About Everything

Update for March 2023

“She wants us to do what again?” Loegan stared incredulously at his sister.

“Your ears work just as well as mine.” Jaelyn gave him a resigned shrug and turned to face the screen at the end of the hallway.

“Doesn’t help when the words make no sense.”

“And this is going to take longer if you argue about it. She says we’re stuck here until we finish.”

“If it’s all the same to ye, laddie, I have family to return to as soon as we’re through here, so I’d rather not waste time, if it can be helped.” The middle-aged woman who stood nearby, introduced to them only as Miss Kate, shot a glance at a small door down the hall, through which a child’s laughter and a muffled cough could briefly be heard.

“I still don’t even see how this door exists.” Loegan’s scowl deepened as he rattled the latch nearest him for probably the fifteenth time. “Give me a hairpin or something.”

“And you didn’t understand why she made you empty your pockets.” Jaelyn crossed her arms and shot him an exasperated look. “Isn’t doing what she wants a faster way out of here than trying to escape? And do you think she couldn’t pull us right back here again if you did?”

“I’d like to see her try,” Loegan muttered, and his sister rolled her eyes.

“If she’s really our author like she claims, then it’s not like you have much of a choice. Although—” Jaelyn cut the thought off just in time. The woman had swept the notes off her desk as soon as she caught Jaelyn’s eyes on them, while Loegan’s attention was still held by the details of the room’s odd light sources. And telling him just how much power he seemed to wield over whatever parts of their story she might be writing would only intensify his stubbornness and make this take longer than it already was. “Let’s just do as she’s asked. It seems harmless enough.”

“As she’s asked, or as she’s demanded? I thought we didn’t bow to tyrants. Besides, how do we know it’s not some nefarious code phrase that’ll plunge the world into chaos?”

“Loegan, be serious.” Jaelyn nodded at Miss Kate, who stood watching them with a bemused smile that still carried a trace of concern. “Who does she remind you of? What could there possibly be in introducing her story to plunge the world into chaos?”

“Don’t use Blenwyn against me.” Loegan narrowed his eyes, but his face softened a little as he glanced toward their companion. “All right. Fine. This author person did say she’d open the doors again as soon as we finished this?”

“Aye, laddie. She promised faithfully.”

Loegan gave a little huff and turned to the screen, offering an obviously false smile through gritted teeth.

“Loe…” Jaelyn started, but he silenced her with a glare.

“Maybe she can make me do it, but she can’t make me like it.”

Jaelyn sent Miss Kate an apologetic glance, and the woman returned an understanding smile.

“My nephew Lee would say much the same. Never mind, lass. Miss Thompson must have known the risk when she asked ye here.”

“That’s true.” Jaelyn’s eyes laughed as she surveyed her brother. “Maybe his stubbornness is one of the reasons she says her readers love him.”

“Jaelyn!” Loegan’s jaw dropped, and his ears flushed red. His sister’s grin widened as she turned to the screen.

“Hello, anyone who can see us. We’ve been asked here today to introduce Miss Kate to you, since our author says it’s easier to write as us than as herself.”

“Which still makes no sense,” Loegan muttered, and Jaelyn elbowed him in the ribs. “Fine! Apparently Miss Kate’s story was published last month when this author person was still doing a terrible job of sending out her own updates, and she forgot to include it. So she’s making us tell you instead. Jaelyn, this is ridiculous!”

“Miss Kate’s story is called ‘Everything’—” Jaelyn started again, but her brother’s sharp whisper of “Code phrase!” cut her off. “Loegan Rolfe, do you want me to tell Emmalie how you’ve acted in front of whatever number of strangers are watching us?” Loegan grimaced and dropped his gaze, and Jaelyn sighed as she turned back to the screen. “I apologize for my brother.  We’ve been through a lot lately, and from what I gathered in my visit to Miss Thompson’s office today, it’s not over yet. She says it’s still a priority, but there have been other projects that needed to be finished first, and I guess Miss Kate’s story was one of those. Can you tell us a little more about it, Miss Kate?”

“I’m sorry my story’s delayed yours, lass, although I can’t say I’m sorry for my own sake.” Deep gratitude suffused the older woman’s face as she lifted reverent eyes to somewhere beyond the screen. “It’s nae grand tale, to be sure, only a testament to the way God works His will in everything, even when we can’t see His plan. And if ye can believe, Miss Thompson says the robin that began it for me was the very spark of the story for her. Something as simple as a robin. Who would have thought?”

There was silence for a moment as Miss Kate pondered, and Jaelyn watched her as though somehow drawing strength from her quiet faith. But finally Loegan’s eye caught hers, and she bit back a smile at the pleading expression that asked “are we finished here?” as clearly as the words he was obviously struggling not to voice.

“You can find Miss Kate’s story in the Everything collection with twenty other stories and poems by Christian authors who apparently all attend the same writing camp.”

“You mean there are more like her?” Loegan shot a look of horror toward the only open door in the hall. “Does that mean other people who go through the same kinds of things as us?”

“From what I saw in her message box, that seems probable.” Jaelyn sighed as Loegan’s eyes went calculating, probably trying to judge how much work it would take to free the characters belonging to an entire camp full of writers. “If you’re curious about Miss Kate’s story, you can buy the Everything collection or add it on something called Goodreads. I hope you know what that is because I don’t, but Miss Thompson promises she’ll link the things you need.”

With a sudden hiss, two doors popped open, and a little boy toddled out of one of them and flung himself at Miss Kate.

“Ach, Bobby-boy, what’re ye doing here? Your mother’ll be frantic! Come, let’s get ye back where ye belong.” She scooped the child up and hurried back through the door, shutting it firmly behind her, and Jaelyn cocked her head at her brother.

“I thought you’d be the first back of all of us.” She motioned to their own open door, but Loegan’s gaze was thoughtful as it returned from where the long hallway disappeared in the distance.

“Jaelyn, you don’t think…all these doors…”

“Home, Loegan. Emmalie’s waiting.” Her brother almost jumped for the door, and Jaelyn turned to follow, but she suddenly caught the twinkling eyes of the author, now standing at the threshold of her office.

“Thanks for that.”

“You have no idea.” Jaelyn rolled her eyes. “I saw the stack of your story files. And I suggest you clear your search history before Loegan learns how to work that machine. Do I even want to know why you’ve saved so much information about so many diseases?”

“Oh…” The author twisted her hair nervously. “That’s not for you. Well, most of it.”

Jaelyn narrowed her eyes as the fingers of her right hand flexed and clenched, but she finally shook her head and turned away, shutting the door behind her with a definitive click.

“Okay, then.” The author winced a little guiltily as she pressed a button on her wrist to seal the doors, then turned away to scribble a note. “That went pretty well, all things considered. What do you guys think?”

She pondered the screen thoughtfully for a moment, then lifted a remote control, and the world went black.

(Special thanks to Malachi, whose idea I totally stole; to Hanna, who reminded me of it; and to Mom, who came up with the concept independently at almost the same time.) :D