The Alien Agenda (#Wattys2018)

[Chapter 11: The Saviour of Mankind]

The soft breeze ruffled my hair, although I did not bother to adjust it. I was too busy thinking. The sidewalks were silent except for the scraping noise of Axel's and my sneakers.

Axel was walking me home after we finished our work in the library. It was already five in the evening, the sky was painted with a peaceful orange.

Though I was again, too busy thinking to admire the beauty.

It was awfully silent till Axel stopped walking and asked me a question.

"Laila, when did you see those symbols?" I stopped walking as well and turned to face him.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

He sighed and walked till he was standing right on front of me. I craned my neck to face him, suddenly realising he was a good head taller than me.

"I don't believe that you found it somewhere in a book," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"And what makes you think I didn't?" I said slowly backing away.

Should I tell him? I thought to myself. He would think I was insane.

"Intuition I guess... I don't know," he said rubbing the back of his neck frustrated.

I sighed. The past few days have been pretty crazy. I decided that one more crazy fact was not going to seem too absurd.

"Okay...okay. You're right. I didn't get it from a book. But promise me you won't think I'm crazy," I warned. He gaze never faltered as he stared at me seriously.

"Promise," he replied.

I inhaled a shaky breath and leaned against a lamp post.

"I was reading through a compilation of Mayan history, when I dozed off. Uncle Elias wasn't there. When I woke up, suddenly, the words on the book disappeared and were replaced with this set of symbols. But in a minute later it vanished again. I seriously thought I was dreaming though. But somehow I couldn't get it out of my mind. And then I went to ask Uncle Elias about it... And so on," I explained.

Axel was silent. His brows were furrowed thinking hard.
I sighed and continued walking, not bothered about his feedback.

We paced side by side in a really awkward silence. I glanced at Axel and realized he was still thinking about something.

"Axel...what are you-" he cut me off when we reached my house.

"I'll see you tommorow. Bye Laila," he said and walked away briskly.

I wondered what was running in his mind and whether or not he believed my story.
----------------------------
After dinner, me and mom were cleaning up whereas dad went to bed early.

While I was washing the dishes, mom suddenly spoke, "You've been hanging out a lot with that boy lately."

I shrugged, "Yeah, he's Uncle Elias's nephew, so I guess you could say we kind of have the same interests," I said simply, not wanting to explain further.

"In that ridiculous stuff. Aliens and what not. I keep telling you, there is no question in believing in God," she said sternly.

I smiled, "Yes mom, I know. But that doesn't mean I can't keep an open mind."

She rolled her eyes but smiled, "You are just like your father. He was a very curious person," she chuckled and continued,"But I guess that's what made me interested in him."

I saw her eyes lit up. I loved to see my mom that way. Besides the fact, she was really pious, she was still willing to cope with my father's and my inquiring mind.