Wings of Paper - Chapter 2

Quick Tips and Shopping Trips

I did the only thing I could think of - I laughed. They needed my help? These heroes, these legends, they wanted a puny high school kid to help them defeat some random enemy? Hiro had to be joking. 

“I don’t understand.” Hiro was frowning and I felt a little guilty for laughing. 

“You want me to help you,” I repeated incredulously. “I’m not a hero, I’m just me - Luke - some random kid.” 

“But you’re not some random kid,” Hiro argued. He gestured to himself and the others. “You created us - you created this entire world. A random kid couldn’t do that, now could they?” I mean, technically anyone could write, so… 

“I still don’t understand what’s so big that you can’t defeat it without me,” I said instead. Maybe if everything was clarified a bit I could give these Fictionals a plan and they could leave me alone. I could go home, live a relatively normal life, maybe make a friend or two. Or none. 

Hiro and Kenzie shared a look, and they seemed to be talking telepathically again. 

Finally, Kenzie spoke directly to me. “Go look out the window over there and tell me what you see.” 

It was a simple order but an odd one. And because Kenzie had told me to do it I didn’t want to risk a sword in my sternum, so I made my way to the window. My legs were a little wobbly and I nearly tripped, earning a snicker from Sammy. 

I peered out the window, expecting to see rolling hills and meadows of flowers. After all, I had created this world apparently, so I knew it better than anyone. 

Although there were lovely mountains of a navy shade and meadows of wildflowers of all colors, there was something off about the world. It wasn’t the tiny villages scattered throughout, nor was it the stone castles towering over the rest of the buildings. Finally, I pinpointed what was wrong and my heart dropped to my stomach. 

“What’s that storm?” I asked, pointing. At the very edge of my vision was a dark cloud rolling slowly towards us. I couldn’t see anything past the cloud, and it seemed to be consuming everything. 

“That is the Darkness,” Hiro answered me, a pang of sadness in his voice. “It’s what we need your help with.” 

“The Darkness is consuming everything in its path and destroying it,” Kip explained, his own voice filled with a deep melancholy. “We don’t know where it came from or what happens inside the cloud, but it’s growing larger. Villages have been destroyed and people have died while others have gone missing.” 

“Arya,” I breathed, realizing what he meant. That’s why Kip was here even though he wasn’t a protagonist or main character. His own hero had gone missing and he was looking for her. 

“She took Hux on a flyover to see if she could find or salvage anyone from the Darkness. She never returned.” Kip rubbed his arms, looking away from me. 

I didn’t know Kip and Arya had been that close. I didn’t know a lot of things, to be quite honest.  

“I’m sorry,” I managed to whisper. I didn’t know what else to save. 

“My kingdom is almost gone,” Hiro told me. “My father disappeared about a week ago, along with most of our villagers. None of them managed to escape.” 

I was beginning to understand why the Fictionals had come to seek my help. If their whole world was being destroyed there was nothing they could do, especially if everyone who tried to fight it ended up gone. 

“So you want me to destroy the Darkness,” I clarified, the weight of the responsibility finally raining down on my shoulders. 

Destroying this mysterious Darkness could mean my death. But leaving these heroes alone and helpless felt wrong. I had brought them to life by simply writing about them, it would be heartless to condemn them to a death we didn’t know about. 

“And if I want to return home?” I wasn’t asking for myself. Alex and Hailey’s presence burned in the back of my mind like a flame. I couldn’t let them stay here. 

“There is a portal downstairs,” Sadie answered. “We created it here because we’re at the edge of the world. The Darkness will reach this tower last. We will honor your decision if you don’t want to help.” Even she sounded depressed. 

I looked out at the Darkness again. “How do you even know we can defeat it? It’s just a cloud of darkness.” 

Kenzie was the one to answer me. “We think that there’s someone controlling it. In some of the villages where everyone has disappeared but the Darkness there are markings on the fences. It’s just the letter ‘D’ over and over again. And we had witnesses see a figure moving around in the Darkness. Does that mean anything to you?” 

No, it meant nothing to me. I had never written about a character who could control darkness, much less thought of one. I shook my head and Kenzie sighed. 

I glanced at the Darkness for a final time. It seemed surreal and nightmarish. My world, so kind and good, being ravaged by a mysterious and deadly force. I glanced back at the Fictionals, their expressions were grim. 

I thought of Kip and him missing Arya. I thought about Sadie and Sammy’s young ages and their kingdom which would be destroyed. I thought of Kenzie, her scowl the last of her to disappear into the Darkness. And I thought of Hiro. He was my hero, after all, and for him to die possibly by my hands… 

I sighed before looking straight at Kenzie. “I’m prepared to help you stop this Darkness.” She breathed a sigh of relief and for once she looked hopeful. “But I need to talk to my sister downstairs.” 

“Of course,” Sadie said, offering me her hand as I made my way back over to the group. Sammy glared at her outstretched palm and I didn’t want to be skewered so I ignored it. 

Better safe than sorry. 

Alex and Hailey were playing some game with hand signals when Sadie unlocked their room. It had a few wooden chairs and a single window where light streamed in, the glass too high from the ground to be reached by either of them. 

“Sorry,” Sadie said, blushing at them. “This is a cell for prisoners being exiled, but we had nowhere else to put you.” 

“It’s fine,” Alex said, her hands on her hips. “What’s going on, Luke?” 

I glanced at Sadie with a pleading expression. She rolled her eyes before grabbing Sammy’s arm and closing the door behind them. This time there was no click of a lock. 

“So, um, it’s kind of a long story.” It was, of course, but I didn’t know how much I wanted to tell them - especially Hailey. If they were going back to the real world the whole “Darkness” thing didn’t concern them. 

“We have seats and plenty of time,” Alex said, shoving a chair at me. I winced, definitely not feeling loved at all. 

I slumped into the chair, ignoring the stares before I finally began to speak. I had to tell them everything. I explained what the Fictionals had said about the Darkness and how I was staying to help them defeat this bizarre “D”. Hailey was outraged that I had agreed to help but I repeated what Kip and Kenzie had told me about the state of the world and she backed off a bit. As for Alex… 

“I’m staying too,” Alex protested. 

“What?!” My startled reaction was loud, but no one came bursting through the doors. “This doesn’t concern you at all. No, you’re taking Hailey home and covering for me.” 

Alex’s face grew red. “I’m not being sent away like some little girl. And I’ve been waiting my whole life for something to happen, that’s part of the reason I sought you out for the project instead of doing it myself. I’ve lived my entire life with nothing exciting at all, there’s no way I’m leaving now.” 

“And what about your parents? I won’t be able to cover for you when you die.” The last word came out snappier than I meant it to, and Alex’s ears were flaming now too. 

“My parents don’t care for me,” Alex retorted. “They work so much that I ran away once and it took them two minutes to notice - and only because my mom got a call from the school that I hadn’t bathed in weeks. And I’m not going to die, I’ll live just to spite you if I have to.” She crossed her arms and glared at me so sharply that I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had burst into flames on the spot. 

Apparently there was no convincing Alex otherwise, and I wasn’t going to waste energy on arguing with her. It would be nice to have someone other than crazy fictional characters. 

Hailey was not happy about this arrangement. “I’m old enough to come too!” she protested. I shook my head. “What if I go back through the portal and bring Mom and Dad back with me for an army?” 

My parents had never cared for my writing, they always encouraged me to find something better to do with my life. I once showed my father one of my chapters and he told me I hadn’t written anything correctly. There was no way I was letting them deface the one thing I had. 

Besides, it was too dangerous for a girl like Hailey - though Sadie wasn’t much older. 

“You’re going home and staying there.” My voice was firm but Hailey didn’t seem phased. “Just tell Mom and Dad something that will make them not freak out.” 

Hailey rolled her eyes. “Fine. But this is going to cost you big time.” 

“Great,” I mumbled, not looking forward to returning home. Well, I did want to go home eventually, but I also wanted to stay in this world for as long as possible too. It was an escape from the terribly lonely reality that waited for me. Here, I was wanted. At home, well… 

“Do you think your little creations will appreciate my company?” Alex asked me, seeming earnest. 

I shrugged. It would be hard to tell, Kenzie probably wouldn’t like it but Hiro and Sadie seemed more open to help. “I think you’ll be fine - but don’t call them my creations. They won’t like that at all.” 

Alex smiled, blushing slightly. I led Hailey and Alex back up the stairs to where the Fictionals were waiting for me. 

“Are they ready to head home?” Kenzie asked me, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. Surely she would grow on me. “We have a world to save after all.” As if I needed a reminder. 

“Actually, Alex said she wanted to help,” I said before I could turn back. Kenzie’s eyes narrowed but Alex held her gaze. 

“She’s the one that looks suspiciously like me.” It wasn’t a question, and I winced. The hope that Kenzie and Alex wouldn’t make the connection between them was gone. It was more of a subconscious thing, me creating Kenzie to look like Alex. I needed inspiration from somewhere, so I drew it from my classmates. 

“The portal is downstairs?” Kenzie nodded, confirming the location. I turned towards Hailey, opening my mouth to say something. Instead, Hailey rushed towards me, wrapping her skinny arms around my waist. 

I felt her covering my t-shirt with snot and tears, but at this point I didn’t care. I didn’t care that Hiro and Kenzie and everyone else was watching. As much as I said I was going to live through this crazy adventure, one could never be sure. This could be the last time seeing my sister. I choked back tears. 

“Here, I’ll take her home,” Kip offered. He smiled kindly at Hailey and offered her a hand before escorting her away. 

“Don’t die,” Hailey called out fondly to me. 

“I don’t plan on it!” I yelled back, but Hailey was already out of earshot. 

Alex and Kenzie were still locked in a staring contest and I realized that maybe they were talking to each other telepathically. 

“Can you keep the discussions out loud please?” Hiro asked, echoing my thoughts. “Or at least if you want to talk in our heads talk to all of us.” 

“I can’t.” The words were short and clipped, and Kenzie sent Alex one final look. “I can’t hear his thoughts or transmit to him.” It took me a moment to realize that her finger was pointed at me. 

“You can’t? Is your magic broken or something?” It didn’t hit me that the question was incredibly rude until after Hiro’s eyes widened. 

Kenzie glared at me, her gaze as laser focused as Alex’s. Maybe I had created her a little too similar to Alex. Together they could probably burn a hole through my chest. 

“It’s not broken,” Kenzie spat at me. “I don’t know why it won’t work with you.” 

“Maybe it’s the Darkness,” Sadie offered. Kenzie’s gaze didn’t leave me. “It’s going to affect all of us, no matter what. Maybe it’s weakening your magic.” 

Kenzie heaved a sigh before looking away from me. “It’s possible.” She didn’t sound like she believed it at all. 

Kip opened the door again, just in time to interrupt the conversation. He smiled at me, and hope fluttered in my chest. At least someone believed in me, even if he wasn’t a main character or anything. 

“So, what now?” Alex asked, beating me to the most important question. “We just run up to D and punch him until he dies?” 

Sammy snickered again, and when he spoke his voice was rich and melodious. “Nice try, but I don’t know that fists will do any damage to D at all. No, to defeat him we’ll need weapons.” I didn’t miss the gleam in his eyes when he mentioned blades. 

Kip smirked. “I know just the place.” 

“I didn’t know that the fictional world of dragons and magic had PastureMarts,” Alex laughed, a sound I never thought I would hear. 

And I didn’t know that Kip could steal cars so easily, nor the fact that Hiro, Kenzie, Sammy, and Sadie had seen a car before. Kip was the only one who knew how to drive, so the rest of us piled into the seats of his tiny car. 

“You need a minivan,” I groaned, pushing Hiro’s foot away from my nose. It was a tight fit, but Kenzie and Alex had decided to ride in the passenger seat together to have a “talk” - whatever that meant. That left the back of the car for Hiro, Sammy, Sadie, and I. Sammy refused to let Sadie be endangered in any way, so she was buckled in one seat while Sammy squeezed in the middle and Hiro and I were shoved into the door. 

Kip looked back in the rearview mirror. “Again, this isn’t my car. Next time I’ll steal a van if I can find one.” 

“I want to get ice cream!” Sadie cried out, peering out the window at a store called IceBreath’s Ice Cream: Dragon Made and Dragon Approved. She pushed her face against the window, causing a sigh from Sammy. 

“I don’t have money for that kind of thing,” Kip argued. “Like Alex mentioned earlier, we’re stopping at PastureMart for some supplies.” 

Sadie pouted and Sammy promised he would buy her some ice cream the next time they had the chance, which eased her sorrow a little bit. Hiro grinned at me before rolling down the window and sticking his foot out. 

Kip rolled up the window, pinching Hiro’s foot and causing the boy to yelp. Everyone laughed except for Sammy and Kenzie. 

Kip pulled our stolen car into a parking spot outside PastureMart and we climbed out, gasping for air. At first I was hesitant to go into the store - didn’t Alex and I look out of place? Then I remembered Sadie’s kitten t-shirt and how everyone seemed to be wearing modern clothing. Why was beyond me. 

PastureMart was a convenience store I had made up that sold dragon harnesses and an assortment of other random items. Kip’s idea to shop here had been a good one because if D attacked, Alex and I would be defenseless against him. 

“We should split up,” Kenzie decided as we rounded the corner of the building. “We don’t know how much control D has over people here and we look suspicious.” 

Kenzie and Alex chose to go together, probably because they wanted to talk but also because they looked similar enough to pass as sisters, they would be buying the food and bags. Hiro and Kip went in a few minutes later to purchase swords and other weapons, as they could pass as dragon trainers. That left me with an exuberant Sadie and a reluctant Sammy. 

“Remember, we’re only here to find camping supplies,” Sammy said, mostly to Sadie. He handed me the small sack of bronze coins that Kip had given us and I pocketed it. 

“Try to act normal,” I warned Sadie. She pretended to pout. “Have you ever even been in a real store before?” She shook her head. “Exactly, so just follow me and let me do the talking and shopping.” 

Sadie didn’t say anything about this arrangement but Sammy was glad to hold her back. 

It didn’t take us long to find the camping supplies aisle once we got inside. It was walking through the doors and through the store that was the struggle.

Sadie was intrigued by the shopping carts and the electric doors, and Sammy tried to hold her back. By the time we finally reached aisle 15 Sadie had touched every single thing that had caught her attention. For being an elvish princess she was very curious. 

I filled our cart with things I assumed we would need, like tents, matches, lanterns, and an assortment of ropes and other supplies I thought we might need. 

D would never expect a group of backpackers. 

Sadie suggested we buy “adventure” clothing and took a cart to buy herself a new wardrobe. Although Sammy had to return a fair amount of clothing, Sadie’s idea wasn’t a terrible one. We bought raincoats for all of us, as well as some more comfortable hiking clothes for Sadie and some of the others. 

Our cart was nearly overflowing by the time we reached the register and the cashier’s eyes widened as she took in our junk. Her expression quickly resumed a bland one as she realized that we had simply bought a lot of the same thing. 

“Why don’t you take Sadie outside and meet the others?” I suggested to Sammy, eyeing the cashier, who was listening in. Sammy nodded and grabbed Sadie’s arm. 

“See ya later, Papa,” Sadie called out as Sammy dragged her away. 

“I’m not your father.” I sent her a glare that hopefully would scare her. The cashier was staring at me as she scanned another item, seemingly unimpressed. “Second cousins, am I right?” The cashier heaved a sigh before ringing up the total and I paid before wheeling our cart outside. 

Kip was already waiting with two more carts of supplies from Kenzie and Alex and him and Hiro. And a minivan. 

I didn’t ask where the minivan had come from, I simply piled our stuff in the back before distributing the clothing Sadie had picked. We took turns rushing into the bathrooms and changing. 

I had to say, the black rain jacket Sadie picked out was quite comfortable. 

“Dragon scales,” Kip explained to me with a smile when I returned. “Waterproof but also incredibly soft for their material.” 

I hoped dragons weren’t killed in this process. 

Alex came practically strutting out of the store, her own rain jacket gray and her boots laced tightly. She looked ready for an adventure - one that could lead to her death. 

We piled into the minivan, Sadie and Sammy in the back and me squeezed between Hiro and Alex in the middle. Finally, Kip grinned at us before slamming his foot on the pedal and speeding off. 

We travelled towards the Darkness for only about fifteen minutes of relatively no traffic. 

Until Kip slammed on the brakes, throwing us forward into the seats in front of us. He turned around, the color drained from his face. He clutched the knife in his belt before pressing a finger to his lips and opening the van door. 

He returned less than a minute later. “You have to see this.”

Author's Note

Hopefully this clarifies some of the problems in chapter 1.