Out of Thin Air

Other World

The first thing Leila felt was the pounding of her head. What happened? The last thing she remembered was Max's house. Her eyes flew open. I really hope I don't open my eyes and find myself on Max's couch. As her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight, she found it was much, much worse.

She was lying on the ground, facing upwards. The sky was bright blue and the sunlight filtered through soft airy leaves of trees. Leila sat up and drank in her surroundings. She was in a clearing ringed with what looked like palm trees. The floor was covered in soft grass and the occasional bright flower. In an indent in the grass beside her, Max was still unconscious.

"Hey, Max, wake up!" Leila knelt down and shook him. He groaned and rolled over. Leila was taken aback by his appearance, he was pale and seemed slightly green. His eyes opened slowly, and he stayed immobile a minute, taking everything in.

"Who are you?" He said, sitting up and piercing Leila with his dark eyes. Oh, the irony. He has amnesia.

"My name is Leila. I am a friend of yours in school. I was hoping you would know why we are in a forest?" She replied speaking slowly and enunciating clearly.

"I know that, but who are you really?" Max persisted. Leila blinked, confused.

"What?"

"You know what I mean. You are here, which can only mean one thing; You. are. not. human." Max insisted.

"Max, did you hit your head when you fell?" Leila tried to ask sweetly. She knew that the only way she was going to get out of whatever was happening was if she was nice to Max.

"Stop the charade, Leila! There's no use pretending anymore!"

"Pretending what? And for that matter, where are we? How did we get here?" Leila was getting impatient and maybe panicking a little bit. Max stared at her.

"You really have no idea what's going on?"

"No, why would I?" Leila responded, more confused with every passing minute, "The last thing I remember is being in your house when you collapsed."

"Impossible!" Max exclaimed, "How? Maybe..." He walked off into the forest. Leila stayed right where she was tapping her high heeled foot, Max reappeared after a few minutes.

"Aren't you coming?" He asked impatiently.

"No," Leila replied, and when greeted with stunned silence, continued, "Not until you give me some answers, New Boy."

Max let out an exasperated sigh, "I don't have any answers right now! And we don't have time for this, the attack could come any minute!"

"Attack? What? No way am I coming with you! Just take me home!" Leila felt the small amount of calm she'd had when she had woken up slip away. She sat down hard and leaned against the trunk of one of the trees, the bark pushed up roughly against her bare shoulders. Max stopped his frantic pacing, and kneeled in front of her.

"Ok, I owe you the truth. I know this is hard to believe, but I'm a djinn, more commonly known as genies." Max searched Leila's eyes worriedly, but she just laughed.

"The truth, Max."

"It's true! How do you think I got everybody to remember me, even though I had just showed up this year? Magic, it's the only logical explanation." Leila regarded him, still unbelieving.

"Magic and logical in the same sentence? That's a first."

"I know it's hard to believe, but magic is real."

"So, let's say that's true, why are we here?" Leila asked, she reasoned to herself that they would get nowhere in the magic debate, and she needed information, no matter how flawed it may be.