My Story

What if a character from your novel falls in love with you, the author? That's what happened to Tyrell. He was created and fell in love with the beautiful writer who imagined him up. Will they meet?

    

     Soft, full lips, curved into a sensual smile. Ebony skin glistened under the street lamp as drops of rain fell on her. Chocolate eyes looked up at the man waiting for an answer. A soft sigh escaped her parted lips as the woman rose on tiptoes.

 

     “I love you too. Yes, I want to marry you.”

 

     The dark skinned man smiled at her and sought her lips for a passionate kiss.

 

     The screen went black for a second, and then the credits made their appearance. The girl sitting on the couch sighed, got up and switched on the light.

 

     “How I wish it was me. He’s gorgeous.”

 

     She stopped when she caught sight of her reflection. Her hand went up to touch her unruly black hair, tied back at her nape, then moved to her cheek and finally, took off the big glasses that sat on her nose.

 

     A disgruntled sound escaped her as she placed the glasses back on. “Sure, if that had been me, he would have run scared and never looked back.”

 

     She turned her back on her reflection and moved to the bed. Retrieving the open diary she had on the bed and removing her glasses, she placed them on her nightstand and slid under the covers.

 

     Tyrell watched as she turned off the light and stared up at the ceiling. He wanted to go shake her so badly for always putting herself down. She was beautiful and yet so insecure.

 

     “Hell, Ameena! Why can’t you see how lovely you are? What on earth can I do, to show you that you’re gorgeous?” Tyrell slammed his hand on the trunk of the tree against he leaned, frustrated he couldn’t do anything. He was only a character in a book. A figment of Ameena’s imagination. Tyrell Williams didn’t exist outside of the story Ameena was writing.

 

     Yet his feelings for the author, who weaved her magic and created a fabulous story, felt very real to him. He didn’t understand why he was different from the other characters.

 

     The others featured in the story lay still until she came back and started writing again. Then they would come to life, and live the life she wrote for them. When she stopped, everyone would become still as statues again, leaving only Tyrell to roam around the wonderful town her imagination had created.

 

     He watched her all the time, moving around her room. Listened to her while she spoke about how she’d spent her day or about her dreams. She spoke of everything with him. He was her main character, that’s why she sought him more than she did others. Once, she told him had created him based on how she wanted her soul mate, strong, handsome and yet soft hearted. A faithful husband, a loving father. The very opposite of how her father had been, the one that had abandoned her when she was just a baby.

 

     Tyrell leaned his forehead against the tree, wishing with all his might that he could contact her in some way and make her aware he was alive. Along the way, he had fallen in love with her and he wanted to tell her, to gather her in his arms and kiss her insecurities away.

 

     A sound made him stiffen. A sound? That’s weird. Ameena was asleep; nothing should be moving. He turned when he heard footsteps moving his way. An old man appeared from behind the great oak. Tyrell braced himself for a confrontation as the man kept walking towards him.

 

     The man’s eyes were friendly as he stopped next to Tyrell. He smiled. “Hello there. You’re Tyrell, right?”

 

     Tyrell nodded slowly, and recognized the man. He was a new addition, a few weeks old. Weird they never met, he never saw the old man moving before now.

 

     “Hello, Nelson. So, I see you can move as well after she stops writing. How come I never saw you?”

 

     Nelson shrugged. “I don’t like to walk much. I prefer to stay watching over my family, wait for them to come alive again. Today I saw you walking to this park, and thought to follow.” 

 

     The old man looked at his feet. “I’m sorry. I watched you for quite some time before making my presence known. You looked sad, and I thought you might like some company. Want to talk about it?”

 

     Nelson was a stranger to him, yet he couldn’t stop the words from flowing out of his mouth. “I was created to fall in love with the other main character. However, after months of watching our author . . . .” He stopped, unable to bare more of his heart.

 

     “You fell in love with her.” Nelson finished for him. “Can’t blame you. She’s lovely and has a pure heart.” A smile curved the old man’s lips as he looked up, out of the book at the darkened room. “Just tell her you love her. Since she created you, she’s probably already in love with you. Every author loves their characters one way or another.”

 

     “I wish I could speak with her but I’m just a figment of her imagination. My world is the diary she writes on.” Tyrell shoulders slumped forward.

 

     “And since you’re imagination, you can will yourself out of the book and visit her in her dreams.” Nelson frowned, clearly perplexed. “Don’t you know you have powers?”

 

     Tyrell was astonished. He didn’t know it was possible to visit her dreams. “Are you sure? Can I really do that?”

 

     “Of course you can. Stop wasting more time, and go talk to her. Close your eyes and will your body to move through her dreams. Come on try it. Go!”

 

     If Nelson was right, and it was so easy talking with her, he would kick himself for all the time he’d wasted. Tyrell closed his eyes and started to chant softly under his breath. “I want to go in Ameena’s dream. I want to go in Ameena’s dream.”

 

     He expected to hear some sort of whooshing sound, to signal that he had moved, but there was only a thick silence surrounding him. Tyrell waited with his eyes closed for something to happen, anything to indicate he was in her dream. Disappointment gripped him when there was nothing. With eyes still closed, he turned back to Nelson, to tell him he had it wrong. Opening his eyes, he found himself staring at soft, golden sand. There was no sign of Nelson or the park he’d got accustomed to. Instead, he smelled the refreshing scent of the ocean in the air and heard the gentle, calm waves lapping against the shore.

 

     His eyes scanned palm trees, swaying gently in the breeze. Behind them loomed a high mountain, its top hidden in the clouds. Tyrell turned around, searching for Ameena. At last, he spotted her sitting on the sand, facing the ocean.

 

     He started running towards her. With every step he took, his heart seemed to burst with exhilaration at finally meeting her face to face. Her head turned, her mouth opened and her eyes widened in surprise. Tyrell drew closer and watched as realization hit her, and a huge grin spread across her features. Her eyes sparkled.

 

     She stood up to meet him, fixing her clothes as best she could and smoothing her hair back.

 

     She was more beautiful up close, thought Tyrell. He felt a sudden urge to gather her up in his arms and never let her go, but he fought it. He didn’t want to scare her and they needed to talk. He needed to make her aware that he was alive, that he could think for himself, and wasn’t only something she had created.

 

     “Tyrell,” she said softly, “finally you join me in my dream.” Her beautiful dark eyes examined his face.

 

     Tyrell nodded, smiling apologetically. “Sorry my lady, for taking so long to come to you. I didn’t know how to do it.”

 

     Her smile disappeared, and she looked at him confused. “What do you mean? This is my dream. I am the one who has to dream of you. It never happened though,” she said in a flat tone. Her lower lip trembled slightly. “I wished every day to dream about you but you never showed up.”

 

     He put his hand under her chin, tilting her head up. “Until now.” A tear escaped her beautiful eyes and he brushed it aside. “I promise you, Ameena. From now on, I’ll come every day to be with you.” 

 

     “Don’t be silly. If I don’t dream about you, you can’t come. You’re part of my imagination. I have to conjure you up for you to appear.” She brushed his hand away and turned to face the ocean.

 

     Tyrell didn’t like the fact she hid her face from him. He waited long to be so close to her. Gripping her by the arm, he spun her gently back to face him. “When you created me, I was part of your imagination. Along the way though, something happened. As your story progressed, I started to feel different from the other characters. They freeze when you stop writing, but I don’t. I can move freely in the town you created for me. I hear you when you speak to me and watch you as you do things around the room or lay down on the bed. The others don’t do these things, only I can. That is,” he smiled, “until today. I found out there’s another man who is like me. Nelson was the one who told me I could come into your dreams. I didn’t know or I would have come sooner.”

 

     She stared at him fascinated, but still not entirely convinced. Tyrell could see the doubt in her eyes. “What is it, Ameena? Why do you doubt my words?”

 

     She shook her head. “Because this is so unreal. You’re not real. I live in the real world, you . . . you . . .” Her voice dropped. She clenched her fists and shook her head.

 

     “I live in the world of words. It’s a real world, Ameena. Although you humans who live on Earth don’t see us, we are real. Characters in the novels are real. We come alive when someone reads our stories.” He shook her slightly, wanting, needing her to acknowledge the sincerity of his words. “You writers create us, create our worlds. Why can’t you see this is the truth?”

 

     Tears filled her eyes. “If what you’re saying is true, then you have no right to be here.”

 

     Now it was his turn to look bewildered. Ameena removed his hands and moved back. “In the story, I gave you a woman to love. To respect and cherish. You’re being unfaithful to her by being here with me.”

 

     Tyrell regarded her softly, understanding what was troubling her. “I love Desiree when we are in the story and she comes to life, but when she freezes, my love for her disappears. You wrote our love and when you stop writing, our love stops flowing.”

 

     He gazed into her eyes. “My love for you never stops flowing, though. Even when you start writing, I can feel the connection with you. My love for you is there, even if I’m with Desiree. You can say I’m cheating on her, but I see it in a different light. I see that my love for you is real, while with her it’s just something you want us to have.”

 

     Hope shone in the depths of her chocolate eyes, but he could see her fighting against it. It wasn’t only about cheating, there was something else upsetting her, something she wasn’t telling him. A thought crossed his mind, making his dark brown eyes narrow.

 

     “By the way, you’re wrong.”

 

     She cocked her head to the side, waiting for him to elaborate. He smiled and looked at the blue, cloudless sky. She wouldn’t believe what he was going to tell her and he had no idea of how to make her accept the truth. He did wish he had a brush and some cosmetics or whatever women called the things they applied to their faces.

 

     He gave a small yelp as next to him the air shimmered, and all the things he’d thought about appeared out of thin air. What the . . .? Nelson’s words, when he mentioned that Tyrell had powers, came to him. Now he understood what the old man had spoken about. He only needed to think of what he wanted, and things appeared.

 

     Tyrell smiled widely and turned to face Ameena. Her mouth was hanging open as she stared at the bench and the cosmetics laying on it. Tyrell offered her his hand, and her amazed gaze stared at it. “Take my hand, Ameena. Let me show you what I meant.”

 

     She placed her hand in his, and he sat her down on the stool. “Earlier, I heard you say to that man in the movie that he would have run away if it’d been you instead of the actress. Is that what you’re afraid of? Are you afraid, I might not find you appealing?”

 

     Ameena stood very still not saying a word, her face averted. Tyrell kept on talking, hoping that what he was about to do would show her how lovely she really was. “If you trust me, let me show you how beautiful you are.”

 

     Her shoulders rose, then slumped in resignation. His words weren’t convincing her, so it was best if he showed her instead. He started to untie her curly hair and spread it across her shoulders. He chanted to himself that he knew what he was doing and let his hands work their magic, hoping the result would be as he expected. 

 

    He took her glasses off her nose. Ameena closed her eyes and Tyrell took the opportunity to place his hands on her closed lids. Surprised, she gripped his wrists, but he stopped her when she tried to pry his hands away.

 

     “It’s ok, Ameena. I won’t harm you, I only want to try something,” he whispered.

 

     She relaxed her hands away and he concentrated his energy on her eyes. Make her see clearly, he thought. Tyrell removed his hands and stood back to admire his work. She looked glorious. It was far better than he’d expected. Her eyes started to open.

 

     “No, give me a minute. I’ll tell you when to open your eyes,” he told her hurriedly. She nodded and he wished for a mirror. The air shimmered and the mirror appeared next to him. He positioned it a few feet away from them and went back to her. Taking her hand in his, he asked her to stand, and led the way in front of the mirror. 

 

     “Now, I want you to slowly open your eyes and tell me if you like what I did.”

 

     He let go of her hands and saw her eyes open. Wonderment replaced fear, as she gazed at the beautiful woman staring at her. 

 

     “Oh my God! Tyrell, what did you do? Never in my nineteen years have I looked so amazing.” Her hand touched her lips, her cheek, and her hair.

 

     Tyrell smiled, enjoying her reaction as she gazed with delight at her reflection. He never doubted she was beautiful, always had been to him. “I told you you’re beautiful. You’re gorgeous; no man would run when faced with your beauty.”

 

     He went to stand behind her and she leaned back against him, resting her head on his chest. They looked so perfect together; they were destined to be with each other.

 

     “Thank you Tyrell, for this dream. You really made it perfect.”

 

     “I’m here to please you, my lady. I’m all yours to do with as you please.” He turned her in his arms and lowering his hands to her waist, pulled her closer. He wanted to feel every inch of her touching him. He wanted to savor this moment forever.

 

     “I love you, Ameena. Forever.” His head lowered and his lips brushed hers. He wanted to take it slow, but her soft lips beneath his were his undoing, and he crushed them into a passionate kiss that left them both breathless. His tongue demanded entrance in her mouth and with a soft sigh, she allowed her mouth to open and engaged his tongue in a dance so exquisite, he nearly went mad with desire.  

 

     At some point, they resurfaced to catch their breath. Tyrell pulled her down on the soft sand and embraced her close to his heart, never wanting this moment to end. A cry above them, made them look at the sky. The sun was still shining bright and a seagull flew above the water, searching for food. The setting had been delightful for their first encounter.

 

     Someone cleared their throat from behind them and Tyrell nearly jumped out of his skin. They had been so busy gazing into each other’s eyes; they missed seeing the man standing a few feet away.

 

     “Nelson, what are you doing here?” Tyrell was surprised to see the old man had followed him into Ameena’s dream.

 

     “Sorry to interrupt, but we must go Tyrell. Ameena will soon wake up and you need to get back in the book.”

 

     The air around them shimmered again but this time it wasn’t Tyrell’s doing. A hundred tiny sparkles filled the air and he watched them in awe. Amazing as they were, they signaled the fact that Ameena would soon wake up and he had to leave her.

 

     He turned to face her, but she was already looking at him, her eyes filled with tears, her hands gripping his, telling him silently that she too didn’t want this to end.

 

     “It’s ok, love. We’ll meet again in your next dream. When night falls, I’ll be waiting to join you.”

 

     “I don’t want to go. This has been the best dream of my life. No, not the best dream, but the best moment of my life. I never experienced anything like this. What will happen if I don’t dream? No, no, I don’t want to go.”

 

     “Hush, my darling. We’ll meet again, be sure of that. Now prepare to wake up.”

 

     Ameena shook her head and looked at Nelson. “Isn’t there a way for me to stay with him? I don’t want to leave this place.”

 

     Nelson looked at them, and smiled. “Are you sure you want to stay here, Ameena? Don’t you care that your mother will miss you, your friends too?”

 

     “I’ll miss my mother too, but Tyrell is my life.” She frowned as she looked at the old man. “Why are you asking me this? Do you know a way for me to stay here?”

 

     Nelson nodded. “Yes, my dear. If that is your wish, then there is a way.”

 

     “Don’t give us false hopes, Nelson.” Now it was Tyrell’s time to doubt the old man’s words.

 

     “Tyrell, wasn’t I the one who told you how to come into her dreams?” Nelson didn’t seem offended by Tyrell’s distrust. He looked more amused than hurt.

 

     “Tell us, Nelson,” Ameena demanded. “Tell me how to stay with a character my imagination conjured up.”

 

     “It’s easy. Tyrell isn’t a part of your imagination.”

 

     Ameena extricated herself from Tyrell’s arms, and moved forward towards the old man. “What are you saying? I’m the author of the story. I was the one who came up with Tyrell.”

 

     Nelson shook his head, looking at her all the time. “You’re wrong. Like Tyrell, you are part of a story. A story, written by another writer. A foolish, romantic old man came up with this story, of a character in a book falling in love with the girl who was writing it. The reason I know all this, is because I am the writer.”

 

     They looked at him in amazed silence. Tyrell was speechless. If what the old man was saying was true, then he could be with his beloved and live with her forever. Nelson smiled again at them both.

 

     “So tell me your final answer. Do you want to live together, forever?”

 

     They both nodded. Nelson tilted his head sideways. “Behind that mountain, there is Tyrell’s town. A small road leads to it. When you are bored here, you can go home.” The air shimmered and Nelson looked blurry. “I have to go. Need to finish my story, give it a happy ending.” With that, he disappeared.

 

     Ameena squealed with delight and threw herself into his arms. Tyrell gathered her close and kissed her. After months of dark thoughts for not being able to be with Ameena, they finally met and would be living forever, together. No ending could have been better.

 

Author's Note

All help appreciated.

Reviews

[Tavionna]

This was amazing, great amazing storyline. I love the idea of how book characters come to life. Now, i believe that the characters i wrote in my stories are world alive. =