Chapter 7: The Jealousy

VAZAR

It was around the time that humans first discovered the wheel, that the first war broke out. Humans were so busy creating large monuments and advancing their living conditions that they failed to notice our evolution. The jinn had become stronger. We didn’t need wheels and other contraptions to ease our work. We developed the ability to move things with our minds.

“Does every Jinn have special abilities?” Hannah’s interrupted.

“Well, we all have the power to materialize whenever we want. But different Jinns have different powers.”

“What’s your power?”

“Ah! For that you have to wait and find out. Let me finish,” I smiled at her inquisitiveness.

At school, our history teacher detailed how this power was the first superpower to be gained. The Jinn used this unique ability to expedite projects in their world. When humans visited, they could never understand how structures were built overnight. Soon enough, news of these astounding structures spread and many humans travelled through time and space to take a look for themselves. With our world developing so beautifully, many humans wanted to live there.

Within a decade our world was flourishing and the human world was neglected. More and more humans took up space on our lands. The balance between both words began to fail and something had to be done to stop the mass migration.

Back then the human world was known as Hamana, rich in soil nutrients, it grew the best fruit and vegetables for mankind. Our world, known as Jamana, didn’t have soil. We didn’t need it. We didn’t eat the same food as humans. We ate stones, bones, animals and a type of sand that was found in dry areas. The humans living in our world travelled back and forth for their food supplies and with each passing generation, Jamana felt the strain. Also, with each passing generation, some of our kind began developing new powers that were deemed too dangerous if left unchecked.

With the Jinn’s new capabilities, our elders decided to limit entry into our world. This was the turning point for all of us. With limitations set in place, humans were forced to live in their world and improve their infrastructure with obsolete machinery. They tried to pay Jinns to do their work, but not many Jinns needed work. Our lifestyle wasn’t based on monetary value as we had thousands of years to fill. Time was a luxury we could afford and the humans knew it.

The first war was a direct result of these events. Humans began to capture Jinns travelling to Hamana and force them into free labour.

“Wait. Humans captured your kind for slavery?” Hannah was incredulous. “How cruel we can be!”

“Humans can be extremely cruel, Hannah. Just look at what goes on in your world today. Rape, murder, and who knows what else!”

Hannah nodded. Everything I said was making sense to her.

I went on to detail how Jinns, especially those with super-powers, entered the slave market at a premium and were bought and sold in secret. Each Jinn commanded a different price according to their abilities. Once the slave market was saturated with Jinns, a troop of warriors would crash through the portals to release their brothers, but this would come at a high cost of destruction and bloodshed for mankind. Therefore, the elders rarely sent rescue missions unless the human’s got too greedy.

With each liberation of prisoners, the humans caved in front of the power of their opponents. The body count was not worth continuing the battle. Our species was recognized more powerful, more advanced and far superior. With relations between the two worlds at breaking point, a new order was born. The portals were sealed and each species were confined to their own worlds.

By the time I was born, each world had advanced drastically. Countries were created, and fewer and fewer people remembered that they were not alone in this universe. On Hamana, a council had convened whose sole purpose was to keep the portals on their side guarded at all times and any unusual activity monitored.

On Jamana, we too created a council. Their job was to punish law breakers who would use their super-powers unlawfully. This included those who found ways to sneak through the portals into the forbidden realm of humans.

My story took two hours to tell. Shadows crept across the exhibition floor and I took a deep breath exhausted from speaking for so long. I rubbed my hand across my face and thought of how to proceed.

“Are you still there?” Hannah asked quietly.

I peered into her face not realizing I had been quiet for some time. She was pale. The enormity of what I had just explained etched across her pretty features. At some point of my story, she had removed her headscarf, and long, brown hair had tumbled down her back. She was breath-taking and all of a sudden, I didn’t mind the exhaustion creeping over me.

“I’m still here,” I smiled. “Just a little tired. We’ve been taking for ages and I haven’t done that for a while.”

Hannah gasped. “What time is it?” She checked her phone and let out a small shriek. “The bus is about to leave!”

“Bus? What bus?” I asked alarmed that she was leaving.

“School bus! Oh my God! I’m so late! I have to go!” She gathered up her things and backed up towards the door.

“When can I see you again?”

“Soon. I’ll come back soon,” she promised.

“You can’t leave now, I don’t know anything about you.” It pained me to know so little about the woman making a home in my heart.

“I’m sorry Vazar. I have to go. I’ll come back soon and tell you everything you want to know.”

There was nothing more I could do to make her stay, I was physically drained and needed to sleep.

Watching Hannah’s retreating back, I drifted towards my prison and sunk gratefully into it. Darkness closed around me and I slept a deep sleep that I hadn’t experienced since my incarceration began.