Entering Affrahim

In the bathroom of a nightclub named the Odyssey, Leonore Shulze dried her tears with a brown paper towel that was so thin, Leonore could see right through it.

Leonore closed the stall door behind her, the sound of muffled music and someone washing their hands kept her from vomiting, she focused on the sounds to ground her back to reality. She took her right hand, the one with all her rings, and bent down to unlatch the belt of her red heels. Despite being the clean freak she was, Leonore set her stocking clothed foot on the nasty public bathroom; she then did the same with her other foot.

She then tied the buckles of the shoes to her blue purse.

A bang from the bathroom door made Leonore look up like a meerkat would if it saw a threat. Leonore got on the ground to crawl underneath the stall to the next, but she did not stop there, because she went to the next stall after that, the one in the corner. She knew she cornered herself, but her plan B was her pepper spray she got from her sparkly purse, which she kept clutched in her hand as she stood on the edge of the toilet seat.

“Where is she?!” A woman screamed.

Leonore heard the woman who was washing her hands leave quickly.

The woman huffed, skipping the first stall, for it was open. The second stall, to which Leonore left, the woman stomped her foot hard against the thin door, startling Leonore.

“I know you’re in there!” She growled, before punching the stall door, not once, but twice.

Finally, the latch broke, the teal door crashing against the wall. The shock was so much that Leonore slipped on the toilet, sending her backwards, making her drop the pepper spray. Leonore closed her eyes, not wanting to feel the impact—and she did not. In fact, there was no impact at all. She was scared to open her eyes, the thought coming up: “Am I dead?”

Death in a bathroom stall of a cheap nightclub.

Tragic.

But she could feel smooth, delicate, hairs all over the parts of her body that were not covered by her white, lush skirt and black jacket. And not only that, but she felt like she would if she were floating, like she was on a carpet made of grass, flying in the air. Her legs and arms were tingly. She did not want to move them, she did not want to move anything, for she felt as though she was the air itself.

Leonore slowly let the light in, opening her eyelids, getting a glimpse of, not the bathroom stall, but a giant face looking down at her that took her a second to process.

Her breathing became rapid, the breathing of a rabbit. The light came from the face, just as if it were . . . the sun.

It could not be. But around the face was green, a lot of green, with turquoise blimps scattered amongst the green.

Suddenly, covering the face of the sun, a man came into view, looking down at her smiling.

“Leonore,” Figgman said, lowly.

Leonore turned, her shoulder length hair glistening in the face of Affrahim.

Figgman wore odd, red trousers that looked inflated on each side. But besides his inflatable pants, his shirt was nice, also red. And despite the outfit that popped out, his hair was what really took all the attention, for it was tall, completely red, and curled all the way to the top.

“The king is still under Dream Fungi.”

Leonore looked back at the Organia Valley, all its wildflowers tangled about—on trees, houses, and even the people. Her thoughts shifted from her love to the time she met the Organians—

“Charging!”

Leonore turned once more towards Figgman, who was no longer there.

“Clear away!”

“Figg?”

Leonore saw black, then, she opened her eyes to see a bunch of doctors. A bright light shone in her face, not like the face of Affrahim.

“What?” Leonore said, sitting up immediately; wires attached to defib pads, on her left lower chest, below her armpit, and another one below her collar bone on her right chest.

“Woah, woah,” the doctor said urgently. “It’s okay Leonore.”

“Where’s the Abyssi King?” she asked.

The doctor looked around for insight, but no one said a thing.

“I must get back,” Leonore started to get out of the hospital bed.

“Hey,” the doctor spoke smoothly, “I’m going to need you to lie down, okay? You’ve been through some massive trauma—”

“No!” Leonore smacked the doctor’s hand away, “the Abyssinian Kingdom needs me!”

When Leonore did not surrender, the doctors gave her a shot to calm her down and put her on a psychiatric hold, just for the time it took the doctors to get a hold of Leonore’s emergency contact.

That being Maddie, Leonore's roommate.

Maddie showed up in only an hour with fresh clothes that were just through the washer and dryer. She also brought Leo’s bag of things; the bag Leo brings to therapy; Maddie knew whatever was in that bag calmed Leo down.

Maddie placed the bag on the table next to her friend’s bed. Leonore was half-awake, for the doctors gave her Benzodiazepines; Leonore looked around, with just her eyes, toward Maddie and her mahogany-colored hair—the color reminding Leonore of the great grandfather clock in Korvo.

“Hi,” Maddie spoke softly, putting her hand on Leonore’s.

“Ah,” Leonore opened her mouth, the air drying the insides, “I . . . nee to get . . . bac-K-uh—”

“It’s okay Leo,” Maddie caressed the back of Leonore’s hand with her thumb, “the doctors need to keep you here for a couple more hours, then we can go home and watch Lord of the Rings.” Maddie moved in closer so Leonore could hear her. “I got all the movies on DVD so we can have a marathon!”

Leonore thought nothing of her favourite movies, for the only thing on her mind was the millions of creatures dying in the land of Affrahim, Affrahim being under dictatorship of Shuba Allofro.

Leonore opened her eyes. To the left of her was her friend, sleeping in a chair.

Leonore looked at the table next to her bed, her bag sat nicely, the handle slumped over the opening.

She lifted her hand, an IV tube moving with her—Leonore stretched her arm out, her head feeling like a can of rice going back and forth, the rice going from one side to the other. Leonore grabbed the handle; she lifted it with her hand.

Inside was a sketchbook, pencils, a copy of The Hobbit, and a small puzzle of the Eiffel tower, all to which she moved aside to reveal a box of penny matches. Leonore picked the small box up with her thumb and pointer finger, then held it on her chest before pushing the compartment from its casing.

A pen was in three pieces. Leonore picked one piece up, then the other; put those pieces together, then took the last piece—the one with liquid—and attached it onto the end. She did all this while looking at the ceiling, heavily relying on muscle memory.

Once it was completed, Leonore put the pen to her mouth, and pressing a button on the side, she inhaled. A light at the bottom of the pen shone green, then after a couple of seconds, started to blink.

Maddie yawned, her eyes opening, then closing, then opening again to see Leonore smoking from a pen.

“Oh my God,” Maddie looked to the door, saw no one, then reached for the pen.

Leonore moved her head, continuing to inhale until Maddie forcingly grabbed it.

“Dude,” Maddie said, looking at the pen. She then whispered, “You can’t vape in here!”

Leonore ignored her, and let out a trail of vapor, to which Maddie swatted at. Maddie shook her head, looked at the pen, put it to her mouth, and inhaled a small bit before putting it back in Leonore’s bag.

Leonore had her eyes toward the wall, thinking about Figgman, the Abyssi King, and worst of all—Shuba. She needs to get back, but how? How did she get there in the first place? She knew about the bathroom stall . . . that’s it! The stall! She needs to get back to the stall and fall backwards.

Leonore, with her bag in her lap, was rolled out of the hospital in a wheelchair by a nurse, Maddie followed next to them.

The sun without a face shined down at the two underwhelmingly. The nurse helped Leonore into the passenger side of Maddie’s 2006 Honda Civic. Maddie said thanks when Leonore did not, then got into the driver’s seat, started the car, and looked at her friend. Leonore was staring at her hands in her lap.

“Are you okay?” Maddie asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

Leonore gave a slight nod.

Maddie put her hand on the gear shift and put the car into drive.

“Wait!”

The sudden shout startled Maddie greatly; she looked at Leonore with wide eyes.

“Sorry,” she spoke, “could you take me to the Odyssey?”

“What, why?” Maddie continued to pull out of the parking space shaking her head, “No . . . let’s just go home, okay?”

Leonore stared out the window, a certain empty feeling in her stomach.

Leonore sat at a ginormous circular table in front of the council and jurors in the Chamber of Mosokul, a giant building in the middle of Affrahim; to Leonore, it looked like a church she would go to in New England.

“Leonore,” Figgman started, “is not a criminal for being alive, for she came here by accident—”

“Oh please,” Shuba snarled, “you really think she fell into a toilet to get here? Are you insane?!”

“Stop it!” Jerou demanded, his ears sharpened, “crazier things have happened!”

I mean, Leonore thought, you have a face for a sun!

Shuba turned, glaring at Leonore as if he heard her thoughts.

“Yes, I know,” Shuba spoke with impatience ever growing, “the underlying fact—the point I’m trying to get across—is that this creature killed Saint Droutakin!”

“But Saint Droutakin fired at her first.” Figgman added, “Also, please refer to my client as human. Unless you want me to file a discrimination charge against the Florul clan.”

“Saint Droutakin didn’t know what that is!” Shuba said, pointing at Leonore in emphasis. “And frankly, I would have shot at it as well, Fuggman.”

The fifty or so creatures in the room gasped. Saying someone’s name wrong on purpose is like saying a slur—Figgman told Leonore that.

Leonore looked over at Fugg— Figgman, who’s fur is red on his face, as red as his hair.

“Do not use that tone in the Chamber of Mosokul!” Jerou shouted. “One more trouble like that and you are out. Do you understand?”

“Of course, your highness.”

“Anyways,” Figgman grinded through his rigid teeth, “Leonore was defending herself, and she didn’t even kill him, he fell out of his window trying to capture the human.”

Jerou pardoned Leonore for her crimes, if Leonore agrees to make it to Mt. Jjuli and open the gates to Hevador—a giant weapons cache that only humans may enter.

After the council meeting, Jerou invited Leonore to where he hibernates—his Temple of Groshin. He showed her the likes of his kingdom, the creatures in it, and his most prized possession—a diamond cat forged in the fires that cremated Jerou’s brother after he killed him.

“But why?” Leonore asks.

“What?” Jerou looked at her with his green, pointed eyes, “Why did I kill my brother?”

Leonore slightly nodded, afraid she had struck a mental wound.

“It’s pretty simple to be honest,” he said, “we disagreed about a lot of things, specifically the fate of the Organgia Valley; he wanted to tare it down, but I said no. And in Affrahim, the most effective way to settle an argument is to fight to the death, or until one of them surrenders.”

Leonore blinked.

“I didn’t want to kill him.” He said while frowning.

“I’m sorry.” Leonore put a hand on the king’s shoulder.

Jerou smiled once more then said, “thanks.”

“What’s the Or-gang-jewa Valley?” She tried changing the subject.

“I’ll show you.”

Jerou led Leonore to a balcony outside his bedroom on the top floor of the temple. They looked down at a valley that had an abundance of color; even the smoke from the houses was pink and purple. Leonore could see a colorful family sitting on a grey mat, under a tree.

“That’s the Organia Valley,” Jerou said, leaning on the railing, “It’s full of Organia trees.”

Leonore took in the puzzle-like scenery.

“Now,” Jerou smiled, “watch what happens when the face of Affrahim is free from the blimps.”

For a second, Leonore could see all the iridescent jewels on the Organgia trees spread over acres of Orangia land, shining when the face of Affrahim was uncovered by blimps flying about. Leonore marveled at the rainbow pallet.

“Do you have sights like these where you’re from?”

Leonore looked at the king, with his grey skin and blue hair.

Jerou turned when he felt her gaze.

Leonore nodded, then said, “not anything like this, though.”

Suddenly, a large vibration filled the room, travelling through Leonore’s body, making her tumble backwards. The king stood where he was on the balcony, unfazed. Jerou went to Leonore, holding out his hand for her to take it, which she did.

When she was back on her feet, Leonore could still feel a vibration in her brain for a few more seconds before it was gone completely.

“What was that?” Leonore asked, shaken up.

Jerou looked back over the valley, “that was the Organgia Bell that’s supposed to be rung every hour—” Jerou paused, looked at the sun, then went pale.

“What?” Leonore noted the face of Affrahim’s shift of mood, “What’s happening?”

“I,” Jerou brought to his face a tablet, one that is synchronized with the grandfather clock of Korvo, “I don’t know.”

When Maddie pulled into their parking lot connected to their apartment complex, Leonore felt a headache growing at the front of her head; in Affrahim, Jerou brought Leonore to a giving tree, that, if you eat one of its apples, it gets rid of all minor injuries—cuts, bruises, headaches. The tree is meant as a welcome home gift for soldiers who come back from battle; luckily, however, Affrahim did not need to fight for some time.

Of course, that’s all changing now that Shuba is in charge.

And Leonore can do nothing to help.

Maddie got out of the car first, then, went over to the passenger side to open her friend’s door. Leonore could not lift a finger without the pain in her head reverberating. They walked up the building’s stairs, Maddie’s hand around Leonore, helping her.

Leonore sat on the couch in their living area while Maddie, who was on the other side of the thin wall, made popcorn on the stove, for their microwave had not come in the mail yet. Leonore looked out their window, towards the view of the parking lot and the water of Black Pond; snowflakes came down harshly, starting to accumulate on the cars.

Maddie walked into the living area to a sulking Leonore. She felt bad and was even more confused than anything; Maddie had never seen Leonore like this, for she is usually the spirit of the house. Maddie put the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table, Leonore looked up.

Maddie sat down, and was about to grab the remote when Leonore said, “what happened to me?”

Maddie’s head darted to look at her, “What do you mean?”

Leonore made a sad face, “I remember being in the bathroom and that’s it, I fell off the toilet.”

“Oh,” Maddie said, putting her right leg underneath her left, “from what I heard, you were running from some woman who then . . .” Maddie checked with Leonore, then continued, “I was told that she assaulted you—I didn’t hear about you falling off a toilet though?”

Leonore looked at the bowl of popcorn, and Maddie smiled, picking up the remote.

When Gandalf said his famous line, Leonore looked over at her friend who had fallen asleep. Leonore took this time to stand, only to feel her head worsen, but she brushed past it, walking towards the door. On her way out, she grabbed Maddie’s keys.

Leonore sat in the driver seat of Maddie’s 2006 Honda Civic, she put the key into the ignition and turned it, making it roar. She did not bother cleaning off the snow, and instead, pulled out of the driveway, a little faster than she meant to. A car honked at her, but she did not care.

Once again, Leonore was at the Odyssey, a nightclub in an abandoned warehouse. Leonore opened the door of the car covered in snow, leaving the keys in the ignition. She went straight in, past the bouncer, through the crown, and toward the bathrooms. Leonore went to the stall in the back, the one she cornered herself in.

Leonore stepped onto the edge of the toilet seat, closed her eyes, and slipped.

This time she felt the impact and her head burned.

She was still in the nightclub.

“No,” Leonore cried, “No!”

Then she remembered. She got beat up, to the brink of death. Perhaps, that needed to happen again.

On her way out of the bathroom, Leonore’s eyes caught the attention of a door that said,

“TO ROOF-NO ENTRY”

Ignoring the warning, Leonore opened the door, making sure there was no one around, then she climbed the four flights of stairs.

When she opened the door at the top of the stairs, wind blew in, and so did a bit of snow.

Leonore stood on the edge of the building, the city of Black Pond was lit.

The door opened behind her; a couple who wanted to be alone.

“Don’t worry Affrahim,” she said, “I will return.”