Free Companies Inc. Presents:

Writer's Block Strikes Again!

A slightly deranged fic by Keza: Queen of Procrastination

ONE: THE FORCE AWAKENS

A/N: And so it begins. FFN was mean and took it down because of the casting call. Grr. Arrg. But anyway! READ REVIEW AND ENJOY! Especially the review part.

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It was the coldness that woke me. I sat up, careful not to hit my head on Blink's bunk, and shivered. My breath came out in clouds and I could feel goosebumps running along my whole body. It was a bit unsettling - considering it was July. I swear, it's been July for about five years… Why is it always July? 1899 has the strangest never-ending summer.

Although no one else had woken up, the all seemed to sense the change. Blink kept shifting above me and Snipe was whimpering. Across the room Swifty was pulling his blankets tighter.

Then the pressure came.

It's impossible to explain. It was like the room had grown instantly darker, like the moon had been snuffed out or something. Everything outside, all the soft sounds of the city at night - completely silent. I felt something pressing against my mind… Something terribly evil. Just when I could bear it no longer, a small, fast moving, stone block found my head and I immediately lost conscious.

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I could tell I was dreaming because of the girls. After all, it was pretty hard to fly into the upper window of the Lodging House - I had tried a few times before, but only made it once… When I was dreaming. Oh, and they were glowing too. Dead giveaway. Both had warm smiles on their faces as they glided towards me, arms outstretched. I felt my jaw drop open… Angels in th-WHUMP! I blinked, startled, and looked again. The first girl - blonde - was in a face down heap on the floor. The other, slightly taller with brown hair pulled back, was bent over and doing a poor job of smothering her laughter.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT THE FUCKING EXTENSION CORD?!" My eyes widened. Such language! I hadn't heard a lady talk like that since… Well, there was the one girl - the one who dressed like a boy and played a mean game of poker... And smoked... And mouthed off, and-

"Oh, quit complaining and get up," the second girl scolded, recovering from her fit. The blonde glared at her companion and kneeled, then yanked something that looked like a thin rubber snake from her side. The lovely, glowing aura that had surrounded the two disappeared. I sighed in disappointment. They resumed advancing, bickering amongst themselves.

"See, look! We lost his attention. I told you we needed to be glowing!" the blonde was complaining.

"We did not lose his attention! Look! He's right there, awake, alert, and staring at my…" the other girl clapped her hands sharply. I raised my eyes at the noise. "Eyes up here, pal," she snapped, pointing to her own eyes. I stuttered something and blushed furiously, trying my best to keep my vision… Up. There was no doubt now that they were talking about me - I tried to retreat under my blankets, only to discover that I had none. The blonde cackled and hung my blanket over her shoulder. Her eyes held a challenge I wasn't about to consider… Well… Then again…

"KEZA! Will you quit flirting with Race? We have a job to do here!" The blonde - er - Keza, glared at her friend, but gave my blanket back.

"Right," she said, sounding bored. "I'm Keza, that's Falco, the world is in danger, blah blah, save it for us cause we're too lazy, yadda yadda yadda," she smiled sweetly at Falco, who proceeded to smack her. "Hey! Ow…"

"Look Keza, it's Pie-eater!" Keza squealed and ran off. Falco grinned innocently at me. "Ok. So. Let me explain."

"Explain what?" I interrupted, finally gaining the courage to speak.

"Your task, of course."

"Er… Task?"

"That's what I said, yes." I fidgeted uncomfortably. This was not sounding good.

"Look Lady, I don know what you're talking about. I ain't part a no task! Gawd… I'se must be dreamin'!"

"Of course you're dreaming. That's the only way the nutcase and I could come and talk to you. But don't dismiss what I'm about to tell you - it's real. And real dangerous, too." She paused a moment to chuckle at herself. "Ahem. Anyway. You see, an Evil Force entered the city tonight. You may have sensed its presence," I nodded wisely, pretending to understand. "Now, this Evil Force… We don't know exactly what it is - all we know is that if it isn't stopped… New York City as we know it will cease to be." She paused again, waiting for my reaction. I blinked again.

"Oh no!" there. That seemed to satisfy her.

"Hate to break it to ya, Racey, but for the past.. Um, long time, you haven't exactly been in control of your life."

I started to ask how she knew my name, then decided that anyone who can appear in another's dream could certainly know their name.

"What are you talkin' about?"

"New York City - as we know it - is controlled completely by fanfiction authors. Yes, I know that you don't understand that. Just think of the people that write articles for the World - now picture them as younger girls sleeping in alleyways and plotting out your lives. Strange, I know. But true. No - don't argue. It's TRUE! Most of the random New Yorkers you've met within the past… Um, long time, have been of their creation. They run this world! Without them… There is none."

"Ok, ok, as much as I don't wanna believe dis… I do get what yer sayin'," I admitted. My heard was spinning. "So dese authors plot out our lives, yadda yadda… Where do I come in?"

"I was explaining that," Falco reminded me. "The Evil Force that broke through the barriers tonight placed a heavy Writer's Block on all of the City's authors."

"Ouch! So aren't dey all, like, dead now?"

"Not a real block - Writer's Block is when an author has nothing to write about, basically. She or he cannot figure out where their story is going to go. It's a horrible, horrible disease."

"So… Wid dis Writer's Block… The authors can't write about us… So nuttin will happen… And…"

"Bang. Exactly. Like I keep saying, the City will cease to be. Snuffed out of existence. Bam. Boom. Done. Zip. Nada. Gone. Dead."

"And da Newsies…?"

"With no one left to write about you? Oh, you'll all be gone too."

"Dis can't be happenin'…"

"Oh, but it is."

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. This was the strangest thing I'd ever heard of - but there was something about the girl that made me believe her. Anyone who can glow should be believed, in my esteemed opinion.

"'ow long do we got?"

"We? Hon, we want no part of this. There's a Patriots game on TV in 2002 and we're off to watch it after we get you situated. I'd say you've got a little more than a week."

That's when Blink woke up.

"Race! Would ya quiet down? I swear, you'se talkin' to yourself so… Hellooooo there!" his tone changed considerably as he spotted Falco.

"Splendid!" she smiled. "Kid Blink can help you! Oh, this is going to work out perfectly," she patted Blink on the head and turned to leave.

"Wait!" I cried, toppling out of bed. "Who are ya anyway?" she turned.

"We're authors as well."

"So why aren't ya affected wid this Block thing?"

"We already had Writer's Block, so it didn't harm us. Now, it's game time. Good luck!"

"No! I still don't know what to do!"

"It's simple. Just travel around the districts of the City, find the authors, and cure them! I'm missing kickoff! Any other questions?" I slunk to the floor. Blink started to speak, but Falco quickly cut him off.

"Good! If you're ever knocked unconscious again, we'll make sure to check up on you." She crawled out the window and disappeared. A few moments later she dove back in, ran out of my sight and returned dragging Keza, who was yelling -

"So long Pieeeeeee!"

And then they were gone.

"Race, you gonna explain or should I just go back ta sleep?" Blink growled, his normal grouchiness returning. I sighed. Then I explained to the best of my ability. He seemed to understand - or at least was good at pretending - and we both agreed to sleep the rest of the night off and think about it in the morning.

"But Race… If we're dreamin'… Wouldn't we already be asleep?" I screwed up my eyes and tried to think of an answer.

"True… So… If we fall asleep in dis dream.. We'll wake up, right?"

"Too confusin'…"

"Way too confusin'…"

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Next Chapter: Race and Blink go off to scour Manhattan!