Curiosity {Joshler}

15. Imagination - The image-forming power of the mind.

When he entered the clearing, Tyler almost expected everything to be gone. The vessel, Josh, the debris, everything.

It was all still there, though. Josh himself was sitting on the roof of the spaceship, looking up at the sky, but when he heard Tyler enter the clearing he gave him a friendly smile.

Tyler didn't even say anything, he just climbed up the rungs on the edge of the ship, up to the top, and sat there.

"Hi," was all Josh said.

"Hi."

It was a bit awkward to ask, but Tyler had to know. "So...you're not a figment of my imagination?"

Josh just smiled again, and shook his head. "Don't think so. I feel pretty real, personally."

They sat quietly for another minute before Tyler pulled the granola bar out of his pocket. "Um...I thought you might be hungry."

Josh took the granola bar, looking sort of confused as he turned it over and over in his hands. "This is food?"

"Ah....here." Tyler took the granola bar and unwrapped it for Josh, giving it back to the alien boy. "Now it is."

Josh took a slow, hesitant bite. "Hmm. It's not bad. Thank you."

As Josh ate the granola bar, Tyler absentmindedly fiddled with a loose thread on the hem of his pajama pants. "So...is it okay if I ask you some questions?"

"About...?"

"You...where you came from..."

Josh took another bite. "Okay. For every question you ask about me, though, I'm going to ask one about you."

"That seems fair." Tyler pulled the loose thread out completely. "Firstly, where do you come from?"

"A planet a couple of light-years away. I think I mentioned that yesterday." Josh polished up the last of the granola bar. "It's called Anathema. This is Earth, right?"

Tyler felt a little surprised that Josh knew, but he nodded. "Yeah. Why is your planet called Anathema?"

Josh shrugged. "Don't know, always has been."

"Here the word 'anathema' means 'cursed'."

"Well, I guess the planet itself was kind of cursed, considering it's gone now. Never coming out of that black hole." Josh chuckled, but Tyler could see the sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Josh."

"It's okay."