Apprentice (Into the After Book 1)

by Patricia Thomas

  I had thought I reached my capacity for joyful shouting as Steph, Gennie and Jericho crossed the stage to shake the hands of each of the councilors and announced to their friends and family which order they intended to pledge. But my voice reached new heights as Tommen was called last to the stage, and was announced as the highest ranking new librarian in his graduating class, an honor that would follow him for the rest of his career.

  The only awkward moment of the night came when Keeper Dorset started to congratulate our class on being the first in a decade to graduate with all our members. She cut herself off mid-sentence as she realized her error, eliciting confused murmurs from the room. I wondered how many people besides Tommen had even noticed I was missing.

  They would all know soon enough. But only a moment later, the incident was all together forgotten as all four councilors led the room in a round of applause, celebrating the new graduating class.

  I would never know what it felt like to stand on that stage, but I could also never come to regret my time spent as a librarian.

  Maybe one day I would muster up the courage to return to the Archive of Ink and Soul and find my own way to serve.

  Not quite ready to leave the After? After the End, book one in a companion series to Into the After is available now on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.

  Get your copy now!!

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  Read Chapter One of Into the After right now!

  Chapter One

  Kadence “Kadie” Meyer,

  Welcome to the After. Please remain calm.

  This next revelation will come as something of a shock. You have arrived in the After from whatever land you once called home because your author has claimed the work you exist in is complete.

  You are a fictional character, and your story is over. There is no longer any need for you to propel your plot forward, so you have arrived here to continue your existence among those who also started their journeys in a novel or book series. We apologize for having to get you up to speed in this manner, but with the nature of the modern literary landscape there is no other way to keep up with each day’s new arrivals.

  You are among friends—unless of course you have an arch nemesis or the like who has also come here.

  Everything will be fine.

  More than likely, you’ll find this news alarming, and may even have doubts. But you will find that if you search deep within yourself, you will understand this information to be true. Again, there is nothing to worry about, and no need for panic. Should you follow the system the After has in place, you will continue to the next chapter of your life quite seamlessly.

  It will all be okay.

  After the end of a story, each character arrives in a city most like the world they came from. In all likelihood, any friends and family that were part of your story will have also travelled to the same place should you wish to seek them out. You now have two choices.

  The first is that you simply return to your story of origin through one of the many Reclamation Centers throughout this world. All knowledge you have gained since arriving in the After will be immediately forgotten so you may relive your story each time it is read, experiencing it anew with each new telling. You will never grow or change and all will be as it was. There is no shame in choosing this option as we each have a different path to follow and only you can decide what will truly make you happy. Perhaps you have already found happiness, and by bringing you here you have been ripped away from that reality. If that is the case, the choice before you may be an easy one.

  The second option, should you prefer not to return to your origin story, is to remain here so that you can continue to develop yourself, creating a life and existence outside of what was written for you. The After is vast, so the possibilities are endless. Each decision you make will be your own as will the life you forge from this point onward. The people of our world all started out in the same position you are in now, and the world we have created will be yours to discover and shape.

  You do not have to decide right away. Citizens of the After are free to return to their stories at any time, but the choice cannot be undone. You will not be able to come here again.

  No matter what you decide, there are people here to help you—to answer questions, guide you to the nearest Reclamation facility, or get you started in your new life.

  We wish you nothing but the best of luck.

  The Librarians of the After

  My gut was churning, rocked by a jumble of emotions as my eyes scanned the letter again, and again. But each time I took it in, the message was unchanged; just as incredible and unbelievable as when I first read it over only moments before. I had to be dreaming.

  Without taking my eyes off the piece of paper in front of me—I couldn’t even remember where I'd gotten it, only standing there with it clenched in my fist—I used my free hand to pinch myself hard on the fleshy skin at the base of my stomach. But nothing changed. Either I wasn’t dreaming, or the whole pinching to wake yourself up thing was a stupid idea.

  Even before my fingers clamped around a patch of skin on my arm to try again, part of me knew what the result would be. After, as I closed my eyes and tried to breathe and settle my nerves, the answer was already in my heart, both impossible and wonderful. It was just as the letter said, and I knew its contents were not only truthful, but that my entire existence had just turned on its head.

  The last thing I remembered was standing in my bedroom, staring out the window at the rainy street in front of me. I'd gotten a phone call from Darren only minutes before, telling me he'd made up his mind. He’d chosen Kelsey. He was going to be with her, and not with me. After everything.

  I'd felt absolutely crushed. Even heartbroken, and the weight of it all still sat heavy on my heart as I tried to come to terms with everything else happening to me in that moment.

  Once my thoughts stopped spinning, I made myself look up. Whatever I'd been expecting from the letter—perhaps a busy plaza, filled with volunteers in blue vests, waving their arms to get the attention of newcomers—my reality was a disappointment. I hadn't imagined finding myself alone in a well-lit alleyway, stone walls on either side of me as the sun shone hot overhead. The distant smell of seawater hit my nose as I took a long breath. The salty tang of the air helped to focus my thoughts, if not as much as I would have liked. At least I was starting to feel like myself again.

  I was still wearing the fuzzy blue pajama pants, with the matching cloud patterned button up top before I'd known about the phone call that was coming for me mere minutes later. And now I was wearing it outside, in a city I didn't recognize. There were voices coming from nearby, and a car honking in the distance. At the far end of the alleyway a man in a suit passed by on a connecting street without even looking at me.

  Not yet ready to decide what was next, I pinched myself again, harder this time, just in case. While there was a big part of me who was sure of what the letter was telling me, another part of my soul still resisted—it went against everything I’d ever learned. And yet...

  Did I even want this to be a dream?

  I was already starting to sweat under the heavy fabric of my outfit which certainly felt unbearably real.

  Well, I can’t just stand here waiting for someone to come rescue me.

  Dream or not, it was time to start moving. If I woke up a few hours later in my bed with rejection still stinging at my heart—so be it. But I couldn't just wait there for someone to come along and tell me what to do. More people passed by on the nearby street, and while I didn’t love the idea of walking out there, either hunger would get the better of me, or I’d miss an opportunity to find help, if I stayed put for too long. And with a little luck finding someone I knew, someone familiar, was only a moment away if I stopped waiting around for answers or direction.

  Oh
God, would Darren and Kelsey be here together somewhere? Beginning their happily ever after?

  I didn't want to think about it. And the best way to avoid getting bogged down in my own thoughts had always been to simply start moving.

  Only a few steps toward the bright light of the street and my new reality began to take shape in front of me. At first, there was only a blur of buildings, people, and cars, but it all came into sharp focus just as my bare feet hit sidewalk. At the exact same moment, someone plowed into me from the side.

  With the air knocked from my chest I grasped out wildly while stumbling sideways, only managing to find my feet when my hand connected with the stone wall of the building beside me.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled automatically, searching for whoever or whatever I’d just collided with, cutting myself off from swearing up a storm of frustration. A gray-haired man, with a beard down to his collarbones stood a few feet away, looking equally flustered. He was bare-chested, only wearing a kilt and leather sandals. I apologized again as his eyes scanned over me in alarm.

  I got the distinct feeling he either wasn’t impressed or simply thought he’d been attacked by a crazy person. Yes, I was wearing pajamas and hadn’t been looking where I was going, but I wasn’t convinced he was in any position to judge me. He was only wearing a kilt!

  From somewhere down the street, a series of sharp pops filled the air. The man and I both looked up at once, in time to see a cloud of bubbles float into the sky, reflecting the midday sun over the street. I only let myself look for a moment before using the distraction to slip away from my unexpected encounter and into the safe anonymity of the crowd, my heart still thudding.

  A few more people shot me startled looks as I passed by, leaving me more self-conscious with each passing second. I struggled to tame my long brown hair into submission by running my fingers through the tangled locks. Most days, my hair started as a thick, tousled mess, and getting it the way I wanted took more than half an hour. But for the immediate future, all I wanted was to blend in long enough to figure out what was going on.

  My mind fumbled through everything I’d seen, heard, and experienced in the last few minutes, desperately trying to make sense of any of it. I let myself move with the ebb and flow of the crowd, taking in as much of my surroundings as possible while still trying to wrap my mind around everything I’d learned.

  From what I could see, the people near me wouldn’t have been entirely out of place in downtown Pittsburgh around the end of a work day. Some wore business clothes, others had dressed in jeans and T-shirts, fitting for the warm weather. At one point, I thought I'd seen a pirate off in the distance, but another explosion of bubbles behind me pulled my focus. All the people around me seemed just as alarmed at the phenomenon as I was, but most people kept moving, talking amongst themselves and casting worried glances over their shoulders.

  It was the buildings that gave the impression of being in a place out of a storybook instead of in any city I'd ever known.

  Each building pressed tight against its neighbor, but it was the variety of styles, functions, and aesthetics that felt impossible. I passed a one-story blacksmith shop built from old, uneven gray stones. Next to it stood a five-story apartment building made from a golden material I couldn't even guess at the name of. A few blocks later, a skyscraper stood taller than all the buildings surrounding it combined. Then a shop that would have looked more at home in ancient China. Maybe things in the After were always like that, an amalgamation of places and countries.

  The farther I went, the more variety I saw, but nothing jumped out as an obvious destination. I still had no clue where I should be going. There was no assistance waiting for those like me who had only just arrived, looking for help. Everyone I noticed was going about their own business, some talking on phones, others writing on scratch pads with long quills.

  It was when something that I could only describe as a hover car flew over me, whisking my hair up in a flurry, I realized I had to stop and regroup. I was getting more lost and confused. And while it was impossible to deny the wonder of what I was seeing, I couldn't be sure there weren't any dangers lurking around every corner as well. Feeling vulnerable, tired, and thirsty all at once was making me more than a little grumpy.

  Mostly I just wanted answers.

  It took a moment to find a quiet patch of sidewalk as I stepped out of the bustle of the pedestrian crowd and leaned up against the glass window to a pastry shop. As far as I could tell it was closed, with no one inside to give me a disapproving look.

  I exhaled, closing my eyes for only a moment to fully appreciate the chance to regroup.

  If only I’d had my phone on me when I'd appeared here, I’d at least have the option of calling for help. But then I couldn't know if that would have worked in the After. I didn't know how anything worked. I would've been better off with an informational pamphlet than a welcome letter when I'd arrived, but there was no one to lodge a complaint with.

  I closed my eyes and took a few long breaths. If my brain and my pajamas were the only assets I had, I had to keep my mind as sharp as possible. Sure, nothing could ever have prepared me for what was happening, but that didn't mean I couldn't make the most of the situation. Or at the very least, that I couldn't get myself to safety, to someone who knew what I was up against.

  People kept walking by like it was just a normal day. I watched each one, looking for anyone who looked approachable. In theory, I could've asked anyone or everyone for help. But what would I even say? If I’d misinterpreted the entire situation, telling anyone what I knew—or thought I knew—would have me laughed out of the city, or locked up in an asylum somewhere. But I had to do something.

  Finally, a slim-shouldered woman on the opposite street corner caught my attention with her presence alone, leaning against a lamppost in a long black coat. Red rimmed sunglasses sat atop her broad nose. She seemed to be as intent on the people near her as I was, holding herself with an air of confidence that suggested she knew far more about what was going on around her than I did. Not that that was saying much.

  I had to try. Eventually, the streets would start to empty as people went home, which wasn’t an option for me. I’d be more exposed than ever.

  If what I’d learned was true, I would never go home again. But I couldn't focus on that thought, not yet. I stepped back into the crowd and made my way toward the crosswalk that would take me to the woman while I tried to figure out how to phrase what I needed to ask. But as I stood, waiting for the light to change, she turned to face me, sending a shiver running up my spine and letting me know she was looking right at me despite the sunglasses blocking her eyes from view. She studied me, expression hard. I looked away, not able to explain the feeling but feeling hunted all the same.

  Trying to look casual, boring, I glanced behind me and pretended to spot something in the distance, before making a beeline for the still moving flow of people going in the opposite direction. Somehow, I could still feel her watching me.

  I forced myself not to stare at the man on horseback in the lane closest to me, and picked up my pace. I could find someone else to help me, but the first order of business was getting as far away as I could from that intersection.

  I was doing well to keep my head down, moving from street to street without drawing too much attention when I felt a crackling in the air near me. As I looked up, inexplicably drawn to the empty space beside me in the street, the air began to shimmer. A moment later, the shadow of a person, a man though I couldn't tell you much about him, formed in the air. Then an outline of his basic features, vague and blurry. He moved his hands up towards his face and opened his mouth in a soundless scream. I still couldn't see much of him beyond his chest. For a second, he seemed to come into sharper focus, and then he went, morphed into a cloud of bubbles. His face had vanished, everything about him disappeared. Bubbles floated up into the air where a moment before the screaming man stood, silent and afraid.

  The bubbles drifted up into the
air, childlike and beautiful.

  Beside me, an older woman stood horrified, staring at the space where the man had been a moment before. I knew she'd seen the same thing I had and was just as disturbed by it. But she didn't yell out, didn't scream, or throw up—which is what my body desperately wanted to do—instead, she shook her head in surprise, cast one more glance back toward the bubbles in the air, which everyone around us was now watching with awe and horror, and kept going.

  There was no question that what she'd seen had been disturbing for her, but she hadn't been as shaken by it as I had. I had no words for what had just taken place in front of me, no explanations.

  I didn't even want to think about the two sets of bubbles I'd seen earlier and whether they also had screaming specters of people within them.

  I made myself start moving again.

  The street I ended up on was a little less crowded than the last, and soon I passed a large park, dotted with trees. Each one was a different species, and I didn’t think most of them usually grew in the same place, but together still looked both natural and elegant as they surrounded a small pond, their branches drawing my gaze upward.

  Off in the distance, far over the top of the trees, I caught sight of what had to be the most impressive building I'd seen yet. Endless white brick dotted with the occasional jewel-toned stone climbed up toward the sky. Several towers shot up farther at every corner. The building had to be at least several blocks wide, and a half dozen stories tall. Large windows decorated the side of the building I was looking at.

  It was beautiful, and it looked important.

  Would the After have a king, or queen? Or official government buildings? That building looked increasingly like the best place to start getting answers since my endless wandering was getting me nowhere.

  I stepped toward the park, still staring up at the white building in front of me when I promptly slammed into my second person in under an hour.