The Forbidden Foray

Sand in my hair

My neighbor, in the purple chair (of sorts)

Sits lethargic

Blank stare

Into the vortex

The terror

The seaside was cold that day...

The day before yesterday

The day the Extractors caught us

I had lost my way

Fortuitous? Perhaps...

What ever one wishes to call it...

The echoes in the wind urged the stranger my way... I am sure of it

I know it was not my fault per se…

Not in the way lions stalk and trick their prey, secure a quick assault, then gorge superfluosly

My fingers simply lost their grip

Now here we sit

He in a purple pod

And I in the blue

We should not have been there-

He, nor I...

Followed that one rule-

The law of the land... no longer the same

Not in the least, as the rule of my youth

A concept that had become increasingly difficult to embrace...

But here we sit, lawbreakers, in pods set for the moon-

It was, after all forbidden...

Who could have known the conclusion?

The ultimate sacrifice we would pay for such a reckless incursion

Two strangers with a rebellious streak and a penchant for the beach

A foray into forbidden territory

Just a glimpse...

It was free, after all

Not so very long ago….

Before-

Before, this dystopian society slithered its way in-

Became our current reality….

That chilly afternoon I felt freedom-

A peace that lasted mere seconds….

Before those moronic...

Extractors caught us

I lost my grip-

Face first into the dampened sand…

The poor, curious stranger-

Betrayed, by his own sense of duty…

He Stayed-

He could have quickly taken leave... gotten clean away

Alas, he chose to be brave... to be human

I guess he thought it was still relevant to save another life...

For no reason in particular-

Aside from human decency...

Incorruptible even-

Now, here we sit-

Occupying 1 blue and 1 purple pod

20 Seconds away

From launch

“Straight to the moon”, as they say…

The sand in my hair sticks to my ear and tickles the fear away…

A smile on my face-

I'm numb to my upcoming departure

My neighbor, the hero, sits in the purple pod-

Silent

Blank Stare

He must have terrible regret...

Coming to my aid

In this dystopia…

That became reality…

Nobody noticed the increasing imbalance in the natural dualities of our existence…

Until, it was much too late-

There is no room or space for the things that mattered once...

Seemingly, thousands of years ago

When it mattered... when a human life meant something…

When caring for one another with purity of heart, mind and soul was held sacred-

(Loud voice over the speakers)

“ The penance for not following the codes laid out in our constitution: rule-breakers will be shot to the moon for insubordination and rebellion. There is no space for this manner of behavior.”

With that, our blue and purple pods zapped into space with the speed of light-

Floating amongst the stars...

My hero grabs my hand

We smile sweetly at one another

Look onto the beauty surrounding us

Millions of stars

Like shiny diamonds surrounding us

For a second, we are both happy

I dare say, at peace

Of course, only for a second

Then, instantaneously we turn into dust

Billions of floating particles rejoing the infinite...

Free again