Tears of Queens

4 - Tala

The world went dark as soon as my feet hit the floor. I was falling endlessly into a dark abyss. It just kept going, and going, and going. Out of nowhere, I heard the eerie sound of an old radio being tuned. After a few moments of static, there was an announcement.

"Attention peoples of The Holy Kingdom Navell! The new monarch has been found! It is a time to rejoice!" a man's voice echoed through the abyss. I was still falling. There was more static and then a sudden silence.

A woman singing broke through the silence like a sharp knife.

The time has come, once again, to sing our joyful song

It's you and me, in a lonely world, but there can be just one

You wronged me, now I'll wrong you

You hurt me, I'll hurt you too

Come with me, and you will see, why I waited so long.

The song repeated over and over, the woman's soprano voice chilling me to the bone to the extent that I hadn't realized I had stopped falling. I was standing in a large, ornately decorated hall, facing a giant golden door with intricate carvings around the edges. The walls around me seemed to be made of some kind of white stone, with golden arches built into the ceiling. The floors were the same smooth material as the walls, and they echoed when I stepped forward to push open the door.

I reached my hand towards the door and it swung open before me to reveal... nothing. There was nothing there. It was just pure blackness, yet again.

"Tala? Tala, wake up!" I heard Wyatt's voice distantly. I felt myself being shaken awake, and the next thing I knew, I was back in the homework room. I sat up slowly on the couch and Leo handed me my water bottle.

"What happened?" I asked no one in particular, tears in my eyes. Why was I crying?

"You passed out in the middle of our dance. Are you okay?" Leo explained gently. He and Wyatt were sitting on either side of me on the couch, each with an arm lightly draped over my shoulders and waist, to catch me in case I fell again.

"Did you drink water today? Did you eat?" Wyatt seemed concerned. I nodded at both questions and went to stand, but he pulled me back down. "You're not going anywhere. Nabil's on his way."

"I'm fine! I can dance!" I insisted, but Wyatt wouldn't buy it.

Ten minutes later, my older brother, Nabil, burst through the door of the homework room, his curly hair a mess. He came over to me and helped me stand.

"Are you okay? What happened?" he was out of breath and panting.

"Did you run here? Why are you out of breath?" I avoided the question.

"Answer my question."

"Ask Leo." I escaped his grip and started packing my things into my bag as Leo explained the situation.

"You are not telling mom." I huffed as I slammed Nabil's car door.

"Whatever. I was in the middle of a date, butthead. Now Ella's pissed," he scolded. I rolled my eyes.

"No she's not, she loves me," I shot back. Ella was his girlfriend of approximately two months. I'd known her since I was eleven, and they were both thirteen. She was like the sister I never had, and sometimes we joked that she was only using her relationship with my brother to get to me. He hated it. It was great.

Nabil rolled his eyes at me. "Whatever you say, kid."

"Also did you just call me a butthead? What kind of fifth graders have you been hanging out with?"

"Oh, shut up."