Forbidden Planet

Chapter 2: Ken

Saturday, 6:00

Aline woke up with the beep of her alarm. The sun outside was about to rise from the clouds. Leaves were rustling, and she could hear the birds chirping. Aline liked her bed to be beside the window, so she could feel the morning breeze. It always reminds her how beautiful this world is and there is a lot to appreciate. No matter how much drained out she felt, mornings like this are always special.

"What a beautiful day it is?" said Aline while yawning and rose from her bed.

Aline made her way to the very end of the corridor, towards the kitchen. Last night's event shook Aline. She couldn't believe what happened. However, she does not want to ruin her morning.

"Probably a good cup of coffee can help me and afterward I can think of what to do with that unusual object," said Aline to herself.

Aline placed water on the stove to boil and walked towards the living room to switch on the TV for the morning briefing. The news reporter was talking about how Eel Pie Island was destroyed overnight.

"Flood abolished Eel Pie Island. However, this is only an assumption. The weather forecast says it is unbelievable because the weather is supposed to be cloudy and calm. We also talked with locals who live near Eel Pie Island, they said that the weather was calm but there was a change in the air and suddenly they heard a loud noise, although they did not see the flood. This matter is under investigation. Tune in to our channel for the latest updates," said the reporter.

Aline switched off the TV and went to the kitchen to continue making coffee. She grinds some coffee beans and places them in the hot water and let it boil for a while. Afterward, she pours coffee into the mug. It was hard for her to relax after all that was happening around her. She was thinking about the strange man she saw yesterday.

"Maybe I need some fresh air," said Aline to herself while taking a sip from her mug.

Aline walked towards the corner of the kitchen and opened the door which leads to the backyard. Water was falling from the leaves and the grass was wet because of dew. She walked barefoot on the grass with coffee in her hand. When her coffee was finished, she went back to her bedroom to check out the object she found yesterday. Now that she was in broad daylight, she realized that it is a book. She tried to remove the leather strap, but it was attached to the book. This book is ancient. She could tell it by the symbols that are carved on it. She placed her hand on the symbols as if trying to decipher what it meant, but to her, it did not hold any meaning. Only someone skilled in cryptography could tell what it means, or perhaps, the one who has seen these symbols before.

"Ken can help. It must be him. He showed me something like this last week, and that is why it seemed familiar to me. Gods! How can I forget him," said Aline to herself.

Aline grabbed her phone and dialed Ken. She was fidgeting with her fingers. She always does this whenever she is stressed. But now she was nervous, scared, and curious all at the same time.

"Hey! Aline. It's nice to hear from you. How are you doing? I am surprised to receive a call early in the morning," said Ken's sleepy voice.

"Hi! Ken. Actually, I have something to show, rather than telling you. Remember my last visit to your house." spoke Aline gently.

"Oh yes! I do. It was very nice of you to take care of my mom for a week. Her health has improved."

"No Ken, not just that. Remember, you told me about your project on which you recently started working on. You showed me something strange which you found in Longyearbyen, Norwegian. You said that you went there for a trip with your friends and unexpectedly found an unusual object falling from the sky. That time I thought you were just kidding. But I found something similar outside my home last night. I don't know what it is, I thought, maybe you can help."

"No way Aline. Are you serious? I mean, how can something this strange can be found right in front of your house. Hold it right there. I will be back by evening."

"Yes sure, please hurry. I have a feeling that Eel Pie Island has something to do with it, See ya"

"See you in the evening. Bye, Aline."