A short story based on the title of the blog...
“My lady, some people are here to see you,” a strong and solid voice spoke out, it could belong to only Conor, no one else in the Tower had the rough accent. If we were still in the age of the Stars, you might have even said that he was Irish, with his crisp gingery hair and emerald eyes.
I turned away from the large window, which only stared into the bleak darkness of the world, and faced Conor. “Take me to them then.”
We walked down the shadowy halls of the Tower, the ever-flickering torch lights performing dances on the cracked walls. We stopped keeping the Tower clean a few years ago- there are always more important things to do. People come to the tower seeking refuge from the chilling cold of the dark lands. We don’t know how many people are left out there. We do know however that this world will be changing soon.
The old government collapsed when the lights went out, or that’s what we think happened. We’ve sent brave men out into the Dark Lands, but they either come back with no new information or just don’t come back. It must have been only a few days after the stars disappeared that we lost power and we began to feel the cold.It was then, that my mother brought me to the Tower, or as she had called it, the CN Tower. She quickly began to order around the few people who worked here And soon enough the heating systems were on. The tower became a place for all to go to, refugees from all sorts of life were welcome with open arms. People called this period the golden years of the stars, people were finally getting used to the new life that they would lives - my mother as their leader. It was as if with her in charge the very essence of fear was lost. it's only been a few weeks since she passed away but the lights are already starting to fade. Our food supplies have gone scarce, as we put more and more of what little oil we have left into the heating supplies.
I was expected to take control right away- but I knew that I was not yet ready for the role. My mother always had much larger feet than the tiny ones I had. Any sane person could see that I was going to decline the role, but it seemed not everyone in the tower had the same principles as my closest advisors, who of course spoke out when I was asked to take on the task. But the three hundred-some people in this tower would not have it. They demanded I take the job, apparently I am the only one who could do it.
This all happened in a few weeks. Since then, I’ve been ‘leading’ the good people of the Tower. If it weren’t for Conor being by my side constantly, I would have gone mad after the first day. Every single person in the tower has a different need, a unique desire, or some strange craving for something we don’t have in storage. In those weeks, I learnt how to say no.
Now, I will learn to say yes again. Nomads have been finding their way to the Tower, and they always bring such silly items; a smaller version of a phone, but it had no buttons and must have been broken, since it had no cord, or an overly complicated counting device called a calculator. So the question is, what do these people have for me today?
“Lady Scarlet, it is a pleasure to finally meet you,” a fragile voice announced, her arms crashing around me. “I come from lands far away to divulge a secret to you. A secret, that I pray you will enjoy.”
The woman was much taller than me, she seemed in her mid thirties, likely twice my age. I had just recently turned the age of the moon, 16. “Oh? Do you perhaps have dental floss?,” I enquired. It has been too many weeks since I have had the chance to clean my teeth.
She released me, her hair seemed to almost shine in the gentle torch light, “no, I do apologize, I have no floss. I have something even better. I have, in my bag, the way of the future. I have a way to get the water flowing again. I have a way to bring back the light. To create your own power.”
“How so?,” it had been ages since the last time I had take a good clean bathing. The water flow had to be cut long ago to prevent people wasting it. But if we could have power again, the pipes could be turned back on, as people would be able to return to their jobs outside.
She glanced at Conor who stood by my side, taking everything in, as he always did, “can he be trusted?”
I didn’t even think, “of course. Just tell us, what is this miracle you have created?”
The woman introduced herself as Jamie- the name was foreign. “It’s a sphere I suppose. If you place it in a room where somebody is sleeping, it will create energy from their dreams. The science behind it, is way beyond my knowledge. My husband had created a handful of the devices, however he passed away on our journey here.”
“And you are sure they work? Not to impose, but the idea seems quite ridiculous,” Conor questioned, taking a good look at the eight head-sized spheres Jamie had placed on the ground. I knew there was a reason why I kept Conor around, asides from him being the only redhead in the entire tower.
“Of course they work. If you do not believe me, allow me to show you, I’m sure your people are sleeping now?”
I nodded quickly, and began to lead her through the maze of halls, up the old staircase and into one of the sleeping chambers. Sure enough, a small family was falling gently asleep. It was the King family, no less. Mrs. King was due soon with a young baby. “This should suffice?”
Without hesitation, she rolled one of the spheres across the ground to sleeping family of four. It took a few moments, but soon the orb moaned out a gentle yawn and began to faintly glimmer with pastel colours. Which only got brighter as the seconds went by. “My god,” Conor gasped, shielding his eyes from the bright colours.
“If you were to plug a cable into the orb, or the orb into a socket it will supply ample power. But now I must go. I will leave you with these eight. I wish you all the luck.” Her voice was plain, but solid.
I was at a lost for words. She had only just arrived, only just given us hope, and now she wanted to leave?
Two months ago. Jamie visited and left two months ago. In the time since then, I was able to create a team of intelligence to crack the mystery behind the orbs, so that we could create even more. The eight orbs alone did not provide enough power to keep the power of the tower stable for long- but it did give us power for periods of time before the flickering would kick in. But the people of the Tower stopped asking for things. They now had power, and they had jobs again. The Tower itself gave off enough light for the kids, and adventurous adults to frolic in the darklands.
I had separated the people into three groups. Each group would sleep for roughly eight hours every day, and when the group woke up, the next group would take over. This way, the orbs provided maximum power. Luckily nobody opposed the idea. After all, I was their lady of the stars. Here to heal all of their scars... Or that’s how the poem went. The children had created a rhyme to chat when playing their games, and soon the chant had spread throughout the Tower, with women singing it when they fired their potatoes.
Conor left on the hunting trip with most of the men of the tower. Armed with the flashlights and wooden clubs. The group had left many days ago, but they were not expected to return for a good couple of weeks. The darklands were not easy to traverse.
Today, I would get to witness the miracle of life. Mrs. King’s water broke only a few hours ago, and since then she had been on the hospital floor. Walking out of the elevator, I could hear the screaming- the baby was coming! My pace quickened, and the yelling grew. By the time I made it, the baby was laying sleeping in a small crib nearby. “Why isn’t she crying?,” I asked.
The doctor glanced at me, “oh Scarlet, it’s a shame it is. The poor enfant has had a rare birth defect. He was born into a coma.”
Before I could even think, “so does he still dream,” I demanded.
“Well, I suppose so. Would you like us to bring him to the sleeping bay?,” the doctor asked as I nodded quickly.
“Don’t take my baby! Please! Don’t take my baby!,” Mrs.Knight hollered out.
Walking in stride with the doctor, my mind filled with possibilities, “would it be possible to induce a coma onto a newborn, even if they were not born with the defect?”
“I suppose so... Would it please you, if I were to put all newborns from now on into a coma?,” the doctor replied, without hesitation.
Today was the day. The stars would shine upon the Tower once again. The scientists managed to create a collection of light beams and mirrors, that together made the illusion of the stars drifting in the skies. Just like when my mother was around.
The ceremony would be held three times today, so that every citizen would be able to bare witness to the grand effect. Though, few would ever be able to see the stars again. Once the men return from the hunting trip nobody will be allowed to roam out of the tower without my permission. The stars will be my own, private, gift. The many windows of the tower have already been painted over in black in preparation.
I wore a glimmering white dress, as I stood on a podium, facing my subjects. The ceremony would double as my coronation, as queen of the stars.
“Stop!,” a loud voice demanded. I glared at him. Gone for many months, and then he decides to show up. Oh, silly, sweet Conor. I raised my arms, to pause the ceremony, as I motioned for Conor to join me in one of the other rooms.
“Is something wrong?,” I asked.
He seemed to laugh, “no, nothing is wrong. Just all the babies seem to be sleeping! The other men are up there now, trying to wake them- but none do. The doctor is trying to explain that they were ALL born with a birth defect? Plus, is it just me, or is everybody stupider? I don’t just think that machine is pulling their dreams out to produce energy! It’s taking their knowledge! And then, when I came down here to see what had happened, I found some children praying goodnight to your name. And when I FINALLY, found you. You were about to be crowned. So no my lady--”
I cut him off, “my queen,” I corrected.
“So no, my queen,” he glared daggers at me, “nothing is wrong.”
I snapped my fingers as they made the familiar clicking sound. Two of my men appeared immediately, “take him outside. I am giving him the honor of living under the stars. Isn’t your Queen generous?”
The two grunts agreed, as they dragged my leprechaun out of the Tower.
That night I became Queen of the Stars a grand total of three times.
