Glitches (Book 1)

Chapter 34: Claire

"Claire! Wake up!" I felt small, cold hands shaking my shoulders and groggily opened my eyes. "What do you want, Kelly?" I groaned.

"Today's our first Glitchketball game! We gotta get all our work done quick so we can play!" Kelly practically lugged me out of bed and shoved me into the bathroom. Quickly brushing my teeth, I dressed in a brown Sloppie t-shirt and shorts.

"Come on!" Kelly yelled, banging on the door until I emerged. The two of us made our way out of the Can and to the cafes to begin work. We were walking across the sidewalk perfectly fine until...I wasn't on the sidewalk anymore.

I was in an exquisitely decorated room, filled with equally important looking people. My hair was black, and longer than usual, flowing past my waist in uncharacteristic waves. "Release it now," I said authoritatively, though neither the voice nor the words were mine.

The people nodded, some of them getting up out of their seats and some remaining in place to type something on the screens in front of them. I wanted to leave, or ask what was going on, but my body no longer listened to me.

I looked down to see that a strange blue light emanated from my body, and then noticed the same light coming out of everyone else. My brain immediately told me that there was something unsettling about that light and those people, something that could only be described as...wrong. However, my body said otherwise. The light and the tingly feeling it produced in my limbs felt perfectly normal, even good. I was completely and utterly bewildered about the whole thing.

Let me go! I mentally requested whatever thing was holding me here, but to no avail. I was still in the strange place watching the strange scene with no control like it was some kind of weird 4-D movie.

"It is done, Your Majesty," said a man in a thick blue coat with a thin smile. "The effects should begin to manifest in a few days or so."

Your Majesty??? Who even was this woman whose body I was in? She was clearly some kind of royalty, but with the computers and glass screen-things (whatever they were), the scene was obviously modern. None of this was adding up, and that only added to my sense of unease...

"But what about the girl, Armetorius?" I asked, my voice quivering with concern and fear.

"She is dead," the man- Armetorius- replied confidently.

"But it is possible if they survived that she did too," I insisted.

"There is no need for you to be so paranoid," Armetorius gave me a smile of genuine care, in total contrast to the fear and hatred with which the others looked at me.

"In all probability, she was killed in the Scorching. Even if she is somehow alive, she is but a puny child and knows nothing of her past," he shook his head. "How can she possibly stand against the Conqueror of Worlds, the Great Ruler of the Lessaenite Empire?"

"Alone, she could not," I nodded in agreement. "But I have many, many enemies," I continued. "Enemies who, until now, have lain quiet in the shadows for fear of my might. She might be just the spark they need to set this world in flames."

"If it is the White Hot Flame you speak of, they pose no threat to you. They are more of a Whine About the Queen Club than an actual rebellion," Armetorius chuckled. "And, at least in my opinion, it would be a ridiculous waste of time, effort, and resources to send our men to a distant planet to search for one harmless little girl who is probably dead already."

"Indeed, separately, the girl and the White Hot Flame are just pains in the neck, not true threats. However, if by chance they should ever come together, they could become something powerful, something that could endanger my throne and possibly my life. "