EXCERPT:

Somewhat reluctantly, all the children but Misla began to back away. Still holding zas hand, she led zam up the steps. Feelwin held the door.

“I have to go now,” she said.

Bragen could see inside. There was someone else there, but otherwise the building seemed empty.  Zie looked back. The children were walking across the field toward another building. Like a soft breeze, a hollow feeling passed through zam.  Misla squeezed zas hand.

“It is ok,” she said.

As she spoke, the ring around her neck faded, then turned a brighter orange. She looked up at zam. Bragen bent down. Those hazel-colored eyes seemed to suck something out of zam. Her mouth turned up. Bragen knew this was something pleasant, like a language, but could not relate it to anything zie knew.

“Where will you go now?” Zie asked.

“Back to school. I will be with my friends there.”

“What do you do there?”

“Learn.”

Bragen knew the word, but only within an animal context. How a rooker learned to fly. A baby sly-tail’s first venture out of its ground hole.  How forest and desert animals adapted to their individual environments. That was what Misla was talking about, but probably something more. What?

Still bent over, zie asked, “So, what could you teach me that you have learned?”

Misla reached over and placed her arms around zas neck and whispered, “Not to be afraid.”