Short Story
Written by: Aaryan Amar, Zubin Amar and Abigail Sandoval
Edited and illustrated by: Esperanza Clarissa
Darmi –
“Quiet Nak,"I hiss, looking over my shoulder at the boy crouching on the floor with his eyes staring
out the window. “You’re like an elephant out here!”
“And what, you’re a swift fox?” he argues indignantly.
Grasping the windowsill, I clamber out - head first. I hear the crunch of leaves and twigs as I fall
through a bush and land on the ground. And the only sound I hear is of Nak climbing out after me
is a loud thud and a whispered “ouch”.
I lay down behind the orphanage, my body aching. I am asleep a moment before my head hits the
cold ground. I drift off into the land of dreams and meet a man, a man wearing a red velvet suit.
We are talking, he is telling me things.
"Come to me" he says.
"Why?" I reply curiously.
But he just fades back into mist, leaving me standing alone in the marble hall. I hear a voice yelling
at me through the layers of mist and my eyes flash open.
"Wake up!" a muffled voice yells.
Nak shakes me awake. I sit up and realise it is time to get on the move. I quickly brief Nak on this
weird dream. Explain to him how I am drawn to this man. The breeze blows my chestnut hair as I
stand and begin to walk, tickling my caramel-coloured skin. I look up at the stars hoping for a sign,
anything that will tell me where to go. I never thought I would find a wizard at someplace as
ordinary as a bus stop!
Check the next issue for more on Darmi and Nak!
13