“What the hell?” hissed Maite. 

“Yeah, dude,” added Kepa. “What the hell?”

Maite just shook her head. “Whenever you want a break, that’s fine. You can leave us here, leave the plot hanging. But we barely get five words before you throw us back into the fire. How is that fair?”

Kepa shrugged. “He has all the power. We are at his mercy. We have to literally jump whenever he says jump, but he doesn’t have to do anything we say.”

Maite turned to Kepa. “How did this happen? We are the ones with the zatiak, with these marvelous powers. He’s just a guy in front of a computer.”

“Have you tried blasting him? Maybe that will get him to cooperate.”

A mischevious grin crossed Maite’s lips as she held out her hand. Sparks crackled between her fingertips. “You are going to give us some down time, or else.”

There was no response.

“You don’t even have the dignity to answer us?” shrieked Maite as her hand began to glow so brightly, the bones in her fingers were visible. 

Still there was no response.

Maite yelled as a bolt of lightning burst from her hand and evaporated into nothingness.

Maite held her hand in front of her puzzled face. “Zer…?”

“See?” said Kepa exasperatedly as he threw his hands in the air. “He has all the power. He could erase us if he wanted. Or just put us on ice, forget about us and keep us locked away on his computer forever.”

“It’s so unfair,” cried Maite. “We are put through hell for his entertainment, but what do we get out of it? Character growth? Personal development? All I know is I’m sick and tired of being put through an emotional roller coaster.”

Kepa nodded. “Maybe we can go on strike?”

“Can we? He’s the writer, we’re ‘just’ the characters. Can we go on strike?”

Kepa’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I guess we can’t, unless he writes us going on strike. And why would he do that?”

Maite chugged the whiskey from the glass that had suddenly appeared in her hand. “Since he’s back from whatever the hell he’s been doing the last few weeks, it’s time for us to get back to work.”

Kepa looked at Maite and at his own empty hands. “How come I didn’t get one of those?”

Maite looked ahead into the emptiness. “Because he’s so damn fickle.”

Kepa shook his head. “Do you think anyone is even reading this anymore?”

Maite shrugged. “Does it matter? We have to keep doing this as long as he keeps writing.”

They both sighed as the page turned.

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