The Vale by Kenneth Lee

The vale ripped open a bright light that bounced off the clouds. For a moment, Harper thought he had seen heaven. Out of the void four white doves flew, their wings flapping in the cool breeze. Harper smiled and leaned against the railing, peering out across the platform to the invisible road of sky Columbia had been following. He knew the city was over Maine, he could smell the thick smoke of fireworks and the erupted in the sky. His short brown hair brushed in a brief gust of wind that picked up momentarily before he noticed a small yellow flower fly in front of his eyes from the platform below. When Harper looked down he noticed a child sitting alone, her feet hanging off the edge of the platform.

"Hey little girl!" Harper yelled, the girl glanced up at him and then looked away quickly back out towards the clear blue sky. "Be careful the wind is strong today, you dont want to be pushed off the edge!"

"Actually I do!" The little girl replied, her feet dangling off the edge. Harper rubbed his hand through his hair and watched as the girl sat on the brink. He walked around the corner and followed a patch of grass to the edge and stood behind the girl.

"Wheres your mom and pop?"

"Mommys having some kind of meeting over by the pylon," the little girl answered pointing her finger towards the massive column a few yards away. The girl had long blond hair, tied into a braid that hung down her back and her face was simple, almost like a porcelain doll.

"They just left you alone?" Harper asked, watching as a crowd of people gathered, at least half a dozen, talking in secret.

"Hey, I am six years old mister!" The girl stood put placing her arms on her hips. "I can take care of myself!"

"Right," Harper replied still watching the group of people. More had joined now. He heard the words, founders, compartmentalization, secrets and lies within the voices. He inched closer and closer until he was in the crowd listening to a man with a red scarf speak.

"They claim the seed is strong? That god has a plan? Comstock is..." The man paused and his eyes locked on Harper. "Who are you?"

"I am sorry, the girl she was sitting close to the edge so I..."

"What girl?" The man asked looking off, behind Harper. Everyone in the crowd turned, looking towards the edge. Harpers eyes followed and he noticed the girl was gone.

"She was right there!"

"Evangeline!" A woman ran out of the crowd towards the edge and she fell to the ground and looked off the edge.

"He pushed her!" a voice from the crowd shouted.

"What I did no such thing!"

"Evangeline!" the woman screamed, her eyes filling with tears.

"I didnt, I just..." Suddenly Harper was grabbed by several members of the crowd.

"Throw him over!" The man with the red scarf shouted, "He is a spy for the founders!" Harper stared thrusting back, trying to get his arms free but the crowd had him pinned as they approached the edge, the woman crying on her knees, her hands cupped over her face. Suddenly a voice came from behind the pylon.

"Look mommy," the little girl said running towards her mother.

"Evangeline," the mother screamed wrapping her hands around her daughter tightly.

"Look, I caught a butterfly!" Evangeline opened her hands and a shimmering butterfly flew up from her palms, its blue wings glittering in the light of the sun.

"Let him be," the man with the scarf grunted and everyone let go of Harper, he dropped to his knees, his heart beating thousand beats a second as the girl approached him.

"You okay mister?"

"No," he whispered, looking out to the horizon," No, I am not okay." In the distance, massive back storm clouds curled, wrapping around the blue sky, like skeletal fingers chocking the life out of earth.

The Vale by Kenneth Lee

The vale ripped open and a bright light bounced off the clouds, shimmeirng in the pale blue. For a moment, Harper thought he had seen heaven. Out of the void four white doves flew, their wings flapping in the cool breeze. Harper smiled and leaned against the railing, peering out across the platform to the invisible road of sky Columbia had been following. He knew the city was over Maine, he could smell the thick smoke of fireworks that erupted in the sky. His short, brown hair brushed in a brief gust of wind that picked up momentarily before he noticed a small yellow flower float in front of his eyes from the platform below. When Harper looked down he noticed a child sitting alone, her feet hanging off the edge of the platform.

Hey little girl! Harper yelled, the girl glanced up at him and then looked away quickly back out towards the clear blue sky. Be careful the wind is strong today, you dont want to be pushed off the edge!

Actually I do! The little girl replied, her feet dangling off the edge. Harper rubbed his hand through his hair and watched as the girl sat on the brink. He walked around the corner and followed a patch of grass to the edge and stood behind her.

Wheres your mom and pop?

Mommys having some kind of meeting over by the pylon, the little girl answered pointing her finger towards the massive column a few yards away. The girl had long blond hair, tied into a braid that hung down her back and her face was simple, like a porcelain doll.

They just left you alone? Harper asked, watching as a crowd of people gathered, at least half a dozen, talking in secret.

Hey, I am six years old mister! The girl stood put placing her arms on her hips. I can take care of myself!

Right, Harper replied still watching the group of people. More had joined now. He heard the words, founders, compartmentalization, secrets and lies within the voices. He inched closer and closer until he was in the crowd listening to a man with a red scarf speak.

They claim the seed is strong? That god has a plan? Comstock is The man paused and his eyes locked on Harper. Who are you?

I am sorry, the girl she was sitting close to the edge so I

What girl? The man said looking off, behind Harper. Everyone in the crowd turned, looking towards the edge. Harpers eyes followed and he noticed the girl was gone.

She was right there!

Evangeline! A woman ran out of the crowd towards the edge and she fell to the ground and looked off the edge.

He pushed her! a voice from the crowd shouted.

What I did no such thing!

Evangeline! the woman screamed, her eyes filling with tears.

I didnt, I just Suddenly Harper was grabbed by several members of the crowd.

Throw him over! The man with the red scarf shouted, He is a spy for the founders! Harper stared thrusting back, trying to get his arms free but the crowd had him pinned as they approached the edge, the woman crying on her knees, her hands cupped over her face. Suddenly a voice came from behind the pylon.

Look mommy, the little girl said running towards her mother.

Evangeline, the mother screamed wrapping her hands around her daughter tightly.

Look, I caught a butterfly! Evangeline opened her hands and a shimmering butterfly flew up from her palms, its blue wings glittering in the light of the sun.

Let him be, the man with the scarf grunted and everyone let go of Harper, he dropped to his knees, his heart beating thousand beats a second as the girl approached him.

You okay mister?

No, he whispered, looking out to the horizon, No, I am not okay. In the distance, massive back storm clouds curled, wrapping around the blue sky, like skeletal fingers chocking the life out of earth.