Moon Girl (Watty Awards 2013)

Chapter 4.

Sure enough tomorrow did come too soon. As the sun snuck in through the shades of her bedroom window, Anna’s mom came in and woke her up.

“The Elders are on their way here.” She told her, “They will be here any minute.”

Anna groaned and rolled out of bed. She threw on a nice dress and brushed her hair. Regardless of how much she disliked the Elders, she still had to show them respect.  

Just as she finished brushing her teeth she heard the doorbell ring.  She took a deep breath and breath to calm herself down. As she walked down the stairs she could hear her parents politely greeting te Elders.  

“Hello,” Anna greeted as she met them in the entry way.

“How are you?” Elder Brown asked nodding in her direction.

“I’m good,” she said, “I mean, I’m worried, but I’m good.”

Elder Clark nodded his approval and then turned his attention towards Anna’s parents.

"Perhaps we could go somewhere to sit down and talk?"

Anna quickly took the lead and ushered the council members into the family room. Anna’s mother practically flew to the other side of the room in order to clean up a bowl of popcorn which had been left on the floor since last night.

Elder Brown didn't look impressed and showed it to her through his disapproving glare.

Anna’s mothers face flushed red and she tried to remedy the situation.

"Please have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?" she asked

The Elders shook their heads.

 “No thank you.” They replied, “Let’s get started with this.”

Anna nodded and sat down too.

Elder Thomas, one of the youngest of the Elders shook his head and smiled at her, of all the Elders, Elder Thomas was Anna's favorite.

“Anna, why don’t you start by telling us what happened?” he asked

Anna crossed her hands on her lap and began her story nervously. She looked up from her lap every so often to see the Elders listening intently to the story.

“And that’s what happened.” She finished softly

Elder Hudge stood up and walked across the room towards her, he was one of the largest of the nine members. He towered over her and was very intimidating.

"Anna," He chided causing the water in the glasses she had been holding to shake from the deep sound waves "Do you know what you’ve done?"

Anna’s mother impeded for her daughter, “No,” she said. “That’s why we called you.”

Elder Thomas nodded his head, “That’s fine, but this may be more serious than you think.”

Anna’s eyes widened and looked at her mother and father for help.

“What do you mean?” her dad asked

Elder Clark stood up and started to pace the room.

"Anna," he started "For a quite a while our people have lived on earth, almost 143 years. However, our people lived on the moon for much, much, longer. Every two and one third year a total eclipse occurs. You know this, but without us Moon Walkers on the moon the eclipse haven't been as powerful. We are the moon’s greatest power and without us it hasn't been the same."

Anna nodded her head, she knew all this.

"On November 13, this year another total eclipse will occur and the Yellow Dwarf's are feeling impatient.” He paused and broke off, “It’s easy for them, no one can come close to their home without burning to death, but for us it is dangerous."

Again Anna nodded. She wondered where he was going with all of this.

"The Yellow Dwarfs love the solar eclipse because it gives them a chance to regain some of the energy they have given out to us, it’s their chance to regenerate. They want us to come back to the moon for this solar eclipse so they can gain maximum power, but we refused. It isn’t safe for us.

Unfortunately, they won't take no as an answer.

They've started to hunt out Moon Walkers and kidnap them. We don't know where they have taken them yet but we are working on it. We assume that they mean to dump them in on the moon right before the eclipse so that it will be more powerful."

Anna's face scrunched up in worry.

"But why would they!" she argued "We’ve never done anything to them!"

Elder Clark nodded gravely and then said

"But it gets worse."

"How?" she asked searching his grave expression

"They're after you."