Halden Mile Meets Lord Shadrach.

For Halden Mile, it started like any other day. He'd come home from working the night before, and he was exhausted. Halden wanted nothing more than to sleep. In his mind, sleep was the best form of respite from life. More appealing to any vacation or rest could offer. Although Halden wanted to perhaps film a video, write, or read; maybe perhaps do some work around the house, Halden chose to sleep.

This was because tonight Halden had to work the main gate. Honestly, Halden hated the main gate. It was like a small portion of Hell on Earth. From being observed by everyone, to having to deal with the client, in short everyone wanted a piece of the main gate. Even then, Halden was tired and sought a reprieve from his troubles.

By this point, Halden had changed into his pajama pants and shirt. He had climbed into bed and was ready to sleep. His cat, Annie jumped into bed with him and curled next to him. Halden would have went to sleep. Yet, a noise caused him to jolt up.

"Who is that?!?," Halden arose. He grabbed a pistol and was about to load it. But as he was doing so, a voice called out to him.

"Don't shoot. I mean no harm. Besides, why would I harm my creator?"

"My creator!?" Halden repeated these words. Whom would have called Halden Mile their creator. Yet, as Halden listened to the stranger outside his room, the voice sounded very familiar. In fact, it sounded much like his own.

After regaining his composure, Halden asked, "Just who are you!?"

The stranger, calm and collected, stated in a voice much like Halden's own.

"Do you not know who I am? I am Lord Shadrach."

Halden could not believe it. Who was this madman speaking akin to his online persona and alter ego?

"Oh really!? You expect me to believe that!?" While Halden's words were cliché, they still carried weight.

The man claiming to be Lord Shadrach answered, "I can prove it to you."

"I don't buy it."

"Of course I knew you wouldn't." Lord Shadrach stated. "Good to see you are not as gullible as people claim. I am proud of you."

The stranger then added. "I do however know about your work on YouTube and elsewhere. I thought you had plans to create my series."

Halden froze. While his work on YouTube was seen by a number of people, the fictionalized series was however not known. Save for a close friend of Halden's family, nobody knew of the series.

"Well, let me in, and I will tell you." Lord Shadrach made his intentions known.

Halden, not sure what to expect, opened the door. Still he was ready and held the pistol. He carefully opened the door his room. Once it was open, Halden stood in absolute shock at what he was staring at.

The man standing before Halden looked and sounded like him. To say as if it were looking at a mirror, though cliche, would be correct. Yet, what separated Lord Shadrach from his creator were a number of traits. For instance, Lord Shadrach was a nobleman, soldier, and statesman. He spoke many languages without issue and knew various forms of martial arts. Another trait was Lord Shadrach was regarded as a man of the people. This, added with him being the bane of totalitarians in his homeland made him a formidable fighter.

Now, this did not mean Lord Shadrach was perfect. He had the same weaknesses as his creator. For example, just as it was with Halden Mile, Lord Shadrach could not swim. Nor was Lord Shadrach one enjoy confinement. He embraced adventure and activity.

In contrast, however, Lord Shadrach was not much of a creative person. Nor did the nobleman like acting or playing video games. Lastly, cosplay was so much of an alien concept to Lord Shadrach, it merely made no sense to him why anyone would dress up and act like a fictional character.

Even then, Halden still stood there dumbfounded. This was his own creation before him. As cliche as it was to say, 'in the flesh', it was the truth.

"What is the meaning of this?" Halden asked his fictional counterpart.

To which Lord Shadrach replied, "There is much to discuss between us."

As the two men sat in the room, Halden listened to Lord Shadrach speak endlessly about a number of things that never came to pass. The novel series, the YouTube show based on the series, and various other forms of media. To answer this, Halden stated that real life had hindered such productions. Also, he was deeply concerned people would write off Lord Shadrach as another Gary Stu.

For those whom did not know, Gary Stu was a male Mary Sue.

To put Halden at ease, Lord Shadrach instructed his creator to instill weaknesses in his fictional counterpart.

The fictional nobleman and warrior then asked, "So what have you been doing with my name?"

To this Halden replied, "I just use blog under your name and I create ASMR content as well."

Lord Shadrach stood up. "Well, at least you are putting it to use. Just promise me something."

His real life counterpart's ears perked up, "Yes, Lord Shadrach?"

Shaking his head, Lord Shadrach stated, "Now, now, you know you can always call me Shadrach. After all, you are my creator.

"Right...Shadrach. But what were you going to make me promise."

At that instance, Lord Shadrach made Halden promise he would never taint the name Lord Shadrach with anything foolish or shameful. Halden knew all too well what happened under his previous name of Cyraka. In any event, Halden sought to never repeat those very same mistakes which brought disgrace unto him.

"Even if you do make mistakes, I just pray you avoid those that are too costly." Lord Shadrach cautiously advised his creator. "I do not wish to see my name infamously associated in a negative light."

"Nor do I." Halden vowed.

"I say this because in a way, we are the same; you and I." Lord Shadrach declared. "After all, you created me from parts of yourself; your interests, your desires, your beliefs and above all, your fantasizes. Even if you did everything you could to separate us, the fact remains, we are very much the same."

"The same...yet different." Halden was perplexed. Though he could somewhat understand where Lord Shadrach was coming from."

"Do not feel bad your desires in creating novels based on me or a show based on me never took fruition. If anything, as long as you are pursuing what you desire creative wise, you are doing something productive, correct?"

"Perhaps you are right." Halden was in agreement with his creation. Which was strange.

After all one could say Halden was agreeing with himself in a way! Yet, then again as previously stated, Lord Shadrach the character different in many ways than Halden.

"Well, I best get on my way." Lord Shadrach stated. "Until then, remember Halden; in the way of creativity, its productivity that counts."

He then added, "Perhaps one day you might be able to write those novels about me. Or maybe a short story about me on Vocal.Media or WritCo! Either way works for me."

"As it does for me, Shadrach." Halden replied. "Until then, best of luck and God bless you."

"You too, Halden."

In that instant, Halden watched as his creation turned to leave. As he stood outside the door of his room, Lord Shadrach made his way to the kitchen, At that moment, he watched his own creation fade away. Once Lord Shadrach was gone, Halden stood there confused, yet joyful he met the character he had created so many years ago.

After returning to bed, Halden laid down thinking about his encounter with Lord Shadrach. In many ways it felt like a dream or some wish fulfillment. In other ways, it felt eerily real.

If anything, he did take Lord Shadrach's words to heart. While Halden was uncertain about the character's life and adventures, he did make a promise to himself to be more creative.

It was not much, but it was a start.

And that is the best he could hope for.