When Your Novel Strikes Back

  Chapter the Fifteenth – There’s No Place Like Home

  “So, we just follow this road and it should take us back home?” Ayesha asked, looking at the road ahead of them, it seemed to last forever.

  “That’s what the guy said,” Heather replied.

  They had made their way off the beach and were now walking down the side of the road that had been pointed out to them. They had left all their beach things behind them, figuring they wouldn’t need them anymore since they’re no longer at the beach. They had stopped at the cabin again before leaving, they had almost forgotten to pick up the laptop again.

  “I can’t believe we forgot to bring the power cable with us,” Ally said. “How could we forget that?”

  “We were a bit preoccupied with Wax’s stupid space vehicle thing,” Heather replied. “We weren’t thinking about a power cable.”

  “Is anyone else wondering what the computer is cooking up for us now?” Ally asked. “It must be writing something even though it won’t power up, right?”

  “Well, if that sand battle with Wax was any indication, I’d say you’re right,” Heather said. “But we’ll face whatever hurdles it puts in our way as they come at us.”

  “Do you think you could stop wondering and keep walking?” Dan interrupted them. “You all walk so slowly.”

  He was storming ahead of them, the girls were all walking at a reasonable pace and didn’t feel the need to walk any faster.

  “Slow down Dan!” Ayesha shouted as he became a small blip ahead of them.

  He appeared to have heard her, because he stopped where he was and waited on them joining him. The girls quickened their pace and soon discovered the real reason why he had stopped. In front of him was a large shimmering wall, transparent like water. He was about to reach out and touch it when Ayesha grabbed his arm and kept his fingertips from touching the surface.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I want to see what it is,” he replied, looking down at her. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” Heather said.

  Dan managed to scrape his fingers along the edge of the surface, despite Ayesha clinging onto his arm. It was as though something had grabbed his arm because in a second he was pulled through the shimmering surface, Ayesha being dragged in behind him. Ally and Heather leapt forward and grabbed onto Ayesha, feeling themselves being dragged through the wall too.

  As they felt themselves being sucked down what felt like a large tube, the four of them kept their eyes firmly shut until they landed in a heap on solid ground again.

  “Where are we?” Ayesha asked, still keeping her eyes closed for fear of what she would see if she opened them again.

  Heather and Ally tentatively opened their eyes and looked around.

  “We’re home,” Heather said in disbelief.

  The portal had transported them back to the familiar street where they had first seen Crast running away from a lion and Pip walking while making it rain cheeseburgers. The memories flooded back to them and they could hardly believe that those events had only happened two days previously. They had landed in a heap on top of each other and now they gingerly stood, rubbing their elbow, arms and legs that had been stuck in rather awkward positions.

  “Let’s go inside,” Ally said, stepping towards their building.

  They hurried after her, running up the steps and bursting through the door behind her. The room was exactly as they had left it. The table was still covered with the remainder of the food, the floor was still a mess from when Fluffy had tried to attack them, the door was still bearing the marks the lion had left on it.

  “Alright, let’s get this fixed,” Ally said, looking around for the power cable. “I’ll just plug this back in.”

  She grabbed the cable, which had been lying on top of the table where the computer had previously been sitting, and plugged it into the back of the laptop. A little orange light appeared on the front of the laptop, telling them it was finally charging.

  “So how are we going to end this novel?” Heather asked, sitting down at the table and flicking some of the old food away from her. “I mean, we defeated the bad guy already so we just need a nice happy ending, right?”

  “We should have a wedding!” Ayesha said. “Weddings are always a good way to end things.”

  “Alright,” Ally said, opening the laptop again. “But who will get married?”

  “Dan will,” Ayesha said.

  “I will?” Dan asked, perking up a bit. “I’ve never had a happy ending before. Who am I getting married to?”

  “Um…”

  The girls looked at each other nervously.

  “We’re the only characters left, we can’t create a new one this late in the story,” Heather said, sighing. “We’ll rock, paper, scissors it again.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Dan said, leaning on the end of the table. “After everything you’ve put me through in this novel you’re going to rock, paper, scissors to decide my bride?!”

  “Yeah, pretty much,” Heather shrugged. “Or if you prefer, we can do a process of elimination.”

  “And how would that work?” Dan asked.

  “Well…”Heather looked at the other two. “Ally has a boyfriend, so she’s out.”

  “Okay, that’s fair.”

  “So that leaves me or Ayesha, so we still have to rock, paper, scissors.”

  “Fine, get it over with then.”

  Ayesha and Heather faced each other. Neither of them really wanted to marry Dan, Ayesha was beginning to regret mentioning a wedding now. Ally went back to the laptop, switching it on now to see the damage that the computer had caused to their story while they had been unable to access it. Heather and Ayesha pounded their fists in their hands and on the third bounce chose their weapon, Heather scissors, Ayesha paper.

  “Seriously?!” Ayesha shouted.

  “Sorry Ayesha,” Heather said, trying to hide her obvious relief.

  Dan had taken to sitting in one of the chairs at the table, arms folded and his signature pout back in place. He was suddenly less enthusiastic about a wedding where the bride didn’t even like him.

  “Stupid novels,” he muttered.

  “Alright, we’re back in,” Ally said, hands hovering over the keys. “Ready for your wedding?”

  Ayesha and Dan had matching looks on their faces, as though they’d just been told their favourite TV show had been cancelled. Heather looked at Ally and the pair of them tried their best not to laugh at the situation Ayesha had found herself in.

  “Just get it over with,” Dan said, swinging in his chair.

  “Alright,” Ally said, beginning to type.

  “Just make it a nice wedding,” Ayesha said. “I deserve a nice wedding at least.”

  “Yes you do,” Heather said.

  “The chapel stood on the edge of a cliff, it was small but beautiful, gleaming white against the sun. The waves lapped against the rocks far below them as the small group made their way inside,” Ally began.

  The pillar of purple smoke surrounded them once more and Heather quickly ran to unplug the power cable for the laptop, holding onto it tightly so it would go with them.

  “The groom was wearing a handsome suit, waiting for his bride by the alter,” Ally continued as the pillar grew thicker and their room disappeared.

  “Well, here comes the bride,” Ayesha said.