[center]
[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/171218/6d259e9787b2f4cdc7317a7bbb5348c6.png[/img][/center]
[hr][hr]

The alarm on her digital clock began to sound at exactly five o'clock in the morning, but Zuri had already been out of bed for a little over an hour. [color=#9A7F6C]"Shit, shit, shit,"[/color] the young girl cursed under her breath as she hurried to turn off the blaring alarm. She fumbled around with the buttons for a while before deciding to just yank the plug out of the wall socket. After the loud, continuous beeping had ceased, she sat in silence for a bit, listening carefully to see if she'd woken up her parents. She soon decided that the couple were still fast asleep in their bedroom, and continued to prepare for the adventure that awaited her.

She'd spent hours the night before packing her things into her bag. Unfortunately for Zuri, the letter that she'd been given urged students to pack lightly, something that proved to be challenging for the girl. Zuri had never been one to "pack lightly," instead preferring to pack as much as she possibly could just in case something drastic were to happen. She'd tried to pack about seven different pairs of shoes and a bucket load of hair products before her mother convinced her to narrow the shoes down to just two pairs of sneakers, and to get her hair braided so that she wouldn't have to worry about things such as gel and curling cream. What she did manage to fit in the bag, however was an extra bottle of water, sunscreen, and about five more pairs of socks.

Now, dressed in a long-sleeved, black shirt, dark blue jeans, and a pair of old basketball shoes, Zuri slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way down the hall towards the kitchen. She wasn't surprised in the slightest to see her mother standing over the stove, cooking breakfast. [color=#9A7F6C]"I didn't mean to wake you up,"[/color] Zuri said as she dropped the pack onto the floor and gave her mum a tight hug from behind. 

[color=gray]"Oh, dear, you didn't wake me up. I've been awake for hours,"[/color] Katherine Wilson said, kissing her daughter on the forehead and refocusing her attention on the frying pan in front of her. [color=gray]"I wouldn't miss seeing my daughter off on her very first adventure. Besides, I figured you'd need a little something to eat before you left. Wouldn't want you to go on an empty stomach."[/color] 

[color=#9A7F6C]"You're the best,"[/color] Zuri said before taking a seat at the dinner table. A few moments later, a steaming hot plate full of scrambled eggs and turkey bacon was placed in front of her. After she'd finished eating, her mother handed her a tall glass of ice water, which she gulped down quickly and handed back for a refill. The two of them had gone over the directions for the sand travel a couple of nights before, so her mother wanted to make sure that Zuri drank as much water as she could before it was time for her to go. After drinking Zuri finished the second glass of water, her mother handed her the jar full of sand. [color=#9A7F6C]"I'll be back before you know it. Tell dad I said [i]ban kwana[/i],"[/color] Zuri said to her mother, who simply nodded her head and smiled. In swift motions, Zuri slung her bag onto her shoulder, unscrewed the top of the jar, and dumped its contents over her head.

It was a weird sensation, to say the very least. The blinding flash of light caught her a bit off guard, but she stood strong nonetheless. In what seemed to only be a few seconds, the light grew brighter until she soon found herself standing again, feeling a slight itch on the back of her neck. She fought the urge to scratch as she took in her surroundings. It only took her a few moments to realize that what she was seeing was indeed the Grand Bazaar. [color=#9A7F6C]"Whoa,"[/color] the young woman said under her breath before snapping out of her trance and using her wand to clean up the pool of sand that lay at her feet.

Zuri then headed to the small group that had gathered in one of the nearby shops, instantly recognizing most of their faces. She arrived just in time to catch the ending of this Killian fellow's introduction. [color=#9A7F6C]"Good morning, Professor,"[/color] Zuri said before nodding curtly to each of them, [color=#9A7F6C]"And good morning to you four. I hope I didn't keep you all waiting."[/color]