EXPLODE

three

I wish I could say I slept soundly that night, but the truth was I tossed and turned until I couldn't bear it any longer. The previous night's experiences and turmoil flooded my mind until I turned on the lamp on my bedside at five in the morning and pulled on my hiking boots.

I had slept in a pair of leggings and a loose sweater, and I fully planned on showering when I got back, so I figured I would be fine. Then I exited the castle and began the long, up-hill trip to the Third Faction.

Making my usual shortcut through the kingdom's woods, I breathed in the clean air and the beautiful scenery. The sun hadn't risen yet, leaving the forest almost dark and quiet, the canopy of trees above me a remarkable charcoal grey color.

An hour later, sunlight was streaming through the canopy, and the air became sweltering hot; just another problem with the kingdom's lack of economic growth and global warming. I was panting by the time I reached the Third Faction, regretting I wore my sweater.

I broke through the clearing in the trees and stepped into the town center of the Third Faction. I was immediately greeted with a flurry of "good morning, your highness" and "how are you, Dawn?".

After answering each question politely and grabbing my usual biscuit and coffee from a broken down Starbucks and leaving a very generous tip, I make my way towards my friend's house.

As I approach her tiny home, my eyebrows furrow in confusion. I didn't expect her to live in a castle, or even a mansion like the Second Faction, but I hated the state of her home in the Third Faction since the last time I visited her two weeks ago.

The condition seemed to have worsened. The one story home had next to no new level accommodations, and the family had bicycles instead of HoverCars--and HoverCars in the Third Faction were running cheap these days and they were about to announce the new HoverTruck.

The shudders on the windows were painted a pale blue color, barely hanging on the hinges, and the windows were broken, so they simply left them open. The door was newly updated, thank the lord. I recognized the familiar technology of hand-recognizable doors.

"Dawn? Is that you?" Ms. Trinity Bleu, Gaby's mother, asks me. She steps through the door of the home, the material flexing around her--and her new cane.

"Oh, my, what happened Ms. Bleu? Do you want me to see if my mother could fix you for an emergency surgery of some sort?" I question, as she wraps me in a hug.

Her already small figure was smaller, and even though it was normal to have grey hair at her age, her hair was already becoming white--a sign of overworking.

"No, Princess, I couldn't simply!" She laughs, the deep lines in her face forming a crinkling smile. "Besides, it's only a sprain."

"Is it from working for the Queen because I can simply--," I was cut off.

"--Please stop worrying, Dawn. I'm fine," Ms. Bleu reassures me. She took my hand with her free one and guides me towards her quaint home. "Now I'm going to have to find a way to hook you into the system here, I'm still struggling to figure it out."

"It's fine, Ms. Bleu, I can help you." I tell her, as she held her hand to the material. It recedes around her figure and quickly around mine as we step inside. "Is Gaby home?"

"She's about to return from work."
I notice the frown that forms around my friend's mother's face and sigh in worry.

Gaby's job has always been a issue I worry about. Since her mother's work performance kept worsening with age, Gaby had to pick up more hours to accommodate to her and her mother's needs. She always wanted to be a doctor, like her husband Sadri, but the plan failed hopelessly as she struggled to stay in school from the long hours of work.