Acorn gasped and dropped the bracelet. Though it hadn't changed in temperature, her immediate instinct tended to be to drop things that lit on fire.
-Clang-
It hit the floor with a metallic ring, and Acorn winced at the noise. She quickly dropped to the ground to retrieve it, but as she picked it up she could tell something was off. Squatting on the floor, she stared at the flame coming from the bracelet. Kaianie and Troth were silent, and she knew they had also observed the object's glaringly anomalous property.
Slowly turning the bracelet in her hand, the flame stayed fixed, pointing not only upwards but outwards as well. Rotating the bracelet around to face herself, the flame wrapped around its curvature to continue pointing beyond Troth and Kaianie.
Troth remembered to breathe, and let out a whisper,
"It's a compass."
Acorn looked up at him.
"But it is not pointing North."
"May I hold it?"
Acorn put the bracelet into Troth's outstretched hand. The flame remained lit.
Troth stepped out of the garage, into the light rain and onto the silent street. He stopped in the middle of the road, turning around and staring at the sky. Acorn and Kaianie took up their positions on either side of him.
Holding the bracelet up in front of his face, he pointed at the stars.
"There."
As his finger traced the start of their fated path, the bracelet's light died out, and the three were left staring at an endless field of stars.
Enjoying the adventure?
Consider following me on Patreon!
Join the discussion!
Lonely Frontier has a subreddit!
"Time Off Prosper" © Josiah Kangas - 2021