Journal Accidenty

This post has been *PROCESSED*. As part of the natural flow of the writerly process, I have edited this post and moved it to a different location in the story. Because the flow of the story hit a narrative beaver dam, I moved this section to immediately following Ed and Alice's fight in the forest. It now serves more to the purpose I had intended it, namely, providing Ed with movtivation and information, as well as a sort of Cheshire Cat character. Ed also gets to have more fun with Lucy and ask better questions since he has already fought the zombies.
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Ed felt like a kindergartener at a very progressive school, seated Indian-style five feet below a floating Lucille Ball.

The swirling crystals didn't help, and neither did the inky void that they somehow managed to stay suspended in.

"Waaaaah," said Ed.

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic, Ricky. You should accept by now that strange things are going to happen, and on a regular basis. In fact, you should be suspicious if anything normal happens from this point on. "

Ed pouted as hard as he could up at the floating television icon. He stuck out his tongue.

Lucy smiled down at him. The diamonds swirled and shone as she spoke, responding to the inflections of her voice and the gestures of her hands. It was quite beautiful.

"Things are never going to be same for you again, Ricky, even if you manage to make it back to Earth. Do you think you can go back to overlit computer monitors when you've ridden on the back of a giant talking caterpillar and copped a feel off Alice in Wonderland? You are living the dream of every lonely, disaffected person who ever wanted to have a magical adventure, and believe me, that is alot of people. Try to make the most of it, you old sourpuss."

She paused, clearly waiting for Ed to speak.

"This is true, Miss Ball..."

"Please, call me Lucy, or Mrs. Ricardo, if you prefer."

"Mrs. Ricardo...Lucy...I agree that I have seen things today that, really, no one should have to. I have had my sanity groped by the greasy hands of reality, when all I wanted was to carve out a comfortable corner of being. I never wanted a grand adventure."

Lucy of the Diamonds smiled, waiting. Ed begrudgingly continued. He felt eight years old.

"At most, I wanted a woman I could love, who would love me in return. That was as far as my fancy flew, until today."

The speed of the swirling gems increased as they formed intricate, shifting patterns. They zoomed away from her body simultaneously, then zoomed back at once and resumed their dance. She blew Ed a kiss.

"You are such a doll!"

She beamed at Ed.

"You are going to have yourself one hell of a time in this story. Fun, danger, self-discovery. Oh boy, you aren't even going to know what to do with yourself."

She paused, as if hearing something far off.

"Listen, Ricky. You're about to wake up and start your journey. Chances are good that we will speak again, oracles make wonderful plot devices, but until then, you need to remember a few important points."

Ricky...er, Ed, was all ears.

"One: You can do pretty much whatever you want, as long as you can rationalize it, make it fit into the plot. Your very presence in this world has already put in motion a dozen different story lines that you have total control over, should you decide to exercise it."

"Two: Exercise this control at your own risk. As an Author, control is your right, and we would not exist but for your kind. But remember, this is not your world, and while we are born of the minds of humanity, here we live our own lives. As you would not wish to be forced into slavery or to commit acts against your will, so too do we feel about plots. Those of this world hate narrative as much as your kind hate these other concepts. Force has its uses, but beware."

"Three: Readers love a martyr as much as they love a hero. Do not think yourself safe from harm. If you put yourself into a situation against overwhelming odds, or with difficult personal decisions, you can and probably will die. Sequalia has minions, bureaucrats, weapons, and money at their disposal. If they discover that there is an Author loose in our world, they will spare nothing to kill you. Nothing.
There is no plot in the world that would let you survive an onslaught of zombies, vampires, cowboys, librarians, dragons, gods, and vicious men. All arrayed for your destruction, with no backstory to protect you. Keep yourself on the Q.T. until you can build yourself a backstory, a sufficient reason for you not to get torn limb to limb for a cause."

Ed gulped. Hard.

Lucy smiled kindly and floated down close to Ed. They were face to shining face.

"Mostly, have fun, kiddo."

She kissed him on the cheek, and plucked a diamond from her aura. She pressed it to his palm.

"Take this and keep it safe. I am not really a part of this world, but I still have power. I am a kind of god of...connections. Potential. Things not under the sun. I did not exist until you came here, but I have always existed in both worlds."

Ed had no idea what the shiny woman was talking about, but he trusted her. There were voices, as though heard from another room.

"We must part here, for now."

She began to rise, higher and higher into the void. Her voice became like that little balloon man, far and wee.

"Remember! Have fuuuuuuuun!"

Lucy disappeared into the sky, diamonds and all. She disappeared with a bright, far-off twinkle, which looked exactly like a laugh sounds.

Ed looked at the diamond in his hand. He clenched it tightly and put it into, well, into his dream-pants.

He awoke to the sound of Alice screaming.