Ernestfordshire

2. Conceal

The answer is lies.

***

Being with your family is stressful.

Are humans really social animals? I mean, we always hide ourselves in front of our parents' right? 

No swearing, a dress code, a religion code, good behaviour, no bad behaviour, tough boy behaviour, sweet girl behaviour.

I'm pretty sure it's a lie. Humans are not social animals. We're just forced to be. Like me and the med school I'm going to join in a month.

I lasted a day before it became too stressful. So I faked a headache and stayed in the room when they went for dinner. It made me feel really guilty and sad.

So I did my thing. My thing is what I do to make the bad feelings leave. They flow away. It's like a pain switch. But it's mine, my secret. Like my book. Like Ernestfordshire.

It was the next day that we went trekking. It was a long drive to the mountain trail. I was still tired after doing my thing. Staying awake is always hard, my arms hurt too after I do it. But it makes me feel better. I'm not so stressed after.

Appa hired an Innova and a driver. They talked about elections and politics. After a while, amma made them shut up and played shlokas from her phone.

I looked out the window. There was green everywhere, a thick network of vines and trees. The dark of night remained beneath the impenetrable canopy, the sun shining above it.

The forest smell of wet earth and fallen leaves assaulted my nose. Before the shlokas, I could hear the forest sound too.

It was now hot and sticky, and my head throbbed. I ignored it and looked out once more.

There could be whole cities in there and no one would ever notice.

Cities perhaps from the time of French rule? Hidden? Like my city! What if my Ernestfordshire was in there? It was real... right?

Of course it was. I didn't write fantasy stories!

I had looked for Ernestfordshire for as long as I could remember. My book contained everything I ever found out. I couldn't tell anyone, it was my secret. No one else would understand. If they found it, they would storm it. They would never follow the words on the Banyan. I knew they wouldn't.