Untouchable Ground

Guess they were right.

Those environmentalists. After awhile the world was a pure wave of radioactivity. The soil itself was the wave of sick. Our ancestors risked their long happy lives for short ones to create this community for the rest who were standing. We live in the sky, not on clouds or anything. But in these high rises that were so high that we could at least with stand the waves. There are 5 buildings in total. Long tunnels connecting us to each building. It was made to stand tall and stay standing up straight for a long time. I’m part of the 3rd generation, born in the sky.

“Do you think they will pick you to be a green thumb?” I look up to my sister Laney who is grabbing her breakfast.

In our small little apartment. We had a bigger one before but after mom passed they relocated us to a smaller unit. It was only my father, Laney and Myself.

“I'd rather be a Repairmen, at least I would be able to go on the lower levels. I don’t have a green thumb like you and I certainly don’t like animals as much, Reed.” She sounds like mom when she says my name and the heart shaped locket around her neck sends pictures of my mother through my head. Laney is the oldest. She knew mom better... she get the locket.

“At least if you become a repairmen we don’t have to sneak our way to the lower levels.” I giggle at my remark. Laney rolls her eyes.

Laney and I have our spot. The small things are important in this place. The lower levels are for supplies and building material but there are windows there. We go early in the day and take an old vent so security doesn't catch us. Our spot is looking out of a large window, We can see the tallest tree above the clouds but we never see any leaves on it. But it’s still a tree.

“Now I told you girls not to go there anymore. It’s dangerous. You don’t take enough iodine for those levels. The repair men only get the high dosage.” Our father comes out of his room and gives us morning hugs. Iodine protects us from the radiation, if there is any this high.

“I still don’t think it is as bad as they say. How would they know? We haven't gone down there in so long. Not since the first generation.” Laneys come back upsets our father. This is a daily routine though.

Laney believes that we should start expediting to the ground but the only way back down in an old metal ladder that is over a hundred years old. Steps are even missing from it and if someone went to go down it would take them hours. This place was meant for us to stay.

Father goes on to tell us the classic horror stories that have been passed down from his parents and their parents before them.

“Your body will combust!” Or “The floor is pure lava.” If he even knows what lava is. We have a lot of guesses here.

“If you leave you can’t come back. I wouldn't know what I would do.” Fathers eyes say it all.

Theres so many of us here that once in a long while there will be someone who gets past the guards and go down that old ladder. Security isn't very high there. It's a suicide mission. We can’t go after them either. If you leave, you leave forever. We hold a ceremony for those who do and that's it, figure they die when they get further down. But that has only happened twice in my 15 years. Our father is scared that Laney will be the next sad story. The way she talks about the ground is like the world is never ending.

“Dont worry dad.” Laney looks at him and then me. Reassuring us.

“I have to go It’s a big day! I find out the job I will have the rest of my life.” Laney says as she kisses the top of my head and runs out the door. There’s already crowds on people in the large hallway to other units. The 18 years are grouping together excited for their adulthood.

Laney is one of her own species. Keeps to herself and dreams of a different world. She gets in trouble a lot speaking like that. For me, I don’t mind. I keep to myself a lot too. I’m happy to just have my family. I could live my whole life not worrying about ever going near the ground.

Dad and I get ready for the 18 years Ceremony. I wear one of moms old dresses from when dad and her were paired together. Green, my favorite color.

Dad goes ahead without me. I wanted to see if Laney was at our spot. She tends to go there when she's anxious. I head down the old vents I take my time until the talking disappears. As I open the vent to the large window there’s no Laney. As I sit down in front of the view I see the tree and it’s much more visible than the other days. I look at the clouds wrapping around it. As I looked closer there was a color other than the brown trunk.

A leaf. Not just one but several. My heart skips beat.

I thought of Laney right away. I have to tell her! This will add to her conspiracies but this is something we both would love to see. Our place has a new visitor. Life.

I go back the way I came through the old vents. I was such in a rush other people saw me get out of our secret passage. I startled a group of people half to death. I didn't care though. I had to go tell Laney!

I get to the great hall of hundreds of people gathering for the 18 year olds. Families gathered talking to their children before they go on stage. I find dad but he's talking to his friends pre occupied. I don’t see Laney. A loud voice comes from the stage at the end of the room and the young adults start to gather on it. Still no Laney. I see dad from a distance looking in the crowd. He's looking for her too. He has a worried look. But that's normal he's always scared that Laney is going to run off. But she never does. She has no reason to actually go.

I stood still, frozen in place. If she had a reason, proof that she was right she would leave. The tree.

I push my way through the people and past the loving families looking up to their children. If she really did see the tree she has enough reason to leave. Our apartment is 2 buildings away and I don’t know If I'm fast enough. Most of the people are at the ceremony in the main building. This would be a perfect time for her to escape.

I get to our building and I run so fast my lungs could collapse. She will be there. She will tell me she didn't feel well or maybe she didn't want to apply herself to the social norm of our society. Thats something she would say, right?

As I get to our door I am hesitant to open it. The courage came and I swung the door open.

“Laney!” I look past the kitchen which was left a mess. Cans of food on the floor, less than there was this morning. Our bedroom door is wide open.

Please be there. please.

My wishes are not enough. The rooms empty. Her bed wiped clean of her sheets and one of her clothes drawers wide open poured out on the floor. No note. No sign of her but the fact that she did see the tree. She's gone and I know where she went.

A glint comes from the singular desk placed in our room. It stops me in my tracks before I head to no mans territory, the ladder. I pick up the only thing that Laney has ever treasured. Moms locket. As I open it I expect to see mom and dad. The only picture that has ever lived there.

But it’s not them. The picture has chanced. Its Laney.

I pull it over my head in mid sprint. She has to be there still waiting, debating on what she's leaving behind. How could she ever do this to our family. I can’t lose someone else, not after mom. Alarms would be ringing through the halls if she really was at the ladder. I still have time to stop her.

I go back the same way though our secret passage so the guards don’t grab me. As I get to the lower levels I make my way down the only stairs leading to the ladder. My running is so fast my steps aren't quiet.

“Hey! You there!” A guard and a couple of his friends come from one of the repairmen break rooms. No one goes further down unless they are going to the one place no one should go.

They run after me. The stairs feel never ending. A loud scream comes from all corners. An alarm.

“You don’t want to do this Mrs. Woods!” One of the guards recognized me. But Im faster than them and the head start is in my favor.

As I get to the long hallway to the large vault door it is slightly opened at the bottom. Enough for someone small to get through but not enough to send an alert to security. The guards are near. A lot more of them joined him. I feel a breeze like none I’ve felt before.

“Stop! Dont!” One of the guards yells.

My sudden halt gave them more time to catch up.

I don’t have much time to think. If any time at all. The windows around the vault door show nothing but clouds. If I yelled for Laney she can’t hear me over the sound of the wind.

I run as fast as I could to the opening of the vault.

“Dont shut the door! Give me time!” The last words I yell before sliding through the open gap. My Legs hanging off the side of the large building. The ladder right beneath it.

I almost didn't have time to hug the ladder before my body lunged down to the nothingness of height. I scream loudly. I look down to see if I can see Laney but she's already further down than I could see past. The slight opening to the vault shuts. Sending shivers down my spine. I look to the window on the side of the large door and see the guards standing there, disappointed. Sad even. They will not risk anyone, not even my own father to come after me. They won’t. And soon they will find my sister no where to be found.

Once again I have no time to think. My sadness and fear can only put me in worse conditions. I don’t look up to the guards but the only way I can go, down.

Hours passed as I went down. Sliding down the ladder when there were no steps to walk down. Almost falling more times than I can count. My body weak. What will happen? All those horror stories repeat in my head.

Then, I saw it. I can see the ground and I can see green, my favorite color. As my feet reach the ground for the first time I didn't combust, and there’s no lava. There’s life. Laney was right. I don’t know what I'll see or find. But I’ll tell you this,

I’ll find Laney, and get my family back. Now, I hold the the only thing I have left, the locket.