I wake up with a scream and look around bewildered. Nothing has changed in my room. My small bed is still next to the big window, facing my mahogany closet against the purple wall. My sheets are laying on the wooden floor, I must have kicked them off of me during my nightmare. The other walls are a dull black, decorated with posters and images of the people, books, TV shows and movies I like. Staring at those, I try to calm my heavy breathing. "Just a bad dream." I whisper to myself. Sergio, who was sleeping next to me like usual, comes back out from under my TARDIS bookcase. He'd leaped off when I woke up so violently. Seeing Sergio yawn and stretch makes the uneasy feeling go away. If anything bad had really happened, Sergio wouldn't be so calm.
I get off from my bed and kneel down next to my black cat. I pet him softly, still talking to myself to calm my heartbeat down to a normal speed. Knowing I won't be able to fall asleep anytime soon, I go to the living room. I pull out my painting equipment from a cabinet. I put the huge canvas on the dining table and prepare the paint. Painting always takes my mind off the trouble that hounds me. With every sweep I make, I feel the tension leaving my body. After an hour, I lay my brush down and take a step back to see the result. The big castle-like building with high peaks in the center in now finished. It took me a week to do it, making sure everything was perfect about it. The building is mostly gold, but with so many nuances that it was really hard to get it right. I've already painted the small buildings at the bottom of the canvas. Now all there's left are the clouds in the dark sky and the signs of the chaos. I let the canvas dry on the table and wash my brushes.
The sleepiness has returned in the past hour, so I don't have a hard time falling asleep once I lay in bed. I push the nasty thoughts about the nightmare away and this of my plans for the painting instead, glad that my imitation of Gallifrey Falls No More is succeeding so well. I sleep until noon and rise fully refreshed. However my nightmare keeps haunting me. Late in the afternoon, I decide to call Hayley. She and I had planned to go to the premiere of The Maze Runner together. Talking about the book might help me get rid of that nagging feeling, so I dial her number.
After some small talk, I ask her the question that has hunted me the whole time. "Are we still going to the Maze Runner?" "What do you mean?" I frown in confusion. Hayley was so excited about it yesterday that she almost couldn't stop talking about it. She went on and on about how much fun it would be to see it together, since she read the book to me. "The premiere of the movie The Maze Runner. You know, from that book you love." Although the books are always better than the movies, we still go to see them. Part of me is just curious about how the producer will have changed the happenings in the book, to fit it into a movie. "I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no idea what that is." I get a lump in my throat. How could she forget? "But you liked it so much." I try again, having a hard time keeping my voice straight. Again she tells me she doesn't know it. This time, it comes out a bit more secure. She must've heard the doubt in my voice. "Maybe you're mistaking and has it another title?" To be sure of it, even though I am very sure about it myself, I walk to my blue bookcase in the living room. This wooden replica of the Time And Relative Dimension In Space is bigger than the other cases and contains my favorite books. It's only half filled, since I only put my most precious books in it. And indeed, there it stands, The Maze Runner. It stands next to Paper Towns, with an open space next to it for the sequels of the Runner series. "I'm not mistaking, Hayley. I'm looking at it right now. The Maze Runner, by James Dashner." She denies again, so I give up. After a short, uncomfortable silence, I change the subject.
But something is still nagging me, so I hang up pretty quick. The knowledge that Hayley will bring this up again the next time I see her, along with the reading of grown up books about which we talked yesterday, doesn't help in giving me rest either. I open my laptop and press the on button. I wait until my old computer is ready, making some coffee in the mean time. By the time all the software has fully loaded, I've finished my cup and given Sergio some snacks. Cursing my life as a poor college girl, I open the Internet. "I swear I'm going to buy a new computer whenever I've got money." I say to myself, knowing I won't do it. Every time I have my paycheck, I pay my debts and put aside just enough for basic needs such as food. I spend all the rest on books, movies and draw- and paint equiment. Even Raven knows that if she wants to go shopping with me, she has to take me the moment I've had my salary. Otherwise, I'm practically broke. Not that I mind, I don't need that much clothing since my style doesn't change as often as hers. It drives her insane. "I'm a fangirl, I can't be controlled." I giggle to myself. Sergio takes this as a sign to jump on my lap, almost throwing the laptop off it, and demands to be pet.
When Google finally appears on my screen, I type in The Maze Runner. A few links to sites selling a game appear, along with one about a camping in France. I try again, The Maze Runner - James Dashner. To my surprise, I don't get any result. I gulp and frantically search through the web, looking for any signs that I'm not getting crazy. That the book in my TARDIS really exists. Nothing, nothing, nothing. The web is completely blank when it comes to The Maze Runner. The movie doesn't exist anymore either.
As I finally give up the search, it is late in the evening. I rush to give Sergio some food and get a simple sandwich for myself, not in de mood to cook anything. "Serg, we have a problem," The cat gives no acknowledgement of my talking except from twitching his left ear slightly. I continue talking out loud anyways, to get thinks clear for myself and line up my thoughts. "The Maze Runner doesn't seem to exist anymore. I bet the other books I saw falling to ashes don't anymore either. But how is that even possible? Dreams are dreams, just random thoughts in my head while I sleep," I snap my fingers. "Of course it was happening inside my head. But why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" I quote Dumbledore, accepting the fact that apparently my nightmare was somehow linked to reality. Halfway through my wondering, Sergio gets bored and walks away. I trace him with my eyes while I keep pacing back and forth. He takes a graceful leap to my TARDIS bookcase, stretches and lays down on the shelf next to the Gone series. I watch him sleep for a while, feeling the mug with coffee in my hand cool down slowly.
Then it hits me. Stories are disappearing, fast. I jump up, spilling the cold coffee everywhere but I don't waste time cleaning it up. They all disappear, except the ones in my bookcase. I run into my bedroom like a maniac, collecting the books that are spread everywhere. Luckily for me, my apartment isn't big. I throw all the books in the TARDIS bookcase. Sergio growls at me for waking him from his peaceful sleep so roughly. He runs away annoyed. "Sorry Serg," I call after him, not looking up from my attempt to save the stories. "I'm saving the world of fiction. Remind me to get you an extra fish later, okay?" I've managed to get all my books from the floor and the tables in the bookcase. It is half filled by now. After a moment of doubt, I decide to play it safe and put every book inside the TARDIS. Which means I have to cram six cases in one. I sigh loudly, not happy with the long task that's awaiting me.
"Thank Odin I accidently made the replica twice as big as I actually wanted it." I murmur as I start working on the last bookcase from my bedroom. The huge TARDIS is now almost full. I used every inch of space there was, stuffed it full. After I put the last books in it, I close the doors and lock them. Whatever is happening, the books I own are save. It's a good thing school made me read almost all important books in the modern history. Two of the fourteen shelves of the TARDIS are filled with books like Romeo and Juliet and Inferno. I nod at the doors of the TARDIS proudly, happy that my work is done for now. The sign saying Police Box Push to Open makes me laugh. I give BBC a quick thanks for making the TARDIS get pulled open by the doctor. Otherwise, the bookcase would've been much harder to make. I take a deep breath and let myself fall down on the couch. I look at the clock and see it's past midnight. This makes me pet Sergio goodnight and go to bed. The empty bookshelves give me a creepy feeling. I pull the blanket over my head, glad for the unrealistic feeling of safeness it gives. I close my eyes and let the sleep wash over me.