How Long - Charlie Puth

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The council was an attentive audience. They seemed to soak in my words and I tried my best to spin an epic tale of my attempt to join the rebels in overthrowing queen Alvia. No one moved, no one laughed or cried. The best I got was a small sniffle from one woman when I mentioned the death of Sarr. My voice cracked and I struggled to continue. It wasn't until I'd brought everything up to this moment that everyone seemed to breath.

    "That's quite a story." The woman, who was named Jenn, said, standing up again. "Now, if you're really Silver than it appears we have a large problem on our hands. It sounds like Alvia is becoming a dictator for Adron, and while I can't agree with your methods, I do think that something must be done."

    "How can I convince you that I'm Silver?" I asked. "I'll do anything!"

    "Oh, that's easy. I guess not everything was banned because we kept vague communicating between us and your grandma. She's send us vidlinks-"

    "Vidlinks?" I interrupted.

    "It's like an updated version of skype or... I guess you don't know any of those. It's when you call someone and you can see them."

    "Oh." I decided not to ask anything else and make it more awkward.

    "-anyways, I've got updated pictures of them. If you bear resemblance to Silver, than you're Silver."

    "Why not call and talk with my grandma? Ask about me?"

    "I'm planning too, but it's to be expected that she'd lie right now about your whereabouts."

    "I didn't think about that." I admitted.

    "Anyways, I'll call first and then look at your pictures if it's necessary. Do you want to be present during the call? I can dress you up as a servant... Cover you in a hijab or something."

    "A hi-what?"

    "A religious head wrap."

    "Umm, okay." I followed her out of the room. She stopped at the door. "This meeting is adjourned under these special circumstances."

-

    I followed Jenn into the small room. She sat down on a stood and then had several other girls in around her dressed like me. I peered out from behind the strange fold of green material that enveloped my face. It wound around my hair and hid everything but my eyes. I was wearing a weird dress to make the outfit complete. Jenn said that there were a lot of religions on earth and some had dress codes while other didn't.

She pushed a button and a large flat blue all appeared in front of us. White lines wiggled up and down it for a few moments before it cleared and I saw Alvia. She was standing in an unfamiliar room, with several other strange contraptions in it. Her grey dress was shapeless and looked odd on her striking figure. "Greetings, Jenn."

"Alvia." She nodded with respect. "How are things going on Adron?"

"Very well, thank you." She looked neutral and I couldn't read her face. "Who are all these strangely dressed women around you?"

"They wanted to see you." Jenn looked at us all. "Pretty things aren't they?"

"I'd say so if I could see them."

"Well I was wondering if Silver would like someone her age... These girls all want to leave earth."

"Oh... Well I guess maybe, but Silver is sick right now and she can't come over here."

"I understand." Jenn smiled graciously. Her eyes flitted to mine and she subtly shook her head. "Could you show us a picture of Silver? They want to see her fair face."

"Of course." Alvia fiddled around and a picture popped up of me and her descending down the stairs. "She doesn't know about all this technology. No one does. I had a photographer sneak through the crowd and snap a few pictures unaware." She laughed slyly.

"That's very smart." Jenn said. I noticed a sharp edge had come into her voice and she was no longer smiling so brightly. "I have a council meeting to get to so I have to go."

"Of course. Call back anytime."   

"Bye." The wall went black and she disappeared. Me and the other girls pulled off our hijabs. None of us were really into that, Most people weren't into a lot of religions anymore.

"She's lying, though the people of Adron know I'm gone." I muttered, grounding my teeth. "I can't believe she's intending to keep this secret from earth."

"I had the feeling she'd be that way. But that picture told me it was you, Silver. I'm happy to have you here."

"Thank you."

"We'll have to make an announcement to the people and I'll send you somewhere for the night. I know that there are some people here that would take you in."

"So I'd live with them?"

"We'd pay them for keeping you and feeding you." Jenn smiled. "I'm thinking that Eve is opened for a roommate right now. I'll talk to her. She'll be leaving soon so I'll take you over and we'll see if we can work something out."