"And why's that? I mean, why should I do anything for you?" asked Alice.
Gretchen smiled, "It's because of me, you got a second chance."
"A chance with side-effects, right? Not a 'good' one, if you may think. If you have given me a male body, I would have a bit happier. My current body is quite sickly, if to be specific... my body lacks whatever you think I can help you with," replied Alice.
Gretchen clicked her tongue in mock annoyance. She said, "You are quite a man... ah, 'woman,' I guess? You think it will be good to go against my wish. Do you really think you have any say in this?"
Alice shrugged, "You will force me, won't you? I know what you mean, how the fuck a 'mortal' like me can offend a 'fairy' like you? Your power certainly is beyond reasoning. So, shoot. I am obliged to obey you."
"You know your predicament? Well, you are an amusing one. You see, I am a 'book fairy,' and my job is to oversee the plot, or you can say 'path.' To enter any world, I need something."
"Let me guess, Gretchen. A fucking cliché? A book, or a key of some sorts. And you have lost it. Wow! You really a responsible one, aren't you? I mean, you are the one person I will entrust my entire wealth. Do you know why? Because I fucking don't have any! You are the epitome of carelessness," mocked Alice. A book fairy who lost the only thing that defined her work. It was kind of poetic and ironic in itself.
Gretchen sneered at Alice. She couldn't believe that a mortal was lecturing her for a simple blunder.
"Stop blabbering nonsense! I don't need to hear from a mortal who couldn't even save his relationship! Keep your nonsense to yourself! Your words have no meaning to it!" yelled Gretchen.
Alice shook her head and asked, "You need me to retrieve that 'something,' right?"
"A 'book.' And, yes... I need you to retrieve it."
"Why can't you retrieve it by yourself? Aren't you some kind of all-powerful fairy? Use some magic of yours and get back that book! I believe you can do it. So, what do you say?"
Gretchen sighed, "You don't understand the stakes, do you? That book can fucking destroy everything! Each and every world that the book contains, can be destroyed by a mortal like muck like you. With that book, he or she can fuck any world of their choice! And I can do nothing. If that book reaches to someone with evil intentions, everything will be over. To my utter dismay, it already has."
Every word that Gretchen said, held weight to it. Alice could imagine how much destruction it would cause if the user was an evil person. Not just one world, multiple words could be over in one sweep.
"It's disastrous. It's beyond my imagination, okay? But how did you know that somebody had done something already? Why do you think the book was used by someone?" asked Alice.
Gretchen replied, "You know the answer yourself. I don't need to tell you that."
Her words confused Alice. Then at that moment, something clicked inside her mind. The missing piece of the puzzle was found.
"The plot. From the moment, I arrived everything was different from the book. Just tell me, when the fuck did you lose that 'book' of yours?" Alice's tone was serious.
"More than 10 years in this world. According to my 'time', it has been four months, if you convert it into my world's time."
"JESUS CHRIST! FOR THE FUCK'S SAKE WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING FROM ALL THIS TIME?! ARE YOU INSANE?!" yelled Alice. How the fuck could someone be this irresponsible?
"I know! Okay?!" Gretchen yelled back.
"So, what now? How much of the plot have really changed?"
"A plot of a book is always static. But it becomes dynamic when you have my 'book.' So, whatever that would have existed, no longer exists."
"Means 'fake' became 'real.' Way to go, Gretchen! You have done a good thing. Not that I mind, that is. Just for the record, the plot is always dynamic. You are the overseer. Your job is to... ah, fuck! You know your job, right?"
"Alice, whatever has happened... it can't be changed. But the future it can be changed. You can change it."
"How? I am pretty sure that the 'holder' of the book will have some 'supernatural' abilities. And me? I am just a 'weakling?' Tell me, how the hell I can fight someone like that? Won't it be better if you were the one to retrieve it?" asked Alice.
Gretchen replied, "I can't. The moment, I step into your world... my 'superiors' will know everything about my blunder and it will be devastating. This world will be erased completely."
Alice's body trembled at her ominous words. They wouldn't destroy a world over this, would they?
"You are exaggerating, aren't you?" whispered Alice.
"No, I am not. In fact, my job is to correct the plot... by erasing the 'deviated world' from the existence. I reset the world."
Alice inhaled sharply at her words. She asked, "So, that's what you have decided, right?"
"What?"
Glaring at her, Alice yelled, "The moment, you get your 'book,' you are going to erase this world! The trajectory is not according to your 'book,' right? Gretchen, your plan is to use me and discard me. But you are wrong about one fucking thing! I won't do it unless you tell me the real truth! I won't be your foot soldier!"