Alzirr, The Boy Who Fell In Love With A Ghost

About a thousand years ago, there was a massive earthquake eventually leading to a change in land formation. The Eurasia plate was drastically affected, it drifted into two-Asia merged with Africa and Europe close to North America. The earthquake and the climatic pressures led to the extinction of many species and the formation of a new race. It is believed that humans were once a dominant species on earth. They had magnificent powers where they could transport themselves to different parts on the land, sea and could fly in the air. They could see, hear and talk to people even from distance, and heal themselves with their own magical ways. They would live for only 70-80 years, wore things to cover their bodies and worshipped different types of God. The earth, as a God wasn’t acknowledged then.

This story has been passed on from generation to generation among the Gemma race, the only human race surviving on this planet.

An adult Gemma can grow up to 8 feet, weighs up to 120-130 kg and lives for 120-130 years. They have brown complexion, green hazel eyes and ash grey hair. At the age of 15 or 16, their hair turn to dreadlocks. They live inside giant caves, and eat fruits and fish.

Earth gives them moderate supply for their survival, and even if they attempt to absorb more than required then it would shower them with acid rain, thunder or quakes. In this world, there is only one God who makes the rules – The Earth.

There is no evidence if humans actually had magic powers. The Gemma constantly live in fear of God and other wild creatures who would hunt them down for food. There is no concept of ownership such as land, marriage or family. Their population is exactly one lakh, God would punish them for crossing the number. If someone has the urge for intercourse, s/he have to announce it publicly so that the interested person can volunteer. They stay in Kraz Island which is located by the Arabian Sea. A newborn would be taken care by both men and women until s/he is 5 years old, the children are then sent to the Shamans for 10 years who would tell them stories of the ancient human race, train them on hunting and give life lessons of the great laws of God.

The children would play on the seashore, climb palm trees, hide and seek around the bushes, dive and play with the dolphins. The boys would start developing facial hair at the age of 24 and girls start their menstruation cycle at 22 or 23.

There are approximately 30,000 children on the island. Among them was Alzirr, a 24-year-old boy who likes to spend time alone. His physique and voice started to change at this age. He grew up to 6 feet tall and his dreadlocks are always coiled into a bun on top of his head with palm leaves. At night when everyone is sleeping, he would climb on top of a palm tree and wait for the glimpse of fluorescent green light in the far sea which he had seen a year back. He kept it to himself as it didn’t seem like he was violating any law.

One of the usual night as he waited for that light, he saw a tiny light emerging into a giant fluorescent light as it fell down the Sea. It was the same light which he saw a year back, but this time it didn’t disappear. It floated there in the middle of the Sea for several nights, in the daytime the light disappears. On the 5th night, he decided to have a closer look at it. But Gemmas are prohibited to move that far from the island. “What about the dolphins or other Sea creatures?” he thought.

Dolphins travel far in the sea and tell stories of skeletons found in the giant pile of non-living objects as if they were submerged under the Sea. Gemmas are convinced for not breaking the law as they may end up dying like them.

But he had a strong urge to see that light. He requested Pavo, his Dolphin friend to get a closer look at it. As Pavo got close to it, he saw the light emerging from a giant floating object. He heard a strange sound from inside, similar to that of girls’ giggle. This made Alzirr more curious to go and see it for himself. He requested Pavo to go again, Pavo was already exhausted as he had traveled around 2000 miles. Pavo didn’t like to upset him but for the friendship’s sake, he went again.

Pavo saw a strange creature standing on top of the floating object. It looked almost like Gemma but white as a Pearl, hair as black as the Black Molly fish and had a very strange smell. Half of the body part is covered with unknown material that he couldn’t comprehend. He suspected the creature to be a female with its body structure, height about 5.7 feet and may be about 60 kg. He returned more exhausted but didn’t complain about it to Alzirr.

On the 7^th day, Alzirr wanted to witness the creature and the floating object himself. Pavo insisted him not to go, as it would make God angry. He wanted to protect Alzirr. He decided to communicate with the creature in the floating object to leave the Sea as it may disrupt the peace in the island. As he went closer, the creature drew a smile. Her voice confirmed that it was a female. It then made a strange sound that he couldn’t comprehend. She pressed a part of her forehead, and to Pavo’s surprise, she started communicating in his language.

Her name was Vela. She and her fellow scientists come to visit earth every year. After the apocalypse, only the most intelligent and privileged group could survive as they had fled to Mars on a space ship which could accommodate only 25000 people. All the men on Mars are dead. Their race is on the verge of extinction, only 30 of them are left, all women. Vela is 35 years old, the youngest of all. Their race can survive until the age of 65. 

Pavo couldn’t resist sharing this information with Alzirr. He made one final request to help him visit Vela and the spaceship but these visits had made Pavo so tired that he got severely sick. Before his last breath, he had to fulfill his duty to take Alzirr to his destination. Excitedly, Alzirr jumped on his back. On their way, there was a thunderstorm and a heavy current in the Sea which became a hindrance in reaching the ship. Pavo’s last words were, “Alzirr, I am sorry, it was the order of God to bring you here”, and he sank. When the heavy waves finally settled down, he saw the fluorescent light disappearing in the sky.

The thunderstorm has killed about 1000 Gemma. They had every right to punish Alzirr however they want. Alzirr’s last words were about the truth behind the myth of the human race and a world outside the island. These words were the funniest story that the Gemma have ever heard in their life, henceforth this story was passed on from generation to generation – “Alzirr, the boy who fell in love with the ghost”.