Lost In Fiction

EVERYTHING IS FADING AND BECOMING UNCLEAR NOW.

BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN.

IF YOU'RE READING THIS…

- THE END-

"Huh?"

Duke murmured with a confused expression as he swiped back and forth on his phone, but the page stayed the same indicating there were no other pages left. This was the last and the end.

A young man who looked below 20 could be seen sitting on a chair with a phone in his hand, swiping repeatedly on it. He had an average look with short black hair.

'But it can't be it,' Duke thinks to himself. The author of the story he was keenly reading seemed as though he wanted to say more. And he wishes he did say more.

Duke sagged on his seat not bothering to take his gaze away from his phone.

"Noooo!" He screamed after a while, drawing his sister's attention.

His sister, a young lady in her late twenties was in the kitchen in the small apartment when she heard her brother's scream, knowing how he was, she didn't worry too much as she stepped out from the kitchen.

"Keep it down will you? At this rate, you might get sucked into your phone." She said.

Duke paid no heed to the voice but instead, he kept thinking of what to do with himself now that the one story he spent most of his time reading, had come to an end.

"What are you up to this time? Lost a bet?" The feminine voice asked again and without waiting for Duke to respond, she flung his phone from his hands making him stand immediately.

"Hey! Give that back!" He commanded but instead she laughed out loud. Her raspy laugh soon turns into a fit of cough.

Duke seized that moment to snatch his phone away from her hold.

"Fix that god- awful sound." He mutters before walking past her.

"Oh, now I see the reason for the foul mood." She started again as she 'dutifully' followed behind. "The sucker of a story you've been reading for the past ten years has come to an end."

"You should be glad, at least you now get to live a little." She added.

Duke doesn't respond. He grabbed his backpack from the couch and started heading out towards the exit.

"When I say live a little, I don't mean bury yourself with wo…."

"You are miserable, Sis." Duke spat out, cutting her off hoping that would shut her up. Before he got the chance to exit the room, she responded.

"They say misery loves company love, get used to it!" she yelled after him just as soon as Duke closed the door banging it a little harder than usual.

Duke stood on the 'Welcome Mart' of the entrance as he took a moment of silence to take in a deep breath hoping it would calm his head. But when his sister's head appeared out of the window with a cucumber in her hands to emphasize her point as she mouthed 'Go get laid!' he pushed away from where he stood, venturing into the streets.

As Duke walked down the streets, he thought of the job interview he was on his way to. He had lied numerous times about his job to his sister, but he knew he couldn't put up with it for long. He needs a job and he needs to be responsible.

As much as that crazy fellow he had as a sister gets on his nerves every now and then, he was forever grateful to her.

Duke cleared his throat and started to go over his interview questions.

"My name is Duke. I love work…"

Of course that wasn't true. But he needed the job. Duke had no hobby that seemed fitting to tell the interviewer that would land him the job.

His main hobby is reading serialized novels whenever he can, which is all the time. Except for the few occasions when his sister, who he refers to as 'witch', leaves her coven and comes to his room.

People might wonder why he was making a fuss over the ending of a novel, when he should be worried about getting the job he was onto. But the truth is, the story in particular is very special to him. He has been reading it since he was eight, and now he is eighteen. He read it when his parents died in a car accident, he read it when he was bullied in school. He read it when he failed an entrance exam and ended up in a two-year degree college. Even now as a soon to be worker and an adult, he still reads it.

It's bittersweet that the fictitious world he has been following for so many years is now coming to an end.

A Grand series consisting of 4,000 episodes. A Ten-Year Epic Journey that began in his early years and ended in his youth.

Duke can't believe the series went on for so long with just an average view count of one. The first chapter had around 1,500 views, but by chapter Ten, there were only about 20 views. Then the view count dropped to 12 by Chapter 30. And now… he is… was the only one reading.

Duke took pride in reading it, thinking; it was a story written for him and himself only.

Duke stopped walking and brought out his phone. Maybe it wasn't the end as he had thought, maybe the author is just currently going through challenges so he temporarily put a stop to the story. Maybe.

Duke wanted to support the author with a donation… but it was hard for him to even make ends meet. So Instead, he decided to thank the author by writing a comment.

'Thank you for everything! I'll be looking forward to an epilogue if indeed the story has come to an end.'

After hitting send, he gently put back his phone in his pocket. The train station wasn't far from where he resided, hence why he got here on time. As he awaited the train he couldn't help but think to himself.

If he were in a different genre… if the genre of his life wasn't non-fiction but fantasy, could he have been the protagonist?

That answer was far fetched. But what he does know; it's that the genre of his life is non-fiction. And in the genre, he was no protagonist, not even a side character. He was merely a "Reader".

Immediately the train came to a stop Duke's phone buzzed.

A message?

As he walks inside he taps on the message icon to display the full message.

'THANK YOU! Thanks to you I finished my story. Name a thing you desire and I will do it for you, Duke.'

Duke sat down with a puzzled expression. He wasn't puzzled because the author wanted to do something for him, rather, he was puzzled because the author knew his real name. He never used his real name with the account he's using to read the novel. Before he could ask how he came about his name, another message came in.

'I don't have much time, kindly tell me what you desire and I will get it done.'

With that said, Duke forgot about how he had come about his name. He began to think hard on what he wanted. He seemed to know a lot of things he had wanted till now. Duke's head suddenly went blank.

Not having enough time to think, he began to type whatever came to his mind.

'I don't know. What I do know is whatever that comes from you will be duly appreciated.'

Author responded immediately.

'How about a live adaptation of the story? You'd get to be in it.'

Duke froze when he heard this, not to sound like he didn't like the option after saying whatever the author offered would be appreciated, but he just finished the novel. He spent a good amount of his time on it so he basically lived through it. Duke wasn't sure acting was his forte especially for a novel that he loved so much. What if they altered some specialties that made the story essential?

As if the Author was reading his thoughts from wherever he is, another message came in.

'The only change you will experience is adapting to the change, be rest assured.'

'Okay, then. I'm up for it'

Duke texted back with so many uncertainties. Maybe, just maybe he would make him the protagonist, and he would get paid! He has seen so many people benefit off acting, he could too. That would be so cool! Achieving something he was never able to do in reality.

And then it hit him, what if the movie adaptation is just as stagnant as the novel?

Duke wondered.

Well, at this point it didn't seem to matter to him. If he did fine with the way it was before he bet he could do the same again… even better.

'Bring out the item in your pocket.'

Without bothering to check, Duke sent a text in response.

'There's nothing in it.'

'Check'

And Duke did, and to his utmost surprise, there was a lollipop.

"Huh? How did that get in my pocket?" He wondered out loud.

'Maybe my sister left it there.' He told himself after a while. 'She's weird like that.'

With that, Duke placed the lollipop in one hand and used the other to check for more content, but there wasn't.

He gently removed the wrap and opened the lollipop before placing it in his mouth. He picked back his phone and he almost froze at the new message.

'The lollipop tastes nice, doesn't it?'

Duke spat the lollipop out on instinct and stood up. He looked from his left to right, inspecting the faces. None of them seemed suspicious. He went back to his phone.

'Sit and let it take its course, don't be afraid.'

But that only freaked him out the most. He made his way out of the train but his vision suddenly went blurry. He felt funny… so many voices echoed in his head at once. Darkness etched all around him, threatening to take over. After a futile attempt to stay awake, Duke finally gave in to the darkness.