Chapter 7: Throwing stones
I looked at Xora's smile of satisfaction. It made my blood boil. But guilt easily overcame that weak emotion.
"You knew?"
"Kind of. Yeah."
My knees gave up and I bowed down to her apologizing repeatedly. My eyes filled with tears.
At that, however, she finally became startled. Lifting me up from below, she said.
"You don't have to apologize like that. It makes me look horrible."
"But I'm the horrible one.", I said refusing to stand up I bowed down deeper and deeper.
"For sneaking in?"
"Yes."
"If it makes any difference to you. I knew all along and just went on with it. So it wasn't like you saw anything I didn't want you to see.", At that, I finally stood up. Wiped tears off my face and calmed down.
".....I guessed you knew it. But since when?"
"Heh.", She put on that mischievous grin again. And said:-
"Since the beginning."
"....."
"What? Act surprises at least. Or did you already see that coming?", She said with genuine horror in her eyes. I of course was nothing more than speechless.
"Come on Leo. Please say something. You're honestly creeping me out.", She was the one to talk after all that.
"No. I didn't.", She let out a sigh of relief.
"How did you know about the stalking though?"
"Oh, that was simple."
"I made some mistakes? You saw me when you looked at the book store?"
"Actually, I left the book store alone because I wanted you to think I didn't know you were there."
"So when did you do it?"
"I need you to sit down. Relax a bit. Sorry for creeping you out again. Hehe.", She chuckled and made me sit on her bed and sat beside me.
"Can you tell me everything from the start?", Indeed I needed to know how and why every one of my plans fails every damn time. And I wanted a plausible human explanation that isn't creepy.
"Have you heard of the story of the thirsty crow?"
"....yes."
"Great. Then you know how it only has 1 character? But you see people are wrong about that part.", I take it back. She was never more creepier. She was even stealing my soliloquy. Or was it a monologue? Is there even any difference between these two words? I needed to retaliate or she'd break my mind someday.
"Don't tell me that the narrator is a character too. They aren't. It's just a plot device."
"Huh? How did you..."
"Some books have characters as their narrators.(like me) But they're the exception since they have personality. They're used to drive the story and their own character arc forward. An omniscient narrator is not a character."
"What if they are? And never properly by any author who does 3rd person? What are those beings? It can be a character you reveal at the end of the story but that would make him the character-based narrator you're talking of. The one I'm talking about is the omniscient narrator. He is one of the major characters in the story too. More important than the main character. More important than any other."
"Why do you think like that?"
"For that, we need to view the perspective of the author. The most neglected character in every fiction ever."
"Author isn't a character too. What even makes a character, a character at this point in your opinion?"
"Anyone who serves the story?"
"For me, it's the bunch of people, animals or any living, non-living object that is within a story and functions as a part of the story. But one that has a brain..... actually scratch that brain part. I can't think of a definition to counter yours. So I'll acknowledge it's anyone who serves the story. But there's a flaw in that statement too."
"Well. Do explain please."
"So you see. What if there's a person in fiction just there to be there. And doesn't serve any purpose? Can you still say he isn't a character? Or, any 'thing' that serves the story. Drives the plot. For example, a ring that you need to destroy. Does that ring count as a character too? No, it's called a plot device. So is the narrator. He's just a plot device. Not a character.", She put her index finger on her lips and thought about it for a while. Then spoke.
"Indeed. My definition was flawed. But that's the beauty of storytelling. You cannot be confined by mere definitions. Human imagination never stops."
"Not to be a killjoy. But imagination does stop after you die. Do you believe in the afterlife?"
"No. I said human imagination. As in plural."
"Then wait for the extinction of our race."
"Man, you're such a pessimist. Touch some grass for once.", That went through my heart like a maiden's spear.
"Ah.... I'll stop nitpicking from now on, go on."
"So you see, the writer is a person who has to put a lot of thought and preparation for a full-fledged story. He can never put his raw thoughts and make a story that looks like a story. Careful planning helps in evolving the initial product too. But it loses the raw touch. Also, the editorial department is a thing. These, along with many many other things slowly kill the raw unedited version of a writer's fantastic imagination that gave him the motivation to write in the first place."
"What does that have to do with the narrator?"
"Did no one ever tell you how impatient you are?"
"No."
"..."
"..."
"So, the narrator. What do you think the 3rd person narrator means to the author? Other than a plot device of course."
"Hmmm.... A narrator is the embodiment of the writer's ideal point of view. The person that drives his themes forward."
"Bingo. The narrator is the link between the author and the reader. An unbreakable bond till the end of the story."
"Not unbreakable....", I swallowed those words, remembering my promise not to nitpick.
"You were going to say 'not unbreakable' right?", This woman is scary.
"Well yes. No point explaining since you already understand it.", She nodded in agreement.
"When you think of it. There can never be a portrayal of an author's true self in a fictional story with multiple characters. They all have to have a distinct personality. It's not like most side characters have any of the author's traits too. Some authors use their social experience or unsocial experience to add to the personality of a character. He has to tone down for every character. When the author tries to project himself through the mc. It always turns out to be a disaster. I haven't read a single work of fiction that contradicts this."
"Same for me. At least something we agree with."
"Similarly if every character was the same it would turn into the same disaster. No substance to the story. This world lives off of diversity. Taxonomy is a thing for a reason. Diversity in unity. Now, this diversity is established in fiction. So we need that unity. Where does that come from?"
"The narrator?"
"No dummy. It's the overarching narrative. And who is the person that is of the narrative, by the narrative, for the narrative?"
"The narrator."
"Indeed. The narrator is the one who unifies the themes and ideas of the story. And in the process acts as a link connecting the author and the readers.", She finished with a proud stance.
"Huh..... I'm speechless. You get to know a lot more by socializing..... I have a shitty short term memory, Xora, but I know when people try to avoid the actual topic. Tell me how you found it all out."
"Heh. You got me.", She stuck her tongue out. I could die now without any regret whatsoever.
"So?"
"So. Remember how the door of my room was already open? Why would any normal girl do that? Even a guy like you who thinks it's manly to do that must know how nonsensical it is."
"..."
"Also why do you think the closet you're hiding in doesn't have any clothes?"
"You knew I was going to stalk you since yesterday?", I was surprised at speaking those words without stuttering.
She barked a laugh.
"Ahhhhh sorry. I won't troll you that much. You may start to think I'm creepy.", Too late for that, "It was a coincidence."
"I don't believe you.", Her grin said it all.
"Good. You trust me way too much to be honest. On the things you really shouldn't. Like for example your belief that I wouldn't skip my classes just like you do.", My jaw dropped. It was so simple and such a silly mistake. I felt ashamed.
"So you saw me preparing for the stalk?"
"Yup. I saw you changing into spy clothes. So it felt natural to show my change of clothes too.", She said with obvious embarrassment and avoided my eyes.
"You damn sure gave me a PTSD with that.", She looked sad and disappointed.
"Also do you think any sane person would walk a full hour when they have the money for a bus ticket?", She said regaining her composure.
"Then why did you do that?"
"For shits and giggles. Also to see if you give up midway."
"Conniving witch.", She giggled embarrassingly at that. Thinking it was a joke. I didn't have the balls to tell her it wasn't.
"So.... that leaves the narration part."
"Wait there's more? Oh yeah, that guard. He's in this conspiracy too?"
"Nah. He sucks at his job.", We both laughed.
"So what's the narrator thing?"
"You guess. Imagine if this was a story. What roles do we play? Who's the narrator?"
"Me. The character. You. The narrator.", I finally said admitting defeat.
"True", she said with the most innocent smile on her face," but I didn't just talk about characters and narrators did I?"
"Huh? You mean there's more?"
"Yes. The author. The silent observer, creator, and destroyer of the story. This story was simply not mine. Why do you think the earphones were used? You probably thought I liked music. Yes, I do but that wasn't the reason I put it on at that moment. What is the function of an earphone other than listening to music?"
"Communication"
"Yes. I was talking with the stalker of the stalker. The extra footstep you hear at night.", She said with that old evil face.
I heaved a sigh and said "Lara?" almost anticlimactically. The effect showed on her face as all the interest she had in teasing me ceased to exist. We both went silent.
"You can figure out the rest of it with your brain right?", She asked reluctantly. Again avoiding my gaze.
"Yeah. No problem."
"Isn't there anything else you need to ask?"
"I don't think so. No."
She hit my feet with hers. I flinched. She looked furious.
"What?", I started questioning her sanity.
"You honestly think any sane woman would show her body to someone just because she saw his too? You wore the spy coat over your freakin uniform for fuck's sake."
"Ahhhh"
"Don't ahhh me. Do you get what I said?"
"...What?"
"I said you didn't see anything I didn't want you to see. Will you make me say it out loud now?", Her eyes filled with tears forcefully put me out of the bed and pushed me out of her room.
"Clueless, useless, worthless, senseless, dumbass." She slammed the door shut and locked me out before saying, "I wanted you to kiss me".
I stood there with a dropped jaw and wide eyes. Everything suddenly went wild inside me.
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