The echoes of voices and music from last night lingered in the air. Her mind felt muggy, but the memories were coming back to her. It had been a celebration, but there was also a mournful vibe all around her. Some had congratulated her, pats on the back, kisses on cheeks, but others – her parents especially – had been almost mournful. It had been a party, but also a send off. The place was so quiet now, and empty, and Shardia could now feel the weight of what she was about to take on, and the loneliness.
It was her Reckoning Day. Last night was a celebration of that. Thirteen years since she was born. Everyone went through it, but no one who hadn’t was allowed to know what it involved, so, naturally, she had no idea what was ahead of her. In recent months she’d tried to find out: listening in to the elders discussions, researching in the library, but no matter where she looked or listened, she couldn’t find anything about it. It was almost like there was a magical force keeping any information about the Reckoning away from her until she was ready. This was of course perfectly possible, but she didn’t have to like it. She had thought that it would all come to her on her day, but there was nothing new in her head. The day felt like any other, apart from the fact that she was completely and utterly alone. Was this part of the test?
She looked around the hall, which, if such things had existed on her world would’ve resembled a bell jar. The tables that had been scattered all around and covered in food and drink were all gone, making her realise just how vast the place was. It was impossibly bright and clean, as if no one had ever stepped in there before. The large triangular window above the entrance showed a gloriously pink sky with only a smattering of green clouds lurking about.
That’s a good sign at least, she thought. Yet, she still had no idea what her first move should be.
‘Should I stay here and wait for whatever’s waiting for me to come to me?’ Asking it out loud didn’t make the decision any easier. It never did. She hadn’t noticed until now, but there was a low booming sound, like thunder, getting nearer. Her ears were still ringing from last night’s excesses, but the sound was coming over loud and clear now. It was more controlled than thunder somehow. Each explosion of sound was exactly the same as the last, only louder, and it was beginning to shake the building around her.
JOHN D. PAYNE IS WRITING 