Light baby bird blue filled your dreams as you slept. As you walked through the blueness the nothingness under your feet became green grass. Huge trees started to appear, trees so tall they might touch the sky. Everything is open before you, open fields and endless sky. Suddenly you were falling deeper and deeper watching the blue sky getting father away until the darkness swallows your vision. You wake with a start covered in cold sweat. Looking over at your nightstand clock you read the time and promptly jump from the bed. You had promised your best friend Arch that you would met him at the swimming spot this morning at 9:30am and you were currently running out the door at 9:28.
You and your friend Archimedes meet at the swimming hole to relax for the day. Occasionally Arch would smile or wink at a group of young ladies nearby. He had always been popular with the girls throughout high school and that didn't change when they graduated a few years ago. You said farewell to your friend and went home to change out of wet clothes. 'Today's the day.' You through to yourself as you get re-dressed into dark pants and a deep olive green top. You were going to explore the wall that surrounded your world. And see if you could find a spot to see through to the other side. Packing a lunch and your sketch book in to your bag you left quietly as you could. Most of the evening you explore the mossy covered walls with no luck. Until you came to a stair case that was mostly blocked by a tree. Your small frame was easily able to slip by. At the top of the stairs you came to very small door. It was wooden, from what you could tell, with swirl designs of iron built into it. Gripping the handle, you pulled it open, only to have the whole door fall off its hinges and clattered onto the stone floor. After jumping back to avoid it you sat for a moment to be sure no one heard the racket. Regaining your courage, you went through the door into a small room. Each wall had a door much like the one you just broke. You went to the door directly opposite of the way you entered. The wood was warm to the touch. You turned the handle and pushed on the door. It didn't move. You pushed harder with all you weight and felt it begin to slide open slowly. A bright orange ish pink ish light pored through the opening you had created. Opening it just enough and then slip through. Your bare feet felt cool grass under them and a chilly breeze blew through your hair. You opened your eyes to find yourself outside the wall. As you looked around you were over whelmed with the openness. You sat at the door and drew till it was dark. You made your way back, and was sure to seal the outside door tightly. It was forbidden to go beyond the walls, and you could never show anything you drew to anyone.
Over the next few months you drew more about the outside world, but never dared to go back. It was winter now, and Christmas was around the corner. Every year the master of the town gave one gift to every single person in town. Small toys for the children and mostly new cloth to the mothers. You and Arch were helping pass out the gifts this year. Each volunteer had a large sack of gifts they would carry to each house to deliver gifts. The master's advisor had the largest sack this year. "Hey Icarus come help me with this." Said Arch as he set own his sack. You two had stopped on a tall bridge that over looked a road under you. The master's advisor just happened to be walking under the bridge at this time. You look over and see Arch getting ready with a two-person sling shot. He hands you part of the sling and the sharp stone but your mind is else were thinking about the land beyond. Looking down at the objects in your hands then up at the retreating back of the advisor. "Hey, we shouldn't do this." You say in a soft confused voice as you hand Arch back the sling strap and rock. He looks back at you concerned. "Hey I've noticed you've been acting weird for the past few weeks. And now you don't want to prank the advisor. You doing alright Bird?" he asks as he puts his sling shot away. Bird, he called you by the nickname he gave you. He hardly every uses it, only when he knows something isn't right. You try to shake off your thoughts. Smiling back at him you respond, "Yah I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind right now I guess. Come on let's get these delivered so we can go eat." You knew it sounded halfhearted but it was the best you could do right now.
After you and Archimedes finished delivering the gifts he invited you over for dinner after you change into something more formal. You were almost back to your family's home a sweet little two story house by the meadow just outside of the main town. You set out your evening clothes on your bed and hoped into the shower. As you finished getting dressed there was a large crash coming from your study room. You grabbed a letter opener and slowly opened the door own the hall. All your sketch books and papers were thrown about in the room and there was a man dressed all in black, standing there with all your drawings of beyond the wall bunched in his hand. He was holding an oil lamp in his other hand. "Burn everything." He said in a gruff voice. You stepped swiftly into the room and trye to keep the hazards lamp away from your works. But before your outstretched hand was able to grab the light he threw down the lamp into the pile of books and paper. It shattered on to the ground spraying flaming oil everywhere and onto your clothes a little. He lit your newest drawings on fire and jumped out the window. You tried to put out the flames but it was no use they grew and grew. You quickly grabbed a few of your personal items, the last picture of your parents and your wool hat before being forced out of the burning house by the smoke and flames. Not long later you saw a large group of people running up the road towards the smoldering remains of your house. You sat there on the opposite side of the road in the snow watching it burn with a blank look of bewilderment
You felt a hand on your shoulder, it was Arch's father asking you what had happened. "A lamp shattered in my study, I couldn't put it out…." You hear yourself saying in a low monotone voice. Everything was gone. All of your art, your books, even all of your clothes were now a burning pile of ash in front of you. You were shivering in the cold, you had on a nice black shirt and a deep purple button up vest and the wool hat Arch had gotten you for your birthday a few years ago. Archimedes was suddenly there shaking your shoulder saying your name over and over trying to get your attention. "Archimedes, it's gone…everything is gone." You said shaken with a cracked voice. He puts his coat around your shoulders and helps you stand. You feel his arm around your shoulders, guiding you back to his house.
You sit in the arm chair next to the window at Archimedes house, a cup clenched tightly in your hands. You can hear Arch and his father talking in the next room. You could feel the burning of your lungs from the smoke and the cold numbness in your fingers. You take another shaky sip of the honey tea in your mug before setting it down on the table next to you. Arch comes and knees down at eyes level with you "Hey, I talked with my father and he said you could live here with us until you can get back on your feet." You nod and mumble thank you. He takes the mug of tea and puts it back in your hands "You can have the spare room down the hall from mine. Let's see if I have any old clothes that will fit you. And I want you to finish this tea, it will help." He says calmly as he motions for you to follow him. Arch finds some clothes for you, they are a little big but they are better than your currently ruined dress clothes. The oil had burned large holes in your pant legs and your two tops. You return down stairs to the chair by the window. You watch as large, fat snowflakes fall and cover the town in a thick blanket. Someone out there knows you've been outside the wall and possibly knows where the door is if he read any of your paper scarps that were on your desk. Now you can only wait. Wait to see what will happen in the morning.