Skin

Chapter 30

Just a little.

"He is the Dark One, he will not die that easily, Gwen. If you love him, you will trust him."

Biting my tongue, I trembled and nod my head in agreement. She was right. I had to trust him. And I did. But it wasn't his trust I needed. It was my own. I need to trust myself. I'm the one writing this story. Or that's what the book said. But then the book also said I wouldn't be able to control it for long.

Damn!

"Come, I'll take you to the armory room. We'll find you something to wear and a weapon. Then we will get the Dark One."

"Right," with no encouragement in my voice. I was so scary of the future that it killed me. Why couldn't you have given me one more day? Just one more day. That's all I needed and you couldn't give me that!

Damn.

In Charlotte's armory room, I sat waiting for her to come out her little dressing room and walk out in her armor. Coated in gold and dark purple. Her sword hugged close to her hip. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. In her hand resting on her hip on the opposite of her sword, was her Valkyrie helmet in the same coat as her body armor. On the helmet was angle like wings in gold.

"Are you not dressed," she firmly asked staring me down.

"Don't look at me like that," I said looking away. "You have no idea what I'm going through." Charlotte didn't say nothing back. For me it was strange she didn't say something back so I lifted my head up to find her just looking at me. "Charlotte?" I said getting up of my seat.

"She can't hear you," the familiar voice spoke behind me.

"You," I said sourly glaring at the me in a tight black shirt, white blouse. With her hair in a tight bun and thick black glasses hanging just at the end of her nose.

"You mean you," she smiled sitting down with her legs crossed. "I have to say you have a very exotic body compared to many that I had token form of. I like your curves," she smiled.

"What kind of guide are you," I asked nearly hissing as I glared at her.

"Well, it seemed like you didn't need me, now did it?" She tilted her head to the side and smirked with her hands resting on her knees. "But I have to say I didn't think you would be throwing yourself out and making promises you can't keep."

Folding my arms I nearly laughter and rolled my eyes, "What are you talking about?"

"You're a bad liar, Barbara." She glared back, lifting herself off the seat. "I told you to be the character not make yourself the character."

"What's the difference, I did what Gwendolyn would have," I hissed.

"No, you did it," she firmly spoke, "Gwendolyn never had sex with Goliath until the end of the book, when they won the war. It's what you wrote. But here that special moment came too soon. Not to mention he asked you to marry him. As Barbara." He leaned forwards towards me. "I'm saying this as the book who's seen this happen countless time before. Don't get too attached. The book is at its end and it will be only you who gets hurt in the end."

"What if I don't want to leave?" I asked.

Her as drifted to the floor and soon wondered around the room. "Look Barbara," she started out sounding like a mother trying to protect her young. "You don't have a choice to stay. This is how things are. Once the book is done, it done.

You remember the rule, take care of your character and above all take care of yourself. This is what it meant. You have to protect your body and mind. This here," she lifted her arms and moved them around, meaning the room. "This isn't real, none of it is. Not even the man you love. To protect you, win the war and do what you have to do to say goodbye. And once you leave, try you best to forget the man here because chance of you seeing him again... is slim."

"Are you saying, we'll meet again? Me and Goliath," excitement ran through my body but soon faded when the she looked away. Reality hit me, she was lying to. I wasn't going to see him again. So... this is our end.

I'll never be with him, never marry him, and never have his children. That hope that I had deep inside, that love that I felt when I said 'yes' to him. It's not real, none of it. But this is all I have, I thought looking at my hands and making them into a fist. My heart ached as I fell to my knees, bursting into tears. It was so stupid of me to think I could be happy and live with him forever.

"Barbara, don't forget, you have people at home waiting for you." The stupid book spoke to me.

With tears still streaming down my face I looked at her. She was right, I had people at home. If only I could have both this wouldn't hurt as much. I could finish this believing my own Goliath is waiting for me back at home. Knock on my door and there he is in open arms. But that want happen. If only this was real. If only he was real.