Pandora's Portal Recordings: Kahari: Prompt #2 - Lunar Lattice Festival

Pandora was not finished her chores this time when the portal opened. She had kept the television on for background noise, to keep her from daydreaming. The buffering of the television had startled her, especially since she was listening to a baking show. You would be startled too if a child was being interviewed about his cookies, then suddenly everything hissed and came to life, in the form of a portal.

Basically, what she'd heard had been, "This recipe is a family heirloom, created by my great great grandmother-- hiss, sputter..." Then the loud chattering of a crowd. Little snippets of conversations were broadcasted to her, and from what she gathered, they were having a celebration of sorts. Suddenly, she remembered a lunar event that was happening today. Of course, Kahari, a world that practically worshipped the moon, would be celebrating. She nearly sprinted over to the television, but not before she finished the dishes.

It was a good day to enter the portal, Pandora thought as she stepped into a lively festival scene. She could hear the hustle and bustle of the crowd, as she walked on the soft, mossy ground. She'd heard of it-- a beautiful plant called the Moon's Coat. Kahari was a world of a precious gemstone, the moonstone. It is said that buildings incorporated it, and it grew with the moss. She couldn't believe that something so beautiful was this easily disregarded when it was common.

She could hear the quiet clink of tools, and she knew that the moonstones were being shaped into delicate, beautiful sculptures. If she could see... she could marvel at the beauty. She wondered what would happen at the end of the festival. This world was much like the sculptures, beautiful and fleeting. She wondered if she would ever be back, probably not. The next time she was sucked into the portal, she would probably enter another world, most likely any she'd entered before. 

The portal was a strange and wonderful thing to ponder, but she would rather enjoy what was happening around her. She walked around carefuly, scared that she would accidentally crush some of the moonstone glass that was growing from the ground. The air was still, the only disturbance was from the residents and visitor's constant movements and chatter. 

The reason for this festival was the major lunar event that was happening. Tonight, there would be a lunar eclipse, and the world would be sent into a pitch dark. It was a rare moment in time, and what better way to celebrate it than a night of festivities and celebrations? Although this occurance should seem special to Pandora, she couldn't understand it. Why was it so important when the only thing you could see was... nothing? That was her daily life anyway. She wondered if anyone she knew was there, maybe then they would understand how she felt everyday. 

The time came for the eclipse. It really wasn't that special to her, just a few gasps of awe and cheering from the crowd surrounding her. Nothing had changed for her, and people may have wondered why this strange girl was so silent. After some time, the eclipse had ended (she assumed), as the crowd had dispersed and gathered in a different area. She followed blindly (literally), and found herself before a booming voice announcing an auction. 

That answered her question about what happened to the statues. They were sold. Auctioned off to someone who would put it in their living room and look at it until they got tired of it, then it would sit in an attic or basement to collect dust. Most things were. 

"And the highest bidder for this statue is for..." the announcer boomed, and she found herself tuning him out. She was drained, and decided she would get some time alone in this magnifecent place, before she had to leave it indefinetly. She weaved through the crowd of bodies, occasionally shivering at the cool touch of scales. She eventually reached a quiet spot after a while of wandering. Shuffling forwards slightly, she felt water on her foot and retracted it. Dipping her hands down, she found that she was by a pond.

Carefully circling it, as she didn't want a repeat of wet clothes and soggy hair. Shuddering at the thought, she reached out to touch the solid in front of her. It felt like wood, and she knew she was by a grove. The trees here were deep purple-- or she had heard. Although many had praised the trees for their grandeur, she knew they would have nothing on Aradin's rainbow trees. But she was here, not in Aradin, and she thought it was much calmer here anyway, compared to the stuffy warm air there. 

Sitting on the ground, which was covered in a carpet of soft moss, she thought about the moonstone peeking out from various places. Her hand caught on a sharp chunk of it, and her fingers wrapped around it. It was a comforting movement, she thought, and she wondered if she should take some home for Kylea and the children in the village. It would be a fun artifact, and it was common enough that no one would miss it. She pulled on it lightly, surprised at how quickly it came off, and slipped it into her pocket. 

Maybe she would only take one. She wouldn't want to disturb the natural landscape here, where there was no one around to shape the moonstone into spiralling, giant statues. Standing up with shakely legs, she decided that it was time to go home. There was nothing else for her here, the festival was coming to an end, and she was getting bored. She made her way back into the crowd, which had less people now. Her instincts took her back to the portal, and she reached through it, desperate to get home and lie on her bed. She was sucked through, and heard the television click off. 

Then, she drifted off into a peaceful sleep, dreaming about the events that had occured today.