All of a sudden, through the trees in front of where Jeremiah and bob, the fluffy dragon who was still pink, even though it might more accurately be considered fuchsia, were stood, there came a bright, blinding light.

"Ouch," said Bob the fluffy, fuzzy, pink or possibly fuchsia, dragon, blinking slightly.

"Oh god!" cried Jeremiah, as he felt to his knees, arms flung protectively about his face.

-Not quite Jer- said an ethereal voice that was having fun trying to decide if it was inside his head, or conforming to the normal laws of physics and coming to his ears as sound waves. He squinted up to see a feminine shape encased in the shimmering light coming towards him.

 

At that precise, exact, same time, Tayna was flipping through the Female Pirate ship's books when she heard yelling from outside. She looked up at the door in confusion, before hurrying to it. Cautiously, she drew her sabre, feeling the trill of confidence it gave her, before opening the door a crack and looking out on to the deck. What she saw made her gasp with surprise and drop the sword.

-It's okay- said a voice half in her mind, and half in her ear. -You don't need that anyway. Please come out here- She opened the door fully and stepped out on to the deck, into bright blinding white light.

 

-Relax Jeremiah, please. Do you know who I am?-

 

-It's okay Tayna. Do you know who I am?-

 

"You're the Author."

-Yes. That is correct. I've come to take you back-

 

"You reached fifty thousand words?"

-No, but my time has run out. It doesn't matter any more-

 

"I'm going home?"

-Yes. I'm sorry I put you through all this-

 

"What about me?"

 

"No! Tay, don't go!"

 

-I am so sorry Bob. Cute, and fluffy and pink as you are, you belong to the story, You are a literary device, nothing more. I can't take you with me-

 

-She has to Tegan, dear, sweet child. She doesn't belong here. I am truly sorry-

 

"But-"

 

Jeremiah stood as the figure held out it's hand, and took a step towards it.

 

Tayna stepped towards the bright light, to see encased within it was a female figure, who held out her hand.

 

-Come-

 

Jeremiah reached out, tentatively before suddenly stopping and looking back towards Bob, the fluffy and fuchsia dragon.

 

Tayna reached out her hand, but hesitated and looked back towards Tegan, being held back by Liz Rimstone.

 

"But I-"

-They are but characters. They are not real. Do not feel bad about leaving them. If you have formed attachments to them, it is because I have written them well. I am pleased if this is the case, but the time has come. Do you not want to return to the real world?-

"Yes, but-"

 

"Bob-" said Jeremiah.

 

"Tegan-" said Tayna.

 

"Chip-"

 

"Captain Rimstone-"

 

"Sniff-"

 

"Serra-"

 

"Madame Fox-"

 

"Joe-"

 

"Jeffreys-"

 

"The Thingumy-"

 

"All gone..."

-No. They will live forever in this novel. Every time it is read they will become alive again. They will live on in the mind and memory of whomever reads this. They cannot die, as long as there is a copy of this work somewhere in the world. They will never vanish, or fade. Their colours will remain vivid long after you and I have withered and passed to the other side of day. That is their blessing as story book characters. That is our curse as mortal humans. Think of Beowulf, he is several thousand years old, is he not? The same is true of Jason and his Argonauts. And yet still with every telling, these characters are as bright in the mind's eye as the day they were written. No, these characters of mine, Madame Fox or Bob the fluffy and pink dragon, will not die or fade as we might. They will reside here safely enough. You can leave here with sound knowledge that they will always be here for you too look back upon-

"Well, I suppose, since you put it like that."

-Come-

 

The figure extended her hand towards Tayna and with one last small glance back, one flashed smile of fare-thee-well at Tegan, Captain Rimstone, Serra and the rest of the pirates, she took the hand.

 

The figure extended her hand towards Jeremiah, and with one last small glance back, one last apologetic fare-thee-well smile towards the pink, possibly fuchsia, fluffy dragon that is Bob, he took the hand.

 

They are surrounded, embraced, by the bright light. Their world becomes light. For the moment, it is all they know. It is like being born again. They feel cleansed by the light, refreshed. It is like standing naked on a snow field. It is like drinking fresh spring water. It is like the smell of sunshine. It is like listening to a note sung by a choirboy and the resonant silence after it has faded. It is like a deep state of meditation.

-We are here. You may open your eyes-

They are stood in a room. A bright white room. In the centre of this room there is a desk, covered with debris of sweets and junk food and the empty bottles of caffeinated liquids. Under it all there is a computer terminal. They look at each other, and see they are both dressed in clothes of white cloth, simple shirts and trousers. As the persistent glow of the room fades, and their eyes become clearer, they see that behind the desk, typing like mad, there sits a girl. She is also dressed in white, but this time a dress, that contrasts sharply with her red-brown hair. She looks up at them and they see her azure blue eyes are red rimmed and bruised from lack of sleep and too much staring at the VDU. She smiles at them, a mixture of triumph and sorrow. Her final words are simple:

"Welcome home."

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