The Nature of the World

by jinnis

I was twelve when I found out about the world.

Heavy snowflakes danced in front of the window and the pine tree in the yard was already covered in a soft white blanket. I pressed my nose against the glass pane, watching the fluffy white stars dancing by. As beautiful as the snow was, I couldn't help longing for the heat of the summer sun on my skin. But as Pops used to say, no use wishing for the impossible.

I wondered if I should venture out and build a snowman like I did as a child. Pops kept two coals for eyes and offered a carrot from the greenhouse for a nose. I insisted on building the snowman in front of the window, so he could watch us from the outside. These had been happy days, and the fuzzy feeling raised by the memory chased away the chill. Lately, I suspected Pops had arranged these outings to make me forget about my parents' loss for a few moments. He hated to go outside, and with the frequent quakes these days, I understood his fears.

I abandoned my plan and returned to the library, my favourite room in the house. Here, I could spend days sitting in one of the huge armchairs, sipping tea, and reading. Pops owned the most wonderful collection of books, and while I didn't like all of them, I'd always discovered new gems. Sometimes, I believed magic was at work in the library. When I asked Pops about it, he only smiled and ran a hand over my head. "All books contain magic. So, a room filled with books would overflow with magic. Can't you feel it?"

I did, and I loved the place the more for it. This day, I picked a book about the history of the world. Engrossed in its content, I hardly felt a tremor the whole morning. When Pops called me for lunch, I placed my bookmark between the pages and slid the tome back into the shelf. Pops would scold me for letting things lying around.

He had made scrambled egg sandwiches and carrot salad. While I munched on my sandwich, I couldn't help mulling over the content of my book.

"Pops, have you ever wondered about the shape of the world?"

A dark cloud seemed to pass over his features. "Ah, time flies. It feels like yesterday when you were interested in nothing but stories about fairies and princesses."

"I'm not a baby anymore, Pops. So, did you?"

"Of course I did. As impossible as it seems, I once was your age too, long ago, and just like you, I was curious, adventurous, and spent every free minute in the library."

That last bit was news to me. Since I could remember, Pops spent most of his time in the greenhouse or the chicken pen. He was a gifted gardener. I often helped him, and he taught me much over the years—reading, writing, and everything else, yet I'd never imagined him as a reader.

"Did you read all the books?"

"No, I don't think anyone ever explored all the treasures of this library. Not even your mother, and she certainly was an avid reader."

"Tell me more about her, please." Pops never spoke about my parents, as it made him sad to remember them. But today, he seemed ready to talk.

"I didn't know her well, either, Mia. She only spent a short time with us, after we found her unconscious on the garden path. I believe Julio fell in love with her even before she opened her eyes." He refilled his cup with strong herbal tea and held it with both hands, inhaling the steam rising from the hot liquid.

"We never learned where she came from, and she couldn't remember how she ended on our porch. She loved Julio and was a wonderful mother to you, Mia, but she grew restless and wanted to find out about the world beyond, the world she came from."

"I wish I knew more about her, where she grew up and if she had a family."

Pops closed his eyes for a moment, then he shook his head. "She had a family, and she missed them. That's why they left, her and Julio, and had the accident."

I had been too small to remember much except that I missed them. Their graves were right beyond the garden fence, in the shadow of the mighty pine. Sometimes, I'd go there to sit and listen, hoping to feel their presence and love. Most of the time, I returned disappointed. Then I'd drown my sadness in another reading spree.

"Tell me about the world beyond, please."

"There isn't much I know. I never traveled much farther than the fence. The books are a far better resource than an old man's brain."

"But the books are not consistent." I was proud of the word I'd learned the other day. "The one I studied today was about the shape of the Earth. It says the ancient Greek philosophers already established the Earth was round, as this is the logical form for a planet to have. But later, people believed it to be flat, and there were huge debates about it."

"Oh, you're reading that one. Well, I can't tell you what's true. Perhaps it's best if you finish the book and make up your own mind."

I was about to argue when a tremor ran through the house. We both held onto our cups and chairs until it was over. Not too bad this time. I emptied my cup. "I reached the point where a man named Christopher wanted to prove the world was a sphere by setting sail to travel around it. This sounds like a very brave deed."

"It depends. If he was right, then it was brave, but what if he was wrong? He would fall off the Earth disk into the eternal abyss of space."

A picture of a wooden sail ship tumbling from the edge of the world popped up in my mind. "Still, I think it's brave to stand up for your beliefs."

"I'm sure it is, but I should return to the greenhouse. Are you in the library?"

A sudden thought hit me. "No, I'm going outside. I want to know how the world beyond the fence looks."

His eyes widened, and he set down his cup with a bang. "No, Mia, please. You know how dangerous it is."

I knew my parents had died only a few steps from the garden porch, but else, I had never encountered something dangerous. Still, it was obvious Pops was scared. "Don't worry, I'll be careful. It's just... that guy Christopher, he wasn't afraid. I'm all grown up now and have to learn on my own, you said."

My argument wasn't fair, but he had insisted I was old enough to take responsibility. He lowered his face, and for a moment, I feared he would get angry. But when he looked up, his eyes seemed wet. "I understand. Please be careful, Mia. There are dangers out there we don't know about. Will you promise?"

I did. Minutes later, I was wrapped in my warmest coat, a knitted hat covering my ears and thick mittens protecting my fingers. The snow still fell in heavy flakes and it felt reasonably safe to brave the outdoors.

My boots crunched through the pristine snow covering the garden path. I stopped for a moment at my parents' grave before I walked on to the wooden fence, ignoring the porch. It had been locked since the day my parents died.

The white caps on the fence posts made them look like little gnomes standing in a row. I smiled, imagining myself as princess Snow White, being rescued by the dwarfs. But I wasn't here to play, neither did I need being rescued. I climbed the fence and strode on, the snow now deep enough to reach my knees. It slowed my steps, and I stopped, studying the endless whiteness before me. Despite the snow having stopped, I couldn't make out any features in the landscape. I shrugged and waded on, determined to ignore the alarm shrilling in my mind. 'When the snow lies deep, it's time to turn around,' Pops used to say. No, I wouldn't give in to this anxiety. Another step and—bang.

I bumped into an invisible barrier nose first. While I stared at the crimson blood dripping onto my glove, I reached out with my other hand. Yes, this was a solid wall. And beyond—I pressed my face against the barrier, ignoring my hurting nose and shielding my eyes with my hands.

I could make out a sunlit space, I thought, and then something moved into my field of vision.

A pair of eyes.

Like the snowman of my childhood, they were watching me, but this was the only similarity. These eyes were huge, blue-grey with wide black pupils like deep wells. When they blinked, lashes twice my size brushed over the transparent barrier.

Then I knew. It wasn't a question of the world being spheric or flat. Its shape didn't matter, not as long as Pops and I were caught in this snow globe. I stumbled back, grasping the post of the fence only a second before another lethal quake shook my world.