The Helerian

11. You're a nerd

11. You're a nerd

There are only two times in my life that my appetite has disappeared.

The first time I lost my sense of hunger was when I was six or seven years old. That was the day, night to be accurate, that I had my first dream about Mt Dingir. Of course at that time it was just a bloody mountain from scary bonfire stories that all kids my age would have been frightened of. The second time I saw it, it wasn't that better. But gradually I grew to be curious about it and not afraid.

And then today, after ten years I've lost it again, my dear food loving and food seeking desire. I guess maybe it's a decennial thing.

The book was my only hope. And now it's gone, taking my only chance of returning home with it. Even though I didn't know its content, I was so convinced that that book is a key to saving my home. If my world wasn't coming to an end I'd have gladly stayed here, but I can't just abandon them. Anyway, I'd never fit in here, always looking over my shoulder, always fearful that my identity might be exposed. Who needs that kind of constant burden in their lives?

Well, no point in dwelling now. I make my way downstairs, sad that our only lead got away. Maybe we actually did make a mistake. Maybe it was all in my head. But Amyra saw it too. And surely we're not hallucinating the same thing.

"Where's the book, you got it?" Amyra asks.

I shake my head. And then in a small voice, "It's gone."

"What do you mean gone?" mutters Amyra shocked and exasperated.

"Gone, poof, disappeared in thin air," I say rolling my eyes. Isn't 'gone' an easy word to understand?

Caspian steps in the conversation, predicting that Amyra and I are going to have another argument. "Like I said, you guys have made a mistake. I'm positive that no such book exists. I know this place inside out and we've never read, much less heard of this book."

Amyra and I share a look. We know what we saw, the book was real.

She sighs, "Papa, the book was there. We saw it, we held it, and we tried to open it. I told you, I think it was an enchanted book. So maybe, it disappeared itself, or someone took it before we could read it."

The first option seems bizarre but better than the latter. We've been here the entire time, so how can anyone snoop in and take the book without us noticing? Ah, how can I forget, anything is possible on this earth, superpowers. But that possibility is heart wrenching in itself. Because if someone actually took it, then they know we're reading about humans and their earth. They know we're trying to find something. They might even know that I'm a human. I'm screwed.

"This is not good, this is not good," I tell myself.

Everyone looks at each other, not knowing what to do. The atmosphere has palpably turned to a screwed one. I don't think atmosphere can be called screwed, but that's how I'm going to describe it.

"Hey, calm down. Come on, sit here Faiz," Mila says, guiding me to a wooden chair. I take a seat and within a second all of them are seated around the table. It's Mila who begins. "Well, I think the book might exist. I mean there are ancient texts which are always being discovered throughout history. This book might be one of the lost ones. And if the title is any indication, I think the book holds valuable information that can't be passed onto wrong hands, that's why it's enchanted. Maybe someone hid it here, but we never found it, until you both did."

I smile at her, conveying my gratefulness. At least she believes us.

"Okay, let's consider everything you said, but who is to say that the book will open even if we find it? Or that it's not stolen or has disappeared forever?" demands Caspian.