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I am a writer of novels, plays and film scripts. I live in Manchester England with my partner Andy and our teenage son Jack. Andy and I started my Newsletter Raw Meat and began publishing with Rawprintz in 1999 to showcase my work. Some of you may be confused by my continual references to Ziggy, that’s my wheelchair! Both Andy and I are writers. I’ve recently lost my sight – hence the continual reference to my being confused! Thanks for visiting.

My Comrades...

17.8.10

Writer's Island Inception

Here follows my bit for Writer's Island, this weeks theme being Inception.

INCEPTION

Bartholomew gripped hold of Alice’s papery hand, searching her frozen expression for any sign of life. Frantically he turned back to Elvira who was staring distantly around the black and white outline of the room.

“Bring her back, Elvira and do your bloody stupid spell at once.”

Elvira shook her head slightly, giving him an impatient tut.

“Really, my dear… you forget yourself. There is absolutely no need to panic, I have everything under control.”

The young wizard switched his gaze slightly to the pen and ink definitions of the fireplace just behind Alice’s left shoulder which were becoming gradually fainter as every moment passed. As Alice herself was becoming merely an illustration from the book the definitions of Looking Glass House was also fading.

“But look, you’ve got to wake her up right now!” he cried, “otherwise everything is going to be lost - don’t you see, everything is fading and changing. If all this was just an idea in Alice’s head, then if she’s fading away then all this will too. And maybe us - will we also fade away?”

Elvira folded her arms across the front of her robe so that the silver borders almost touched each other. Her face was set into a stony expression, almost regal.

“Don’t be silly, Bart - don’t you remember from your old school days? Looking Glass House isn’t Alice’s idea at al l- she’s just a fictional character in Through the Looking Glass, isn’t she? The idea belongs to the writer… who was… come on Bart - who was it??”

The young wizard looked at the witch blankly, watching the background all around him slowly but surly becoming dimmer. He swallowed down a desperate lump in his throat.

“Lewis Carroll, wasn’t it? It was his idea then, Looking Glass House?”

Once again, Elvira gave a distant tut of irritation.

“ Really, Bart - do you remember nothing? Surly you must have been taught that Lewis Carroll’s real name was Charles Dodgson?”

The room began to waver and shake as borders began to dissolve.

“For gods sake Elvira - that doesn’t matter!! We need to get inside his head right now and get this idea back into reality!!”

“Well dear, you’ll have quite a job - Mr Dodgson’s been dead for a hundred years or more. All this “- she gestured around the room, which was becoming grey and misty as if shrouded by twilight “is someone else’s idea, someone else is in control of things. We’re the intruders into Looking Glass house, remember? Someone else is punishing us, creating our destiny.” She paused flicking back her long dark hair from her face. “And I don’t know about you … but I certainly don’t like the feeling at all. I don’t like it at all.”

4 comments:

  1. an engaging piece of writing, reminds me in a way of Cornelia Funke's Tintenherz (Inkheart) trilogy

    ...so if this is the beginning, do I even want to know what's next? :) - and yet, I have no doubt I'd read on to the end

    well done!

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  2. Curiouser and curiuser...
    ViV

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  3. Hi Nic, I love reading your Alice stories every week, and I can see that they are building into a nice collection - stay with 'em!!

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  4. I don't know what you know about the movie 'Inception' but the idea of someone else shaping and controlling destiny is it's main theme. You've managed to fuse fiction, fact and concept into an intriguing continuation of your story.

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