The Void Writer

Theodore Payne, he's well known in the writing industry as one of the best selling romance author on the market. With every stroke of his pen as he writes down stories, people were sure to weep in tears as he create profound and tear-jerking stories.

He has been rewarded by countless awards and money despite being at a young age. Author's around the world are amazed at Theodore accomplishing tons of awards despite being at a young age. That's why every famous author in the world has heard of his pen name, 'Adamo'. It's a Latin word that means, 'to fall in love.'

But everyone knows that Theodore does not fit his pen name, 'Adamo.' He was too cold, stone faced and most of all, careless. He simply does not care.

Every time Theodore was brought in a party hosted by rich old ugly men, people there would approach him introducing their own daughters. Sacrificing their own child to get a future wherein they'll be close to Theodore. But his reaction whenever someone does this? "F*ck off." Two words and every people around him would scatter.

They knew they couldn't control this child despite being at a young age. That's why the same people took advantage of this to drive Theodore out of the literary industry. He was too good to fight with stories. So the only way they can beat him? Brute force.

Sudden rumors of Theodore ghost writing his stories spread like wildfire across the world. Headlines began to be titled, 'So called genius and multi-award winner Theodore A.K.A [Adamo] is actually a ghost writer!?'

No one had evidence against him. But these people against Theodore has something up their sleeve. It's his attitude.

As Theodore was invited in one of the afternoon talk show, the entire writing industry was focused on it. Was a well renowned author to be exposed as a liar as he hired someone to ghost write for him or will the truth unfold that Theodore was actually writing all those stories?

The energetic host, Jera begins to welcome everyone in his talk show. "Welcome everyone to our afternoon talk show, Heaven's Will! Today our guests are the two well renowned authors in the writing industry! Here we have Liam Herd, has produced three great books about action, fantasy and drama! And on the other side we have Theodore A.K.A Adamo, all of his book has become a hit everywhere! His tear-jerking love stories has managed to be a best-seller and has always received an award every publish he makes! But is it really his work? There seems to be rumors flying around that Theodore was actually hiring someone to ghost write for him? And for those who are new to the writing industry, ghost writing is basically hiring someone to write for you and you can publish this ghost writer's work as your own. What's your take on this Liam?"

Liam Herd, with his handsome face and looks, it was obvious that everyone will listen to him. He just need to blabber his mouth in this talk show and slowly destroy Theodore's life. "I believe it."

His words made all the people watching say 'woah' since no one was expecting Liam to say that. Jera, the talk show host, made use of this unexpected declaration and began to ask questions. "Woah, why do you think so Mr. Liam?"

"Well..." Liam looked down and up on Theodore. "Look at Mr. Adamo. He's just a kid. A teenager. He's a kid in his thirteen and you're telling me that a kid managed to put out five best-selling books these past three years? I mean, the first time I saw him, I couldn't believe it myself! A ten year old managed to outsell my own book by a lot! I thought he was just a genius. But as the situation unfolds, the more I believe the rumors."

Jera tried to press on Liam more with even more questions. "Do you have any basis of this claim? We're about to change the future of a best-selling author with five books! And he's a child nonetheless!"

No one caught it but Liam smiled but soon came back to his normal appearance. "I can't prove that he did indeed ghost write. But I can prove something else."

Jera became even more intrigued. "Oh! What is that then?"

"His attitude." Two words and it left the watchers confused.

"Attitude...?" Jera was confused too.

"His attitude as we know of is cold and basically he doesn't care about anything. I once invited him on my party and several people introduced him to their daughters but you know what he said? 'F*ck off' HAHAHA! The faces of those old farts were priceless. Oh- what? Was I not allowed to- oh. Apologies everyone." He then brought out a nervous laugh. He then began to act serious once again. "Going back on the topic, how can a ten year old manage to write five best-selling books all about romance!?"

Jera began to understand his reaction. "Now that you say it..."

"Right?" Liam looked around as if trying to let everyone know to back him up. "He's emotionless, doesn't care about the beauty of the women my colleagues showed him. And right now would you look at him! He's just drinking down the orange juice you gave him and not giving a care about what's happening! How can an emotionless, stone-faced, cold, ten year old kid write a heartwarming, heart wrenching and a heart breaking story which led to millions of people crying! Think about that!"

"I completely agree with you there Mr. Liam. It seems that he doesn't care about anything at all yet his characters and how he describes the characters in his book shows genuine affection about someone." Jera is now 100% siding with Liam.

Liam followed up with a controversial declaration. "Also one more thing, I know this kid can't experience love. Well... See? I know that I might be sounding rude right now or downright cruel but everything about it just leads to that conclusion. That's why I'm sure that these rumors are one hundred percent true."

~~***~~

"These people doesn't understand it at all." Is what came running through Theodore's head.

As he sat down at the talk show not caring about anything even though he's getting berated and defamed in front of millions, all he could think about is how to write his next book.

Since he was a child, he was known as a bright, cheerful child. His early days as a child were filled with colors and imagination as his parents fed him hundreds of books at an early age. He didn't hate it at all. He loved every single second of it.

Every time he read something, one thought always came across his mind, "A bigger world than mine." That's why he thoroughly enjoyed it. He explored other worlds before anyone can. He has forged another reality by reading books.

That's why he got into writing. He started off with short stories and every single time he showed it to his parents, a gleeful smile was the thing that he always received. Then it turned into poetry then final, full fledged novels.

Despite being ten years old at the time, he's always considered a genius.

Then suddenly one day, he finally want to become an author. That became his dream.

"Mother, father!" With his gleeful smile, he ran up to his parents as they opened up their arms to receive him. He dived into their arms for a big gentle hug. "Hey, hey! I got an idea! Since I really want to make my stories public... can my first story about you two!"

"Huh..?" His mother was confused. "What do you mean by that Theodore?"

"Well... I'm always writing fantasy and it bore me so I wanted to try out something else."

"And that is?"

"Romance!"

As his mother smiled, "Oh my little Theodore, you're still to young to understand that."

"But I want to learn more about you two! Isn't that right dad!?" Theodore looked with puppy eyes at his father.

"Uh..." As his father held the newspaper nervously as he can't take his son's puppy eyes, "Well... I think it's fine."

"Dear!" Theodore's mother looked at him worriedly. After a few moments, she sighed heavily. "Well I guess you're at that age... I think. Well then, shall we tell you our love story?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Theodore replied gleefully.

"Calling it a love story... well..." His blushing father hid behind the newspaper. "I guess it's fine."

"So!" Theodore began to ask questions, "How did you meet mother!"

"Well... Here's how it all started."

His parents began to tell him their tale of how they met, they developed, marriage and their current life as of now.

Theodore began to write every single piece of detail, every success they achieved, every heartbreak they felt, sadness, happiness... Everything Theodore wrote expressed genuine feelings.

And after a few months, Theodore finished writing the story of his mother and father. And it was a masterpiece. With every chapter unfolded, tears were to be shed, happiness to be felt and a heart wrenching pain to be shared with the character in that book.

He was ready to step into the professional world. Just as he was to publish it, something happened at the night of April 4, 20XX.

Theodore busted open the door which caused a loud sound echoing throughout their house. He began to ran up to his father's bedroom to surprise him. He had a gift for him, a notebook and a pen. "Father! I'm home! Surprise! Happy Bir-..." He knew he saw something that he isn't meant to see.

"Theodore! Why are you ho- Ah-" His father hid the woman that's embracing him tightly under the blanket. "Ah- ha- hahaha, oh Theodore, uhh keep quiet about this to your mom would you? It's just a business meeting. Don't worry about it."

"Theodore? Dear? What's wrong?" Theodore's mother shouted from downstairs.

"Ah- ha- f- father... why?" Theodore began to shake and fell down due to shock.

"Theodore! What are you saying!? This is nothing more than a meeting. Don't worry about it." His father began to make excuses.

But Theodore was no fool. He's educated and knew what this situation and how heavy of a sin he caused. "I'm no fool father! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" His words echoed throughout their entire house.

His shout caused his mother to worry so she ran upstairs. "Theodore what's wro- DEAR!" Theodore's mother covered his mouth with both of her hands. "Why..?"

"Hey, this is a misunderstanding! Tell him Theodore!" His father began to make pathetic excuses.

Theodore couldn't do anything but remain silent at the shock.

"Why did you do this!?" His mother got incredibly upset.

"What do you mean why!? As I said this is a misunderstanding!" His father began to bring in even more lies.

"Misunderstanding? Then tell me why is a naked woman in her twenties hugging you like there's no tomorrow!? SO TELL ME!? HOW CAN THIS BE A MISUNDERSTANDING!?"

"You... you B*TCH! IN HIGH SCHOOL YOU CHEATED ON ME TOO!"

"THAT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO! I CHANGED, I BEGAN TO APPRECIATE THE LOVE YOU GAVE ME SO I BEGAN TO RETURN IT BACK TO YOU! JUST BECAUSE I CHEATED ON YOU TWENTY YEARS AGO MEANS THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO IT!?"

Just as the two of them began to shout at each other exposing each other's wrongdoing, Theodore finally realized it. All those romantic stories his mother and father told him were nothing but fabricated lies. Their so called love story was nothing but fiction. The masterpiece he created was all lies.

His father had enough of this conversation and began to snap. "I have enough of this you b*tch! You think you'll get this far in life without my money!?"

His mother also began to fight back, "Then would you have gotten this far without my support!?"

"Grr..." His father clenched his teeth and his rage was at a boiling point. He ran up to Theodore's mother and grabbed her neck and slammed her at the ground. "I have given you everything! My house, my car and to be the bearer of my first child! I have forgiven you OVER AND OVER AGAIN! But you know what? I have my own life to live. That's why I go outside and mess around with other women. BETTER!" He slammed her head on the ground. "THAN!" and again, "YOU!" and again.

"I have changed! And I thought you did too for the best. But what is this you're doing to me? You're killing me dear. Cheating on me, spending our money recklessly... I began to change when I truly fell in love with you. I discarded my old life of living... But look at what you did dear! YOU DESTROYED OUR FAMILY!"

"Shut up..." His grasp on his wife's neck began to tighten. "SHUT UP! If I let you go now you'll ruin my future and my company." With a wry smile on his face, he began to tighten it even more. "I can't have you doing that can I? AHHHH!!!" He began to strangle her with intense force.

Even though Theodore was paralyzed at the side because of the shock, he knew he only had one thing to do to save his mother. Out of the thousands of books he read, he knew what to do. He ripped open the gift he was supposed to give to his father and grabbed the ballpoint pen and released the tip of the pen.

As he clamped both of his hands together, he struck the nape of his father with all his might.

"T- T- Theodore? W- what are you... doing?" His father meekly tried to reach over the ballpoint pen that was stuck on his nape and tried to remove it but he simply died before reaching it.

One of his emotions died right then and there.

Her mother was simply in shock as she laid there in the floor looking at the ceiling but soon snapped back to reality just as she realized what had happened. He looked at Theodore and placed her hands on his cheek. "I- It's going to be okay Theodore. Don't worry."

But Theodore had a blank face on him as he looked at his father. "..."

"Theodore! Look at me!" Her mother lightly tapped his cheek. "It's going to be okay." She stood up and began to rustle through her husbands clothing and the drawers of clothes. She then knelt down in front of Theodore. "Take this Theodore. Go to your auntie. You know where she is right?" His mother began to tear up. "Everything will be okay. You protected me, good job! Now, go to your auntie's house. She'll be there for you."

Theodore began to shed tears with a blank face. "..." He was just taking everything a bit late.

But her mother began to reassure him. "Don't cry! Don't cry! You're a strong boy right? You have a future ahead of you. Now go! I'll handle everything here!" She then pushed Theodore to outside the door. "Go Theodore!"

"Mother..."

"THEODORE! GO!"

He knew he couldn't disobey his mother so he began to ran outside.

"I love you Theodore."

He ran to his auntie's house and knocked on the door. "Auntie..."

His auntie opened up the door. She's Isabella Neridia, in her late twenties, wearing a t-shirt and some shorts getting ready for bed. She's an incredibly beautiful woman who's a friend of Theodore's mother. "Who's knocking at this hou- Theodore! My god! Wh- what's happening!" With Theodore's bloody splattered clothes, his auntie was incredibly shocked. He brought in him the house. "Theodore! What's wrong!? Talk to me!"

But he just stood there with a blank face. "..."

"I'm sorry. I'll let you rest for now. Take a shower and sleep upstairs after you're done." Her auntie knew that he's in no state to talk right now. "It seems that he's going to live this down as a trauma whatever happened to him." She thought to herself.

Theodore spent the night whole awake looking at the ceiling looking back on this event.

Day came and a breaking news appeared on the screen. As the headline suggests, 'Homicide-Suicide by the Payne family.'

Theodore's heart dropped as he fell on the ground as he watched the tv. Her auntie were scared of the sudden noise so she went ahead and checked on Theodore. "Theodore, what's wrong?" As soon as she saw Theodore on the ground, she looked at the tv. "My god..." She realized what's happening.

With a blank face on the reporter's face on the tv, she began to show the world what's happening. "Just now at 8:30 AM, April 5, 20XX, we have discovered three dead bodies in the Payne household. Both the husband and wife are dead and another unknown woman. We will now be hearing reports on the police officer on the case."

The camera changed and is now locked on at the police officer. "Well we believe this to be a homicide-suicide case. Maybe the wife of the Payne household has discovered that her husband is cheating. Her husband didn't want her to ruin his life so he rushed at her and tried to strangle her neck. So she grabbed the closest thing near her which is a pen. This was supposed to be a gift to his husband since yesterday was his birthday. So going back, this pen is used to kill his husband by stabbing him at the nape while she was being strangled. But I'm curious as to why this woman knows how to kill a man with a pen. Most people in her situation would grab the pen and stab them at the side of their neck, bottom of their neck, stomach or at the stomach's side. But she went ahead and went for the killing blow on the nape of her husband. Which makes the statement of a homicide-suicide case even more believable. Because this means that the wife is planning this for a long time since she's knowledgeable about the killing. About the other woman in the house, it seems to be the woman that the husband is cheating on. She was sleeping throughout the entire shouting back and forth with the husband and wife seeing how she died on the bed with a knife on her chest. And finally the wife herself, committed suicide using a mountain climbing rope. They actually have a son but he's nowhere to be found. So if you're watching this, son of the Payne family, you might be instructed by your mother to run away but if you go to a police outpost, we will help you."

Silence was filled throughout the house of Theodore's auntie. Theodore was there staring blank at the tv.

Her auntie didn't know what to do at the situation. She moved closer to Theodore and hugged him tightly. "Everything is gonna be fine." She tried to stay strong despite her tearing up. She knew she had to. For Theodore. "I'm gonna take care of you. Don't worry about anything. I'll be here for you." She said as she caressed his back.

Few days later, he and her auntie went to the police station and confirmed that Theodore is alive. Few days after, the remaining assets and money his mother and father made were all given to him seeing how he's the only child they ever had. The auntie pleaded to the judge that Theodore being alive and well remains to be hidden and not announced. She said that, "I don't want Theodore to live his life to be constantly reminded of his past."

Theodore mustered up his courage and snuck at the middle of the night in his auntie's house to go back to his home. No one saw him so he just went right through the front door and thousands of emotions and recollections from his past came falling down on him like a waterfall. He was having a panic attack. He wanted to cry it all out but every single emotion that he has suddenly disappeared.

He continued to go in despite him having problems being in that home. Just to get one thing. His book. He brought it back to his new home, his aunt's house. As he opened the door silently, he saw his aunt standing behind the door knowing he'd do this.

She asked, "Are you okay?"

"...Yeah." Theodore replied.

"If you're going to sneak out just tell me first so I don't have to worry about you. I may not be your parents but I'll do everything I can for you."

He then said in a straight face, "Yes... you're not them. You're better auntie."

"I see. Thank you Theodore. "But a conflicted feeling welled up inside of his auntie. Happiness that Theodore accepted her as a part of a new family or sadness that he lost his love for his previous ones?

"..." Theodore then hurriedly went up.

Theodore opened up the book he brought with him and began to rip out the final pages of the book. "Love? Happiness? IT WAS ALL LIES!" Came running through Theodore's mind.

He found happiness as he ripped apart the final pages of the book. His thoughts went wild, "This... this is how it all ends? Mother? Father? Tell me, where the hell did you get the happy ever after ending? You said your love life was perfect. Then why are the both of you cheating on each other? And now... this conclusion? Haha... HAHAHA! Lies... Lies everywhere! Are your gleeful smiles as I wake up in the morning fake? As you happily told me your love story was it all just a ruse!? Is this what you call love? Is this the bond that you forged to make me!? If so I don't understand it. I don't understand love at all. That broken family that tried to rebuild from fake smiles, I don't want it. If this love story you told me were all fake then I'll show true love story just as you both showed me." Everything inside him, his happiness, sadness, fear and anger all just died.

Theodore spent days writing the final pages of his book. And as May arrived, Theodore sent his story to countless publishers and agents and thousands has become interested in him. His books was suddenly published online and published as a real book everywhere in the world. At age ten, he managed to write a best selling book.

He gave his earnings to his aunt to show appreciation for taking him in. She was hesitant to take it at first but Theodore insisted.

He began to grow more and more as an author but he didn't want to reveal his identity so every single time he went out not as Theodore but Adamo, he only revealed his first name and his pen name.

Everyone loves his stories. For the next two years, he only wrote and wrote romance stories.

And every time that he did, it would become incredibly famous. Because his signature story? Romance, Tragedy.

Every book he wrote ends with no one achieving a happily ever after. But it always manages to touch the hearts of millions. Because they all knew how relatable his stories were. Nothing ever works out in reality.

Death, breakups, cheating and countless other reasons. Theodore touched the hearts of millions but the question exists, has anyone ever touched Theodore's heart?

~~***~~

Going back to the reality show, Jera suddenly asked him, "Mr. Adamo, what are your thoughts on the matter?"

Theodore simply put the juice he was drinking on the table and stared intently at Liam. "I understand the frustration you're going through Liam. Getting overrun by a kid at a profession you've been at for the past... I don't know? Fifty years? Oh sorry was it fifteen? It just felt like that." The crowd laughed at Theodore's humor but he just said that in a blank face.

Jera tried to intervene with the pressure he felt from Liam's angry face, "Okay there bud, calm down! Wouldn't want you to have two scandals in a row in a day am I right? Hahaha!" Everyone followed up on Jera's laugh.

"Well you're in luck Liam. I will be laying low in the writing industry for a while."

"Are you quitting now because you're admitting that you're paying for someone to ghost write?" Liam asked him.

"You have seen me write Liam did you not? We went in a contest together. I mean, it'd be fine to say that you're jealous of me and would want to inherit my skills because that's basically what you're saying right now." The crowd were amazed seeing how Theodore was taunting Liam. "Well it's fine if you hate me because I got better sales than your novels. That's just life Liam." The crowd knew what Theodore was going to say and they all followed him, "Nothing ever works in your way."

Liam was gritting his teeth. He couldn't drive Theodore away from the writing industry. "..."

"I'll be entering high school soon so I won't have the time to write more stories. So I'll be in hiatus for a while. Well Liam, you have time to put out best selling books as your fans await for my return." Theodore stood up and looked back at Liam, "Ciao."

And just like that, Theodore's ghost writing speculations were cleared out in a single day.

As he returned home, her auntie's welcoming arms welcomed him. She gave him a big hug. "You did well Theodore."

"Auntie... why did you... make me want to stop writing?" Theodore asked her.

"Well..." She tried to make up an excuse. "You need to go to school. Just bear with it. You can still write in your free time but school needs to come first. You will be able to publish your stories after I decide on a date.

"You did save me and you're my family now."

She didn't know if she's happy with that statement as Theodore delivered it with a straight face. "A month from now you'll continue your studies as a middle school student. Now, hurry along. Go take a rest upstairs."

She watched as Theodore ran up to the bedroom upstairs.

"I'm sorry Theodore. This is all I can do for you." She thought to herself. She read the stories that Theodore wrote. It was twisted. She discovered how much pain Theodore is going through by reading his books. It was like Theodore is writing stories about himself but in another reality.

He lulls the reader into a false sense of security by giving the reader happy thoughts and how far the development of the romance in the story is. And then after everything reaches the peak, Theodore drops down a giant nuclear bomb on the reader. Showing how reality can be so cruel.

She began to think about his future, "Theodore you might hate me for sealing your talent but this is all I want for you. The books you've written, this is your father and mother's story isn't it? How they manipulated you into thinking their life was all too perfect and how they lied to you about love. That's why you need to go to school and get close to someone. Their love is the wrong kind of love they taught to you. I'm sure you'll find your way someday. I will do everything I can to prove to you that their love isn't the kind of love you think it is. I'm sure Theodore someday, you'll find someone who you can love with all your heart. And one day, you'll finally be able to write it Theodore. A happily, ever, after."