Quondam

Chapter 1

     Gloriana continued walking, wincing as her shaking legs nearly gave out from under her. Nearly there, she thought to herself, pushing her wavy ginger hair out of her face.

     Gloriana smiled softly as the children of the small village called Lainoa ran towards her from their huts. The moment she had entered the town, the kids were yelling and cheering. One mother sighed, stopping her son by grabbing him by the wrist.

     "Ma," the boy whined, struggling to get away. "It's Panny! She hasn't been here for years!"

     "You need to help me fix the hut," she replied sternly. The child muttered something under his breath and turned around, slumping over.

     Gloriana giggled. She had been that way, too, when she was younger. A small girl, maybe five years old, giggled and tugged on the sixteen-year-old's old rags, her eyes wide and curious.

     "I like your dress," she said with a crooked grin.

     "Ah, thank you, Margaret!"

     Gloriana was wearing the prison clothes that she had escaped in: a dirty old garment made from a potato sack. She had managed to hide the part that said "potatoes", but it was still an unattractive dress.

     "Do you have a story to tell us?" a small three-year-old boy squealed, hopping a little. Soon there were six kids surrounding the visitor, their faces bright with excitement.

     "I do, Holian," Gloriana replied, "but I need you all to listen carefully. This is a very important story that I need each and every one of you to remember, and to pass on to your children." The girl glanced over her shoulder, then continued. "I have to go soon, and I may not return."

     "Panny," a twelve-year-old asked, tilting her head, "why is the story so important? It's just a story."

     Gloriana smiled sadly. "Well, Frindis, I suppose you'll have to find out." She sat down in the dusty sand, and all the kids followed her lead. "Story time!"

     The children whispered to each other as they sat down, situating themselves.

     "Long, long ago, daily tasks were simple and easy to do. This was because humans had invented the technology to do the things for them."

     Margaret lain down. "Why did you say 'long, long ago' if this is in the future?"

     Gloriana teasingly brushed the girl's hair behind her ear. "Oh, but it was in the past. You'll find out why."

     "Anyways, this world was much different than ours. People had boxes that could heat up their food, called microwaves. They could talk to people miles away using nothing but a thin rectangle. Those were called telephones. And televisions! A human could watch another human... but without the other human being there."

     A seven-year-old named Avilia gasped, realization flooding into her eyes. "Like a photograph? I've heard stories about those, but they don't actually exist."

     Gloriana nodded. "Yes, a little like a photograph. But it moved, and it made sound!"

     The children listened on quietly, eagerly.

     "There was so much amazing technology, and humans had to do nearly nothing." Gloriana grinned. "Oh, one more thing! People kept animals in their house! Dogs, cats, birds- you name it!"

     The children began chattering amongst themselves, naming animals and talking about the mess they'd make.

     Once the sandy clearing was silent again, Gloriana continued, speaking with enthusiasm. "These people had the whole world going their way, but yet, somehow, there was still war. There was still pain, sadness, and most of all, there was lots of greed. People wanted more land, more warriors, more technology. In fact, there was an entire war, all about about advancing their technology!