The Sky is Really Falling?
It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon in the village and like always Levi was tired of spending the day inside with school. The school bell rang and with it the "whoosh" of Levi speeding out the door harmonized as he was finally free. The soccer field his target. He raced their wanting to get a few extra kicks in before his friends were to join them. His long life friend Jasper and Jasmine made a pact that they would all make it on their high school teams next year so their personal practice began everyday after school.
Levi arrived at the field and placed the ball at the penalty box line. He had to start practicing his aim as Jasmine was becoming a super star goalie. He lined himself up and ran towards the ball, eyes aimed toward the top left corner, Jasmine's weak spot. He began to pick up sped, foot connecting with the ball.
"CLANG!"
Levi paused. That was not the familiar and satisfying "wham" usually heard when his foot struck the ball. He glanced back at where he previously stood. An octagonal screen laid in his place. He glanced around wondering if it were some new high-tech frisbee, but no one was around. Cautiously Levi approached the mysterious tech. His gaze drifted upward and he saw something that just did not make sense. There was a hole... in the sky. It clicked for him. The sky was falling! Jasmine and Jasper rounded the corner making their way into the park and up to the field as Levi concocted a theory.
"THE SKY IS FALLING! JASMINE! JASPER! WE ARE GONNA DIE!" Levi yelled, panic coating every word. The pair stared at Levi in disbelief. Their friend had lost it. They approached him slowly trying to understand why he was freaking out. "Look! I swear it is real!" The two looked at Levi then followed his eyes down to the octagon laying on the hard grass. Jasmine gasped, Levi wasn't lying.
"CLANG!"
About a 100 yards away another octagon fell. And then another and another until it began to rain octagons. The group raced as fast as the could to the nearest building, awning, pavilion, anything for cover from the technological sky. The villages' alarm system began to sound. It was only used for emergencies and if there was every time to use it now was definitely the time.
"Attention! Everyone get under cover now. Do not go outside. Stay safe and be smart. Repeat all residents get cover until advised otherwise." Levi wondered what was happening. It took awhile. It was almost dark when they were told it was safe to move out from where they were hiding. It was weird though, there were no stars and the moon was no where to be seen. They had just talked in astronomy that it would be a full moon...
The three rushed form where they were taking cover and back to the school. Everyone was demanded to gather in the towns largest center, the school gymnasium. Up on stage stood the mayor and a man in a funny looking lab coat. Whispered ran around the crowd, babies cried and mothers tried to hush them and while families crowded together discussing the day's events. The man in the funny lab coat approached the stand and microphone. The crackle of the mic hushed the crowd.
"My name is Dr. Mead and I work for Nova Technologies. I do apologize for what has happened today and hope that no one got hurt. I am here to inform you that your village had been chosen for observation for the past 200 years." Levi stumbled back. The stirring of the crowd returned as people tried to process and understand the news of Dr. Mead.
"Please everyone settle down. My lab has been observing you to understand humans and their abilities to understand and build technology. We wanted to see if 'cut' off from the world what sorts of technological advances a town could achieve on their own. I understand that this is a lot to process, but the world you had currently lived in was a simulation. Because of the buildings age it had begun to crumble. We will now begin the process of acclimating you to the current world and the year 2201." The crowds hushed concerns grew like a tsunami about to crash into the man on stage. but all Levi could do was stare at the man in the lab coat in awe, confusion, and disbelief. His entire world had crumbled, literally. He wondered if the outside world even had soccer...
Author's Note:
The story I chose to draw from was the Foolish Timid Rabbit. I wanted to take the approach that the "rabbit" or in this case Levi was not foolish or timid, but panic because the sky was indeed falling. I wanted to take it to a place where if need be I can add on to the story with the villages acclimation process into the year 2201.
Story source: Jataka Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt.
Hi Keana! This is such an interesting take on the original story! I like that you shifted the characters to humans living in our time, and it is cool that you really made the sky fall. Usually these type of stories always have "boy who cried wolf" or "chicken little" morals, but this finally gives the whistleblower credit for bringing everyone's attention to a real danger.
ReplyDeleteKeana! Great job at incorporating the original Foolish Timid Rabid. Your twist at the "sky if falling" was refreshing in comparison to the original story. Your writing is very vivid and you describe the scenarios so well that it didn't take much for me to imagine your illustrations. Its funny how in the end he chooses to wonder was soccer. Is this because soccer was the only thing he truly cares about in the world? A backstory on why he cares so much about soccer might really take the story into the next level. I overall really love you interpretation of the Jakata tale. "THE SKY IS FALLING" really reminded me of the movie Chicken Little, like how Robert comment on as well. When I initially read this, I thought that Levi was just the boy who cried wolf. The twist of making what he said true was a nice surprise for me as a reader!
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