Iris

Iris

Every night at midnight, the purple clouds came out to dance with the blushing sky. The stars glimmered beyond them, deep in the enigmatic atmosphere. The clouds luminescence lit up the valleys below like a warm midsummer’s night when the crickets roared louder than thunder.

Heather remembered those nights fondly- enjoying that neotenous freedom, a state of innocence spared of responsibility and worry. She hardly spoke of those days, especially around her granddaughter. She envied the fresh worldview and curious mind; but most of all, she resented her role in Violet’s ignorance.

Their quiet valley town had been a spectacle since long before Violet was born; it was all she had ever known. Each night Violet woke like clockwork to watch the clouds- donned in purple pajamas, tucked beneath a matching bedspread, and surrounded by four amethyst walls.

Heather had only been in middle school when everything changed so long ago- on one of those perfect summer nights. She recalled the boundless jet-black sky suffused with stars; the clamorous grasshoppers and shrill shrieks of the waking bats. She swore she could almost taste that sweet summertime air, and she had always wished that Melanie would have those experiences, but that time had long passed.

She had intended to tell her the truth many years back. The secrets ate her up inside and she constantly weighed the repercussions of shattering a young girl’s reality. Her daughter had loved those purple clouds, and Heather couldn’t bring herself to break her heart. With each passing year, twilight loomed closer. She knew she had to tell Melanie the story soon- if only for her granddaughter’s sake. Violet had to know why she had often found her grandmother in the garden, sobbing beside her iris bed. The memories lived with her every day and haunted her each night; those lovely purple flowers provided Heather with a semblance of succor and comfort.

It was a picturesque afternoon in July when a charming little village was suddenly transformed into an unrecognizable phenomenon shrouded in secrecy. The Twin Valleys hosted simple residents that wanted nothing more than to farm and love their families as generations had before them. The valley to the north held a crystal-clear lake that helped sustain the community since its founding during the gold rush. The townspeople enjoyed their slice of life nestled between the mountains, far removed from the hustle and bustle of society.

When the trucks arrived on that fateful day, life came to a halt. The whole population gathered to watch them pass by the outskirts of their little hamlet, collectively remarking the colossal equipment towering over them. An endless parade carried on through the afternoon and by nightfall, the Outsiders had settled right in, quickly establishing a community of large tents. Heather’s excitement was stifled by the community’s uneasiness; and though she didn’t understand- she felt it, too. Something bad was coming.

Heather recollected her sister had said it looked like the biggest circus in the world. Bethany had imagined all of the different acts and animals in the show. The two of them stayed up late that night guessing which tent held which animals and debated whether or not giraffes sleep standing up. They giggled and reveled in the night’s curious elation until Bethany fell asleep. Heather tossed and turned until dawn, consumed by curiosity and questions dashed with fear.

The next morning, the trucks were roaring as soon as the sun broke horizon. The sound reverberated through the valley with tumultuous force and the entire town was awakened before the roosters had crowed. They resumed their previous night’s speculation, bickering and debating in small groups. The villagers concocted wild stories and crafted conspiracies until the mayor stepped in and offered to meet with the Outsiders and discover their intent.

A few days later, the mayor issued a statement on behalf of the newcomers. There were stories in the papers; people came from all over to see those purple clouds. Heather remembered her father’s sudden change in attitude. He had been one of the leading men that demanded an explanation, then it seemed to suddenly disappear from his mind. He started a new job and Heather got the brand-new bike she had wanted last Christmas, extinguishing her desire for explanation.

The next year was loud and uncomfortable, though nobody seemed to mind. The village was in its prime, expanding and remodeling constantly. Thanks to the newcomer’s donations, the villagers were prospering. In fact, it seemed that suddenly every kid in town had a brand-new bike. There were new grocery stores; shops; pristine baseball fields; and several new playgrounds to traverse.

The noise seemed to get louder and louder as time passed, and each day it seemed to stretch later into the night. It was a Saturday night when it all ended, and it was that very night that Heather had gazed upon a black sky for the last time. The Outsiders had been working later than ever before. It was almost midnight when the explosion happened, trembling the ground enough to empty the family bookshelves. The sky began to glow with a phosphorescent haze and the streets quickly filled with confusion. It took hours to get the people back to their homes without providing explanation.

Heather could never forget the resounding silence that followed; the sudden suspicion that the world had stopped spinning. The family of four huddled tightly on her parent’s bed, overwhelmed with fear. They stayed that way without speaking a word until they eventually dozed off together. When they awoke in the morning, they all felt that same uneasiness- that irking feeling that the whole world had changed, but they couldn’t see how. The whole day felt off, and a teenage girl found herself swiftly disinterested in everything.

That was the first night the purple clouds decorated the sky. Heather felt a pang of desperation as her worst fears were confirmed. Something had been awakened. Something far beyond the comprehension of that sinless countryside.

It was as if Mother Nature herself screamed from the void to signal apocalypse, composing a terrifying symphony of destruction. The birds flew off in a flurry of song and squirrels dropped from the trees. Every dog in town began to bark, each of them aggressively escaping from their homes and running straight toward the Outsider’s site.

The people of Twin Valleys determinedly followed their companions like an angry pitchfork mob. They followed the harrowing barks all the way to the edge of the tents before being cut off by three hostile guards ordering them back to town. They argued for hours before forcing the townspeople back home- without their dogs. From that day forward, there were no canine seen in Twin Valleys again.

The village was offered an apology and used new donations to renovate some more. Life went on as normally as it could and school began again in the fall. Heather was especially excited to begin zoology- she had become obsessed with explaining the dog’s behavior that strange night. It quickly became her favorite part of the school day, always looking forward to discovering which animal might be discussed that day.

“Does anybody know what ornithology is?” The teacher questioned her students as she wrote on the blackboard.

“Birds!” A boy shouted from the back, proudly asserting himself over the students that sat with their hands raised.

“Where… are the birds?” Heather thought to herself as she looked out the window. It dawned on her that since the day of the explosion and the appearance of purple clouds, there were no more birds. No more crickets. No more bats. She was stunned that she had not consciously noticed the absence of birdsong in the morning.

The young girl found herself overwhelmed with a new sense of purpose and unfettered determination. She began to watch the Outsiders closely for weeks, hoping to spot some explanation for their clandestine migration to Twin Valleys. She was sure that there was an explanation for the animal’s behavior, but she could not have prepared herself for the impending horror.

After weeks of inaction, Heather noticed an unusual new truck coming toward town. Rather than following the Outsider’s usual path, it had veered off and seemingly disappeared. She climbed to the top of the hill to assure herself that she hadn’t lost her mind, when she noticed an underground tunnel at the back of the valley.

She was hesitant to tell anyone about her new hobby, especially when she devised plans to enter that tunnel and find out the truth of the Outsider’s presence. She reluctantly confided in Bethany and their two best friends, and that night they set out on their discovery mission.

Deep in the cover of night, after the purple clouds faded from the sky, the girls packed up their backpacks and silently ventured into the unknown. It was easy to find the tunnel, once they had caught onto the vehicle’s tracks. It led right to a pile of brush that revealed a seemingly endless passageway.

They carried on without hesitation; the path ahead stretching much farther than their flashlights would shine. After nearly an hour of navigating the underpass, they reached a pair of doors labeled Keep Out with a strange yellow symbol.

Heather’s friend had been the first to open the door. As soon as she peaked inside, she let out a blood-curdling scream before quickly fainting. An offensive smell leaked from the door and buzzing flies filled the air. The other girls screamed and begged for explanation, afraid to risk witnessing whatever had sent her into this stupor.

When Heather finally mustered up the courage to open it, she found herself gazing into a massive warehouse- lined wall to wall with a tremendous pile of animal carcasses, many of which were immediately recognizable as community pets. The remains of hundreds of dogs covered in thousands of rotting bats and birds stacked as far as the eye could see, completely devoid of any respect for mortality or existence.

That moment would prove to be the snapshot etched in her mind; the endless source of fuel for Heather’s nightmares. She stood in a complete state of shock entirely incapable of fathoming the barbarity that lie before her. From behind, a petrifying scream dismissed the quietude- this time it was clearly Bethany’s voice. The girls sprinted back to the entrance to find her lying prostrate and stiff in the doorway of the second room.

Heather howled and dropped to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. She rolled her sister onto her back to reveal a frozen face, mouth agape in terror. She brushed the hair back from her cheeks and hugged her lifeless body close, listening for a heartbeat. As she gently placed Bethany’s cold body upon the ground, she stared into her eyes to find her cloudy irises glistening resplendent shades of purple.

Chapter Two