Inkistan

Qs: Write a story in which two unusual or eccentric characters meet for the first time.

By Marium Ibrahim

The little boy cowered, hiding behind his mother as they stood in front of the playground.
She gave him a gentle push towards the sandbox, and with a cheery “ Go play,” walked
off towards the benches where all the other mothers were sitting.

He looked around with apprehensive grey eyes as he took a few tentative steps forward.
Children all around him were running, jumping, screaming and playing. He did not know
any of them, which made him feel afraid of them. He missed his friends at the park near
his old house.

Suddenly, another, much bigger, boy ran right past him, causing him to lose his balance
and fall into the sandbox. His eyes started to well up when a small figure popped into
view and pulled him up.

She was dressed oddly, all in black, with a black bandanna tied around her head, a few
wisps of dark brown hair peeping out from underneath. Her brown eyes shone warmly as
she asked him bluntly, “ Who are you?”

Sniffling, he shook the sand out of his light brown hair and replies in a small
voice, “ Adam.” He was slightly afraid of her and her strange choice of attire.

“ I’ m Sara,” she told him, not put off by his short reply. “ You’ re new. Where are you
from?”
“ My old house,” he replied in his timid voice, to which she nodded, accepting it as a
satisfying response.

“ Why are you wearing that?” Adam blurted out, his timidness seemingly overshadowed
by his curiosity. Sara grinned, putting her hands on her hips and sticking her chin out
importantly.
“ I’ m a Ninja.” She told him proudly.

Adam frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. “ Ninjas are mean. They hurt people and they’ re
scary!”
“ No they’ re not! Ninjas are cool,” she replied, pouting, “ My brother said so. And they
help people too! They kill all the bad guys.”
“ I guess so,” said Adam, “ I don’ t like bad guys.”

Sara suddenly grinned brightly and her eyes lit up. “ I know!” she exclaimed, “ Lets play
Ninjas! You be the bad guy and I’ ll be the Ninja and kill you.”

“ But I don’ t want to be the bad guy. And I don’ t like fighting. I’ ll get hurt.” Protested
Adam.

“ But I’ m already wearing the ninja clothes so I can’ t be the bad guy, and we’ ll only
pretend to fight, so you won’ t get hurt. It’ ll be fun!” Sara insisted.

“ Let’ s both be ninjas then,” Adam compromised.

“ We can’ t!” cried Sara. “ My brother said you can’ t fight with imaginary people and if we
don’ t fight we can’ t be Ninjas!”

How does your brother know so much about Ninjas?” Adam demanded, with his arms
folded.
“ My brother knows everything. He’ s twelve years old,” She informed him importantly.

“ He doesn’ t know everything. Your brother is stupid!” he shouted, unfolding his arms.
“ No he’ s not! You’ re stupid1” Sara screamed shrilly back at him.

Furious with him for saying anything bad about her brother, she scooped up a fistful of
sand and threw it at him. His face immediately scrunched up and his eyes welled up with
tears. “ You’ re just a big baby.” she told him snidely, before storming off towards the
jungle gym.

Hanging upside down from the jungle gym, however, her anger seemed to have
dissipated and seeing him sitting, sniffling, alone at the sandbox made her feel
remorseful.

Jumping off, Sara yanked the black bandanna off of her head and made her way over to
the sad looking boy at the sandbox.

Adam looked up at hr warily through teary eyes and she smiled warmly back at him.
“ Do you want to build a sandcastle with me?” she asked in a friendly tone.
Adam wiped away his tears with the back of his hand and smiled.” Okay, and then we
can pretend to be the prince and princess of the castle and live happily every after!” He
brightened up at the prospect.

“ I have a better idea!” Interjected Sara, “ Instead, we should pretend to be evil dragons
and crush the castle and keep the princess as prisoner!”

“ But that’ s not how you play castle!” whined Adam.
“ Yes it is!” Sara replied heatedly. “ My brother told me so!”