Daniel’s eyes opened to an endless blue sky with no clouds or sun. It was peaceful, and the smell of fallen leaves that lingered in the breeze subdued the pain in his head. 

“Comfortable, isn’t it?” said a voice. 

Daniel’s heart jumped as his head jerked toward the voice, only to find a beautiful woman with deep brown skin kneeling in the greenery and staring at the yellow flowers that swayed in the wind. “Who are you, and where am I?” Daniel grumbled as he massaged the lump on the back of his head.

“My name is Kenya, and you are in Numbani,” she replied as she stood and faced him. Kenya’s soft eyes and infectious smile made Daniel feel right at home. Still, the tension between trust and worry was evident by the agitated tightening of his stomach. 

Daniel rose to his feet and rubbed his eyes. “I’ve never heard of Numbani; where is this place? He asked.”

“The question is not where, but what?” Kenya said with a grin.

 Daniel stole another glance at the sky; The light seemed to overtake everything in sight, yet it didn’t hurt his eyes. “Am I dead?” he asked.  

“No,” she replied. “You are very much alive; your spirit is here, but your body is back on earth.”

The words nearly knocked him over as a pain formed in his chest. 

“Do not be afraid, my child; follow me, and I will show you.” Kenya’s thick accent brought back memories of Daniel’s days in Haiti when the older men polished the little English they knew to try and gain the trust of the wealthy American tourists. But there was something about those eyes and that accent; Daniel couldn’t help but trust this unknown woman in this strange land. So he followed her closely as the light around them dimmed with each step. “We are here,” she said. 

Daniel was dumbfounded as he looked around. The grass, the flowers, and the light were gone; they were standing in the dark, but he could still see. Then Kenya spoke, and a thick cloud formed beneath their feet and slowly covered the ground. It was a language he did not understand. She bellowed as her hands danced in a rhythmic motion and stirred the clouds beneath them. Then she smacked her hands together, and the thick cloud opened to reveal the planet Earth. Daniel saw his motionless body lying helpless on the ground, surrounded by the coach, the track team, and a police officer. The bag in the officer’s hand sent a rush of blood to Daniel’s face. 

“Do not be ashamed,” Kenya told him. “You have been brought here for a reason. “You see that man in the red hat?” she asked.

“Yes, That’s coach Reid; he’s the track coach,” Daniel responded.

“No, that is Anak, a warrior from a distant planet who has been living on Earth for the last 100 years.”

Daniel’s stomach churned; Coach Reid didn’t look a day over 35. “What do you mean he’s been on Earth for the last 100 years?” 

Kenya’s eyes hardened, and her voice raised and shook as she spoke.  

“Anak was sent to Earth by Mwovu, an evil and oppressive leader who stole The hand bracelet of Tumbili.” 

Daniel ran his hands through his dreads as he tried to process what was happening.

Kenya continued, unphased by Daniel’s confusion. “Timbuli was an ancient hero of the Shujaa tribe. When he died, his spirit went into his hand bracelet. Legend has it that whoever possesses the bracelet possesses Tumbili’s powers. The elders of the Shujaa tribe felt it was too much power for one person to have, so they locked it away. But Mwovu, the son of one of the elders, wanted all the power to himself, so he stole the hand bracelet. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t access the power of Tumbili. After many failed attempts, he gave the hand bracelet to Anak to hide on Earth until he could figure out a way to unlock its powers. I believe the bag you tried to steal has Tumbili’s hand bracelet.”

“How do you know?” Daniel asked.

“I can sense it; look at how Anak’s eyes are focused on it. He wants it, but we can’t let him get it.”

“Why not,” Daniel asked.

“Because every day that goes by, Mwovu gets closer and closer to unlocking the powers of the hand bracelet. You must go back and take the bag.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “How will I get the bag with those people around?” he asked.  

Kenya grabbed his hands, and a surge of energy shot through his body, anchoring his feet to the floor. Daniel looked around helplessly as the clouds beneath his feet rushed across the ground and disappeared into the darkness behind him.  

Kenya stared into his eyes as she spoke. “When I send you back, I am going to pause time. But it will only be for 60 seconds. You must grab the bag and run as fast as possible until you get home.” 

Daniel’s mind raced through the possibilities as he desperately searched for answers. The wind picked up speed, but Kenya stood unphased as it blew past her and pushed Daniel back. He was running out of time; the ground was giving way, and his heels dangled over the edge. He dug his shoes into the dirt, trying to grip the little bit of land left under his feet.

“You must protect the hand bracelet with your life,” she yelled. “I believe it has chosen you to be the next Tumbili.”

“I’m just a kid,” Daniel yelled as he tightened his grip and tried not to focus on the violent wind that tried to push him into the darkness.

“Don’t worry; Kenya shouted, you will have the power of Tumbili.” 

“But…” 

As the words left his mouth, a gust of wind ripped Daniel from Kenya’s grip, and the darkness swallowed him up.

Daniel’s eyes snapped open, and he was back on Earth. An eerie stillness hovered over the area. Everyone was right where he had left them, but no one moved or spoke; it was total silence. Daniel looked around, and everything was frozen in time, just like Kenya promised. “60 seconds is all I have,” he said, so he scrambled to his feet and tried to pull the bag from the police officer, but it wouldn’t come loose. Daniel tugged again, and the strap broke and sent him barreling into Coach Reid. He slapped his hand over his mouth, hoping to silence his uncontrolled breathing as he stood face-to-face with Coach Reid. Coaches Reid’s eyes were piercing. Daniel inched backward until the crowd of people no longer surrounded him. Then he tucked the bookbag under his arm and ran as fast as possible because he knew it was just a matter of time before everyone started moving again. He darted into the street as the blast of a car horn and the loud screech of a car coming to a halt broke the silence. The quiet was over, and the hum of the city roared back to its normal level. Daniel ran all the way home, burst into his room, and curled up on the side of his bed as he thought about what to do next. But it was too late; there was a knock at the door, and then it opened. It was his mom, and she had a concerned look on her face.  

“A police man and some people from yo school is outsie, an dey want to talkin to you,” she stuttered with her thick accent. Daniel knew who it was and what they wanted. He grabbed the bag, looked at his mom, and walked out.