Editor: Mrinali Jadhav

I had started to panic. All I held was Asher’s hand. I never felt so fearful. Oh my, there comes a time when even a badass gets afraid. I let go of Asher’s hand and searched around for anything to cover up.

Sensing the alert surrounding and me picking up a log of wood, Asher followed my lead and himself picked up one. We stood back to back. Asher shouted, “We are armed well. It would be much better if you all kept out of our way and we would get going. We don’t want to cause any injuries to any one of you.” I rolled my eyes and asked, “Asher, do they even know the language we speak.” “We do, oh vain nyaff”, said a man or an alien with one eye and so many hands, coming out of the shadows with a bow and arrow pointed at us.

Asher asked, “What’s nyaff?” I rolled my eyes at him, “It means a fool, you mudblood.” He turned towards me and says, “Are you out of your mind?” “Why?” “You are using those words of which I have never even heard of, Mudblood, hmm.” “It’s slang, honey” “Did you just curse me, wait, how is it slang.” Aghh. Muggles. I tell him sweetly, “I read. That’s how. How I always told you that reading can save your life.” We turn our backs on each other.

Asher says, “Well your reading isn’t exactly saving our lives right now.” I had forgotten about the situation we were in. The alien kind of thing which had talked to us told his people to surround both of us. All of them were carrying bows and arrows. We were done. Another alien says, “Surrender your weapons. You both are surrounded.”

I and Asher slowly put our logs on the ground in front of the alien leader and then slowly raised our hands.

I say to Asher, “This is the only thing which our parents have taught us so well to do in times of distress.” He says, “Maeve at times like this, I forgot to tell you that your jokes suck.” I shut my mouth. We were gone. They lead us away to their settlement.

Almost five aliens were surrounding us. Two of them even held me and Asher lest we run away. As they were leading us, Asher grabbed my hand and I put mine in his. No one said anything. For the first the I wish my father was with me even if I hated him more than anything in this entire world for what he did to me and my mother.

My eyes sparkled. I couldn’t see clearly. My tears were at the bay. I could break down at any moment. When we reached their settlement, I was dumbstruck. It was more than just a settlement. All the buildings were looking ancient, made out of stone. But the surroundings looked so advanced that I couldn’t tear my eyes away.

“Maeve.” I jerked. I saw that they were leading me and Asher away. He was the only person whom I knew here and was going away. I panicked and fought. But they were too strong for me. “Asher. Please, don’t separate us. We’ll do anything you say.” But no one listened to us. They all stood rooted to the ground like a stone. Another alien was speaking to the leader alien, “Sir, I think we should put them with the other nyaffs.

Tomorrow morning we could take them to the Queen and ask them what they are doing here.” But the leader alien shook his head and then said, “They will tell everything tomorrow, but I don’t want this one to be put with the others. She’s a fighter and more likely a survivor. I don’t want her causing me any problems.” Asher shouted, “No, please sir try to understand. You all have outnumbered us. Don’t separate us.” He was turned a deaf ear.

He turned and looked at me. The one which said you are my everything. That is all I remember of the incident. My eyes closed themselves in pain.

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Hello dear reader reader, if you Hello, I am G Brinda. Currently pursuing History Hons from Lady Shri Ram college, I am an avid reader and writer, who writes because she has a story to tell and words carry magic. A feminist at heart, I am yet to come out of the rebellious teenage self. A cute and quirky kid with big dreams stuck in a hole called reality. I have a wish list as big as the big bang. I am a woman, who is bold and beautiful, and there is nothing wrong with being confident and daring. The only thing that keeps me sane is by being drunk on writing. My sanity has been doubted many times because I always disappear into the world of imagination. But books and coffee are to be blamed for that.