An Unread Book

                  Leila began mapping out her day. Ella agreed to help her father fulfill his last remaining orders of the season, and Jonas hired Lili to help create drawings for his map project, leaving Leila home alone. Normally, a lack of friends or people to socialize with meant a horribly boring day for Leila, although today fate provided her an opening. She found the perfect opportunity to visit her grandmother without boring Ella or inviting dumb questions from a snooping sister. She specifically wanted to know more about the book the stranger brought to her grandma’s house. Though she did not imagine she would be the only one to know about the book, she took great satisfaction in being the first one to know. Leila thoroughly enjoyed controlling information, a somewhat twisted and manipulative pastime, but she excelled at the unique hobby.

                  Leila made her way to her grandmother’s house as the morning sun warmed the village. As usual, Brynhilda warmly welcomed Leila, offering her a myriad of amazing tasting pastries and home-made goods.

                  “I’m so glad to see you! So happy you came by today. What’s the special occasion? Did you miss me already?” Brynhilda jested with the laughter and energy of a youth.

                  “Actually, I came to ask you about the other night when Jonas brought you that book. Why the sudden rush of secrecy?”

                  “Yes, I created quite a stir, didn’t I?”

                  Leila nodded to acknowledge the obvious.

                  “Well, it’s not so much secret, although it is information we hand out carefully, very carefully. In the world of old books, you can never fully trust someone’s intentions. I had to figure out the intentions of our Jonas friend. Sometimes these men show up threatening to take some of our family heirlooms. I didn’t want you kids around in case it got ugly.” Brynhilda raised her eyebrows, tapping her fist into her palm.

                  “Grandma!” Leila rolled her eyes with a laugh at the comical response.

                  “This Mr. Jonas character brought me a book that we believe is from the ancient world, and he came to be because he learned about our family’s connection to ancient languages. So far, I think he’s a trustworthy character. You should see this book. You’ll love it! Come, let me show you!” Brynhilda now had someone she could trust to share the discovery with.

                  Brynhilda led Leila back to a room with a desk, and a dozen books laid out, with the ancient book in the middle. “Be very careful. It seems to be from the ancient world, so it is very fragile. Nobody has seen anything like this ever.”

                  Leila instantly fell in love with the ancient text. The book looked extremely old, with pages that felt thick and coarse with a noticeable texture. The ink markings looked natural, yet were so well balanced and articulate. It felt like looking at a work of art. She looked closely at the strange written characters.

                  “What language is this?” Leila asked.

                  “We don’t know. It seems like an ancient human language, but I can’t decipher it, at least not yet.”

                  Leila slowly reached out and glanced her finger along the book, feeling the texture of the ancient paper. It felt warm; her finger experienced a slight sense of tingling as her excitement mounted due to the ancient script. She couldn’t help but smile as the nearly tangible excitement traveled up along her arm, giving her chills down her spine as she turned the page. It was the most amazing piece of literature she had ever come across. Whatever history it contained must be amazing. The creation and preservation of this book must have a story in of itself. Leila dreamed of the information it potentially contained as she lost herself in the old, textured pages.

                  Then the realities of it sank in for Leila. “Wait a minute, this is an entire manuscript, written in some unknown ancient language. This thing has to be worth—”

                  “Yes, I know what it could be worth. That is why the information needs to remain controlled.” Brynhilda gave her granddaughter a look of seriousness.      

                  “Why isn’t this in a museum, then? Why isn’t it being studied and researched? Why did that stranger have it?” Suddenly Leila’s head filled with legitimate questions as the rational side of her brain took over.

                  “Yes, yes, I know, and there are all sorts of reasons, but look at this,” Brynhilda carefully turned the book to the back. “I am keen to believe that this book came from our ancestors.” Brynhilda showed her the symbol on the back of the book. Then, reaching for the old children’s book, she pulled it in close to compare the symbol on the back that matched. Leila grew more and more fascinated.

                  “Wait, if the same person wrote this, then this book couldn’t be that old.”

                  “Well, I don’t know exactly how old these children’s books are. I know they are older than I have ever led you to believe. They have been passed down for generations as a family heirloom. I never would have connected them to the old world, since they were all written in the common language. I like to keep their value out of any common knowledge. They are family heirlooms, and I can’t have someone selling them for worthless money. Of course, this book could be a different author, possibly using the same family seal, but look at this.”

                  Brynhilda carefully flipped through some pages of the old book, and gently slid the old children’s books next to it, comparing the illustrations of both. Leila’s eyes widened.

                  “What do you think the book is about?” Leila asked.

                  “I’m not sure. I’m trying to figure it out. I don’t understand why there are some notes in ancient Gumtal, yet most of the book is in another language. There is no knowledge of additional ancient languages anywhere. Other than the symbols in these illustrations.”

                  Brynhilda flipped through the pages of the children’s book to show Leila an illustration of the girl holding a book with the strange symbols. “It’s funny though, that children’s book is about a girl that can read secret messages and see things other don’t. I wish she were here.”

                  The whole coincidental illustration and awe of the old book fascinated Leila.

                  Brynhilda continued to share her thoughts. “What I don’t know is how much that Mr. Jonas knows about this text or is trying to find out, or is not telling me. He is either academically curious, or has one of the best covers for treasure hunting I have ever seen. Everything about him seems genuine, although I can tell he is afraid of something. I don’t know fully if it’s because he is lying, or because he is hiding this book from the scholars.”

                  Leila still flipped through the pages. “Maybe I can ask Lili when she gets back. He hired her to do some map drawings or something.”

                  Brynhilda paused a moment. “She went with them? Today?”

                  “Yeah?”

                  “Is she going with them when they go up the mountain?”

                  “I didn’t ask. I assumed she would.”

                  Brynhilda thought for a moment. She tightened her brow as her mind churned through several options, then looked directly at her granddaughter. “Leila, I want you to go with them!”

                  Leila looked up, a bit surprised, yet excited to hear a statement in line with her end goal.

                  “Mr. Jonas has a map, a map that supposedly came from this book. He’s not here to make maps; he’s here looking for something on the old map. There are cities drawn on the map in the middle of the mountains to the north. He believes there are remains of an ancient city in the mountains.” Brynhilda shared everything she and Jonas talked about several nights ago.

                  Suddenly, Leila’s grandmother sounded certifiably insane. The logical side of Leila’s mind recognized the absurdity of an entire civilization, never discovered, never recorded over thousands of years while surrounded by a population of people and dragons. It just wouldn’t happen. Only in fairytales and adventure stories. She also felt a sense of truth as her grandmother spoke. It felt odd to believe in something without the proper reason to back it up. Yet she could not deny how she felt.

                  Leila’s grandma continued, “That’s why you should go with them. Well, first, you need to look over your sister, but second, I want to know everything they see up there. Make a record of everything that happens. I don’t know what Jonas’s intentions are or how observant he is, or what he will find, but if you are there, I know I will get trusted information. You’re smart, responsible, you’ve noticed everything since you were a baby. You must go with them. I can’t trust the boys, they don’t pay attention, and Lili, I would love to tell her about this book, and she is great at keeping secrets if she ever remembers to keep them. You know what I mean.”

                  Leila nodded, knowing how her sister’s thoughts can sometimes be in the clouds, not intentionally, yet still in the clouds.

                  Brynhilda tapped her lip as she thought through the process of her request. “I want you there, so I know I have a trusted view of what the journey is about. I don’t think Jonas is trying to deceive anyone or is trying to withhold information. But to get answers to this book, I need to know what he surveys up there.” Brynhilda seemed similarly invested in the venture as Jonas. “Ha-ha, quite exciting, don’t you think? A mysterious journey. You wanted a real adventure for the summer, didn’t you? What a dream this would be for someone your age. Can’t you feel the excitement?”

                  Leila smiled at her grandmother’s joyous enthusiasm. Brynhilda’s excitement sparked the desire of adventure within Leila. She now found a reason to join the group on their journey, and she figured out the perfect leverage to get invited on the team.