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Scenic Views - #4
Today I am going to prompt with the word utopian.
A Realm Below
Why is the sky burning?
Professor Enzel had asked this question to his students for the past four decades and nobody had been able to provide an answer. I wasn't special and didn't know the answer either. It was still early in the semester, though, and I was determined to figure out the riddle of the Burning Horizon.
The Professor's voice pulled me from my daydream, stern and filled with acid. "...and I want you all to write a series of essays on the Fluid Control Wars. Ten pages at a minimum. A minimum, Dandra. Do you hear me? Ten."
Dandra Collens sighed with disdain. "Yes, I hear you. Ten pages minimum. Anything else?"
Professor Enzel was already back behind his desk, pulling out a sheaf of papers to hand to the class. He always picked Stan from the front row. I didn't want to do it, but it was annoyingly predictable. While I waited, I drifted.
Why is the sky burning? When did it start?
The kid in front of me, someone I didn't really know, nudged a stack of paper against my head. I grunted and suppressed the urge to shove my desk into his and to break him in two pieces. Ok, I had some anger management issues. It wasn't my fault.
I snatched the papers and glared at the boy. He had green hair, and not the natural kind either, his was a low-budget, dyed version of the natural thing. That fake green made me want to rip it out of his head.
Cool. Calm. Collected. The three Cs to management.
I sighed and inhaled deeply. The boy was well aware of my reputation and gave me the slightest of head movements to propel me into motion. I glanced at the other rows of desks and rolled my eyes. So what if they already had their papers delivered back all the way to the end. So what if my row had to wait on me.
Enzel's throaty cough pulled me up short. I grunted again and turned back in my chair to extend the stack to the next kid in my row, Corryn. I kept my fingers tight on the first set of pages as she pulled the rest of the stack away.
Her smile was infectious, and not just because she was so sweet that nothing seemed to affect her mood. She was the antithesis of me, which is why our friendship was so astonishing to most people. We had been like peas in the same pod for many years from First to Fifth.
I nodded understanding and turned back toward the blackboard.
Why is the sky burning? When did it start? Cool. Calm. Collected. The three Cs to management. Where did it start? How did it start?
I looked down at the stack of documents as Enzel rattled off the next assignment. Obviously he wasn't talking to me. I didn't have to do these stupid assignments. I just had to answer the elusive question. If I could do that, I might just win everything. I would be able to go anywhere I wanted and do anything that I enjoyed.
Why is the sky burning? Nobody knows that is alive. It's been on fire since 2034 and nobody knows that is alive. That's 364 years of liquid fire in the upper atmosphere. The History Books don't even know.
I glanced at the documents closer. It was some sort of creative writing effort. Due in three weeks, that would give me plenty of time to finish it without having to focus on it today.
"And Kiernan," Enzel called from the front of the room.
I looked up. "Yes?"
"This is required. For a grade."
The three Cs of management.
I nodded in response. He sat back down and pointed upwards. Almost as if he caused the clock to move, the numbers flipped over to 1200 and the chimes began to echo in the halls.
"Class dismissed," he said with a flourish. "Come back tomorrow, ready to dive into the Progeny Effect."
Chairs shuffled and scratched across the wood floor. A low buzz of conversation between students began to grow the closer they all edged to the doors at the front and back of the room. I sat there for long minutes after the room cleared of everyone else except for myself, the Professor and Corryn.
"Hey, where do you want to go today?" Corryn asked, her voice a blend of what I always considered the sound of rosewood and lavender.
"The Sanding Down." I couldn't really hear my own voice, it was something the Doctors called Monosylladinosis or some such. I don't even think it's a real thing.
"The Sanding Down? Really? That place scares me, though."
"You don't have to come if you don't want to. I am going to go in this time."
She shook her head fervently. "No, you can't go in. Nobody's allowed in."
"Then they will not need to know, will they?" I gave her the look I always gave her when I wasn't going to be swayed.
I watched her closely. As always, her eyes squeezed half-shut and her lips did this thing where they curled and moved like a snake as she talked to herself silently. Then her face pinched, eyes fully shut, and a low groan escaped her lips.
Why is the sky burning? When did it start? Where did it start? Who started it?
I gave a single nod of my head, smiling at my friend and cohort. I picked up my bag and slung one of the straps over my shoulder. I leaned against her, nudging her with my shoulder. I felt her lean the same direction, almost beyond the tipping point, before pushing back against me. I smiled at the small win.
She was a good friend. She was probably going to tell her mother what was going on as soon as she was home, but at least then I would be done with what I was doing. By that time I would either have my answer or we would be safely back home, watching some Teletheater Program or reading the Overtures. It just wouldn't matter anymore at that point.
"Come on, Cor. The earlier the better."
She had dread painted on her face. "What if we get caught?"
"Then I will take the fall, like I always do," I began, inclining my head. "Don't I?"
She physically drooped, wilting like a flower in the Byrndyn Flat at the peak of Seasons. "You always do."
My smile grew even wider. "Come on, before it's dark."
The three Cs of management. Who started it? Where did it start?
The Sanding Down was the best place to start. It was close and it had been abandoned for generations. I had heard of people going in and just never coming back out again. That's why the Elder Council had put up the barricades and paid workers to guard the path. I had seen it from a distance but had never gotten close enough to make out the large structure vividly. The haze in the air always made it a blurred-at-the-edges, shimmering oval that was just too indistinct for the naked eye.
Cor was the first one out the door. She paused in the now-empty hall and turned to me. Her eyes had that pleading look, that hopeful look that I might change my mind. If I had been anyone else, my heart probably would have melted and changed my decision. I was me, though, and I rarely ever changed course once I set my mind to it.
"I have to, Cor. Enzel asked the question. I have to know now."
She swayed slightly. I steadied her form and gave her a confident smile. She never liked it when I pulled out the confident smile. She had reason, of course, because it always led to some sort of mischief ever since we were in First.
Back then, it was getting in trouble for sneaking candies or snacks past Downtime Chime. Then, later, it turned into seeing the dead bodies on the Urchess River outside of town. That had been the start of my inquisitions. Now, I must know all of the answers. I will probably die trying to find the answers to how my world was created. The Histories were false, omitting much of what had happened before the Tragedies.
Why is the sky burning? Calm. Cool. Collected. The three Cs of management. Knowledge was the Apex Predator.
I grabbed my compass and piloter from our shared locker. Yeah, we share a locker. I think it was safer for the school to do it that way than to oppose my will. They had made that mistake before and, although I'm not proud of it, I had damaged several glass holding cases.
It wasn't like I broke things that couldn't be replaced. That's not how I work. I choose my carnage with delicate thoughts. I don't just go off and tear into things without considering the impact of my actions.
Cor knocked on the next locker to get my attention. "Do we need rope or gigadrums?"
I thought a moment, creasing a single brow. "Rope I think, but nothing else. I've been down close enough to see the barricades and the Ledging. It's steep, but we can manage."
"Can I implore you once more not to do this? We're only 14. Why will we be able to do this and nobody else before us?"
"Because I want it more." I glared at the locker's inside metal, as if it would bring back the dead. "I'll find Mom and Dad, then Uncle Bertram will eat his words."
Why is the sky burning? Who started it?
Uncle Bertram is a monster, always has been. He was a large, bloated creature that came up for air from the sofa only when he wanted to criticize my life. Aunt Loryn was no better, just giving into his crazies. She would just do whatever he asked, however ridiculous it was.
"I know you will," Cor acknowledged, interrupting my angry flare-up before it turned darker. "And I'll be there when you do."
I could feel the tension in my shoulders drop away. Just hearing her supportive words was enough to cut through my anger. In those moments, I always feel as though the world is somehow intentionally trying to make my life miserable. When Cor is there, it makes things bearable. I love her for that. It's almost enough. Almost.
Why is the sky burning? When did it start? Who started it?
"Come on, Cor. I don't want to make too late of a night of it."
Cor smiled and followed me out the front doors of the school and down the road to the West. The street was empty this late. Any kids still out-and-about were athletes training through supper. They would all be up at the Sport Complex with their Trainers.
"Back through here," I called over my shoulder. I took the twisty turn down the back street and into the forest behind the school.
The snapping of twigs and shuffling of rocks underfoot told me that she had followed. Sometimes it was almost enough that she was such a dear friend. Almost.
The three Cs of management. Who started it?
We jogged and hopped down the trail through the woods. I could hear the faint swelling trill of birds or the chittering of vermin all around. Gnarled roots tried more than once to trip us up, but we held onto each other when needed and lent a hand up or down through the path.
I was in good shape, but it was still taxing on my body. I knew that Cor wasn't as athletic as me, so I made a conscious effort to slow my pace or take breaks when I heard the rattling pant behind me. She was not practiced in pathfinding. I was.
We sat down on some seats formed from a net of tree roots, taking a breather and a light meal. I always hid away snacks that I could eat on if I chose not to return to my Uncle's house. I don't think of it as home, I never had. It was just a place that I left some of my things.
"Sandwich?" I asked.
Cor gulped air and nodded. "Please and Thank You."
She was always so polite. Her parents, who meant more to me than my Aunt and Uncle, were always willing to take me in when I needed a place to stay. She was their pride and joy, their jewel. She followed directions well, was polite and honest, but never left a friend cold and hungry.
We ate in silence, as was often the case. It was mainly my fault because I sometimes grew upset by things that might be small things. Cor knew my moods, probably better than I did.
When did it start? Who started it? Cool. Calm. Collected. The three Cs of management.
The clouds were streaming in quickly, not a good sign for the night ahead of us. I pulled Cor up to her feet before she was even done with her final bite. She gulped it down and let me yank her into motion. She gasped and I caught her before she tumbled head-first into a tree. The gnarled tree roots were like grabbing claws, moving at vibrations in the ground.
I laughed despite myself. "That was a close one. Let's not do that again."
"Ki," Cor grunted, "why are we in such a rush?"
I just pointed up at the cloud patterns as I continued my steady jog forward and slightly downward. I had to tilt back slightly against gravity, which made it more difficult to maneuver the tendrils and switchbacks.
Cor understood. "Ok, just let me get my footing first."
She stopped dead in her tracks and I almost ran headlong into a tree myself. I hadn't realized how much I relied on her pushback until I was reeling and reaching for hanging branches to slow myself. I felt like I was in pursuit or being pursued, but I didn't know of what or by what.
Why is the sky burning? Who started it? Will it ever end?
I inhaled sharply. The air already tasted of burning carbon and salt. The storms were only a few hours away now. We couldn't be caught out in it again. The rainwater was heavy, more than a normal rain, and it was filled with acids that would sting flesh and fray fabric.
Cor was looking in the direction of the clouds. Animals yowled in the distance, those that were not able to find shelter. Birds shrieked and the forest swelled in a grandiose moaning. The howling of the trees during storms always made me cringe in sadness.
Will it ever end? Why is the sky burning?
I turned toward Cor and met her turning gaze. "Do we go on or dig a hole?"
She pursed her lips for a short moment before answering. "Onward and downward. Maybe we can find shelter down there."
She was someone that would go into almost any danger for me. I loved her for it. It was almost enough. Almost.
I just nodded and pulled her into a jog once more. Her hand was warm against mine. It was slightly clammy but it fit inside mine perfectly. I could have sworn that she was made just for me. It was almost enough. Almost.
The switchbacks eased into a straight line, but the pitch of the ground grew worse as we entered the forest proper. I could no longer see even the etched outline of the blurred oval. At least going through the woods gave us the opportunity to slide off the main trail and skirt around the barricades.
Who started it? Will it ever end? How does it go on and on?
After a few hundred yards of tilted sprints, the ground flattened out. I paused there, giving us a breather. Cor panted beside me and I could feel my lungs pushing air out as I dragged the air back in. My sides stung with the effort.
The treeline behind us panted and moaned as the first wave of acid rain began to strike. It was like the trees remembered the hundreds of years of pain from the burning sky. It was like they all had voices and their songs were always dreadfully depressed. I often thought I heard the words isolation, pain, and salvation in the moaning.
I looked around and back. The storm system was almost on us now. There was no turning back. The night would catch us out.
"Here!" Cor yelled above the growing roar of the storms just behind us.
I followed her under the eaves of a great, tall tree that must have been hundreds of years old. I felt the rough bark and said a small prayer to give the mighty tree a sense of peace and tranquility. The leaves and roots sighed in response.
Why is the sky burning? Will it ever end? How does it go on and on? Cool. Calm. Collected. The three Cs of management.
Cor shivered. She was afraid. I pulled her close and swung an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into me and lay her head on my arm as I cradled her there. She looked up at me and smiled, a look of pure friendship. I could only image the horrors that my life would have been had she not picked up my book and taken the punch.
We waited there for over an hour, listening to the screaming forest and the pleaded shrieks from the animal kingdom. I pressed my eyes close and tried to blot out the sound.
I asked Cor quietly, "Why would we ever continue living in a world with so much pain?"
She turned to face me, pulling away a bit. Her eyes were tight with concern and her lips twitched. I watched as her eyes glistened and filled with tears. It was then that I realized how my words came across.
I continued. "I mean, why would Humanity go on living in a world with so much pain? Even the trees scream. I read somewhere, in one of the older stories, that trees were not sentient before the burning skies."
She sighed, a tremor in the breath. She gulped and snapped her eyes shut several times until the tears were nowhere to be found. Then she punched me in the arm.
"Is that all you have?" I taunted, trying to lighten the mood.
She swung harder and I grunted, raising a hand to ward off another strike. She let her fist drop and nuzzled back into my arms. I tried to concentrate on her scent, her movement and her breathing. It was easier to ignore the world around when she was here in my arms. It was almost enough. Almost.
Why is the sky burning? Who started it? When will it end?
We waited and ate another sandwich while we were tucked inside the tree. It tasted of salt now. The very air was heavy with salt and acid. Neither one of us seemed to enjoy the sandwich, but we didn't complain about it.
The rain died away after a short while, but we kept under the shelter of the tree roots until the sun baked away the acidity. Once we could see the heat haze pulling the moisture from the hard clay, we crawled out of the sanctuary and continued down the path.
Cor and I jogged down the path further, bracing each other as we stumbled over the rain-pitted path. I could feel the air tremble and turn into a gust of warm air. The path slowly leveled out and we could gain our balance again.
I signaled for Cor to stop, slowing to a walk as she brushed by me. "Hold up, Cor."
Cor dropped to a walk as well, her breath coming in small bursts now. "What?"
Cool. Calm. Collected. The three Cs of management. Who started it?
"Are you sure you want to follow through with this? The sun's already at the horizon, so there's no chance of returning before nightfall."
She sighed. "You could have asked this sooner and I would have said let's just go back. Now that we're almost there, I don't want to stop. I want to know what's out there."
I smiled at her. "I'm glad. I didn't want to go on alone either, but I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do."
"Since when?" she joked. "I've been following your lead for quite some time."
"Hey. I don't force you." I paused for a moment before asking, "Do I?"
She hesitated just long enough for me to realize that is exactly what I did. She didn't even have to deny it, but she tried to make me happy by rationalizing our friendship. I was always glad of her company. I never wanted to force her, but I guess I'm a bit controlling. I'll have to work on that.
The three Cs of management. When did it start?
I waved away her explanation before she was too deep. "I'm sorry for that. I really am. Sometimes I just don't think."
She was quick to cut into my apology with her own. "I'm sorry, too. I like doing the things we do. I'm not complaining about that. Sometimes I just want to do something different."
"We'll do whatever you want to do tomorrow, then. Would that be alright with you?"
Cor's grin was wide, showing a hint of teeth behind her lips. "That would be great. I think I'm in the mood for..."
"No, don't say it," I pleaded.
"A make-over! I can do your hair and make you look like a proper girl!"
I groaned. "You're kidding, right? I can't stand girls that are all dressed up like fancy cats with bells in their hair and ribbons all over the place."
Cor giggled. "Of course I'm kidding! Some day, though, I'll see in a dress."
My cheeks flushed. I would do that for her. It was almost enough for me to scrap this quest. Almost.
Why is the sky burning? Who started it? When will it end?
"So, what will tomorrow bring?" I asked, trying to calm my sudden nerves. I slowly felt the heat leave my face and I sighed.
"In all seriousness, I think I want to go to one of the Plays in the Grand Parks. Maybe see one of the scary ones and then go out to eat afterwards. How does that sound?"
I smiled. "I like to eat, and I like scary stuff. You know me so well."
"That I do. Hey, look, I think I see the barricade just up ahead."
I glanced over, not even realizing that we had been moving steadily down the path while we spoke. The barricade was there. It was a small group of squat buildings where people buzzed around and acted like they were keeping people out. The problem, though, is that nobody went down here anymore, so they didn't even know how to properly stop anyone.
I had been up to the barricades a couple two or three times before, but not from this side. Everyone else just used the main road that met up on the other side of the copse to our left. I squinted and tried to make out who was "patrolling" the area. I knew a few faces, but I didn't know their names.
Cor grunted. "Hey, I see Mr. Humbert over there."
"Who?"
"Last year's Artistry Teacher. Mr. Humbert. Remember him?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
"He had the hairy armpits."
"Oh, that guy. Yeah, he didn't like it when I gave him a razor and told him to cut down his forest."
Cor giggled. "I think it's some hormonal thing. He probably can't help it."
I shrugged. "I don't care, I still think it was funny."
Cor smacked my arm and turned to me as we came fully to a stop. "What now?"
"You don't think I have a plan, do you?"
She just stared at me, tilting her head like a falcon spotting her next prey. "As a matter of fact, I do not."
"I am taken aback. Truly. You don't think I have a plan."
Cor started tapping her foot, a thing that always reminded me of her mother. "Well, what is it?"
I was scrambling, trying to think. "Well, no, I don't."
"I was right. So what now?"
Who started it? When will it end?
I breathed out. "We just go around them. They're dumb. They don't know how to keep watch."
She shrugged and pursed her lips. "That's probably true. Ok, go around them."
I nodded and smiled, feeling the spark of mischief in my brain. I could cause some trouble for them and have a little fun before we go onward. What could we do to them?
"No way," Cor cut in, knowing the look. "Not down here. We can't take the chance of getting caught."
"You're no fun, Cor."
"I know. I know." She gave me her most infectious, intentional smile.
Without further hesitation, we kept just inside the edge of the trees and skirted around the buildings. It was really as easy as could be. The people milling about were more interested in talking to each other than actually looking around for anyone or anything. In addition, the recent storms had most of them looking for an after-storm.
The sun was almost completely hidden by the time we circled around to the far side of the Barricades. There was a path leading away from the small group of buildings and towards our destination. I could see the top edge, blurred by the heat haze and the glow of the falling sun.
I whispered aloud. "I see the top."
Cor nodded. "Yeah, it's not just a big oval. But I can't see much."
"No, me neither. Let's get up there and see what it is. We're so close."
She took my hand as we started up the slight incline. The shimmering gold of the falling sun gave the entire scene a glow. Streamers of flame and dust whirled in the distance. From here, we could just start to feel the intensity of the heat beyond the Sanding Down.
I caught myself turning my glimpse to Cor, wanting to see the entire structure at once instead of bit-by-bit. Cor didn't feel the same way. I watched her eyes grow larger and larger as we drew closer. I caught several glimpses of the basic oval shape and some curvature.
"Look at it!" Cor said. "It's magnificent!"
I turned to see it. I gripped Cor's hand tightly. It was a huge shell! The crab that housed itself inside must have been about 20 feet in length. The swirling fires beyond it silhouetted some of the nuance, but nobody could deny that this was just an enormous seashell.
"A seashell." Cor said, echoing my own thought.
"Apparently. Look at the cracked opening."
"Oh, yeah, I see it. There's something inside the shell. It's flickering blue, right?"
I nodded. "What is it though?"
Who started it? When will it end? Cool. Calm. Collected. The three Cs of management.
I relaxed my grip and released her hand. Suddenly my own hand felt alone and isolated, without protection. I so wanted to hold her hand again, if for no other reason than to feel that bond.
I sighed. "Shall we?"
I heard Cor gulp. "We shall."
"I'll go through first and see what's on the other side. Then, as soon as I give you the signal, you can follow me. Ok?"
Cor nodded. I looked at her face and smiled.
I plunged into the flickering haze, a blue curtain of energy that caused the hairs on my arms to rise. I felt a current pass through me, like icy water. A chill ran up my spine and coated me in some way I could not fathom. The moment was long and drawn out, feeling like my skin was pulling lengthwise towards the other side. I drifted and thinned outward. I felt a twisting and heard the boom. The pain was insubstantial, like a volcano surging through me without touching me. It was the weirdest sensation I had ever felt, and it was something I couldn't describe accurately in words if anyone ever asked me to do so.
As suddenly as it had started, I heard a series of popping sounds and came crashing out the other side. I almost fainted on the spot, but breathed deep cool, crisp air. I shook the fog from my brain and looked up.
I gasped. "What is going on?"
"You are alright," a voice said. "You have passed through the eyes and come out the other side."
I coughed. "Eye? It was a hole in a shell."
"Yes. The great Shell. The Eye was within the wormhole. It's good to see you, Kiernan."
I recognized the voice instantly. My eyes were filled with tears. "Mom?"
She took my hand and pulled me up. "I'm so sorry we couldn't come get you. We didn't know it was a one-way trip."
I hissed. "One-way trip? I can't go back?"
My mother's face was as I always remembered it. She shook her head sadly.
"Cor!" I screamed. "Don't come through!"
There was no answer.
My mother paused. "Were you not alone?"
I shook my head fiercely. "Corryn was with me. I have to stop her."
"She won't be able to hear you. The barrier is one-way. The sentries heard your voice on the way in and alerted me. I came running as soon as I heard."
"Corryn's family, though."
My mom just swung her head sadly. "She'll be trapped here. I don't know what I can do, though."
When will it end? Who started it? The three Cs of management.
I saw a hazy shaped inside the blue veil. She had waited awhile, but then had come through after me. I couldn't let her get stuck here, even though I'd love for her to be here with me.
I gasped. "I can't let her through."
I saw her form darkening and taking on a human shape instead of the skinny, elongated shape that approached from afar. The outer energy barrier began to flex outward, into this new world. I shoved Cor back through the mist before she was all the way through the veil. I could hear her grunt as she passed backwards through it.
I shouted back at her. "You can't come through!"
Cor stumbled about, a hazy shape listing this way and that as she began to push back towards me. I charged at her, the flex of the veil keeping me secure on this side. I loved her, but she had a home on the other side. I did not.
I heard another grunt from Cor and she fell to the ground. "Why can't I?!"
"The mist will keep you here. You have your family back home."
"But I love you!"
I felt my throat constrict. I love her too much to take her away from her family, though. I will find my Mom and Dad somewhere down there.
I gulped to catch air and shouted into the shifting haze. "You need to tell everyone that I have found all of the missing people! They are all here!"
I listened and heard the distant, forlorn response. "Ok, but I love you."
I waited for the shape to dwindle in the distance. "I love you too. I will always love you. Find me here when you are ready, but not now."
"I will come back every day!"
I smiled, knowing she was telling the truth. "Then I shall come to talk every day!"
I wept openly, feeling my heart pulled apart at the seams. I didn't know how I would go on without Corryn. It was almost enough. Almost.
Who started it?
I turned back to my Mom at my side. Dad is here, too. One of them could tell me the answers. For now, though, I had a family here and someone I loved that I would wait for.
The End
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