Angon was sitting in a new class.

New school.

New excitement. People were laughing around. Some were playing and making noises.

This was just like first day in a new school to Angon.

Some students were quarrelling for seat. Sound of closing locker was coming. Noises all around. Welcoming new students. Every student had a thousand of questions for their new friends. There were also questions like, who would sit where, what would they do etc.

Angon was not feeling well. His heart was beating faster. His belly was feeling heavy. He was confused. Schools never make his hear beat faster. Rather he feels happy in school. Even if that is the first day.

He was sitting in the third row. There were a lot of books in his desk. All of them were text books.

All of them new.

A teacher entered the class. A short man. Red hair. Serious face. A black spectacle in eyes. He was wearing brown colored pant and a white shirt.

He walks bending towards the front. Looks like, something was pushing him from the back.

Every student quickly moved to their seats. But their noise didn’t stop. He didn’t look at anyone. Rather walked towards his desk in the front. Then he kept the papers in his hand on the table. Then he started washing his spectacle with his handkerchief.

The bell rang. Everyone stopped talking and stared towards their teacher.

“I am Mr.Dori.” He has a heavy voice.

Angon again became surprised. Because the teacher’s voice was stronger than it should be according to his height.

He was still feeling unwell. He looked around.

Towards the other students.

His sight was moving from face to face.

‘Who are these students? Why I can’t recognize them?’

Every year new students get admitted in the school. But there should be at least a few whom he would know.

‘Are all of them in other school? No, that’s not possible.’

He was still staring face to face. Everybody was new and unknown to him.

‘Am I in the wrong classroom?’

He was feeling a cold chill. He took out the class assignment card from his pocket.

Angon Chowdhury

Mr. Dori’s Thrilth grade.

‘What grade?’

He was becoming angry now. He never heard of a grade like this.

There was a girl in the very corner of the row. She was quite beautiful. Her golden hair was glowing like gold due to sunshine. She was writing something.

A tall boy was next to her. Wearing a red baseball cap. He smiled at Angon.

‘Do I know him? Was he smiling at him? Or was it his mistake?’

He would become happy if he saw a familiar face. But none was there.

“Welcome to new class.”

Angon smiled. The teacher was looking like a small Gorilla. Red haired Gorilla.

“I think your vacation was quite interesting and I hope you are fresh enough to start thrilth grade class.” His eyes were looking at everyone.

Angon raised his hand.

“I didn’t get you, Sir. What grade?”

A boy was chewing ‘chewing gam’ in the front seat. He started coughing. For the sound of his coughing the question of Angon remained unanswered.

Most of the students stared at the student who was coughing. As well as Mr. Dori did the same. He moved to the student. He slapped on his back to make him normal.

“You started coughing in the new class.” Mr. Dori tried to make a joke.

Few students laughed. But most of them didn’t.

The student who coughed, his cheeks become red. But he became normal. He sat on his chair. He looked towards the floor.

Without noticing, Angon was holding the corner of his desk tight. He relaxed the hold and deep breath for the hope of becoming normal.

‘Why am I so excited?’

He was trying to make himself believe that there was nothing to worry about.

On the other hand, Mr. Dori started writing in the white board. The sound of writing with marker was unbearable to him.

‘What is he writing?’

He looked front and tried to understand.

But he wasn’t able to read anything.

‘Is it some foreign language?’

They were like some strange drawings to him.

‘Has the teacher invented some kind of new font? Or is it some kind of game?’

‘Is he writing sentences or numbers?’

He was now hearing his own heartbeat. His heart was beating faster than before.

He stared at the other student. They could read everything their face was telling that. Some were taking notes.

‘They can read those, Why can’t I?’

Mr. Dori erased some part of the writings. Then he read the paper in his desk. Then again he started writing.

‘Why can’t I read?’

‘Am I dreaming?’

‘Yes. That’s the only possible explanation of all this.’

‘A nightmare.’

He pinched his own arm.

That hurt. But he didn’t wake up. Then it’s not a dream. Again he stared at the board. But still he couldn’t read.

Mr. Dori stopped his writing and stared at Angon. Then he pointed his marker towards him. Then he pointed towards the board.

“Angon Chowdhury,” With his heavy tone, “Come here and solve the equation.”

Angon swallowed his saliva.

His face became red. He again stared at the strange writings. He was sweating.

“What happened? Come here, man.” Mr. Dori offered him the marker.

“Solve the problem.”

“Ah…mmm…” He was shivering.

First day in a new school. And in this first day, if he cannot solve the problem, then everyone would think him as a stupid.

“I cannot do this, Sir.” He was trying to keep his voice normal, “We didn’t learn anything like this in Mr.s Credel’s class.”

“Who?”, A girl from the back bench asked, “Whose class?”

Some students stared at him. The girl with golden hair also looked towards him.

“Anyone who can do this?” , Asked Mr. Dori.

“Is there anyone who can solve the problem? I was thinking to choose a easy one, so that anyone could do this.”

‘Easy? Is he joking?’

A girl with curled hair from the front desk rose her hand up. Mr. Dori nodded his head. The girl moved forward and took the marker from his hand. She also started drawing those unreadable letters or numbers.

She wrote three lines and gave the marker back to Mr. Dori.

Mr. Dori again nodded and smiled.

“Very Good , Noita.”

Again he stared at Angon and his smile faded away.

Angon noticed many others were also looking at him again and again.

His ears started to warm up.

‘What is this? Where is my fault? Am I supposed to recognize those letters? Am I really in thrilth grade? Or am I hearing something wrong?’

He started thinking so deeply that, what Mr. Dori told or taught, nothing reached his ears after that.

When he came back to reality, everyone of the class stood up. Every one marched forward towards the computers on the back of the class.

“I know many won’t like this job,” told Mr. Dori, “But still, keep up writing. At least you have to carry on the practice.”

‘What will I write? Has he told something I couldn’t hear?’

He stood up.

No, the starting of the class was not good enough for him.

‘Be strong.’ He ordered his mind.

He was never been in same kind of situation before. Specially in the school. At least he would have been able to solve an equation easily which others can.

‘Why it is happening today?’

He entered his finger on his mouth while he was aiming to pinch on his lower lip.

He went to a computer at the corner.

Some students were still staring at him. He ignored them.

He looked at the boy on the seat beside him. He had already started typing. He asked him whispering, “What Mr. Dori told us to write?”

The boy looked at him without removing his hand from the keyboard. He told, “We were told to write about an interesting incident of our summer vacation.”

He then added in a disappointed tone, “Every year the same topic. Can’t they find something new?”

Angon smiled.

“They can. Maybe they can ask what really bad happened in your vacation.”

But the boy wasn’t listening anymore. He already started typing again.

Angon looked at his own monitor. He started to think about an interesting event of the summer vacation. But he couldn’t remember anything.

Then he stared at the keyboard. He was going to fall from the chair.

‘Where’s the letters? What are these?’

Those were like the strange drawings back then.

Every students other than him were typing.

Suddenly a hand touched his shoulder. He looked back.

Mr. Dori was standing there. He looked at the monitor then again looked back at Angon.

He asked him with a warm tone, “Is there any problem, Angon?”

“Aaa…”, Angon couldn’t find any answer, “I …”

“You are not finding anything to write?” Asked Mr. Dori, “Didn’t you go to a family tour with your family?”

“Yes…I did.”

“Where did you go?”

He pointed at the map before Angon could answer.

“Show me where.”

Angon looked at the map in the wall.

A strange sound came from his mouth.

‘What type of map it is?’

He couldn’t find a single country those he knew. ‘Where is Asia? Where’s Europe and Africa? And from where this many sea came?’

“Is the map rotated? No. Even if it was rotated he would have recognized it.”

The map was wrong. He never saw this map.

Mr. Dori looked at him.

“What’s happened Angon?”

‘Should I tell him? Should I let him know what’s the problem I am facing now? Would he understand or would he think me mad?’

‘He can think whatever he likes.’

“Mr. Dori, I think I am becoming mad. I can’t understand anything.”

The bell for finishing the class rang. Angon become too much shocked that he jumped.

He again got relived from Mr. Dori.

“You can go now,” told Mr. Dori, “I’ll see you after the lunch.”

Again everyone started making noise.

He couldn’t understand if Mr. Dori heard his last words or not. Mr. Dori walked towards his desk quickly.

Angon got up. And started moving towards the hall. While moving he stared at the drawings in the board once again.

What’s happened to him? Can anyone answer his question?

Angon has no more appetite. But still he was moving towards the hall room. Nothing seemed to be familiar with him. The walls were green. Were these like this before the summer vacation.

He entered the hall room and started searching for someone known to him. But there was none. He knew no one there. It seemed that everyone was looking at him strangely. Some tried to talk with him. Specially, the girl with golden hair. But Angon couldn’t even understand what question she was asking. At last, he ignored her.

He was still feeling unwell. Because, everyone was staring at him. He got up from the chair to go outside and it there.

He came outside in the fresh air. The weather was hot. It was like summer is still there.

He started walking and moved past the teachers’ parking lot. The field was before him. After the there was a forest.

He thought it would be nice if he moved around the forest. So, he did so. He entered the forest. There were long grasses, many bushes. He stared walking forward through them. The forest was also unfamiliar to him. Even the trees were unfamiliar.

He started feeling different. It’s like his sixth sense was awaken. He felt someone was looking at him.

Suddenly, he heard a sound.

He became frightened. 

‘Is someone following him?’

‘Who would be that?’

‘Teachers?’

‘Some students?’

‘Why would they?’

He looked back and saw none. He again started moving forward.

Suddenly, he saw something behind a bush.

A strange man. He was too short. Light hairs in head. The ears were like that of goblins’. Pointy in the top. But the thing which surprised him the most was his color. His body color was like green leaf.  

For 1 sec they stared at each other. Then the man entered into the deep jungle as if he was vanished.

Angon rubbed his eyes. ‘What’ve I seen? Was it real?’

Real or not, he had already lost courage to remain there. He turned back and started running.

He was running. Suddenly, he hit something. That was a boy. Both of them fall into the ground.

Both of them shouted.

Then again they got up. They were face to face.

“I have something to discuss with you, Angon.”

Angon looked around.

‘Is this a trap?’

He was trying to understand.

“About what?” asked he.

The boy told, “I think that you are different from everyone here.”

Angon was shocked. ‘Have I got caught? How this boy figured it out? Or it’s not only him but everyone here?’

He gulped then asked, “What’s your name? Why are you following me? What have I done wrong? How do you know my name? I don’t think I have seen you in the class.”

“Slow down a bit.” The boy took his hand up. “My name is Faruk. I heard your name in the dining hall while they were calling you.”

“Why are you after me?”

“Because, you are different from others here.”

“How do you know?”

“Your behavior.”

‘That’s what I thought. I have got caught. As, he figured out, everyone also did.’

“You don’t need to fear me.” Like, he was reading his mind. “I am also like you.”

‘What if he is lying? What if he is trying to know my real identity? But what is my real identity? I don’t know that either.’

“Trust me. I am not like them.”

“I didn’t see you in the class. From where you came?”

Faruk looked down. “I was in the class. In a different form. From where I came I don’t know. I can’t remember.”

“You are lying?”

“No.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Faruk looked up.

“I can’t even remember what’s my full name.”

“…”

Angon was looking at Faruk.

“Are you from here?”

“I…I?” Angon couldn’t answer. He also didn’t know from where he came.

‘What’s the matter? Why can’t I remember?’

“I also can’t remember.”

His legs were shimmering. He wasn’t feeling well. He sat on the grass. He leaned against a tree.

He closed his eyes and started thinking. He was still trying to remember.

‘From where I came?’ 

Faruk said, “I am too much afraid. I don’t know anyone here. Not even the alphabets.”

“The same thing is happening with me.”

“How I came to school? What have I done till morning? I can’t remember anything. The only thing I can remember that I was waiting for the teacher to come in my desk.”

‘The same things happened with me.’

Faruk was going to tell something else. But he stopped. He was looking behind Angon. His eyes became larger. Suddenly, he shouted, “Who are they?”

Angon looked back. He saw some green creatures like before was entering into the bush.

Angon jumped and stood up.  Then he shouted, “ Let’s go. Let’s go. Not a single second more in this forest. I have a bad feeling about this forest.”

They came out of the forest and saw some other students. They were playing. When they saw Angon and Faruk they stopped playing. Looked like they were surprised by seeing them. Among them there were the boy with red cap and the girl with golden hair. 

All of them came towards two of them.

“Why did you enter the forest?” asked the girl.