The Mark

• Emily Spooner, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2021

A glimpse of light shines through a glistening gold dewy window onto a small pale face, with light brown freckles scattered everywhere. Her eyes started to squint as her mouth slowly opened into a yawn. She slowly moved up her bed that was framed in brass with curly writing spelling Zaniria. Halo’s eyes opened, she started to slowly get out of bed. As she stood up onto the cushioned grey carpet, she noticed a sign saying, ‘HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY!!!’
A loud noise burst into her room, it was Halo’s parents with bright yellow and black spotted balloons. Suddenly a strong beam of light shot through Halo’s roof, her eyes went snow white. She froze. Halo’s parents started to panic. Everything seemed to have frozen in time, within an instant she disappeared.
Halo was confused, she heard a loud bang. A woman and a man ran straight past her making her hair sway, the woman seemed to be carrying a baby in a pale green blanket. They stopped near a large oak tree. She ran to them and asked them for help but they didn’t answer. They placed the baby onto the crunchy dry autumn leaves. Halo noticed a golden gem on the baby’s neck. The man and the woman gave the baby a hug and then sprinted away into the distance. Halo felt the ground shake, she hid behind the oak tree as a large army of soldiers wearing silver chest plates marked with Zanirian symbols, charged towards them with swords drawn. The soldiers charged straight past the baby, her pale green blanket blending into the soft tone of the tree. When they were gone Halo ran to the baby girl and tried to pick her up, but her hands went straight through her.
A light flashed it was morning, two people passed Halo again, dressed in elegant clothing and wearing crowns. But this time they stopped, kneeling onto the moist grass placing their hands beneath the baby picking her up gently to the woman’s chest. A small, tattered note was placed between the baby’s chest and her blanket. The king picked up the note and read it aloud, “Please look after my baby, her name is Halo she’s special, more than you think.” The baby’s gem started to glow, a beam of light lasered through the clouds surrounding the baby. The beam disappeared leaving golden ancient Zanirian markings on the baby’s skin, within seconds they disappeared.
Halo’s eyes go snow white again, she froze. She appeared back in her room on her knees, with her head down. A beam of light shot through her roof again, making the markings flash on her body, but this time the light formed around her body and then disappeared. Halo realised that she was wearing silver armor, the chest plate was marked in Zanirian symbols spelling warrior. When she read the symbols aloud everything become clear. She was the protector of Zaniria, she had to fulfill her duty.