Breaking the 4th Wall (+18 NSFW)

Episode 4 - Ladies' Night Sneak Peak

CHAPTER 1 - ESCAPING TO CLUB ILLUSION

Have I lost my mind? Pausing with my mascara wand in hand, I stare at my reflection in the harsh white lights of my ensuite bathroom, then shrug. Maybe... It's a reasonable question considering the line between what I've always believed to be the real world and my imaginary worlds has shattered into glittering shards of my former plane of existence.

My nose wrinkles as I lean away from the silver surface, lowering the wand.

Even if I could rebuild those walls between universes, I wouldn't want to return to my previous naive state. Life was empty, spent rattling around my grandmother's house after her death and uncertain about what to do with myself. Writing, and all the experiences that have come with my new career, have saved me. Well, saved me for now. The woman in the mirror winces and my sigh echoes off the white tile and cream-coloured walls of the bathroom.

Better enjoy this thrilling ride for as long as I can.

While blowing a kiss at myself, I wink at my reflection's knowing grin, lean in and finish applying my mascara. There's no denying that of late, I spend more time with my fictional characters than with friends from my world. I'm just not that close to anyone here anymore, not for the last three years. It's hard to get past the knowledge that my 'real world' friends knew my now ex-boyfriend was cheating on me and didn't clue me in. Hanging out with them occasionally has been as much as I can seem to manage.

And my fictional characters have yet to let me down. I have so much fun with them. Maybe I'm embracing chaos by doing so, but I've invited Shannon, Kara, and Mist to come out with me for a night on the town. A clear sign of my descent into madness, but really, what's the worst that can happen? They disappear in front of others? They start some trouble and leave me to deal with it? My laugh fills the space of the bathroom as I add eyeshadow.

Hell, it's not like I can even send them back to their fictional universe with a hangover. It would instantaneously dissipate when they cross the barrier between realities since they pop right back into their story timeline from the last point that I've sent a chapter to beta-readers.

And other things don't seem to come through, either.

Discovering Shannon isn't pregnant when she comes here to visit?! I shake my head and lower the make-up brush in my fingers. Now, that was a jaw-dropper. Where does the baby go in the interim? Bizarrely, it's like nothing that happens here affects their reality. They only recall this reality when they hear my call to cross over, then their memory of events here returns. It's mind-boggling.

Every time I've pondered these conundrums, I go in circles. I can't work out the paranormal mechanics. These kinds of things could drive an author absolutely bonkers. With a glance back up, I check out the smoky blues and silver eyeshadow highlighting my hazel eyes, then dig out my red lip stain from the open drawer. Ha, maybe I already am crackers, considering how much time I spend with my characters.

But they just don't feel fictional to me anymore.

Not since Loki invaded my world and brought the rest with him.

Maybe if I shift to writing pure science fiction, I'll need to better understand all the ins and outs of inter-dimensional travel, instead of the science-fantasy and conspiracy thriller romance I write now.

My reflection cocks her head. Does he understand how it works? I roll my eyes at myself, then apply the lip stain. Loki seems to be well-travelled and co-exists as multiple versions of himself. I can't ask him about it, though. He doesn't know about his baby in his storyline, yet. And it's been a fucking hard secret to keep from him, hiding my laptop every time I write Shannon's chapters so he can't get a sneak peek when he visits me.