Trapped Between Letters #WITWContest

Part 1: When fiction rebels

Reading has always been my passion, but writing is my way of life. I am an aspiring writer, and the worst thing that can happen to a writer is a creative block. I let out a tired sigh and lay my head on my arms, in front of the keyboard that blinked at me like it was mocking me. Outside, the rain pounded against the windowpanes with a force that seemed to mirror the storm in my mind.

My story was there, in my head, but every time I tried to put it down on paper, the words disappeared. I closed my eyes for a moment, promising myself just a few seconds of rest, but when I woke up, everything had changed.

I was no longer in front of my laptop or in my room. In my hands, I held a golden book that radiated a warm, hypnotic glow, and an ancient quill with a golden tip seemed to hum with life. I opened the book cautiously, and my heart stopped. The letters dancing across its pages were golden and radiant, and the sentences I read were exactly what I had written in my drafts. My work was alive, pulsating, beating with intensity.

I stood up and noticed something even more astonishing: I was no longer in the real world, but in a forest of towering trees, their leaves a deep green, and a sky painted in shades of violet and blue. The air smelled of damp earth and ancient magic, and a shiver ran down my spine.

From the bushes emerged a familiar figure. Her brown hair moved gently with the wind, and her green eyes looked at me with a sharp intensity. I recognized immediately Eloise, my favorite character, the heroine of my story. My heart skipped a beat.

"Welcome, creator," she said in a soft, confident voice.

"This... this can't be happening," I whispered, trembling and clutching the book to my chest.

"Oh, but it is happening," she replied, tilting her head with curiosity. "You are in the world you built with your words. Here, your words are law; once written, nothing can be erased."

To confirm it, I took the quill and wrote on the first page:

"The sun emerged from the clouds, and the sky lit up."

Instantly, rays of sunlight pierced through the dark clouds of the forest, illuminating the trees.

No!

My breath caught.

"See?" Eloise smiled serenely. "Everything here moves at your will. Every word you write comes to life, and any mistake could change everything."

"I have to get out of here," I whispered, gripping the book. "This is not my place."

Eloise tilted her head, a hint of understanding in her eyes.

"Isn't that curious? You spent so much time building this world, and the first thing you want is to run from it," she said. "But don't worry. I will help you. I am the heroine, right?"

Her tone was warm and convincing, and at that moment I wanted to believe her. I followed her through the trees, trusting that my heroine wouldn't betray me. Slowly, we walked along moss-covered paths and streams that whispered ancient secrets. Eloise spoke of a wizard, the guardian of balance, the only being capable of freeing me from being trapped in my own story.

"The wizard knows the doors between worlds," she explained. "Reaching him will not be easy."

As we advanced, the forest darkened, and an unsettling presence emerged from the shadows. A tall, imposing figure appeared: Anthony, the villain I had created. His dark eyes pierced me, and his mere presence sent a shiver down my spine.

He stepped closer, and a menacing smile curved his lips. "Dahlia..." he murmured, with a deep, dangerous voice. "Be careful. You have more power here than in the real world."