Harmony in The Valley

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. There was a time before the trolls sold their wares in the marketplace, and the human children played in the streets side by side with the children of the fae. It feels as if it should have been always, but our friendship with the Outsiders is younger in age than I am myself.

I was born in the Valley, but I never knew much about my parents. I didn't know what they did for a living, or what their hobbies were. I didn't know the sound of my mother's voice, or my father's laugh, or even what they looked like.

I lived with my elderly, eccentric grandmother in a house with dozens of wind chimes hanging from the ceiling and a traditional Japanese Chabudai in the dining room, even though we weren't Japanese. The house was cluttered from room to room with proof of Grandma's eccentricity, and yet was warm and comfortable. It was home.

I remember on cool summer days Grandma used to like to leave all the doors and windows of the house open and let the fresh air make music on our chimes. It was a day just like that when I decided that I should take full advantage of the weather by eating my breakfast outside. We lived in a very decent neighborhood, in a very decent house. My favorite part was the screened in front porch, converted to be a plant room for mine and Grandma's plant collection. Potted plants, flowers, and succulents were placed on lovely multi- tier wooden plant stands all over the porch.

"Ah, Katy!" Grandma called as she joined me outside that morning. "I found something for you. Taped to the outside of the mailbox, funnily enough." She reached inside her bag and produced a white envelope, my name scrawled on the front.

Both curious and pleased, I thanked her, though she seemed preoccupied.

"What's wrong Grandma?"

"Well, nothing." She smiled. "The handwriting on this envelope reminds me of your mother's handwriting. But that's silly."

Shaking away the thought of my parents, I bolted down the rest of breakfast and hurried to my bedroom, envelope in tow.

My room was another favorite area of the home. It was large, with two king sized beds pushed together along one wall to create what I call “the mega- bed”. My writing desk was also in here, along with a bookshelf that was covered messily with books of all different genres. On that day, my room meant privacy to look over Grandma’s discovery. I sat on my bed, running shaky fingers along the edges of the envelope. The mention of my mom shook me up, and the idea of seeing my name in her handwriting made me queasy. After what seemed like ages, I had the confidence to open it and read the note inside.

Katherine, it's Mom. I dropped off your sister near the door. She's your responsibility now.

151 Yern Ln

All at once my whole body felt sick. I can barely recall making the decision to follow up on the note, nor the shaky bicycle ride from Grandma's house to the Valley's door a mile away. Clearly the note had been some kind of confusing joke, because I did not have a sister, or a mom as far as I was concerned. However as I approached the pathway that led to the door, confusion took a seat behind fear. The door led to the Outside, and being near it sent a chill down my spine.

Halfway down the trail was a tiny shack, not even tall enough to stand in. In comparison to the rest of the Valley it was a rudimentary structure, made of wood and favoring a log cabin. After dropping my bike at the start of the trail I walked the rest of the way to the cabin shack, wringing my hands to quell the anxiety.

"I am most surprised to see you here!" Said the man inside. The cheery fellow, who's name was Pot, was approximately three feet tall and impossibly thin. He was also the only member of the Community who came from the Outside.

Pot looked at me through the small window hole in the shack and smiled. I offered him a halfhearted smile in return despite the sense of urgency rushing through me.

"Not many people be coming to the exit these days." He said. "You're not leaving are you?"

I shook my head "no", suddenly feeling like it was silly of me to have gone there. Now that I had to explain my situation to Pot, what would I even say? What even was my situation? And did we have to be so close to the door?

"Did anything… come through the door today?" I asked him.

"Hmm, nope. Not been many people around here, in or out."

"How do you know if something is outside the door?"

"Well, always something outside the door. Always lots of things out there. But don't worry, the door's locking mechanism and good ol' Pot will keep on keeping everything out there, out there."

"Can I look for something really quick? Outside?" The last word burned in my throat. I'd never felt so nervous. More than half of me wanted to leave this supposed sister of mine out there, if she was there at all.

Pot raised an eyebrow at me. "You go out and the door closes, you can't come back in."

I gave Pot a serious look. "Don't. Let. The door. Close." We met eyes. "I just need to look around for a quick second. I'm coming right back in."

He considered this for quite a few moments before saying "Hmph. Alright! But the door cannot stay open long. Take a quick glance left, a quick glance right, and back inside! Don't know what could be so important."

Next thing I knew, I was thanking Pot and running towards the door, ignoring every screaming fear inside of me. With a click and a whirr, the door was open. For the first time in my life I was seeing the Outside- what I could see of it at least. Nothing lie ahead except a dense forest unlike any in the Valley. A stupid and grand sense of adventure overtook me, and I kept running.

The Outside was dangerous because it was full of Outsiders. They were the reason the wall was built around the Valley. We stayed inside the door for our own safety, and the Valley was a paradise. If my mother left a child out there alone, I had to find her. I had to take her back to the Valley, back to Grandma.

When the immediate area came up empty, I started searching a bit farther out. Still, I found nothing. There was not even so much as a note nailed to a tree, let alone my sister. I was anxious, and I was regretful. Deciding to give up, I turned to run back towards the door when a baby's cry stopped me in my tracks. Stumbling over the uneven terrain of the forest, I followed the sound into the trees.

"I'm coming!" I called. "Don't cry, I'm coming!" Please be safe, please be safe. I think to myself, full of nerves. The cries led me right to her. Sitting against the trunk of a tree sat a small child, still under a year old. She wore strange clothing made out of sewn leaves and animal fur, with a note hanging from a string around her neck. I scooped up the girl in my arms, shushing and rocking her for a moment before looking at the message she wore.

Katherine,

Hello older sister. I am Harmony. I am yours to care for now. You must, for there is no other choice.

My head was swirling, full of confusing and contradicting noise. The one thought that came clearly was that I had spent more than enough time Outside. I had Harmony, and it was time to go home. Shoving the note in my pocket I adjusted the baby in my arms and prepared to run.

The run back to the door was slower and slightly more difficult now that I was holding Harmony, yet I pushed on. Adrenaline fueled me along with constant thoughts of Grandma. "She'll love you so much, just like she did me." I tell the baby. The closer I got to the door, the more excited I became. Everything was working out. Harmony was real and I found her, and I didn't even encounter any Outsiders.

Approaching the area where I first entered the forest, a panic immediately overtook me. I should have been able to see the opening in the wall well before we got there. I ran harder, desperately, until I reached the Valley's exit. There was no break in the wall, no opening. The door was closed, and it was locked. Harmony and I were stuck Outside.