Planet Omar: Accidental Trouble Magnet

Omar realizes in retrospect that he should have asked for help at the Underground station, but his mind was racing. Taking Daniel’s hand, they board the next train that arrives. Looking at the train line map, they realize that the train does not stop at South Kensington station where the class was headed. Daniel urges Omar to tell someone they are lost, but Omar rejects this idea. Omar feels that he sort of knows where they are, and he wants to be the hero and solve their problem. He knows that Daniel, still crying, is incapable of thinking his way out of the situation and is dependent on Omar. Omar imagines that Mrs. Hutchinson’s curls are worried, and wonders what that looks like. The boys exit the train at Baker Street. They walk down a bustling road filled with cafes when something touches Omar’s shoulder. He screams in terror.

Omar sees a dirty, hairy, stinky, man-like figure and believes it is a zombie. Daniel also screams and they run away. The “zombie” pursues them. Eventually, they lose the zombie and stop to rest. Daniel collapses on the sidewalk, crying. Omar is unsure what to do but sits beside Daniel and tries to comfort him by lying and saying everything will be OK—because that’s what grown-ups always say.