A Bygone Book

• Sarah Kim, Grade 5
• Short Story
• 2022

The forest was eerily silent. Deformed beings flitted behind trees, staring at him with cavernous eyes. For once, Cairo was glad he did not feel emotions, for he would have been assailed with fear at that time. He started feeling hungry after a while, and Cairo realised he had not brought any food for this trip. He had simply just run here with sheer determination and nothing more. As he scolded himself for his stupidity, darkness suddenly enveloped his eyes and he muffled a scream.

After Cairo’s initial shock subsided, the memories returned all at once, without sense or order- an unwelcome jumble that thundered into his mind. He shouted for minutes on end, but heard only plaintive echoes in response. Tiles covered the dark, vaulted ceiling, and upon the tiles were painted angular patterns of black and grey. A mass of spiderwebs spanned the ceiling. Suddenly, footsteps started coming toward Cairo. Many footsteps. The giant door opened, and a horrifying bony woman with 8 legs stood in the doorway.

“Who are you?” Cairo asked casually, for he was not scared. He could not be. “Arachna” she replied in a rasping voice. “Who are you, boy? Are you one of those blasted hunters trying to hunt us down? Because if you are, for the last time I-” she started. “No, I’m not. But I do have nowhere to go” Cairo mentioned. “Well perhaps you would do me some good, it would be nice to have someone do my work…” she decided. So that is how Arachna came to take in Cairo. Despite her hideous appearance, she was more human than not, and Cairo felt like Arachna was the mother he had lost.

Years had passed and it was late afternoon, as Cairo sat on the wooden stool next to Arachna. “Tomorrow you must leave,” Arachna voiced softly. Before Cairo could ask why, (for he had forgotten about the first conversation he and Arachna had) she stood up and without looking at him, asked “Were you happy here? I must know before you go.” Cairo was about to explain that he had no emotion when he realised that everything he had felt, the weird sensation, it was happiness. “Y-yes, I was.” Cairo replied. Arachna turned around with a downcast expression, refusing to meet his eyes. “Leave early in the morning. I will have made your breakfast already.” she sighed.

The next day Cairo and walked to the kitchen. He found the picnic basket full of bread, jam, and freshly picked strawberries. He went up to Arachna’s room door and knocked, planning to thank her for the breakfast. When no one answered, he stepped inside quietly, to find the limp, lifeless body of Arachna on the bed, finally resting in peace.

That is how the story ends, for something disastrous happened to Cairo. Something I cannot name, and something that has been ripped out of here. A forgotten piece of history that shall forever remain unknown.