Stupid Steps to End
Chapter 6: You made me

The author did not answer me. He stayed silent for a few seconds and made me wait. His breathing sounds tired from behind the call. It was as if he did not want to answer this question.

[Yes.. Iknowyou. Of course I remember my own character. Did you come to watch The Hero's Journey too?]

"Author, why did you stop writing? Are you having any trouble?"

[... No. gabe. I'm doing fine. Why are you asking?]

The author took a long breath. Hearing her soft tone, I felt even more agitated.

"When are you going to continue the story?"

[I'll think about it sometime. If that's all you want to ask.]

"Author, you.."

—— Won't stop forever right?

[Hello? What did you say just now?]

I shut my mouth. I didn't dare to ask because I knew the answer would hurt me more than this.

I think I know the author. It's ridiculous for me to think so. As a writer, I think he poured everything into his work. Because he made me so in his story.

"Author, this world is destroyed when you stop writing. Do you know that?"

[... Yeah, I guess. Stories that are not updated for 6 months will be removed from the platform. But I didn't know all my characters were alive in that story]

"So you know.. Then why don't you do something? All your characters live and have their own lives! So you have to do something to save us!!"

I've never felt such a stifling emotion. Dry throat. Waiting for the answer, I could feel my eyes start to glaze over.

In fact, he had given up on ending this story.

"—— Author, since when did you lose motivation to write?"

[... I don't know. I don't remember it.]

"Do you hate writing your story?"

[I would never! If I didn't like it, I wouldn't have started writing in the first place!!]

I was silent to the author's objection. Holding my breath, I looked at the cinema screen playing the story of his first novel.

The first story tells of a forbidden love between a prince and a ugly girl who lives inside a church. The prince was a more valiant and courageous figure than anyone else in the world.

He swung the sword nimbly and unhesitatingly challenged heaven and earth as the two were not destined to be together.

This is the author's first story that is almost finished. The final chapter ends with me meeting the two after the war is over.

"Edmond and Liana. This is the first story you published"

This is my favorite story. Because in ceritabini, the author poured almost everything to the end.

I saw myself on the screen. Neat shirt and blonde hair tied one to the back. My appearance was far different from my current seedy appearance. Even so, my soul has never changed.

"Is this your favorite story?"

[This is the most memorable story for me. I really like this story]

The warmth of his words made me smile. Looking at the happy ending of the protagonist and the heroine on screen, I'm glad the author still loves the story he created.

"This story has been erased and we could have prevented it by giving it an epilogue"

The author at the time could have given her a happy ending forever and she decided not to. I felt terrible pain for the first time.

The consciousness that I have becomes a curse. In a world that turned to ashes slowly, I tried to resuscitate everyone. But my actions made me look like a madman.

In the end everyone in there died without ever knowing their own death.

As he begins a new story, I hope like a fool he won't repeat the same thing only to repeat a never-ending tragedy once again.

"What's your excuse? I want to try to understand you"

[... I thought as a writer you'd understand why I stopped doing it]

"What does that mean?"

.

.

.

[—— Don't you realize the audience seats in this movie theater are all empty?]

...****************...

I saw a plain white screen. Sitting still, I laughed at myself who was soaked in reality.

Other than you and me, no reader has ever read this story. Doesn't that mean my story isn't so valuable and good?

It was sad how I poured it all out but no one ever read it. I started writing to get away from the real world. I know I shouldn't have cared about that.

But when I seriously write, I feel more disappointed and sad in cyberspace.

I admire you how you can have passion because you write with your life as a bet. You are my ideal. But you know for yourself that I can never be you.

If only I had never realized it, I might not have been tormented like this. I should have continued to hope blindly that the author would write again.

Turns out I don't know you. It turns out you're different from me. Even if you tell me your reasons, I can't understand you because I wasn't made to understand you.

I. It's just something you made for your temporary pleasure. I made you smile because the story is where you escape from reality.

If my actions are too much for you, can I remove them?

You see me as a character. You think of me as a clown who entertains your day.

—— But I will never throw away this bitter and claustrophobic feeling that proves I am still alive in your world.

I will bring all the feelings you give me in my life no matter how much you hurt me.

.. Why do you care about this story? That doesn't make any sense. This story is nothing more than a disposable thing.

No. gabe. Your story is everything to me.

You can call crazy and silly. Because you're not wrong. Author, you're the one who made this stupid writer unable to give up. I'm the fool who risked his life to see the end of your story.

I am a stupid writer. As long as there are readers who read it, it's just you and me in that movie theater, I'll still write no matter how ugly it is.

—— I promise to end your story.