Ignition
One Step Beyond
Books. It just had to be books.
Pushing the blond locks of hair from his eyes, Johnny lumbered between two students, hands reaching for the support of the bookcase nearby.
His energy was almost spent. Track had taken the wind out of him and then some.
But the day at J.R High never stopped, and Mr. Remora's English class was no exception.
I want a full report on a book of your choice by next Friday!
Johnny sneered at the mere thought.
Mr. Remora didn't get it.
He didn't have the time for books anymore. It was bad enough he had to keep a C+ average to stay on the track team, why did the guy have to go and make things that much harder?
Mixed with frustration and impatience, Johnny's mind was elsewhere, and his fingers tapping along book spines like a musician on a piano. His eyes wandered, and he might have even fallen asleep where he stood, if not for a familiar title finally catching his eye.
“Najud...”
The title slipped of his tongue so easily.
In a single instant, he was twelve again, opening the first page of that fabled book series for the first time.
The same book series he'd once loved, so many years ago. Back when he read day and night, back when sports were the last thing on his mind.
Back when he could dive into a book nose first and never come back.
Two seconds later, and Johnny pulled the book out. His reading eyes returned, and he scanned through the pages cover to cover.
This was the seventh in the series, the aptly named: Price of the Prince. Words, ideas, places and faces returned to his mind: the dune elves, the Forgotten Desert, their mythical city of Al'Jhazar, all birthed from the mind of author Melvin K. Meir.
And this was only in the most recent book. Meir had fleshed out the world of Najud far beyond Johnny's memories could dig up.
His eyes wandered towards the other volumes sitting precariously on the shelf.
How much more had he forgotten?
His hands moved faster than his meandering thoughts.
But not gracefully.
He managed to hold onto the edge of one book, and then his grip slipped, and the entire shelf of seven volumes came tumbling down onto the library floor.
Johnny stopped like a deer in the headlights.
All eyes were on him now.
He cracked an unsure smile.
“Whoops.”
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