~ By Adeel Ahmed

Rated PG-13 for violence and language

Author’s Note: These are excerpts from a series of stories by Adeel Ahmed. The world is an alternative history Earth where Mythology and humans with special abilities existed through human history. It combines fantasy, Wuxia and superhero genres into it.

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Zenon entered the portal like all the other children. For a moment she panicked, surrounded by darkness, there was no air. But she quickly realized she didn’t need air.

But the other kids did.

“Buffoons. Keep walking, or you will suffocate.”

Zenon pushed the other children in further, her strength now returned to her; she made sure none turned around and ran backwards.

Zenon walked into a fortress, the other children in front of her gasping for breath.

The fortress was simply designed, made of stone. There was a jail cell, equipped with a toilet and multiple first aid kits. The faces were familiar; they were the guards that kidnapped and watched them. They were frantically treating their wounds, most of them leg wounds.

“You don’t have to watch the next part. You said you didn’t want vengeance,” said Khalid, the boy’s silver-blue eyes were tinged with something she had not seen before within them. Fear.

Khalid entered the jail cell, brandishing his gun. The prisoners, injured and demoralized moved away. He walked toward a figure on the floor.

The old man with the visor eyes lay motionless on the floor, twitching.

“I don’t know how long that strength-sapping beam lasts, and I don’t care. I’m not waiting till you walk again. Maybe all of these men and woman around you deserve to die as well. Probably. They helped kidnap and experiment on kids. But you, you have to die. My mother decreed it,” said Khalid pointing his pistol at the old man’s head.

A single shot rang through the compound, many of the children began crying, regarding Khalid with the same fear they regarded Winona, who shook her head in anger.

Zenon remembered that old man’s voice, mocking her mother. She remembered the gunshot. What happened to her mommy? Where was she?

“Off to the incinerator with you,” Khalid said. A portal opened beneath the old man’s body full of flames, his corpse burning as it fell through.

“All of you,” barked Khalid to the kids, “Your staying in that room in the left. My room is there on the right. If you have any problems, feel free to knock, you big babies.”

He doesn’t even seem fazed, Zenon thought.

She entered a massive room with the other children. It was filled with video games that went with a game system she did not recognize. The games themselves she did recognize, however, from various platforms. Toys, comics and a large T.V. Miniature sports equipment was also present as well, and a playground in the corner.

At first, the children were sombre, tired, full of sadness. But they quickly forgot about that and explored the room. They found that the game system would play almost every game, no matter the platform. Delighted by the plethora of entertainment available to them, the children seemed to forget the macabre sight they had just witnessed.

Yet when night fell, and the children fell asleep upon the floor, one would occasionally bolt awake screaming.  Except Zenon. Zenon never had to sleep; she chose to sleep. She slept when she wanted to. She had to actually learn to sleep, and before learning, she used to drive her mother crazy. Fortunately, her mother found peace when Zennon finally could turn her mind off.

Mom. She wanted her mother. Night time was when mom would wrap her arms around Zenon and hold her tight. As she grew older, she started to resent it and told her mom she wanted to stop. And now she craved it, desperately.

Zenon left the room and went into the hallway. The trapped former guards opened their eyes as Zenon entered the hall. She used her vision to see through Khalid’s door and into his room.

Khalid was wrapped in Winona’s serpentine body, her arms wrapped around his chest as she rested her head against him. Zenon felt a strange feeling. Resentment, toward Khalid, she wanted to switch places with him. She wanted to feel those arms around her. She wanted a hug desperately.

She listened with her sensitive hearing.

“Really? You have a little sister?” said Khalid’s voice.

“She’s really cute, Khalid. My step-mother even let me hold her. She had a really nice scent. But then I had to go back to the village.”

“I wish I could come with you. I miss your foolish, stupid voice,” said Khalid wistfully.

“I would love that. Then I can hug you, wrapped around you like this all the time. It feels even better now than it did when we were kids,” said Winona with a sigh.

“Uh, what are you talking about Winona?” Khalid seemed puzzled.

“Weird parts of my body are feeling good. Right now, Khalid. From all this,” said Winona blushing.

“We need to stop hugging right now, Winona,” Khalid’s voice was uncomfortable.

“Why Khalid?”

“We are hitting puberty. In my religion, I should not be hugging a girl at this age. It brings about impure feelings,” said Khalid, “Get off me right now. Allah will punish me.”

“Why?” chimed Winona.

“Because only a husband and wife should touch each other like this.  That is the Shariah.”

“My mommy says I should marry someone that loves me. I love you, Khalid. Do you love me?” As Winona spoke, Zenon could almost picture her pretty grey eyes looking into Khalid’s face.

    “Don’t look at me with that stupid expression.  My mother would never let us marry. You know I would if I could. I… don’t really talk to other girls. I never have. I…don’t know what to do with you, Winona. Let’s just drop this. I can’t be your husband. I’m not your husband, Winona.”

“I want you to be,” said Winona softly,

“Can you please let me go? You’re too strong for me.”

“No.”

“Fine. Have it your way ignorant serpent. As long as we talk about something else,” snarled Khalid.

“I wanna talk about Zenon.”

“What about her?” grumbled Khalid.

“She’s really nice. She was my friend, and no one else there was my friend. Scotty is nice to me, but he’s not as nice as Zenon is. Zenon even wanted to see me eat the rats, she watched and thought it was cool,” whispered Winona. Zenon felt her heart grow warm.

“I wish I was like that fool. She’s a natural hero, like Elven-Spark and the Mixer. She’s not like me,” said Khalid softly. Zenon’s eyes began to fill with tears. She wished her mom was here; she wanted to tell her about these wonderful friends she had made.

“She seems so sad. She laughed with me, joked with me. But she’s sad. She needs a hug. I want to hug her, Khalid,” said Winona.

“Why don’t you let me go and hug her instead? Let me go and find her Winona.”

On impulse, Zenon opened Khalid’s door. The boy stiffened when she entered, while Winona beamed smiling.

“I have really sensitive hearing. Yes, Winona, I would love to have a hug from you,” said Zenon smiling.

“Did you hear…everything?” said Khalid aghast.

“Yeah,” said Zenon giggling, “I did.”

Khalid’s face turned red.

“It was funny, buddy. It was…” Zenon broke down crying. It was too much. All this love and loss all together mixing up at once. 

Winona put her arms around the curly haired girl.

Surprisingly, so did Khalid.

“I killed him for you, Zenon. I killed him for you,” said Khalid softly.

“It doesn’t feel any better.”

Where was mother? She wanted to feel annoyed by her mother hugging her in their bed. Hearing stories about her father. She missed the way her mom would comb her hair. She even missed it when her mother yelled at her.

The three of them slept that night – Khalid on his own, but  Zenon was wrapped in Winona’s tail, their arms wrapped around each other. Winona reminded Zenon strangely of her mother, that nice smile, the constant hugs. She smelled nice too.

The next morning, Khalid lined the children up and brought them outside. Within minutes a large plane arrived, streaming with men and woman dressed like Khalid. The adults took the children away.

A veiled woman with silver-blue eyes bent over and talked to Zenon.

They’re pretty eyes; like Khalid’s eyes.

“Well then. Are you ready to see your mother? One last time?” said the woman. Her voice was pleasant, like music.

“My mom…is she alive?” said Zenon, her brown eyes wide with hope and wonder.

“Oh poor child.”

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Image Credit: David Liew