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Writing Wednesday: Radio Boy

Riwenne and her friends are still searching for information about the Synthetic Ethereal Apparatus to find out if it’s actually hurting school children. Then she receives a vision from the goddess about where to look next.

Find a new warrior

Later that night, I dreamed that the full moon shone in my window so brightly that I couldn’t sleep. Quilla whispered in my ear, “Find the fifth planetary warrior.” She pressed something hard into my hand.

I sat up in my bunk, but I only saw darkness. Someone had drawn the curtains closed over the windows. Just to be sure, I pulled my pillow over my head and turned away from the wall.

I woke the next morning with a groan. There had been no cryptic messages in that dream. And just in case I didn’t get the message, I found the empty crystal from my dream still clutched in my hand. It was all too clear what Quilla wanted me to do, but I didn’t know why or how.

Five planets made up our solar system. Chelynne, our world, had four siblings: Dameet, Amme, Quterin, and Raddee. Our research had suggested that if we had all five of them, they would be strong enough for us to overcome the power of the sun goddess. But we already had four and none were interested in helping us. What good would it do for us to find the fifth?

Raddee was the only goddess who hadn’t chosen a champion yet. I didn’t know much about her except that she was the goddess of travel, and messengers prayed to her for speed while they were delivering the mail. She’d given her name to the new technology, radio, which made it possible to send information quickly over great distances.

Since Riqar had done away with all other gods and their shrines, there was nowhere officially for me to go in order to pray to her for guidance. Should I check the local post office?

Then I remembered the day we’d flown over Riqar City and seen it from the air. There was a radio tower at the end of the city’s four points.

After the dawn ceremony at the temple, I told my friends that I had to check something out. “It’s just a hunch,” I told them with a shrug. “I’ll meet you back in time to get ready for the circus tonight.”

Kyra frowned at me. “I’m going with you.” It wasn’t a question.

I wasn’t sure how to explain to her what I was doing, but I could tell from her frown that she would be more unhappy if I said no. “Fine, but it might be nothing.” I tucked the empty crystal into my pocket without letting her see.

From the middle of the city, each radio tower was an equal distance away from us. I didn’t think it made a difference which one I went to, so I picked the western side, since that would be the closest to the circus. We’d have a shorter trip back to the others.

We hopped on the trolley and rode it all the way to the end of the line. The businesses and government buildings we’d seen along the main street faded away until there were nothing but rundown warehouses and other utilities. There were almost no people all the way out at the edge, and the few we saw hurried with their heads down like they were eager to get somewhere else. At least no one gave us any questioning looks.

Kristen

I'm an author, a blogger, and a nerd. I read and write fantasy.