Cloudsea - The Chronicle of Alice Van Vaugen

You know what? Alice agreed with the universe for once.

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"You should run, run I say! You are in danger!"

The guy shuffles a little bit- not nervously though. He adjusts his sunglasses and grips his pile of paper in both hands. As he talks, Alice thinks about his voice. It's gruff, and reminds her of a master she had, who also smoked constantly. But at the same time, it made her think of herself, as a child- when she used to read, and do the voices for the characters in her own head- and sometimes NOT in her own head. Something about him was just- constantly off.

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"I'm always in danger. Life is dangerous. You could be walking down the street and get stabbed between the ribs by some dirty deviant who doesn't even care what you got in your pockets. Your friend is just keeping an eye on us, right? As long as you're convinced I'm not trouble, I'm safe. Right?"

". . .Right. . .So. Where did you get those clothes? They kinda- stand out. And what is that you're smoking?"

"Ah- Ha! Yes. My clothes. They're nice, aren't they? They come from beyond the Imperial borders. The fabric is smooth. Good for spills. Bad for burns. Gotta watch my ash- Same goes for this stuff- Although I found this myself. Growing on and island. Always looking for something new and interesting. Tried it fresh, dried, found the best way to have it is actually- Ah, you're probably not that interested. It's not illegal, if that's what you're asking. Yet, anyway. I've been working on growing some more, seeing if I can start a business. Or just have a bunch more for myself. Can't decide yet. I get most of my business from writing, after all."

He talked a LOT. Alice just watched him. He was all over the place. He was like- It was hard to describe. But it was like he said. He wasn't crazy. You could call him a lot of things. But he was- there. And- oddly aware. Alice looked past him to Viss, who was just within arms reach, and had been there for a little while. She looked confused. Alice looked back at him.

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"So, what's with the papers?"

Suddenly, he froze. He looked at Alice. He pushed up his sunglasses. He looked tired. His eyes were sunken. Red. Unfocused. For a brief moment, Alice was simultaneously afraid and sorry for this man. The amount of energy he was using. . . She wondered if he even know where he actually was.

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"You aren't- You aren't going to ask me about that avelle? Or where you can get something to drink? Or how I know who you are?"

"I WAS planning on asking that last one and- Are you a mind reader?"

"HA! That's- that's a good joke. Mind reader- You are. . . Serious. Hm. No, No no. Mind reading would be too easy. Too easy. What I do is much harder. Much much harder. You were asking about my papers. . ."

"Yes. . .?"

"I can show you, but not here. Not with all these- PEOPLE near by, with their thoughts and their breathing and- horrible- screaming mouths."

". . .Excuse me?"

"Your muscular friend, in the alleyway. I'm going to walk over that way, so I won't be getting away. We can talk more there."

With that, he turned, and walked towards the Alley. Alice looked at Viss. Viss shrugged to themselves, and slipped away the knife that Alice wasn't even aware she had out, until now. Viss went first, and Alice followed. When they got there, the guy was sitting on a crate that had been left between the buildings. Qhen was standing nearby, watching him.

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"This has gone beyond- strange and amusing, all the way to mysterious and confusing and a little worrying. We can talk now, yeah?"

"Sorry. Can't be sure when the agents of darkness are. Gotta be vigilant. The fate of more than just the CloudSea is at stake. It's a big game of cards you're playing."

". . . And this has something with a book you're writing?"

"Not just any book."

He waved the pile of papers in his hands. Dust- ash? Shook off of them. He flipped through them. As if he was counting them. The pages were hand bound, with thick thread passed through the sides of the page multiple times. It was fairly well made. Then he passed it to Alice, and she opened it up.

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"Huh?!"

"What is it?"

"It's just some weird garbage poetry isn't it! Or- It's lurid drawings or something, isn't it! Just say the word and I'll give him the end of my dagger! Or let me see!"

". . .What the hell. . .Is this?! Who are you?! How do you know who I am?! What is this?!"

". . .Alice. . .?"

"This ISN'T just a book!"

"It's your book."

"What does that mean?"

"... Wh- This is-"

Alice was no longer amused. She stopped being amused the moment she opened the book. It was a very rough- VERY ROUGH first draft. Not written either. Printed. They have a home-print machine?

It was called 'The CloudSea Chronicles: Allison Vargas'. Below that it mentioned 'Book 1'. It was- fascinating, in a terrifying way. How did he know all of this? How did it all seem so familiar, yet so- wrong? There were just enough details. . . Misplaced, Incorrect. . . It was a broad telling of a story. Her story. The name was wrong. All the names were wrong. But it described them all the same. It talked about muses. It talked about their internal struggles. Alice wondered if the thoughts written in here were actually the thoughts of Qhen and Viss. . . She closed the book. Her fingers gripped the pages a little tighter.

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"I'll ask you one more time. Who are you? What is this? How do you know who I am?"

"I don't know."

"That's not good enough."

"I know. But I don't. I just- woke up one day. I must have... burned out. Complete self immolation. My brain was full of sparks and lights. There was blood everywhere. . ."

"Wait- hold on."

"And I had a typewriter- and I had my clothes, and some books. I can only guess I was a writer, and I was halfway through writing that book you're holding."

". . ."

"I read it. I had a drink. I passed out. I woke up with voices in my head. Chattering away. Telling me things. Like a bunch of screeching, hooting beasts, they told me to write. FORCED me to write, you understand? Practically held me at gunpoint! So I typed, and I learned more- and then I learned that we would meet today. I had to see you. I had to get answers."

". . ."

"You don't believe me. That's good. That's good. It means you got a good head on your shoulders. Just let me leave. You can keep the book. Won't hear from me ever again. I've been thinking of giving up writing. It's a horror show, you know? I've had the editors sending me letters. I guess I write for the Histicions. Crazy, huh? What'cha gonna do?"

". . .So why did you freak out when I asked about the book?"

"Freak out? No. No. Relieved. All these voices in my head. The things I was writing down. I was starting to think I had blasted myself into some sort of sagely bullshit. But you didn't ask the same questions. Still not a coincidence, but it means that I'm not writing the exact future. Who would want that kind of power?"

". . . Do you know where that. . . 'avelle' is? Or where I can get a drink?"

"I know where you can probably find both."

"Good. You're coming with us, I'm buying."

"How can I turn down an offer like that? Can I have the book back? I'm uncomfortable with it being out in the open for so long."

". . . I wanna read it a little more first, but I'll put it in my pouch, if it'll make you feel better."

"A little. Follow me. There's this lovely place down the street. You certainly picked a good place to come for drinks and company! This is technically a CloudSea hub! You can get all sorts of great shit here."

???? got up and started to walk down the alley. Qhen and Viss looked at each other, and between them, silently decided that Qhen would follow him closer. Viss stuck closer to Alice.

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"I some of that- It's. . . What the hell is going on, Alice?"

". . .Serious enough to make you drop the cute act?"

"My cuteness is never an act. You'll fall for me one of these days."

"I don't know what's going on Viss."

"What are we doing?"

"I want to meet that 'avelle'. I want a drink. I want to sit down, and I want to think. I don't KNOW what we're going to do. I'm hoping the universe will give me a hint. I am- at a loss for words."

"Aliss is talking plenty, though."

". . .How about you guys? What comes next? . . . Have you been talking to him?"

( ) [Alice is at a loss for options. She needs help here.]