HiveComb

Shai wiped the tiny pores of sweat from her temples. It was a long day at a job she didn't like. She was only a waitress for the money. All she wanted was enough comfort to be able to spend the rest of her life writing.

In a fast-paced world. Writing was the only thing that brought peace and calm to her heart. She looked to the left and right of the bustling street before she crossed to the other side. All she needed was a quick meal, a cold bath, and a lovely book to end the day.

Shai looked to her right again before a moving truck distorted her view. The girl she saw made quite an impression on her. She looked very familiar and Shai could have sworn that she'd seen her before. Her hair was tied in two ponytails with a red band. Her thick multicolored socks drawn to her knees beneath a black pinafore dress made her look a little strange and out of place.

Summer was leaving but the air was still a little moist. Shai crossed the road hastily. She was now in front of her favorite restaurant. Suddenly, she saw the same girl she had seen seconds ago. She was peeking and smiling from the corner of the building. Shai, perplexed, returned her gaze to the other side of the street and back.

“Excuse me miss.” A voice jolted her as she stood blocking the entrance to the restaurant. Shai made her way inside. She spent the evening over a plate of pasta and apple juice. She returned a couple of emails and messages before she left the restaurant.

Her home was just a couple of blocks away so she decided to walk. Shai noticed that the leaves were changing color and the air was turning dry. She inhaled deeply taking in the crisp smell of cool air. Everything was changing and it almost felt magical. The moment reminded her of the sweet old days with her mother when she was little.

Shai recalled how her mother would read her bedtime stories. Her favorite was The Unending by an anonymous author. It was a popular book of its time and like its title, the story just had no end. It was about an enchanted city buried in the delicate feathers of time. The inhabitants lived in peace and harmony until one day. Some creatures of the night came lurking at their gates. They were called shadow eaters as they went from enchanted cities to magical towns consuming everything in their way. The story ends abruptly when the shadow eaters come to Whimsy Town. Did they eventually consume Whimsy Town?

“Ah-ha.” Shai blurted walking down the street. She knew she had seen that striking girl before or at least envisioned her in her head. The girl was dressed like a character from The Unending. As she thought harder, two characters dressed alike in the book. They were sisters, gatekeepers and first to sight the shadow eaters as they approached Whimsy Town.

Nostalgia filled her heart. Shai hurried home. She retrieved The Unending from a drawer in her bedroom. She was mesmerized by the dusty old book once again. The streaks of dust lining the hardcover seemed scintillating. Shai even thought she saw some specks of twinkling light.

She quickly took a shower and settled on her cozy bed. A moon lamp dimly lit the entire room and the atmosphere was perfect. Shai drifted into an enchanted world through each line she read. A world of modern kingdoms, queens, and castles quickly enthralled her and she felt like she had been inserted into the world.

As usual, she came to an unsatisfying end. “Did the shadow eaters destroy Whimsy Town?” She recalled always asking her mother that.

“I’m not sure why the story ends like that. But some old readers say that Whimsy is a real place and the author couldn't finish the story because she was stuck there.” Her mother had said.

Shai smiled. She had cherished those very beautiful moments when she was a child. She still did. For the first time, she imagined the fable to be true. She wished Whimsy was a real place and somehow, the story would have an end. She closed her eyes and began to imagine what it would be like.

Suddenly specks of light emanated from the book to her face. Shai felt dazed and she began to hear distant chaos.

“Thank goodness we were able to spark your imagination and make you read again.” A gentle voice roused her. Shai was bewildered when she opened her eyes. She had seen the girl from the restaurant earlier.

“You’ve got to help us now,” another girl blurted from behind her. There were two of them looking identical.

Shai, disheveled, looked around her trying to reconcile what had happened and where exactly she was. She knew this place too well in her head. Whimsy was a place with surreal picturesque buildings infused with nature. Massive trees stood flamboyant creating canopies that shielded the sky. Fruits hung within reach and fireflies made a spectacle as they hovered. There were characters from books and beings unimaginable. The air smelled of sweet berries. It felt like she was in the presence of somewhere from a distant past. She saw several people running around the town in a state of fear and confusion.

“It is you, isn’t it? It is you both from the restaurant and the book. You are Anna and Hanna. The gatekeepers. You aren’t just characters. You are real and so is Whimsy Town.” Shai blurted in amazement.

“Yes we are a story but we are real and you have to help us now. Write us an ending. Write the shadow eaters away from our gates.” Anna spoke with pleading eyes. She pointed to a tall black gate. Huge creatures clad in black and covered in smoke threatened to break the gate. “Close your eyes. There is no time.”

“But why haven’t you written it already?” Shai asked. She was starting to panic too.

“We can’t. A human like you created this story and only another one of you can finish it.” Hannah replied with eyes wide open as she looked at the gate.

Shai closed her eyes and when she opened them, all the chaos was gone. She was now back in her bedroom. She quickly grabbed a pen and paper and began to finish the story.

“……….and when the shadow eaters came lurking, Anna and Hannah were ready. Unknown to Whimsy Town, the two sisters had powers of immeasurable strength. With their wisdom and bravery, they were going to fight the shadow eaters. They were the gatekeepers and……..”

With a Joy-filled heart, Shai wrote the fate of Whimsy Town by giving glory to the girls who tried to help their town. She got the original book and glued the pieces she had written behind it.

She felt peace, fulfillment, and a sort of closure she had sought for the book. She was now enchanted by the charm of whimsy and she decided to start writing again.

Shai took a walk outside. The air was chill and a mild breeze caressed her skin. She knew it was the last night of summer and so she bade farewell as she anticipated change with a beautiful beginning.