Open At the Shrine of Zintilla

[Sharika Parisier]

The pool was magnificent tonight.
That was all she seemed to dwell on. Frowning with her eyes shut, Sharika placed two fingers on her forehead, her thumb and pointer, and pinched slightly, trying to alleviate the numbing pain that was throbbing in her temples. She sighed, and stopped her actions, descending slowly into a cross legged position. Her notebooks and pencils lay beside her, where she'd gently placed them earlier.

Her eyes opened.

As her eyes adjusted, she once more was awed by the view before her. Tonight would be perfect. Her theories would be proven, she felt it. The warm air caressed her skin and she smiled a little, once more familiar with the buzzing excitement within her. Remaining as quiet as possible, she gently placed her pencil on her a fresh sheet on her notebook, and sketched the positions of the stars. Tonight, she would make a discovery.

Sharika had been studying the position of the stars, one that had fascinated her. What were they, and were they the same position every night? She realised, no. Judging by the position of the stars, they repeated every 365 days. Showing similar patterns. Deducing that these meant they were the same very stars that passed 365 days ago, either the land was moving, or the sky was.

Several reasons had disproved why land couldn't be the one stationary. Simply, philosophically thinking, why would everything around land move, while it be the one stationary? No such thing could be that singularly important. The gods wouldn't do that. It had to be that the land moved, the land on which they lived. Her bright eyes glinted with the excitement of evidence that once again supported her theories, she was on the brink of greatness. One thing could go right in her life, and she was about to prove two, that of the physical state and that of her personal state.

She didn't need to know who her family was to be destined for greatness. She didn't need support from many people. Wait, something was wrong. Her drawings, the stars... they were... different.

She widened her eyes and shook her head slightly, violently whispering, "No...NO!". She frowned and gripped her fists. Her pencil snapped. The stars, were the exact reflection. This was new, yes. But this meant she was wrong, and she hated being wrong. She shook her head and sighed. Sure, she did have the constant idea that maybe, she couldn't always be right. But being right was all she had, if she couldn't get that correct, what more was there?

She was mulling over the significance of this new discovery, her mind working in marvelous ways, when a sudden snap of a twig heightened her senses. Her true form threatening to take its role. She narrowed her eyes and breathed slowly, turning around to assess this distraction. She would welcome said person, for her discovery was far too confusing to dwell on in her current frustration.

"Who are you?"