[Altered Scene[New PC Shifts the Narrative[Inquire, Location]

  A very pretty woman, with brown hair and hazel eyes, dressed in a colorful peasant style Blouse and leather pants, entered the bakery.

  “Hi, welcome to Madd Maggies Magical Bakery, how can I help you.”

  “Hi my name is Bethany White, I’m looking for Paula Becker, is she here?”

  “I’m Paula, how can I help you?”

  “I was just at Enigmatic Parchments and a strange man named Sparky, told me you might be here. I’m blabbering, sorry. I blabber sometimes. I want to start a theater group here in Wyldwood. I just wanted to join a theater troupe but Sparky says you don’t have one. He also says that you used to manage one. So if I want to start one, I thought why not start at the top. I have some money from my grandmother's businesses so I can rent a proper theater if there is one.”

  “Well Bethany, it’s nice to meet you. I did manage an acting troupe but that was on Earth and I didn’t enjoy it much. I find actors to be a little too quirky for my personal taste. All that said, I’d be happy to brainstorm with you after my shift ends.”

  “Paula I heard all that, your shift just ended. If you need amateur actors, sign me up.”

  Lily came out of the back.

  “Sign up Salome too. If you’re going to the tower, Salome is there visiting Opal so ask her to sign up please.”

  “OK, thanks Lily.”

  “Alright Bethany, right this way”

  “Please call me Beth.”

  “OK Beth, lets go have a cup of tea and talk about your plan

  ***

  I found Salome with Opal, just as Lily said.

  “Salome do you want to join an amateur theater group?”

  Both girls shrieked. “Yes.”

  “Good, let's go into the annex and talk this over. Opal I’ll carry you in and put you in the chair by the window.”

  “Paula, I can walk just fine.”

  She hopped up out of bed, standing in bare feet on the cold stone floor. Before I scooped her up in my arms in a princess carry.

  “Salome grab a blanket, would you honey?”

  “Sure, Paula.”

  “Put me down Paula.”

  “Sure Opal, in the annex, in a chair by the window, covered with a blanket. I am afraid that if I let you get sick again, Rose might turn me into a bug. So I need to keep you safe, or it’s my neck on the line. Besides, if you get much fatter, I won’t even be able to pick you up.”

  I tickle her stomach until she starts to laugh, place her in the chair, and cover her with the blanket Salome brought.

  “OK, Opal, Salome, this is Beth. Beth may I present Princess Opal and her friend and my boss at the bakery, Salome. Girls Beth wants to talk about starting a theater group and we’re going to help her brainstorm. Salome and I will get the tea and cookies, you can’t brainstorm if your head is empty, right Opal.”

  “Right Paula.”

  We pulled a bunch of comfortable armchairs together.

  “So Beth, why are you interested in starting a theater group?”

  “Well my parents were actors but they died while traveling in a vicious storm. The bridge they were crossing collapsed. So my grandmother raised me, she wasn’t very maternal. She forced me into her business, which I wasn’t a good fit for. So I took my back pay and hit the road. When I saw Wyldwood I just knew it was the town for me. But Sparky told me there are no theater groups in town.”

  “That’s true, no theater and no actors troupe I know of. But as soon as you said you wanted to start one I thought of Rose and her Samhain party at the library. We could put on a show for the kids. My girlfriend runs the library, tomorrow morning we could go down and ask her permission. I’m sure she’ll grant it but I can’t speak for her. Doug, do you have any plays suitable for children with a minimum number of actors and the limited space available at the library.”

  “I have a couple of ideas for you, both suitable for Samhain first would be Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. It's set around a christian holiday, but it has a number of ghost rolls..”

  “Paula, who is that speaking?”

  “Sorry Beth I forgot to introduce Doug, Rose’s librarian and Daisy the resident ghost and Doug’s girlfriend.”

  “It’s nice to meet you Beth, and Paula, Daisy and I haven’t defined our relationship yet so pl… . Yes, of course I want you to be my girlfriend Daisy, I was merely pointing out to.. Yes, certainly dear. My girlfriend Daisy, would love to have a part in the play. The other play if you could get Rose to change all the parts to girls, would be Peter Pan. But a Christmas Carol would be easier to fit on the library stage.”

  “What about the “Wizard of Oz”

  “Yes Opal honey, that’d make a great play particularly for Samhain but we’d have a hard time fitting everything on the stage, maybe they could do it for a later performance once they get a regular stage. Talk to Lu, I think there’s a stage at the Jack in the Green that might fit all the actors. Taverns have traditionally doubled as theaters in the past, particularly in towns too small to build dedicated buildings.” said Doug

  “What about you Beth, did you have any plays in mind that you wanted to perform?”

  “No, nothing, to be honest I’ve never even seen a play before.”

  “Wow, how do you know that you want to be an actor.”

  “Well it’s in my blood, and you play a role. Who wouldn’t want a job where you play all day long and maybe just maybe someone might pay you too.”

  ***

  The next morning we headed to the library, just after nine. I’d stopped at Journeys End, the inn Beth was staying at. She joined Salome and me.

  “Hi Eldara, meet Beth White, she’s new to town and would like to start a theater group..”

  “Oh, it’s nice to meet you Beth, hi Salome, I want to be in the theater group as long as it doesn’t interfere with the book club, and hello there girlfriend.”

  “It won’t interfere, everyone who we recruited is in the book club, except for Beth and of course she’ll join the book club, right Beth?”

  “Sure, I love to read.”

  “Fantastic, we’ll bring you to meet Rose next. She is sort of the unofficial head of the club. She started it, she’s also a Bibliomancer and that room in the tower is where we meet. It’s her home. But the reason we’re here is we were wondering if we could do our first play or at least a few scenes here at the library for Samhain.”

  “Yes of course that would be really helpful actually, but I won’t be able to act or help with the play, the kids keep me pretty busy during the Samhain party. But I’d love to audition for your second production.”

  “That’s OK, you have a small stage, so I asked Doug for some suggestions that’d fit a small cast and stage and he suggested a Christmas Carol or Peter Pan, but they need to be modified so I guess the next stop is the book store.”

  ***

  “Sorry Paula, unless this is a life or death emergency, Rose is busy, she’s writing and can’t be disturbed. I’ll take a message and let her know that you all were here.”

  “That’s OK Sparky, we don’t want to disturb her while she’s writing, I’ll try to catch her at home later.”

  “She’s not going home till she finishes her writing assignment.”

  “Come on Sparky, cut her a little slack.”

  “Paula, you know full well that I’m very liberal with Rose. This is only the second writing assignment I've given her and the first one she broke every single rule I laid out for her.”

  “That does sound like our Rose,” said Salome. “Well I’ll head back to the bakery and give Lily a hand. Unless you need me to do anything else.”

  “No you head back, I’ll be right behind you. Beth this is about all we can do till we talk to Rose and make a plan. Why don’t we meet back here around five to see if Rose has finished for the day. OK?”

  “I didn’t mean to cut into your work.”

  “No, it’s not that. Lily is very understanding. But I just started working there a week ago. We want to talk to Lu as well as Rose because we’ll need music and Lu is a bard so two birds one stone. If those two are busy this evening, we can always write this up and present it to the book club. That way we'll have the potential for more people to join.”

  ***

  “Welcome to Madd… Welcome back Paula.”

  “Thanks Lily, I can take over here and wait on the customers if you have things to bake.”

  “Salome wanted to try baking the magical bakes, it’s her first time so be gentle OK.”

  “Of course. Welcome to Madd…. What are you doing here?”

  Lily yelled “Salome, get out here right now.”

  “I’m right in the mid..”

  “Right now. I mean it.”

  “Lily, I'm right in the middle of… Gods, it’s McCracken.”

  “I know that's why I called you.”

  “Hi, McCracken, I’m Salome. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Can I get you anything? Anything at all?”

  “Salome!”

  “Sorry Paula.”

  “What are you doing here? How did you get here? What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to see you. I used a portal muffin. Again, I’m here to see you. My turn, what are you doing here, we all miss you, specifically me. Why did you run away?”

  “I didn’t run away. Someone here needed help and asked for me. I’m working here as an apprentice. Tell everyone I said hi and I hope you all are doing well. So Talbert finally told you the truth, we’re fictional.”

  “First off, could we go somewhere and talk, that little girl keeps staring at me.”

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  “She’s not a little girl, Salome is a young woman and the senior apprentice, technically my boss. I’m working, I can't j…”

  “Go ahead Paula, your shift is over.”

  “Lily, I just started ten minutes ago.”

  “Yes well it’s a slow day so. We’re closing early. Go on, get out of here, go have a drink and hear the man out. Take him to Jack in the Green.”

  So that’s what we did. Lu was singing when I arrived but quickly wrapped up her song, rushed to the table and started shaking McCracken's hand.

  “McCracken, it's great to meet you. I loved that scene where you fixed the hacker tools for Paula, before that I was pretty sure you were a jerk. But that was your redemption scene for me. I’m Lu by the way. That kiss in the lobby of the Chicago hotel was hot. Not that I’m hitting on you, I'm a lesbian and I have a girlfriend. OK I’ll shut up now. I’ll give you both some privacy.”

  “Thank’s Lu.”

  “It was nice to meet you Lu. So a book club actually came into our book, Talbert told me but I didn’t really believe it.”

  “Yes they came into our book, and Tlbert confronted Rose, the head of the book club and a powerful sorcerer. Talbert enjoyed the book club and joined herself. But she never spoke to me before. Have you been talking to Talbert the whole time?”

  “No, yesterday was the first time I spoke to her. I’ve been searching all over England for you. I thought Trump had the C.I.A. extraordinarily rendition you.”

  “I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair and I apologize, that never occurred to me. Once I got here, saw what this place was like, I decided that this is my future. I’ve wasted my life for a corrupt agency that was willing to sell out our democracy, for a little more power. I should have had a proper chat with you before I left. But I was so shell shocked to learn that I was fictional, I was moving through a fog. I still find it hard to believe. How are you not freaked out? How do you know that Talbert didn’t send you here to try and get me back? You don't, you can’t. These Bibliomancers can’t just bend reality; they can smash it into bits.”

  “I’m a little freaked out about being fictional, but I’m an actor. So I’m fictional during work hours already. I don’t think Talbert sent me because some wizard / witch named Rose had a long talk with her about characters and agency and Talbert advised me against coming. She wouldn’t do that if she actually wanted me to come.”

  “Well I’m very freaked out about being fictional. I’m just glad it doesn’t seem to bother anyone here. But I still wonder if Talbert is pulling my strings.”

  “Look, we all come from somewhere right? At least we truly ‘know’ where we come from. ‘Non-fictional people have all sorts of crazy ideas. Evolution, Creationism, Reincarnation, Aliens and probably a thousand more theories. We know where we come from and she seems like a pretty nice lady.”

  “Yeah well you hadn’t wasted your whole life for the wrong dream. I did more good in the last few days at the bakery than I did in my entire career working for our government. Instead of trying to get revenge for my father’s death I should have been living my life. After Oxford, I should have either become a baker or a writer. Now I’m too afraid to write, to create characters and just play with their lives. Honestly I don’t even think our ‘world’ is real. It might be or it might be Talbert’s version of our world. Most times I hope that is true, because to know that a President of the US, wanted to become a dictator. I mean I never liked Trump, but I thought he’d do the right thing by his country. So I really hope it’s just the fictional version of the real world. Like the physicist’s many worlds theory. That’s more comforting. I never believed in heaven or an afterlife but supposedly Oberon and Titania made a deal with ‘death’ and had Tolkien brought here after he died. Where he now sits in the capital city Quintessence where he is a grand wizard like Merlin with King Arthur. So Tolkien does have an afterlife right but fictional characters how could they ever have an afterlife when they might not even have a life? So I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you. But I’m never going back, there is nothing there for me.”

  “Well, there’s me.”

  “No I’m sorry McCracken, I used to hate you, Now I’m fairly fond of you but that is as deep as that was ever going to go. Do you want me to take you home?”

  “What you have magic powers now?”

  “I can jump from book to book and no author can hurt me except for the author of the book I’m in. Rose gave me the power to protect myself, when I did a little job for her.”

  “Holy crap, Paula, I always thought you were a bad ass but now you are next level.”

  “Thanks McCracken.”

  “Can you float me a loan in this world's currency and I’ll pay you double back in Pounds.”

  “I’ll give you money, but you don’t have to pay me back. I’m a rich woman.”

  “Come on Becker, how can an apprentice baker be rich?”

  “Because Rose paid me ten million dollars to do a three or four hour job.”

  “What did you have to do rob Fort Knox?”

  “No an archaeology museum in Mexico City, we needed a small bone from a dead necromancer.”

  “Why?”

  “Because a ghost fell in love with her librarian, ‘Zenodotus of Ephesus’ the original librarian of the Library of Alexandria. He’s twenty five hundred years old and now likes to be called Doug. If you’re serious about staying I’ll ask Lu to get you a room here, at an employee discount. But there’s something else you should know, I have a girlfriend named Eldara. I’m very serious about her, and she was worried about you. She’s read the book.”

  “I see well congratulations. Honestly I think I felt a little more for you than you did for me, but I’m really happy for you. This place has changed you, you have like real friends and interests. I’ll just stay for a few day’s have a look around. It’s not like I’ll ever get the chance to visit a magical world again. I’d really be happy if we could be friends.”

  “We’re friends for sure, let me talk to Lu before she leaves.”

  I walked up to Lu as she finished a song.

  “Lu, is there any chance the McCracken could get a room here?”

  “Sorry, Becker, absolutely not. He’s coming home with me, Rose would kill me if we didn’t have him stay with us. This is great, come on let’s go.”

  “Lu I don’t want Eldara to get the wrong idea.”

  “Then go get her and bring her to the tower.”

  “I was supposed to bring Beth over.”

  “Well bring them both, it’s not like we don’t have the room.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course, Rose is going to be so excited.”

  “That’s what worries me. What crazy idea will she come up with?”

  “Who knows that’s why I love being around her, you never know what’s going to happen next. You get Eldara and Beth and I’ll take McCracken to the tower.”

  I went back to our table and told McCracken to go with Lu and I rushed to the library before it closed for the night. As luck would have it Eldara was just turning the key in the lock.

  “Eldara. How’d you like to meet McCracken?”

  “You want to jump me to Earth?”

  “Anytime, I want to jump you anytime, anywhere. But no not Earth, he’s here, we’ve had the talk. I told him I was crazy about you. He accepts that. It's just his only chance to visit a magical land so he wants to stick around for a couple of days. Please say you’ll come?”

  “I’ll come, what should we bring?”

  “Beth, we need to get her now, she’s waiting at Sparky's right now.”

  “OK Paula, then no time to waste let’s go.”

  ***

  I was beat, tragedy takes a lot out of a girl. I couldn’t wait to get home and climb into the tub, preferably with Lu. Have a quiet meal and crawl into bed with my girlfriend and pass out. Sparky said Paula and Beth? Had come to see me but didn’t leave a message saying they’d see me later. I hope that means tomorrow.

  I took the portal elevator to the third floor, I was too tired to walk. I heard laughter coming from the library annex. Suck it up Rose.

  “Oh Gods, is that the rapscallion McCracken in my house, where’s Salome? She won’t want to miss this.”

  “Is that the young lady who wouldn’t stop staring at me in the bakery.”

  “Yep that’d be her, we were both team Beckracken, but sorry to tell ya I'm all in on team Pauldara.”

  McCracken laughed and said. “So am I now that I’ve met her.”

  “Sorry, you don’t even know me, I’m Rose by the way. I’m sorry I don’t know you, are you with him?”

  Paula got up and said, “sorry Rose this is Beth we came to talk to you about the theater group we are starting.”

  “Wait, McCrackens here for one day and you’re starting a theater troupe? You’re not leaving are you?”

  “No, we want to start an amateur theater company here in town. We want the first performance at the library on Samhain, we want you to write or adapt it. We thought of, well Doug thought of A Christmas Carol with Daisy playing the ghost roles for special effects or Peter Pan or if you have an idea for something original.”

  “Ugg, I never want to write again, Sparky was a slave driver today.”

  “We noticed, he would not let us disturb you for less than a life or death emergency.”

  “That’s Sparky, mister dramatic. So are you in this play McCracken.”

  “I’d love to be in it if that’s the play you choose. I’ve played Scrooge, Marley’s ghost, and the Ghost of Christmas present.”

  “I don’t think Peter Pan would fit on the stage at the library. It's too large a cast and they're always moving. I think a Christmas Carol is a better fit both stage and theme. Where is Doug?”

  “Doug’s occupied showing ‘The Hobbit’ to Opal.”

  “I’ll be right back, I want to say hi to Opal before she falls asleep.”

  “She’s asleep Rose. Can you bring me back to the library?”

  “Sure Doug, say do you have any scripts for “A Christmas Carol.”

  “Yep, you want first editions.”

  “Sure, eleven please.”

  “McCracken, Beth, this is Doug, he's our librarian and friend now that he’s stopped sexually harassing me. Here are some copies of the play, if you need more just ask me or Doug.”

  McCracken picked up a copy.

  “Oh my God this is the Edward Stirling, A Christmas Carol; or, Past, Present, and Future. This is the first edition of the first stage adaptation. Wow, Doug, are you really ‘Zenodotus of Ephesus’ from Alexandria? ”

  “Yeah, but I go by Doug now.”

  “How did you wind up here?”

  “That’s a very long story, which I’d be happy to tell you sometime.”

  Then Ruby walked in, and we made some quick introductions.

  “McCracken, why were you such a jerk at the beginning of the book?”

  “Wow, you don’t pull any punches Ruby, I wasn’t consciously trying to make myself a jerk. I think I was self centered and later I think I recognized that and made a small attempt to change.”

  “Good answer McCracken, I want to duck in and see Opal.”

  “She’s asleep, I was just in there, want a glass of wine?”

  “No thanks Rose, serving beer all day, made me crave one, do we still have any of that homemade dwarven beer.”

  Lu got up and got her a mug, filled her own and McCrackens at the same time.

  “I can’t believe I’m drinking real dwarven beer.”

  “Lu could I try a mug of that please.”

  “Eldara, I thought you were a wine girl.”

  “I want to try it, to tell Nim I tried it, and give it a fair shot. If I don’t like it, it won’t be because it’s dwarven but because I’m not a fan of beer, I never have been.”

  “Well Eldara, what did you think?”

  “I think it’s the best beer I’ve ever tasted but it’s still beer and I prefer a nice glass of white wine and I think it’s time for me to head home, it’s been a long day. Thank you for everything.”

  “I’ll walk you Eldara. Lu, Rose thank you for everything. Maybe we could cast the play at book club. Hopefully Ruby, Juliet, Nim, and Talbert will want to be in it.”

  “Sounds good to me Paula, your welcome Eldara.”

  “Come on McCracken, you want to see the magical tower in action.”

  We walked in the empty room next to Ruby and Opals.

  “Room Large Bed, Dresser, Side Board. Please add a full bathroom and privy. McCracken, if you want something to eat or drink, just walk up to the side board and state what you want.”

  “Really anything I want.”

  “I haven’t been able to stump it yet, maybe you will with an obscure earth food.”

  “Sushi one piece.”

  “Oh my God, that is delicious, it’s the best sushi I’ve ever had.”

  “You’re not here to screw up Paula’s happiness are you?”

  “No I swear to you I’m not.”

  “Good because I truly liked you in the book and I’d hate turning you into a frog. Good night McCracken.”

  “For someone so nice you really are scary, I’m glad Paula found someone like you.”