Darkest Dawn

Chosen by the Storm

6th March 2086

"I don't know Briana," her nana frowned at the device she'd handed to her, "I'm no good with all this modern stuff."

"You just slide this into the third window, press this button and speak." Briana showed her patiently. "It's important nana. You have so many cool stories to tell, it would be sad if they got forgotten." Briana smiled fondly at her nana as she played with her new voice recorder. "Ignore that button. It's to plug into an automaton if we had one."

Her nana was a tiny woman with soft fluffy white hair that tickled Briana's cheek as she leant down and kissed the old lady's wrinkled forehead. She was 91 years old this year, frail though her cheeks were still chubby as a hamsters. Briana's parents had died when she was very young and her nana had raised her ever since. She was her grandmother, parent and best friend.

"Nobody would be interested in my story." Her nana protested modestly.

"Nana you were a secretary for Abel Farshadow," Briana uttered the name reverentially as everybody did. He was a hero. Her nana smiled, her fingers playing with the silver necklace she always wore around her neck.

"He gave me this necklace you know," Briana did know - her nana had told her often, "I think he had a thing for me. I always lied and told your grandfather that it was a present from my sister." Briana grinned.

"If only you'd married him. I'd be the granddaughter of a hero and we'd be rich." She straightened up, "Briana Farshadow has a nice ring to it." It was a pleasant fantasy. She'd probably have been a minor a celebrity as his granddaughter - people might have wanted her to make guest appearances on TV. "I'll start cooking dinner." She headed into the kitchen and approached the table top. Drawing a ring on the surface with her finger made an options menu appear on the glass. She selected hob and the ring she'd drawn turned red and steadily heated up.

The neighbour's dog started to bark furiously. Briana was bent down, rooting in the cupboards for pots and pans when the room darkened - the sun banished behind the clouds. Struggling in the sudden gloom she straightened up and flicked on the light switch. The hairs prickled on the back of Briana's neck and she felt a vague feeling of de ja vu that unnerved her. Thunder boomed from the heavens making her jolt in surprise.

Out the window she saw the pulsating storm clouds with lightning striking in their curling folds. Rain descended in a torrential downpour lashing against the glass. "Shit." Briana ran for the back door, not bothering to pick up her coat and hurtled outside and over to the drenched washing line. Her clothes were sodden already and Briana cursed again as she quickly unpegged them. Her hair was soon plastered to her face and her teeth chattered from the cold.

Her nana padded into the kitchen in her flimsy slippers. Looking out through the kitchen window she saw Briana laden down with clothes jogging across the lawn. The old lady screamed as a bolt of lightning stabbed through the air and struck her granddaughter. One moment Briana was shaking, her skin glowing pearly white, and the next she was collapsed on the ground - face down in the mud.

The air smelt sweet and Briana was warm and comfy. Moving her fingers she felt a soft duvet and rolling over she buried her face deeper against plump pillows. Her lips turned up in a smile. She never wanted to leave this bed.

"Emily! Are you awake? Emily?" An unfamiliar voice intruded on her drowsy wakening and she reluctantly opened her eyes. "How do you feel?" Cautiously, Briana sat up in bed.

She was in a room she didn't recognise. "Would you like some water?" A girl asked, her expression anxious. Briana nodded.

"Everything's blurry." She complained, squinting at her surroundings. The stranger handed her a pair of glasses. Confused Briana put them on and everything snapped into focus. She frowned - her fingers resting against the unfamiliar rims.