Character Development

That was a hell of a way to die. 

He looked down at the words being typed, his mouth hanging open in awe. Or horror. He couldn’t decide. It’s not like it was his choice anyway. 

He glared through the computer code at the human so vigorously invested in each letter she typed.

“What the hell is your problem,” he yelled in vain. The human didn’t even blink. He knew he couldn’t be seen or heard, but that wasn’t going to stop him. 

“Not only did you put me in a car crash, but it drove off the road and into the lake? Who the hell is supposed to find me there?!”

“You gotta be patient Khmer. It’s a process. Who knows,” Langley said with faulty reassurance, “maybe you survive?”

Khmer sneered, closing the distance between Langley and himself. Langley was taller, as stated by the author, but he wasn’t the better fighter between the two. 

“Oh yeah? Next time, you fall off a cliff and then I’ll indulge your idea.”

“But you didn’t fall off a cliff—“

Khmer turned Langley’s head as the code in front of them altered to form a new word. 

Khmer swerved the car, harder than he’d expected to avoid the rogue, lawless vehicle that charged towards him. He already knew what he had done as his car had free fell from the abysmal earth. The cliff was higher than he expected, but still, he had no time to think as his car lurched on impact with the water...

“Oh.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Khmer mocks. He could feel his frustration building up more and more as the author continued typing. 

“Who the hell do you think you are? Why do I have to die? Am I an anomaly in your plot now? Is there no use for me anymore,” he yells. 

“What’s going on,” Emrys whispered to Langley. 

“Author just killed him,” he replied sadly. You could hear the gasp in Emrys’ voice, even over Khmer’s rage. She looked at the young man with pity. He was written as the antagonist, true, but after reading what the author wrote about his life, she knew he was only a little misguided with his principles. He could’ve had time to grow and change and be better. 

“You do realize you’re the bad guy, right”?

Heads turn to see William Dupree sitting comfortably and amused at the scene before him. Khmer grimaced. 

“Your death would drive the entire plot forward and give the author what she wants. She has a deadline to meet, no pun intended, and she’s doing what she needs to do to meet it,” he explains nonchalantly. 

“Will, you don’t know—“

“So I’m just a sacrificial lamb here to fit her timeline,” Khmer interrupts, intending to shout but his voice remained low and dangerous. 

“Yes,” William says in a matter-of-fact tone, not threatened by the imminent danger in Khmer’s voice. Why should he be threatened? He was the main character after all. At the very least, the main characters live until the end and this was only book one in the trilogy. Nevertheless, Khmer marched forward.

“You don’t live happily ever after when I’m gone,” Khmer says. “I’m just an obstacle in your path? Fine, but do you know how many obstacles will come and go in your life? It comes in the form of love and hate and work and school and financial, emotional, mental, familial, physical, habitual, things much larger than me. None of us are even twenty-five yet. We’re only a quarter of the way through, and you think I’m the biggest danger to you all? That’s pathetic.”

He finished his speech, gazing at everyone’s blank expression, knowing that he was right. He’s never lied so far in this book, so why start now?

“It still doesn’t make a difference,” William said. 

“You little—“

“Just turn around you whiny brat,” William grudges. Khmer pauses before reluctantly turning around. The author was typing again. 

“You’re lying! What did you do to him huh? He would never be that reckless on the road. My brother is smarter than that. Smarter than all of you. He would- he said… he’d never leave me behind,” Crysa says, holding back tears. 

Khmer froze, each blood vessel chilling over as he read on. 

“Crysa, you’ll have to come with us, now. We have to get you into a proper home now—“

“No,” she screams. “No, I’m not going anywhere without my brother!”

“— and we’ll do our best to update you on the case of your brother at all times—“

“He promised me! He said he’d always be there for me and he never lies. He never lies!”

She continued her cries in the doorway of her broken apartment, all that she could afford with her brother. She just turned 17. They’d throw her into a foster home again, like when she lost her father the first time. She couldn’t go through that again. Not without Khmer. 

Khmer quaked and quivered, holding back the eye-stinging tears that fell down without his permission. 

Yeah, we’re just a bunch of code but this is the only life I’ll ever know and now it’s over, he thinks. 

Before he could dive into the sea of emotions overwhelming him, two small dainty arms wrap around him. He turns to see Emrys gently comforting him like she’s done so many times before. 

“I’m sorry, Kay,” she whispers for only him to hear. He tries to swallow the growing lump in his throat, but couldn’t. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you and a better love interest—“

“That’s not your fault in the slightest and you know it. You were more than enough,” he says, his tears blurring his view of the purity in her emerald green eyes.

 “It just seems I’m not worth loving in the authors' eyes,” he mumbles. Emrys frowns before leaning up and kissing his cheek. The emotions he was written to feel swarms his body and his face flushes. 

“For the record, I would like you even if it wasn’t part of the script,” she says, stepping away to reveal another presence. 

Emrys was filled with sorrow as his little sister emerged, running towards him. With a big leap, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him as she cried. 

“You can’t go. She can’t make you,” she cries. Khmer couldn’t say anything as he comforted his little sister. He really didn’t want her to go through all this madness, not by herself, but he didn’t have a choice.  

“Why are you the bad guy? Just who is she to judge you, huh? She’s a wreck and a half, but you’re the one who has to be detested because she has a bit of writer’s block,” Crysa argues, pulling away from her brother’s embrace. Her voice began quivering again, silent crocodile tears falling down her heavily freckled face.

“I don’t want to do this without you,” she manages to get out.

“You can and you will. No exceptions,” Khmer says sternly. “The author has a plan, I’m sure. Just because I’m not a part of it doesn’t mean you’re abandoned. You’ll always have me. Always, Crysa.”

She nods quickly, not letting go of her brother’s hand. He smiled down at her, even as he felt himself disappear, thinning between the pages until the only thing left were words. 

He didn’t have to say he loved his sister, because she knew. She always knew that everything he did was for her. She couldn’t cry, not when there was so much love surrounding her. She just took his advice and pressed forward, letter by letter, chapter by chapter until the book was finally over.

All the remaining characters gathered around as the author typed the last words of the trilogy, tears in her eyes. All the characters felt her sadness as well, happy and sad that it was all over. It was finally done.

“She’s typing,” someone exclaims. Immediately the chatter dies down as they all gaze at the code forming in front of them.

To the greatest brother I could ask for. I made it, Khmer.

Everyone watched in silent shock as the author broke down for a completely different reason. Crysa understood. More than anyone. Instead of tearing up, she smiles.

“I made it, Khmer.”