A Faded World

Adalet grinned, hardly trying to hide her excitement. Tonight was the grand opening of the brand new Club Geoz. She had been waiting for this all week. She wore her best clothes: her favorite star cape, her cream tiara, and her beaded necklace, all from Jam Mart Clothing. She was ready.

Adalet opened her map. She found Club Geoz, and trying to shortcut her way there, frowned. Was something wrong with her map? She shrugged, figuring it couldn’t hurt to walk, and headed over to Jamaa Township.

Approaching the door to Club Geoz, Adalet found herself walking alongside Dory, her best friend.

“I’m so excited!” Adalet squealed, her ears twitching with excitement.

“Me too!” Lily laughed. “Come on, don’t just hang there. Let’s go!”

The fox at the door was obviously famous, rich, or something of the sort. Adalet almost felt ashamed of her own clothes. The fox was wearing a designer skirt, diamond earrings, and a sapphire ring, obviously from Epic Wonders and worth much more than Adalet’s clothes. As Adalet and Lily went to walk in, she stepped, not very subtly, to block the doorway.

“Excuse me,” murmured Adalet politely.

“Yes, excuse you. I don’t suppose you were trying to enter Club Geoz, were you?” The fox looked us up and down.

“Yes, we were,” Adalet replied firmly.

“Oh, well you can’t go in there.”

“And why not?” Adalet was beginning to feel infuriated by the fox, and Lily was no help, standing limply by her side in shock.

“Well, you can only go in there if you’re rare or rich. It’s exclusive.”

Adalet narrowed her eyes. How can a jammer be rare? Wasn’t that just a label for items? And what did it matter if you were rich or not?

“Look inside if you don’t believe me. See for yourself.”

Almost afraid to look, Adalet peeked past the fox and found that she had been telling the truth. Spikes and Epic Wonders were all that could be seen.

“Come on, Lily,” Adalet snapped. “We’re leaving.”

“Well, actually, Adalet…” Lily muttered, flustered. She pulled out a spike collar from her bag and put it on.

“What… but Lily… You never told me…” Adalet felt betrayed. Her friend would abandon her just for this stupid party? “Goodbye, then.”

Adalet took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do to be angry when she had an audience with Mira. All last night, she had been thinking, and she finally decided on how she could change things. She had gone to visit Mira first thing. “Adalet. Come in.”

How did Mira know her name? Adalet closed her eyes, breathed, and entered the hall where the doors automatically swung open for her. She gasped: floors of diamond and glimmering walls surrounded her. A tall throne of silver stood in the center of it all.

“Mira.” Adalet dipped her head, too frightened to look up.

“Adalet, look up.” The voice that greeted her was warm, and welcoming, so she did. “What have you come to talk to me about?”

Adalet sucked in air, then launched herself into the story of what had happened. She had practiced what she would say over and over, and she thankfully did not make a fool of herself. “And so,” she concluded,”I think Club Geoz should be open to everyone.”

There was a silence. Suddenly, Mira clapped. “Adalet, I admire your courage. You truly believe in standing up for what is right. We will have arrangements made.”

So Club Geoz became available to all jammers. Of course, Mira, wanted to add it to the shortcuts, but, unfortunately, the alphas would not have it. The “original” club members were certain that if it remained off the shortcuts of the map, the other jammers would be too lazy to walk and it would remain exclusive. They bribed the advisers of the alphas, who dutifully convinced the alphas that Club Geoz would promptly explode if such traffic were directed there. And so Club Geoz remained without a shortcut and, eventually, faded from memory.