Sea Glass – Chapter 1

This is my JulNo novel (unedited 😦 ), be prepared for extremely crappy writing! 🙂

Chapter 1 – Chosen

We all gathered around Nevan eagerly, straining to hear every one of his words. “Tonight… one of you will be the one to save… us and destroy Meka…” he spoke in a raspy tone. He pointed at us, hand shaking. “One of you… will find the Rock of Eternal Life… before Meka… before anyone.” He took a swig of water from his canteen, staggering back drunkenly.

            “Who will it be?” asked someone from the crowd. All of a sudden, my palms felt sweaty. In fact, it felt like an oven in this stuffy, tiny room.

            “Ahh… you will know when you go on the beach. Look for… look inside your heart and soul and it will… it will guide you to the rock. If you have the correct rock… you are destined to find it. Now go, go on and follow your heart!” he yelled, and all of us rushed and squeezed and pushed through the door and onto the Pebble Beach.

            “Cordelia!” someone shouted, and I saw Zakia, my best friend, running towards me. “Who do you think it will be?” she said breathlessly. I knew she had been so excited about going on this trip, so automatically I said, “Of course it’d be you, you lucky duck,” and punched her lightly on the arm, as much as I wanted to go myself. She tossed her head back and laughed lightly. Even though she wasn’t trying to show it, I knew she was happy. Together we walked down towards beach and to everyone else excitedly picking rocks and shouting elatedly.

            I walked around a deserted, narrow strip of land. The water lapped gently at my feet and shone wetly from the moonlight. Thinking about how this was pointless (Seriously, how is someone supposed to find the Rock of Eternal Life?), I bent down and trailed my hand in the water. The sea comforted me; its vastness, its beauty, its strength… it felt like home.

            My fingers found something smooth; I picked it up. It was a beautiful deep red color, frosted, and very round. It was my rock.

            I curled my fingers around it, and walked back to where the priest was waiting. I went up to Nevan, and he slowly held his hand out, his bony fingers trembling. I dropped the stone in his hand, which instantly closed around it. “Eht Usniveru sha eht Neo! On erom gnufferis! Ewh evha nebe deavs!” The Universe has the One! No more suffering! We have been saved!

            He prodded my arm and lifted it up high. I could see the surprised and shocked faces in the crowd, the bulging, wide eyes, mouths hanging open, and not a person moving a muscle. I didn’t know what to think. I was shocked that I, out of so many, had been chosen and destined to find the Rock of Eternal Life!

            Utter silence. Not a bird chirped, not a single breeze whistling its way through the rocks, trees, and sand. I could swear that the waves froze as well, for it wasn’t making the quiet crashing sound that always comforted me.

            What was seconds seemed like hours. Finally Nevan led me into the room, and gave me careful instructions.

            “You must travel many lands to find the Rock of Eternal Life. You must get it before Meka does. He may be… fast, but you are smart. You will outsmart him. When you find the Rock of Eternal Life, you must find a stone like this that will take you back home. This rock will bring you to where you need to be. Like a star leading the lost.” He paused, then continued. “I wish you the best of luck.” He closed the rock into my hand, gave me a crooked, yellow smile, then disappeared into the night.

            Zakia walked towards me glumly, and said, “It’s great that you’ll get to travel. You’ll learn a lot.” I could tell she was upset about the whole thing, so I tried to comfort her. “It’ll be okay,” I said. “I’ll bring you something back, I guess,”

            No one came near me, or even look at me, as if I had some kind of deadly, contagious disease. I walked back home, to my own little hut. My parents died when I was young, by Meka’s army. The endless ring of fire surrounding us, the shouts of men, the cries of the mothers, the wailing of babies drifting into the night… I shuddered at the thought. Lying down on a tiny cot, I rolled over and was fast asleep.

            I woke up, before the sun could rise. Stretching and yawning, I suddenly remembered that I was supposed to find the stupid Rock of Eternal Life. What good would it do to me? What good would it do for any of us? I dug out the red rock out of my pillow, and sat up. Three rapid knocks shook the makeshift door. “Come in,” I called. Nevan walked inside and sat on the dirt floor. He closed his eyes and said, “Your rock will take you to where you need to be.” Then he turned into dust, being blown away by the wind.

            I didn’t question the powers of Nevan. Myths and stories said that he was blessed with many powers from the gods above. In fact, it was him who had discovered the Rock of Eternal Life to save Charmian. And now Meka was after it, for who knows why.

            Rubbing the rock on the hem of my shirt, I began to fly. I mean, literally fly, without the wings of the bird or anything. I just started floating in midair. When I dropped the rock, I fell too.

            I began to experiment with the rock. I found out that whenever I flapped my arms, I flew faster, and when I held my arms stiffly at my side, I slowed down.

            A golden scroll appeared in front of me. It said, “Go to Meka’s palace. Disguise yourself and find out about what Meka intends to do with the rock. When you have gathered the information, you must flee from the palace and get to it before Meka.”

            All of a sudden, I was flying again. Faster than any bird, even faster than a meteor streaking across the starry night sky. I watched the patches of green and brown land blur underneath me, and the feeling was pure exhilaration. The wind whipped through my hair, and the geese honked as I passed by their V-formation. I closed my eyes and let the feeling run up and down my spine. I could feel the sun’s steady stare warming my back. I could feel everything.