Chapter 5:

Perceive

Cursed Head


It was another morning. The sun was shining brightly. It hadn't been sunny for a while. Birds were chirping. Kids were playing in the alley. People were fetching water from the nearby pond. Paperboy was distributing today's paper. There were a lot of people collecting the news today.

Vihaan was asleep but awake at the same time. He could hear but not listen. He could touch but not feel. He tried opening his eyes but there was a black haze surrounding his eyes.

Thump Thump Thump

Someone was climbing up the stairs coming to his room. She lightly slapped his head. up

"Wake up, we are gonna be late."

Vihaan was finally able to wake up. He opened his eyes and saw Easter. In a soft voice, he said.

"where is your braceet.. ?" He was indolent when he said that.

"Huh? What are you blabbering on about? Are you feeling well? Oh dear, what just happened to my brother. Is he going to be fine?" Easter said in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh thanks for caring about me. I didn't know that you were capable of doing that." He said that sincerely.

Easter puts her hand in her head like she was disappointed and said "Enough with the jokes let's go down."

"Huh, what joke? Well, whatever I will come soon."

Vihaan wakes up from his bed and puts both of his feet on the mat. This mat had a bit of a different vibe from the rest of the stuff in the house. But Vihaan had just got used to the fact. He had taken that mat from the basement with little knowledge to his parents.

He stood up but he felt that something was wrong. He felt a bit off-balance. He murmured, "Have I become shorter?". After a while, he felt his usual self again and went both to the dining room where they all had started to eat.

" You are a bit, late young man." His father spoke with sipping his tea. "Well since you didn't come we decided to start eating without you. I hope that you are informed that we are going to Merca's funeral shortly. You should finish your chores. I will be going a bit early to help Nina's family."

"What happened to Merca was so terrible. They say that even his body couldn't be recovered. The work that he did was very dangerous." Vihaan's mother was very anxious.

Then Easter said "I heard from Vihaan that he also wants to join the Wanderers.."

Vihaan interrupted her angrily slamming his hand on the table, "Why are you telling Mom that thing. I told you that I would tell her when the time right."

"I just wanted to tell her given the current situation. You wouldn't even have told her until the very last moment. So I thought it would be wise to have her know and we are worried about your safety. I don't think that you will be able to do it." She looked concerned.

"What makes you say tha..."

"Vihaan! What are you thinking? Do you have any idea what you are thinking about now? Just how people have been taken away or killed being wanderers."

"And just how long are we gonna stay cooped you in this small area of this probable vast world while being at the mercy of the ELDERS and that dammed king. It is just like living on a ranch." Vihaan replied with full confidence.

"Oh someone has been learning stuff in grammar class," Easter expressed tauntingly.

"Honey, can you please say something to your children."

"Why am I on this topic?"

Vihaan said to Easter "It is because you brought up this topic when didn't need to be brought up."

Mother said worryingly "Your father works in the government and he knows that they don't care much about Wanderers. They still fund them because if they don't people will think that they have abandoned hope outside edge."

The father stood up from his chair and asked Vihaan "Vihaan, why do you wish to know what lies beyond the edge ?" It seemed that his question was genuine.

"Because I don't want to keep living in this small place that we call home and spend our entire life without even trying to go outside. They must be something beyond all that gases and dust that we just cannot see. And I want to try seeing beyond that."

Driscoll looked into Vihaan's eyes with a sense of realization and said "When I return home, I will tell you what is up with that mat in your room."