty... uh. Twenty three? I think. Weird...
I-I live in...​

My mind went blank.

O-Okay, moving on. What's the last thing I remember? I was sh-shooting for a movie in... In... Come on, I know it.
I was in... Huh?
​

For some strange reason, I couldn't recall a few things. I tried thinking of earlier, more elaborate memories. But the more I lingered on them, the more they seemed to fade away. I shifted through the gaping holes in my mind's time line, which seemed to burn away for no reason... Almost as if I was being wiped into a clean slate. I tried to hold onto some crucial information, but I couldn't remember what it was a moment later. What is happening to me? Is this the end for me?

My name... is Heather and I'm... I- What am I?
I'm Heather. I have a last name too but I can't remember.
My Name is Heather, and I don't want to die.​

.....

SMACK!​

"Ack!" I jolted upright and held my cheek as a sharp pain pulsed through my face. My eyes bolted all around the room and I stared at the man who was sitting near me. I felt blank for a moment and went numb with shock. "M-my name..." I inhaled sharply, trying not to lose it. You can do this, "My name is Heather and I'm an actress. I'm twenty four... And I have no idea where the heck I am,"
Tears streamed down my cheeks as a sense of relief flooded me. "Vince," I hugged onto him tightly, grateful that I didn't lose my memories. Or die... Or something.

"I know we just met," I sniffled, "But please don't ever leave me alone."

 

[Lyro]

I returned the hug without hesitation. "We're in this together. Don't worry." I tried my best to sound brave, but in truth, I was still worried. After a few seconds, I let go and took another look at her.

She was definitely less ghostly than before, but still a far cry from what she normally looked like. Her outline was rough and inky, her colors all too pale and she still occasionally faded in and out. And yet she hadn't shown any sign of noticing it - did she still look normal to herself, or had she just not noticed yet?

"Look, Heather... there's something I need to tell you." I shifted nervously, refusing to meet her eyes. "I would have told you before, but... well, we were a bit pressed for time, and I didn't want to... to confuse you." As I searched for the simplest way to explain to her that she wasn't real, that she existed only as words on a page and that the main reason I had created her was to pay the bills, I looked at the page I had written on. Still not looking at her, I handed it over to her.

 

[Totorokoro]

I sniffed pathetically. Under normal circumstances, I would've felt embarrassed for crying. But today I think I deserved a break from my daily routine reality. Vince looked at me nervously before looking away. "Look, Heather... there's something I need to tell you." He said, "I would have told you before, but... well, we were a bit pressed for time, and I didn't want to... to confuse you."

I waited for an explanation and got a piece of paper instead. I read it out loud, "Heather's spell of sleep was interrupted when Vince slapped her violently across the face, and she awoke with a start." My eyebrows furrowed as I read it out. "Okay?" I said as I looked up at Vince. "I... don't really see how this explains anything though. I mean, if you're worried about slapping me, it's completely fine. I'm not mad..."

I was more confused because I didn't know what he was trying to imply though.