Competition: Maximum Brevity Series 20: Time Capsule

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fzIzH90POVa73ZNqC64vJQZ5Z8V_L2x1N6gYJR7UKro/edit?usp=sharing

248 words

It was on the planet’s longest night of the year when Juliana set off into the desolate wilderness outside the city walls. Though the night was cold and the winds were harsh, it could not extinguish the burning desire she felt inside. It was on this very day so many years ago that her mother had led her to a small grove in the old forests near her home. It was then that her mother had revealed to her a secret that had been kept within their line for centuries. A power that flowed within the family, an ancient force that pulsed with potential and, a treasure given to the children of the bloodline. A treasure, Juliana had left behind.

She made her way to the old grove and quickly found what she was looking for. An old white stone planted firmly in the ground, marking the location of the old capsule she had made so long ago. Had she been focusing on anything other than her one minded obsession, she may have noted how unnaturally quiet the grove seemed or how it seemed to have remained unchanged from so long ago. As it was, she simply began to dig.

After a period of time she heard the sound of metal upon metal and knew she had found what she sought. She brought the container above ground and opened it. The amulet she was so fond of in her childhood rested in her hands. It pulsed with power. Juliana smiled.