Chapter 25: 'I Wonder What Story You'll Bring Me'

Charlotte gazed intently at her teacher's portrait.

He looked much younger than when he was on his deathbed.

Unlike Mary Duchbury, he was set outside underneath a willow tree. His shortened black hair was gently tucked behind his ears, with one hand gripping the same book that brought Charlotte here. He was surrounded by water, with unclear reflections on the surface. The water wasn't muddy but crystal clear as one could feel the ice-cold touch if it were to make contact with the skin. His gaze seemed to be distant, yet intriguing towards something in the distance.

The portrait felt 'light' and soothing as Charlotte felt calmer at the sight of a familiar figure.

"I assume that was the person who gave you the book?" Mrs. Duchbury questioned.

"Yes, that is my teacher," Charlotte answered.

"I see... he was the sixth author to have come. I remember meeting him for the first time. He was strangely calm about the situation, much like his portrait. I remember he was more focused on how to get out of this place than the meaning itself, which I can't blame him for."

"Is that so... Now that you mention it, how exactly do I go out?"

"After you complete all our stories which will come very soon. For now, I'll help you create your own space."

They both returned to the door where they came out and stood in front of it.

"Now, I need you to close and re-open the door again."

Charlotte thought for a bit before asking, "To get rid of your space?"

"You catch on well," she smiled.

Charlotte closed the door and it was shut tight.

"So, do I just open it?"

Mrs. Duchbury simply nodded.

Charlotte re-opened the door and what greeted her was nothing short of chaotic.

The room itself was large, in terms of height, and circular. The walls were made of brown bookcases which reached towards the sky, not sure where they end. The walls were gripped by blue vines that just happen to swing around lightly.

There was a faint red glow from the book spaces as the books flew in a disorganized manner. There was a tea set just floating mid-air with a set of tables and chairs. On the floor was a rather large and comfy bed situated in the middle of the room.

The most bizarre detail of this room is the red glowing butterflies that just happen to float around. Their wings are made of disorganized squiggles, with holes in them, but strangely doesn't prevent them from flying.

"This is quite the sight!" Mrs. Duchbury marveled.

"This... is my room?"

Mrs. Duchbury lightly tapped one of the butterflies and they disintegrated into thin air.

"It seems like so," she chuckled.

"So how does the room work?"

"Well, the book would create a space that best reflects you, and in theory, it is the space you should be most comfortable with. Now the question of how it works depends on you. You are the master and you can make anything happen inside this space."

"So anything I imagine comes true?"

"Essentially so."

Charlotte walk towards the bed and sat on it.

The bed slowly rises and floats above the ground.

Charlotte grabbed the bed frame to make sure not to fall and looked back at Mrs. Duchbury with a delighted smile.

"It knows me well. Especially the disorganized part."

"It's more than just disorganization. It reflects your mind and personality."

"This is my personality?"

"From what I see so far, you seem to like to think. This might just be your mind."

Charlotte laughed and thought of a certain direction. The bed responded by moving in that certain direction.

With the floating bed, she looked through the books on the bookcase and found those were the books she has once read.

She went towards the table and chairs and thought of something. The table and chair immediately stood still. Charlotte slowly climb onto the chair and sat in it, she sunk into the cushion.

She cried out with delight and she thought of another thing. A tea set and some sweets pop up and naturally floated on the table.

"I really can imagine anything and it would just appear."

Throughout this, Mrs. Duchbury chuckles at her reaction and then spoke up.

"This door connects to the corridor we were just at so you can enter it through here. After you read my book, please do put it back."

Charlotte looked at her and responded, "Alright!"

"You can also enter the next story by opening the book of the second author. The initials are carved on the walls so you just need to look for it."

Charlotte then nods.

"So it is here we bid farewell. But this will not be the last time you will see me."

Charlotte moved the chair back down toward the ground. She walked towards Mrs. Duchbury to see her out.

"Then I will wait until I see you again."

Mrs. Duchbury smiled and then head out with the sound of tapping following behind.

It is when the door completely closes does the clackings stop.

Charlotte once again sat on the bed to read what Mrs. Duchbury wrote.

The protagonist was the Detective himself. The story starts with the very first murder that occurred. Our genius detective tried to find any connections to the body as well as any traces left but to no avail. He then went back home to seek his wife's consolation, which was Bertha. The story only vaguely mentioned the bakery as it is the place where the detective could get his favorite baked treat to help function his brain.

'I guess he was just too sharp so he noticed me being out of place. If he didn't notice, I would have never been quite involved with the police force.'

Throughout the murder cases, there was not much mentioned about the baker, the character Charlotte played. They only appeared here and there to give comfort or to ask about the case so that he can verbally explain it.

The murderer did end up tangled with the baker just like how Charlotte was involved with Charlie. Although the story doesn't go into detail about their entanglement, the baker does mention this to Cromwell which Charlotte didn't.

In the story, the detective came much earlier and it became a confrontation between him, Charlie, and Jack, with the baker as someone on the side. They will then reveal more once the baker gives more information but as the reader, they knew most of it early on.

Charlie was like what Mrs. Duchbury mentioned, a walking rumor, and she brought it to life with words.

The ending wasn't about how the detective caught Charlie but how he might catch her which provides a realistic standpoint of the situation. As in there is hope but very little of it. Not everything can be brought to justice.

'Overall, I quite like this style of writing. It isn't forced and was nicely paced just like how a nicely written thriller should.'

'It also nicely explains the weird time skips and fills in the gaps in what I already know.'

'I guess I ended up liking it more because I was in the story.'

'Maybe I should write mystery next...'

In the end, she created a notebook and jotted a few things down, and then closed the book.

Charlotte yawned and quickly fell asleep. She just read a full-length novel in one sitting after all.

After spending a few hours resting, she walked out and back into the corridor. She returned the book to its rightful place and began looking around.

On top of each pedestal was an engraving of a Roman number.

Charlotte looked at the portrait and began inspecting it.

There was a girl sitting in the middle of the portrait on top of a balcony, on top of a building.

It was a cityscape during nighttime, the lights of buildings glowing faintly in the background. The giant moon was behind the young girl, completely covering her in a dark shadow, leaving behind a dark outline. She sat half-turned, illuminating her blue eyes, some of which is blocked off by a few strands of black hair.

'She looks quite young and the background is more similar to my time.'

Charlotte looked at the book cover and read the title.

"A Bare Future by Rain Boman."

Charlotte opened the book and her vision became blurry.

'I wonder what story you will bring me.'