AA Science Fiction Story_Chloe Wong

AA Science Fiction(Chloe Wong)

Light of the Portal

      Xena was bleak, cold and desolate. Decades had passed since the great battle between Xena and Zendor, but the wreckage and misery of the war remained on Xena. Sometimes, Marrow thought that she could still hear the eerie battle cries echo from the ancient ruins on the battlefield. The are sunlight made the whole planet seem dark and cold. Marrow never believed how glorious and beautiful Xena had been. Marrow kicked at the dirt with her feet, bored and restless. Marrow's young spirit desired for the thrill of adventure and exploration. 

      At the corner of her eye, a glint of light shined from the deep, black mud. The light seemed to dance around in the dirt as she walked cautiously but curiously towards the glinting object. Strangely shaped, it appeared to be the only item shining in Xena. Turning and flipping it with her fingers, she studied it. The light of the dim sun seemed to bounce off every side of the object, making it shiny. This must be the science concept "Reflection of Light". This unusual item had to be a "prism" just as in her mother's stories. On the spur of a moment, just as the beam of light bounced off the surface, a blinding light flashed right in front of Marrow. She remembered her mother telling her tales of how explorers stepped into something called a "portal" and went into other planets, dimensions and universes. She did not know where the portal would take her, but she was burning her curiosity. " Well, anywhere should be better than Xena," Marrow convinced herself, shrugging. Inhaling, Marrow stepped, toe first, into the strange portal. 

      Marrow was greeted by sounds of vehicles rushing across the road and the chattering of what seemed like people. There were buildings, trees, playgrounds, and parks everywhere. It was clearly paradise. " Where is this?" Marrow wondered, " Could this be Earth?" Her mother had always told her fantasies on how beautiful Earth was. This paradise had to be Earth, the most beautiful place that Marrow had ever seen before. She should be in the heart of the city; there was so much here.  Her heart was racing with excitement. She could feel herself smiling from ear to ear as she browsed and explored every shop. She read the books in the library, visited the parks and playgrounds. The world seemed to different on Earth. There were so many things that even her mother's tales had never mentioned. They were all so appealing to Marrow; she couldn't believe how much she had been missing all this while.

       Suddenly, her stomach let out a rumble. Marrow missed her mother's cooking and longed for the taste of home. As her fingers crept into her jacket pocket, she felt the familiar, hard but smooth surface of the "prism". The " prism" brought her to Earth; it would bring her back to Xena. She had wanted to explore, and she got what she wanted. However, what did she want now? She played with the prism between her fingers again. As if forcing her to make a choice, the light danced off the prism, reopening the portal. Earth? Xena? " Where?" Minutes passed, and she made her painstaking choice...