Apple

Lenin and Liya stand still like statues.

Sharia interjects, "Hey, guys, I think we are lost. There's no network; we can't call anyone. What do we do now?"

"Wanna go ahead?" Lenin suggests.

Liya agrees, "Yeah."

"Both of you are not going anywhere. I'm trying to make a smoke signal. The forest guide will be here soon," says Sharia.

The next moment, both Lenin and Liya vanish.

Sharia exclaims, "What the—where the hell are they? They were here just a moment ago!"

Lenin and Liya suddenly find themselves in a huge facility full of young kids like them.

Liya remarks, "Wait, it's daytime! Is this a government secret office or something?"

"Try to act normal. It seems like a school," Lenin suggests.

After walking around for some time, they find the main gate of the facility.

"Woodenpool Educational City," Liya reads.

Lenin questions, "What the hell is this place?"

"This is home," an unknown old lady says from behind.

Lenin is taken aback, "What the?"

"Humans who can sense the unseen are being educated here with the right knowledge. You two came here by a huge gate, right?" the old lady adds.

Liya denies, "No."

Lenin says, "Not at all."

"Now, now, don't lie, kids. Here, take these apples. It's for you three kids," the old lady offers them three apples.

Lenin questions, "Wait, what do you mean by three?"

"Give one to the other one who is waiting outside," the old lady instructs.

Liya points out, "Wait, he cannot see anything like us."

"But that boy can sense them," the old lady clarifies.

Lenin asks, "Are we supposed to eat this?"

"When you want to come here, eat a bite of it. Now go back to your friend; the forest guide is about to find him. We can talk later," the old lady instructs.

Sharia, while still trying to make the smoke signal, complains, "Those idiots, why did they run off leaving me behind?"

The forest guide arrives and inquires, "How did you kids end up here?"

Sharia retorts, "What do you mean by kids?"

Lenin and Liya step forward, and Lenin responds, "Yes, sir."

They return to the camp. It's sleeping time, and almost everyone is sleeping.

Sharia and Lenin have a private conversation. "You are asking whether I can sense something strange now and then. Well, I do. Why do you ask, pest?" says Sharia.

Lenin replies, "Got it."

In the morning, the team gets ready to go home, and they return to the town from Woodenpool.

"Although we had a loser on the team, Project Woodenpool was a success. We can now know more about these unseen things," says one of them.

Lenin looks at the apple in his hand, contemplating all these thoughts in his room. Suddenly, his mother calls out, "Lenin, breakfast is on the table."

"Coming, Mother," Lenin replies loudly. "It's time to fill the loser in on this."

In school, the three of them have a conversation on the roof.

"You two are saying that there is another civilization. And I can sense them. And there is a school in the Woodenpool jungle. C'mon, not that crap again. Where is big brother Karl?" questions Sharia.

Lenin responds, "Alright, loser, eat a bite of that apple."

Liya hands him one, and Sharia, after biting it, vanishes.

"Now, let the old lady handle that loser," Lenin suggests.

"But Sharia can't see them, remember?" Liya reminds him.

"Like I said, leave the loser to the old lady," Lenin concludes.

After that, the three of them will decide what to do next.

"So we are going to wait for him now?" Liya asks.

"Of course not. Let's head to the classroom," Lenin suggests.

After some time, Lenin and Liya are in the classroom. Sharia comes running towards them. Other students are puzzled, wondering, "What the hell is wrong with him?"

"You two wouldn't believe what I just saw," Sharia exclaims.

Both Lenin and Liya respond, "Yeah, right, loser."