The Fallacy of the Valley

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. At least that is what she was told and depending on who she asked the origin of the dragons ranged from a gradual emergence to a sudden onslaught. As the story typically goes, years before she was born, her people were forced to flee and seek refuge in some far off region, where half of those traveling died along the journey and the remaining are too old now and too traumatized to utter details beyond the fact that it did in fact happen. And the one’s young enough to remember held an impenetrable silence about the whole ordeal. As you can imagine, families grabbed what they could and rebuilt the best way they knew how. Now, years later, the descendants are left with tales and a crippling fear that the Valley is never to be sought out or even spoken about. So much so that they have been locked away and held to the strictest daily regime, only released at sunrise.

Every morning, she sat up, straining her eyes, to pierce through the darkness of her room. Every morning she tried to brace herself for the cold harsh sound of the metal doors and metal locks screeching across each other to release her, temporarily. As long as she had existed, this had been her reality. Released at sunrise, to work in one of the 5 locations predetermined for each citizen at birth, and at sunset return home to be secured and locked away once again. This was not just her reality as a captive, this was the only reality for everyone who still remained in this place. No one had free will, everyone was closely monitored and locked away each night, and carefully guided through each day, under the guise that this much control meant safety.

This morning, the same as most, she sits stiffened, anticipating the sound that she hated most, but also needed to gravitate around. But this morning, it didn’t come, she waited for several moments before swinging her legs out of bed, and delicately placing her feet on the ground. Carefully shuffling through the darkness, she hesitantly reached out to guide herself to the front door, steadying her movements and her breath for what felt like hours. Beyond this final extension of her fingers was the frame of the door, and to the left of it the handle. A jolt of curiosity overpowered any rational thought that the door would be locked as it always was. She grabbed the handle and flung the door open. Before she could even grapple with the notion that this unlocked door could mean freedom, she was nose to nose with a familiar face.

“The locks stopped working last night”, the woman whispers to Arlo, Arlo pulls the woman inside, closing the door behind her. The woman repeats herself, staring wide eyed at Arlo, “the locks stopped working last night”.

“It must have been a glitch, where is mom?” Arlo searches her sister’s face for more answers to questions that she has yet to ask. The two stare at each other silently, until Arlo grabs her sister’s hand, practically dragging her into a small bathroom, where she turns on the shower and begins to whisper, the running water overpowering her voice.

“Where is mom? Is she behind this?”. Willow slowly pulls her wrist away from Arlo's grasp and places a small item in her rigged hand, gently closing her fingers around it.

“Wear this, everyday. Don’t take it off, don’t lose it, don’t show it to anyone.” Willow reaches into her shirt and pulls out a heart shaped locket, dangling from a chain around her neck. Arlo slowly opens her hand, revealing the same locket. As Willow continues to talk, Arlo slowly places the necklace around her neck, tucking it into her nightgown.

“Hun!” , a voice shouts from outside the bathroom door, startling both women. Arlo responds, “Be out in a minute.” Just as she calls out, she notices the handle on the door twist and races to stop the door as it cracks, peering out to greet her husband.

“What are you doing?”, “Nothing, just showering”. Adam’s eyes briefly follow the billowing smoke, exiting from the cracked door, “The city wasn’t under lockdown last night and they are checking each house to make sure no one left. We have five minutes to present ourselves.” Arlo nods and closes the door, as she turns around she sees Willow’s legs dangling from the overhead vent. Arlo guides her sister's legs up into the vent, and carefully stands on the toilet seat to replace the cover, coming face to face with Willow again. “We will be free soon, just wait”, Willow kisses Arlo’s head and shifts out of sight.

Both Adam and Arlo stand shoulder to shoulder outside of their home, silent, only their eyes shifting to see all of their neighbors, standing with the same stoic and unsure posture. Inspections are rapidly taking place, it is unclear why some families are released to go about their days and others are shuffled into vehicles and quickly driven off. Adam’s pinky grazes Arlo’s, “it’s happening again”. Arlo stares off straight ahead, clutching the necklace. As Adam glances over, he notices the necklace, and begins to ask, “Where did you -”

An inspector walks over, interrupting Adam’s line of questioning. The inspector stands directly in front of Arlo, but directs his speech to Adam, “You have permission to complete your required work schedule, sir.” Adam lingers, hesitant to leave Arlo. Arlo briefly breaks eye contact with the inspector, to give a glance of reassurance to Adam. As Adam begins to walk away he hears the officer ask Arlo if she knew where her sister was. Adam hears Arlo mumble out that she has not seen her sister. Adam turns back to make eye contact with Arlo, when he catches the shadow of a figure walking past the upstairs window. At that moment he knows this is Willow but continues to walk down the street until he is out of sight.

As the curfew alarms sound, both Adam and Arlo enter their home solemnly. Adam dressed in undone, business attire and Arlo sweaty and filthy from the day. They sit directly across from one another, waiting for the other to break the silence. Instead, the reengaging of the locks on the metal clad doors break the silence, causing Arlo to hunch her shoulders and drop her head.

“What dream did she sell you this time?” Arlo stands and turns to walk away, “I’m going to get ready for bed.” Adam lunges at her, whipping her around, raising his voice this time. “What dream did she sell you this time!”. Arlo turns again to walk away, this time fleeing to the bedroom and attempting to close the door behind her, Adam pushes through the door, shouting. “I know you are still here Willow! "I know you have sold her some crazy ass dream of escape and freedom! Come out and convince me! Sell ME a dream!”.

Arlo steps closely to Adam, firmly covering his mouth with her hands. Just then Willow emerges, speaking calmly to Adam, “ I don’t waste my tales of freedom, on those who doubt me”. Adam shoves Arlo’s hand down and grabs the necklace around her neck.

“Tales, she says! She admits that she tells you tales, and stories of freedom, none of which will ever happen, insisting that fear is irrational and the valley is a promised land. This is how we will exist and our children will exist and there will be no freedom. Only lock down, and work and sleep and suffrage."

"I know our fate, not this made up shit that your sister spews every blue moon.” Willow steps closer to the two, prepared to interfere when Arlo puts her hand out to stop her. Arlo wraps her hands around Adams fist as he tightly grips the necklace. “This is my way out”, she whispers and Adam chuckles, “your way out, huh”. Arlo tries to correct herself, “Our way, our way out!” As she pleads with Adam, he laughs out a rebuttal, still clutching the necklace, “This must be the magical key to our freedom”. He yanks the necklace from around Arlo's neck and hurls it at the front door. The sound of the impact is overshadowed by the cold, harsh sound of the metal door unlocking.

The three stand in silence, Arlo and Adam stunned and Willow with her lips slightly turned up. Willow saunters over to the locket, muttering under her breath as she kneels down to pick it up “Magical Key”. Arlo timidly walks over to join her sister, “There is too much to explain to Arlo, but just know this is real”. Willow swipes the locket past the door once more, reengaging the lock. “I will let you know when, and where we can use this, I promise it will be soon.” Willow redirects her attention to Adam, still talking to Arlo, “Do not let this out of your sight.” Adam disappears into the next room, sitting in a chair under a dim light. The sisters embrace one another and Willow lowers herself in front of the door to allow her locket to reopen the door, she slithers out of the front door and to the side of the front porch, stealthily moving between houses.

As Arlo shuts the door behind her, she leans against the door, sliding down to the ground, with her head in her hands. In the next room, she hears Adam, “I will not go with you”. Arlo responds coldly,” I didn’t expect you to.” The night sky grows increasingly dense, both Arlo and Adam drift into sleep, exhausted with the transactions of the day. Hours pass, when suddenly Arlo Jolts awake, frantically searching her bed, in her dark bedroom for the locket that is no longer in her grasp.

-END