It was already late when I woke up. Even my body seemed to ache due to oversleeping but when I looked outside the window, it still was dark. The street lights were not working and I was able to see nothing except darkness outside. I turned to check my alarm clock whose small, thick hand stood still at eight in the morning. When I clicked the switch to turn on the lights, there was no response. I went to my parents to inquire about the situation and they were standing in the hallway. They looked tense and worried. There was no electricity or water. Even the cell phones were not working. Suddenly I felt a shaking sensation beneath the ground. It got more vicious with each second. Things started to fall off their places and it felt as if the world had turned upside down. I could hear people screaming and barging out of the houses in terror. We ran out of the house and in absolute darkness, people started to chant prayers as if it was the end of the world. I turned on my pocket torch which was probably the only electronic device working and rushed to the public library in our locality which had an invertor and radio, to see if there is any information about this strange event. But there was no sign of life and nothing was working. I came out of the library, “What has happened to this World”, I groaned, with my fading hope I turned my torch to the direction of my home and suddenly my eyes fell on a monk. Unaverred of the chaos around him, he was sitting in the sheds of the banyan tree, adjacent to the park across the road. I was intrigued by the serene calmness on his face. I could not hold myself but to ask him, “O venerable monk, how can you remain so calm amidst this commotion.” “Perceptive, what happens around you depends upon way you see the situation”, he replied and gave me a dust covered book. “This book has the answers of questions entangling your mind, my child”, he said while gently stoking my hair. I looked at the book and asked him, “but how?” But I realised the moment I looked up the monk was gone. Still confused about the incident I ran back inside the library and kept the book on the table. It seemed to be worn and torn and even the pages had tuned yellow. I touched the book to open it and suddenly flipped to the page somewhere in the middle. There was a mantra written on it and was directed to chant it seven times. I looked down the page to see if there is any information about what kind of mantra it was but the rest of the page was covered with termites. So, to find the answer to my questions I started to chant, “Decimator of evil, protector of white. The world is in danger, it needs your light.”
A broad light appeared in front of me, and someone seemed to have occurred but it didn’t seem to be human. It had a huge turquoise-gold scaled body, a thick tale and an alluring aura. It was a Dragon. I was astonished to see a mystical animal who resided in the dreamland of youngsters come to live. But something was off, it seemed weak and powerless. “You are the mortal who woke me up.” he spoke in heavenly yet weak voice. “Yes and can I ask you the reason for the situation in the world?” “the universe is made up of dark and pure energy, yin and yang. An eternal cosmic circle which enables the existence of every living matter. I represent the white and masculine energy of yang while phoenix represents yin. If even one of the power is affected it would effect the circle of existence. The powers of phoenix has vanquished and only you can restore it.” he explained. I still did not understand that why did the powers of phoenix deteriorated. I raised my head to ask him but he started to fade and in a rush I asked “What should I do?”. “In the quest for your answers, seek the one that looks similar. The cover speaks the content and tells you about the secrets of the celestials. “he replies and disappeared. I went to the forbidden part of the library where there were forty-seven numbered shelves. I knew something like the secrets about heavenly creatures would only be found in the section where daily folklores are not allowed. I went from one shelf to another where hundreds of books were kept. I could not make out time but atlast I came to the last shelf and spotted a book which looked similar to the one which monk gave me , it reminded me what the dragon said, ‘seek the one that looks similar.’ I opened the book this too was torn and tattered. I sat on first chair that I could find in the library. I turned the yellow pages carefully and started to chant the mantra. I don’t know when I completed the chant and maybe I exceeded the number and by the time I flipped to page thousand and twenty-seven, the book started to vibrate and suddenly became hot and suddenly everything became blank, my body felt light and I could hear a soothing voice from behind. Those graceful eyes, the features which radiated like spectrum and the dignified aura around. It was a phoenix. “Child, thank you for helping me. Because of you the balance could be restored.” she said. “ But why did you suddenly become weak?” I asked. “ Greed, a very surprising term, isn’t it. The more one gets the more one wants. But no one cares about others.” Before I could say anything
she continued, “ but if there is greed, there is good deed and the world still exists because of hope. Hope that the guardians from above would still protect their people and that exact hope bought me back.” She was smiling at me when the blank background started to disappear. “ Live well.” she said and she disappeared. by the time I realised that I was back my mother came shouting at me. “ How dare you skip your school and come to hag out here.” “Huh! What are you saying ?” . “shut up and follow me.” she angrily grasped my collar and was dragging me out when the librarian gave me a mysterious
smile.