[ WP ] You turn on your PC to keep working on your novel , but to your surprise , when you open the file , it is writting itself . You read some of what has already been written and it seems your characters have created free will , and the plot is progressing without you .

This was n't right. The plot was supposed to have taken the characters to the forest where they would have fought the'monster in the dark'. Why had they spent two days in the inn getting drunk, and why did n't I remember writing it? 
 
 *Maybe I should stop writing drunk, but never mind. I'll just highlight this section of text and, delete... * 
 
 A computer error flashed up on my screen `This action can not be taken` 
 
 *What the hell? * 
 
 I closed the document down and reopened it, then clicked on a random line and hit the backspace. `This action can not be taken` I dismissed the error and highlighted another random chunk, **delete, delete** `This action is against the primary users wishes` 
 
 *I'm the primary user, dammit. * I thought, closing the document and checking in the properties for administrative permissions. Seeing that'read only' was checked I unticked the box, but another error popped up `You do not have permission to do that.` What the hell was going on? 
 
 I looked through the metadata. 
 
 `Author: ` [ ethancordn ] ( https: //www.reddit.com/user/Ethancordn/ ), nothing wrong there. 
 
 `Last saved by: ` Phinnius Farbody 
 
 *What the hell?? * Phinnius was the main character of the novel... this must be some kind of joke. I opened up the document again to see what had been written, and scrolled down to the bottom where there was another new paragraph. 
 
 `Phinnius weighed his purse sadly in the palm of his hand ` 
 `and tipped it upright to reveal a single copper coin, ` 
 `spinning lonely on the top of the bar table. Enough for a shot` 
 `of Dragon Spit, but after that he'd be scuppered. Thinking` 
 `hard Phinnius thought he had the solution. He lifted up the` 
 `unassuming amulet that he had been given by the mysterious` 
 `old maid and his eyes glittered. With the money he could get` 
 `from this useless bit of junk he'd be set for weeks! ` 
 
 My eyes widened and I stared in disbelief as another chunk of text appeared in front of my eyes. 
 
 `The town was n't big enough to have a decent pawn shop, ` 
 `but Phinnius managed to find a man in a big black hooded cloak` 
 `who was looking for amulets to buyand was willing to pay above` 
 `and beyond for the right one. What luck.` 
 
 My mouth opened and I stammered unintelligently. Was my book writing itself? More lines began to appear and I realised that I could n't deny it. My characters had gained a life of their own! 
 
 I spent a moment shocked and proud, what an author to have written a character so real that they came to life, then I paused and squinted at the screen. 
 
 `'' Hello, fair traveller, I hear that you have an amulet for sale? `` ` 
 `Said the man through the folds of his heavy black cloak.` 
 
 Wait. What was Phinnius doing? Why would he sell the amulet, did n't he know it was important to the story. 
 
 `'' Why yes I do, I've been carrying this lump of metal around for ` 
 `weeks as a good luck charm. And honestly, I'm not sure why, I` 
 `got it off some old woman and I do n't really like it, so it might` 
 `as well buy me some beer.'' Phinnius stated with a grin.` 
 
 Oh no, this was bad, I had kept the true nature of the Amulet secret so the audience would be surprised when it showed it's magic in the climactic battle and saved the day. But now he was going to sell it. 
 
 `'' Well, I think I can give you a good price'' Said the old man, ` 
 `holding out his hand and revealing a gold ring made of two gold` 
 `serpents intertwined by linking tails and biting into a shining red ruby.` 
 
 Wait, I recognise that description, that was the ring worn by Malachmort, Darkmoon's faithful servant. If the amulet fell into his hands then the whole world would be doomed, with the power of the ring Darkmoon would be unstoppable. 
 
 I sat bolt upright and my hands sprang to the keyboard. I started typing furiously. 
 
 `As the ring was revealed, Phinnius recognised it as the mark` 
 `of dark forces that had yet to be revealed.` 
 
 The moment I had finished typing another sentence sprang onto the screen, it looked like I could add to the world but would n't have time to take complete control. 
 
 `'' Wait a minute,'' Phinnius said, `` I do n't like the look of that ring. `` ` 
 
 It had worked! 
 
 `'' Well,'' said the old man, `` I was given this ring by someone I didn't` 
 `know too, in fact, I was looking to sell it if you're interested.'' He took` 
 `off the ring and held it out to Phinnius.` 
 
 `Phinnius squinted down at the item and shook his head, `` I do n't need` 
 `more junk, I need more money, and I guess it's not up to me what` 
 `trinkets you carry around, how much for the amulet? `` ` 
 
 *'' Phinnius you idiot'' * I groaned as I raised my hands back to the keyboard, time for a more direct approach. 
 
 `Phinnius turned around and walked away from the man, deciding` 
 `to keep his amulet.` 
 
 There, that should keep things on track a little. 
 
 `Phinnius turned back around, unsure as to why he had suddenly` 
 `decided to keep the amulet, but very sure that what he really` 
 `wanted was some more Dragon's Spit and that selling the Amulet` 
 `was the best way for him to get it.` 
 
 *Goddamn it* I thought, guessing that just like writing, I could n't go completely against a characters nature without giving good reason. One more time. 
 
 `Phinnius took one more look at the amulet and saw it shining with` 
 `a hidden and powerful light, one that he had n't noticed before, but` 
 `one that he recognised was clearly important and far too valuable to sell.` 
 
 `But Phinnius was really thirsty, and he thought that if the amulet was` 
 `that important then surely he would have noticed something about it` 
 `before now. Maybe he was just seeing this light because he needed a` 
 `drink, and really, hidden secret powerful amulets were n't handed out` 
 `by old women except in bad fantasy novels.` 
 
 *What. * Was Phinnius mocking me? Or was it my novel, had it taken control to spite me? Well if they were going to make fun of me then they could just give away the amulet and destroy the world, see if I cared. I could write another book, but they could never get another universe the ungrateful sods. 
 
 `Phinnius handed the Old man the Amulet as he dropped ten gold` 
 `coins into Phinnius's hands. Then suddenly the world darkened.` 
 
 `'' FOOL! ` 
 
 `Rang out a voice from the heavens, deep and booming.` 
 
 `'' Fool! You have doomed your world, with this amulet my` 
 `master will reap destruction across all creation, and all` 
 `dimensions. You will suffer as you have never known.` 
 
 `Phinnius swallowed, maybe this had n't been the best idea.` 
 `He definitely needed a drink now.` 
 
 I sat back in my chair and crossed my arms with satisfaction as Malachmort rent a path of chaos across the land, bringing the amulet to his master. Darkmoon took the amulet and in fire and pressure and pain he tore the world apart, taking Phinnius and trapping him in torture for eternity. I felt a twinge of guilt, this had been my character and I did like him even if he was an idiot, but it was too late for that now. 
 
 I read on as Darkmoon scoured the globe for powerful artefacts, it was amazing to see the things he could accomplish with items I'd created. Then, using the amulet, he took the mirror of all seeing and wove it together with the cloak of travel. What was the point of that? 
 
 I watched the page as Darkmoon stood in the centre of his tower and said goodbye to his faithful servant, not knowing when he would return, and then vanished. 
 
 The document described his room as empty, and the world as still, then stopped updating. I stared at the screen for a while, but it looked like the story was over. *Bit of an anti-climax* I thought, but whatever. I saved the document and closed it, looking at the metadata that was still open on my screen. 
 
 `Author: ` Darkmoon 
 
 That was weird. 
 
 **'' FOOL! `` ** Rang out the voice from behind me. 
 
 ** 
 
 ~~*Hope the formatting works*~~ ( Edit: Formatting ) 
 
 *Thanks for reading: ) * 
 
 *Check out my [ Subreddit ] ( https: //www.reddit.com/r/Ethancordn/ ) for more stories by me. *
