Snippet #1838437

Before anything more could be said, the chef dismissed them. Realising nothing more could be done here, Richard followed Juliana out of the door. As he did so he noticed that she seemed distant, as if her mind was somewhere else...almost as if she was doing something in another place. Then he remembered what she'd said about the characters in her head, and wondered if that had something to do with her slight change. *Is she talking to them? Is that even possible?* With serious intent, Richard tried it himself, wondering if he could awaken something in himself. *Um. Hello? Anyone there?* Standing at the door, Richard and Juliana, both distant, must have seemed rather strange. However, Richard had no reply however hard he tried to probe the depths of his consciousness. Suddenly he realised what they were standing there doing, and snapped out of his reverie. "We'd better get going," he said to Juliana, looking back at the chef who had a puzzled expression on her face. Richard walked out of the kitchens and back towards where they had come from, wondering all the while, *what now?*