Scenic Views - #4
Today I am going to prompt with the word utopian.
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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 kno