Hilarity was beginning to feel tired after four hundred light year journey.
She was glad that it was nearly over because she hated travelling alone.
There was no one to play "I Spy" or to sing along to the radio with. But what was
the use of playing I spy when you were in the void of space.
However journey was absolutely obligatory and there was no escaping it this time.
She was on interplanetary jury duty this week one of the many drawbacks, she had
found, of becoming an adult. She switched the ship onto auto-pilot as the traffic in
that part of the galaxy was nightmarish. Yet another accident with an asteroid. Space
travel, Hilarity mused, must be the most dangerous, irresponsible thing you could ever
do.
Not having anything else to do she contacted her younger cousin on her picture phone.
He always had some interesting to tell her about.
"Talk to me." said the youth who appeared on the screen.
"Hi Trin! How's it going?" she said eager for someone to talk to.
"Fine. Not much happening." came the reply.
"Really nothing at all." said Hilarity a little crestfallen. "No drunken nights out?
No arguments with the neighbours?" he shook his head "A walk?... A shopping trip?"
"Well come to think of it, I did go out to the Tea Shop district in the City today.
Very crowded, you would've hated it. Anyway I walked past this old book and music
place and I saw this beat up old paperback hidden between two Capital Punishment
albums. I don't know why but it seemed to be calling to me."
"Were you stoned?"
"No. That's why it was so weird!"
"What was it about?"
"Well it's about this girl who wishes her brother away some magical kingdom or other.
Some kind of Labyrinth."
"Sounds interesting. At least more interesting than what I'm doing now. Couldn't wish
me there could you..." she gave her cousin a familiar grin and they both laughed out
loud. Trin made some ironically dramatic gestures with his fingers.
"I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now." he said mysteriously
trying
hard not to giggle. There was a pause. "Did it work?"
"Nope. Better luck next -" he heard Hilarity say but then the signal suddenly got cut
off.
That same moment, Hilarity's ship disappeared.
She was glad that it was nearly over because she hated travelling alone.
There was no one to play "I Spy" or to sing along to the radio with. But what was
the use of playing I spy when you were in the void of space.
However journey was absolutely obligatory and there was no escaping it this time.
She was on interplanetary jury duty this week one of the many drawbacks, she had
found, of becoming an adult. She switched the ship onto auto-pilot as the traffic in
that part of the galaxy was nightmarish. Yet another accident with an asteroid. Space
travel, Hilarity mused, must be the most dangerous, irresponsible thing you could ever
do.
Not having anything else to do she contacted her younger cousin on her picture phone.
He always had some interesting to tell her about.
"Talk to me." said the youth who appeared on the screen.
"Hi Trin! How's it going?" she said eager for someone to talk to.
"Fine. Not much happening." came the reply.
"Really nothing at all." said Hilarity a little crestfallen. "No drunken nights out?
No arguments with the neighbours?" he shook his head "A walk?... A shopping trip?"
"Well come to think of it, I did go out to the Tea Shop district in the City today.
Very crowded, you would've hated it. Anyway I walked past this old book and music
place and I saw this beat up old paperback hidden between two Capital Punishment
albums. I don't know why but it seemed to be calling to me."
"Were you stoned?"
"No. That's why it was so weird!"
"What was it about?"
"Well it's about this girl who wishes her brother away some magical kingdom or other.
Some kind of Labyrinth."
"Sounds interesting. At least more interesting than what I'm doing now. Couldn't wish
me there could you..." she gave her cousin a familiar grin and they both laughed out
loud. Trin made some ironically dramatic gestures with his fingers.
"I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now." he said mysteriously
trying
hard not to giggle. There was a pause. "Did it work?"
"Nope. Better luck next -" he heard Hilarity say but then the signal suddenly got cut
off.
That same moment, Hilarity's ship disappeared.