The Writer's Block, Chapter 4

4: The Trader

You know, I actually planned for this twist. William Johnson has programmed R.E.T.I.N.A. to recognize Equinox el’Eriathas as Silvia Grace.

Well, now that you know that, I guess I can spoil this for you. Equinox el’Eriathas is Silvia Grace. That’s the biggest twist. I expect to get rich from that twist alone.

Readers will spend days, months and years analysing both of the characters. A legendary warrior falling in love with an elderly sweeper… it brings me to tears! How did the sweeper manage to purify the darkness of William Johnson? Why did the writer call the sweeper by the name of Silvia Grace?

Ah… I just love to daydream; imagine how much money I will get. This will be an all-time bestselling story! BUT IT ALL WENT TO HELL!

Equinox el’Eriathas is alive, although Silvia Grace is dead. I just don’t understand.

Whatever. I can’t have Hyperia involved anymore. I have to go back another twenty days.

William Johnson walks to the Green Market. He wants to buy cucumbers. He walks around. He walks. He continues walking. He walks. He walks.

This is boring. I have to act now.

William Johnson feels an eerie presence. He looks upwards. A face slowly forms.

“O clouds, how interesting you are! But how uncomfortable I am at being interested at you!”

I question him.

“O clouds, you speak of the passing of my loved one, Silvia Grace. However, Silvia Grace is very much alive.”

William Johnson points towards his right. She is sitting on the street cross-legged, eating a small piece of bread. She is the sweeper, Equinox el’Eriathas.

I question him again.

“I beg your pardon? No, this is the most impossible situation! O clouds, I believe you, as you are not lying. I will find her!”

So the William Johnson of this time period is confused. I no longer suspect him as much as before. There must be other clues. I have to meet his other friend.

Oh, there he is!

William Johnson leaves the market as the sweeper watches on. A lean-built man approaches the sweeper.

“Equinox, everything is out of place.”

“Seeing you here today is enough to prove that.”

“What should we do?”

“Do what we are meant to do—kill people.”

Hmm, I guess not too much has changed. Yes, The Trader and Equinox el’Eriathas are written for one real purpose—to eliminate certain characters. As writers, we have a tendency for writing ourselves into a corner. I’m smart, so I take the easy way out. Yes, readers will hate me for this, but it’s much better than pulling off some bullshit “miracle”.

Plus, sometimes I write shit that may get me killed. These two eliminate any thoughts of doing that.

The man and the sweeper leaves the Green Market.

William Johnson once again stares at the clouds, which no longer has a face.

Suddenly, a man appears right in front of William Johnson. He is wearing a brown overcoat.

“One million dollars.”

“O great friend of mine, such a low price is unheard of! Pay it, I will. Eliminate the one who offered, will you?”

I expected this. The Trader is not supposed to appear until the very end of the story, where he will ask for that same price from William Johnson. By then, he is far too corrupted, but most importantly, poor. The Trader, who is the world’s most skilled mercenary, will then eliminate William Johnson.

Well, that’s because he couldn’t pay in the original story. But now he could…

You know, I still haven’t decided on who I want the “one who offered” to be. Who ordered the elimination of William Johnson?

So the game goes like this; the one who offered will offer The Trader a price to kill a target, let’s say a million dollars, and that person will pay beforehand. If the target manages to pay The Trader any amount higher than the offered price, then the one who offered will be the target. The latter can now pay a higher amount than the new offered price, and the game continues.

No one in the story doubts The Trader’s abilities, for he never failed his duty.

The Trader follows William Johnson back to his wooden house, where the latter hands him a sack of gold bars that is worth exactly two million dollars.

“O great friend of mine, my heart refuse to believe that the one who offered has more gold than this! Do make haste, my friend.”

The Trader leaves the house. William Johnson sighs.

“Indeed, if I were not Sir William Johnson, my heart would be inviting his knife back then!”

*knock*

“May I know who is knocking?”

“A man-fish-dragon, sir!”

I don’t know whether to be worried or pissed.

“Come in, o friend!”

Hyperia walks into the residence’s living room with his very ugly legs.

“O friend, if I were normal, I would have been worried about you! But I’m no longer normal.”

“Sir, I want to be a legendary warrior! But… you told me that you’re not… normal? Why, sir! I am a great listener! Tell me all of your life’s problems!”

“O friend, a poor legendary warrior, which is I, yielded two million to The Trader!”

“That is the most horrible news! Is there any way I can ever help you, sir?”

“We have to defeat the monster!”

“What monster?”

At that moment, R.E.T.I.N.A. floats into the living room.

“Do you like coffee, young being?”

“Uh, I don’t drink coffee. Maybe sir needs some.”

I no longer want to be surprised. My story is shit. All is hopeless. It’s late. I’ll continue finding Silvia Grace tomorrow.

Tomorrow…!!

I can’t sleep.