Far Future Snippets - End of Innocence

And with 17 votes, The First Circle (2000, Salisbury England) wins the Far Future Snippet vote for March.

The debut of the First Circle and a certain Sir Not Appearing in this Game Yet. One of the other things that can be looked up in the "Research something on the internet" option of the Free Time Hub to trigger that discussion with Merlin. (That I already wrote & coded but which no one can read yet. 😅)

The stars faintly twinkle above as they gather in the hotel's car park. A baker's dozen of teenagers in their first year of secondary school, gossiping to each other in excited whispers, had sneaked away from their various field trip groups this chilly night during the Christmas holidays.

Although Tynen's school offered no such thing, and so his parents would be quite shocked to learn that he wasn't staying over at his cousin's place as planned and was, instead, halfway across the entire isle.

Rhia grabs hold of his arm, holding it excitedly close as he finally edges his way into the throng of buzzing teens. "Hey Ty, all set for the big do?" she asks, as starlight gathers within her eyes.

"Well, uh..." he begins to hem and haw as another anxious voice breaks through the gabble.

"How're we gonna do this? Isn't Stonehenge always fenced off?" Heath frets as he stamps his feet, perhaps trying to restore circulation to his freezing toes, as their various voices continue to fog in the evening air.

"It's just a rope, dope. We'll manage. The real issue is the loads of people who’ve gathered for the sunrise of the Winter Solstice! You sure we couldn't do this at Gors Fawr or Coetan Arthur instead, Gala?"

Of course, Cai was also another Pembie. But people joked that the standing stones of Gors Fawr are the size of a Llanover pea. Far less illustrious to perform their ceremony there than in the legendary Stonehenge.

"No need to worry about that," Galahad announces his arrival, sweeping out of the shadows of the hotel's corner that he could've sworn had just been empty a moment ago. The ethereal boy's hair gleams ghostly white in the moonlight, long bangs covering his left eye as ever. "God will provide."

"I hope God provides a car and someone with a driving licence," Diana says, her giggles joined by her two friends standing either side of her. "Or are we going to have to hoof it all the way over there?"

"I shall lead the way. Follow me into the mists," Galahad calls over his shoulder, smile distant and gaze shadowed. And a mist had certainly arisen, drifting in wispy clouds around the edges of the car park. But that was common enough in these parts.

Rhia's grip on his arm tightens. He pauses to pat her shoulder in cheerful solidarity before following in the steps of his newfound friend.

"Come on, let's save the world!" Lennox shouts gleefully from the back of the pack.

They had no idea then that the price of a few more decades for the current world would be taken from their lives instead.