Collective

Hadley

Today was the day. Well, not THE day, but almost as bad. Hadley had been counting down to this day with almost as much dread as her own fated deadline. Today was Will's Offering Day. Today was the day Will would present his Power to the Queen and lose it forever. 

She lay in bed an extra few seconds half wishing maybe she had counted wrong and it wasn't this particular day. But she knew her mental clock was accurate so she forced her eyes open and her body into a seated position. 

Delaying a few seconds more, she watched a sliver of sunlight from the small, slender window at the end of the tiny room dance on the wooden walls. As usual, the air was heavy, almost tangible this high up in the house, and Hadley could feel the sweat dripping down every single one of her limbs. 

Finally, she made to get up, almost banging her head on the slanted ceiling as she did every morning, she wiggled her body through the small space between the ceiling and the floor and over to the dresser that held her clothes.

Pulling on a slouchy pair of black boots, she took the ladder-like stairs two at a time down past the second floor, where the rest of her family slept, and onto the first floor. As tiny as her little upstairs loft was, Hadley was grateful to have her own space. The rest of her family shared their rooms. She couldn't imagine what she would do if she could never get away from her family members. Sometimes she thought that was why her younger twin siblings fought so much, never having any room for themselves.

The twins were sitting at the kitchen table as Hadley emerged onto the first floor, each eating a piece of toast. Harriet held a doll  and was making it walk across the table slowly, stopping to bend over in what appeared to be a curtsy every few steps.

"Is Ashley meeting the Queen today Harriet?" Hadley asked, looking under the sink for a rag to clean up the crumbs that someone - probably one or both of the twins - had left all over the counter.

"Yes" Harriet responded importantly, "Today is her Offering. Just like Will!"

Hadley's stomach lurched but she kept her voice level as she responded, "Well, it's a very important day for Ashley then isn't it?" she looked over the counter at Harriet, "What Power does Ashley have again?" 

Harriet looked offended, as if this was something Hadley should know, "She's a Water Power Hadley, she's only told you a million times," Harriet flipped her hair over her shoulder in exasperation. 

"Oh sorry, you know me Harriet, so scatterbrained!" Hadley noticed Harriet was done with her toast and walked over to get her plate, "If Ashley's a Water Power," Hadley began, "Then I'm sure she'll enjoy..."

Hadley spun around and threw the teaspoon of water left in Harriet's cup at Harriet and Ashley, "This!" 

Harriet shrieked and laughed, running out the door with her doll, and Hadley smiled. 

Hadley grabbed an egg of the counter and heated up a pan to cook it in along with a slice of her mother's homemade bread. "Do you want an egg Hayden?" she looked over at the male counterpart of Harriet, who was sitting at the table staring off into space, tracing circles into the crumbs of his plate, his toast half eaten. 

He started slightly at the question, then looked at Hadley, "No thanks, I'm full."

"Okay" Hadley observed Hayden, "Is something wrong Hayden?" she asked, noting his downtrodden expression.

"No." Hayden paused a moment, his eyes examining butter knife in his hand like it was the most interesting thing in the room, "It's just, Will has to lose his Power today and I'm sad for him." Hadley's heart melted a little bit, and she walked over to the table where he sat.