I slowly open my eyes. My head is pounding, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I jerk upright, suddenly panicking, because I have no idea where I am. I rub my eyes and take in my surroundings. There are no windows, so I can’t see outside, but I’m lying on what looks to be a very expensive beaded couch, a thin white blanket carelessly tangled around me, though I might have done that to myself in my sleep. A glittering chandelier dangles from a huge arching ceiling over a glass table in the middle of the room. There are several other matching couches around the perimeter of the long room. A door stands at the far end. I try to remember how I ended up here, wherever “here” is. I can remember sitting in biology class, twirling my pen distractedly as my thoughts drifted away from my teacher’s monotone voice. I had started thinking about what new records I was going to get after school. But then I can’t remember anything after that. A flash of bright light, a bang. That’s all I remember. And now I’m…
My thoughts are interrupted as the door slams open, revealing a girl who looks about my age standing in the entryway. She has shoulder-length brown hair, fair skin, and she’s wearing a delicate silver tiara, but my eyes travel down to her belt, where she has a sheathed sword.
“Oh, good, you’re awake.” She says as she walks toward me. “Nice to meet you, Autumn. I’m Queen Aevus.” She holds out her hand, presumably for a handshake.
“Wait. How do you know my name? Where am I? Have I just been kidnapped?” I start to scoot away from her. She doesn’t necessarily seem threatening, but her sword is making me nervous. You know, I always thought that I was going to be the person to actually survive a horror movie situation, but it looks like there’s a first time for everything.
“Relax. I’m not going to hurt you. You’re on Thexerus. I am the Queen here, and I will ensure that no harm comes to you while you are here. You can call me Dawn, if you’d like.”
“Like the dish soap?” My response comes out automatically. Man, I seriously have zero survival instincts.
“Very funny.”
“Okay, seriously though, why am I here?”
“Autumn, I brought you here because I needed to have a talk with you.”
“Okay, why though? No offense, but I don’t even know who you are. You could have just like, I don’t know, sent me a letter or something. Where even are we right now?”
“First, I’ll do the talking. You just listen, and then afterward I can answer your questions.” She switches to a Stern Teacher Voice, so instead of arguing, I just stay silent.
“We are on Thexerus, as I said before. One of two countries in Delta Miriandynus, on the planet Kolyra. We are very, very far from your home planet of Earth right now. As for why you are here…Your destiny lies here.”
“And what would that be?” I cut in.
“Becoming the Master Bookkeeper of Delta Miriandynus, of course.”
I try not to laugh. “Okay, okay, very funny. Can you take me home now?”
“You think I’m joking.” She crosses her arms.
I gesture up and down at her extravagant clothes and her knives. “Yeah, I think you’re joking. You’ve made your point, now I’d like for you to return me back home.”
“You can’t run from your destiny.” She says in a tone that sounds very similar to my mom when I’ve forgotten to do the dishes.
“Destiny? You cannot be real right now. As far as I’m concerned you knocked me out, kidnapped me, and now you’re lying to me. But it’s not funny.”
“Why you were on Earth, I have no idea. Though Earth is not a strange planet to me. I once lived there myself as well.”
“Wait, really? How did you end up here? Where did you live?” My innate curiosity is making me ask questions without me even thinking about it, much to my own annoyance.
“New England. And I had someone come and find me, much like I am doing now with you.”
“How long ago?”
“Ages ago.”
“Was it different?”
“There’s not so much difference between now and a long, long time ago.”
“No offense, but if you’re talking a couple hundred years ago, then I think that you’d be wrong about there being no difference between now and then.” I comment. The Queen ignores me and acts like I never said anything at all.
“I understand this is a big decision. So I’ll give you time to make it. But first things first. Follow me.” I quickly stand up and go to follow her, my curiosity overriding my survival instincts. We enter a long hallway, and it seems very fancy and polished with marble everywhere, but it’s all empty. Completely empty except for one thing. A painting sits on one wall. A golden frame encases an oil portrait of a young man who looks to be royalty of some sort. Definitely not my type, but I guess he’s sort of attractive, with blue eyes and black hair. I peer closer to look at the golden plaque below the painting.
“Who is Solas Barchiel?” I ask aloud.
“None of your concern.” Her tone is icy cold. I decide to keep quiet and hurry after her.
“Because you are a visitor here, you’ll need a visitor’s pass.” She explains as we exit a hallway and enter a lavish room that looks like a lobby for a hotel that only allows billionaires inside. The Queen gestures towards a desk with someone sitting behind it, and I walk over to it.
“Name?” The man behind the desk asks.
“Autumn Briya.”
“Home address?” He asks without looking up. I take a deep breath before rattling off my full address, which I’m proud to say that I know.
“143 South Avenue, Winfield, Kansas, North America, USA, Planet Earth, Solar System, Oort Cloud, Local Interstellar Cloud, Local Cavity, Orion Arm, Milky Way, Local Group, Virgo Supercluster, Laniakea Supercluster, the Universe.”
The man behind the desk stares at me in surprise.
“What? You asked for my address. I gave it to you.” Though I can’t see her, I imagine that the Queen is rolling her eyes. Maybe if I annoy her enough, she’ll send me home.
“Well, here’s your pass, Autumn Briya from the Universe. Enjoy your time on Thexerus.”
“Come. We have much to discuss with lots of important people, and we don’t want to keep them waiting.” The Queen says. She walks out through what I assume is the front doors, and I scurry after her.
