There were lines of silence at the rides. The longest lines I’d ever not heard that winded through the railings just to get on a ride that was out of order. I looked across the horizon. Grass had been growing out of the cracks in the cement, and ant colonies inhabited the abandoned park by the hundreds. Everyone was far ahead of me, taking advantage of this private palace of children indulgencies. I couldn’t help but stop and put my heavy load down. I was surrounded by the tight summer heat, which stretched with every breath of wind. I suppose it was because I was enclosed by enormous rollercoasters and a mammoth carousel, but I felt smaller than ever at that point. I watched my co-workers move quickly along, just trying to finish their duties and please the Boss. As I rested, I looked up at the clouds and drowned in thought. The clouds, they’re so far. No matter how many loads I stack, I would never be able to reach those feathery puffs. I began to helplessly ponder about my parents. I was beginning to align with their fate. I remember when they came back to our section every night after work, their faces snapped into a robotic happiness. Sure, I was young and naïve, but their eyes beamed the truth. They were exhausted and defeated. Their smile was only for the benefit of the Society, nonetheless. I became overwhelmed with this revelation of my insignificance.
I heard a splash coming from the carousel. A raindrop pounded into the pools of dust on the carousel seats. My heart pick up in pulsation. I placed the heavy load on my back, and raced towards shelter. Raindrops became louder as they got thicker. It was as if my footsteps were opening the skies and calling to the rain. I was scurrying at an unmatchable pace. Pellets of rain rapidly embodied me. I was drenched and needed to find shelter before it began to flood. Ant piles greeted me with an offer of protection, but I’m not welcome inside an enemies nest. The carousel was gone, the rollercoasters were gone, and I was gone. I didn’t know where I was, and the clouds were now smudged and grayed. Lost, my end seemed near.
Suddenly, I found shelter. I couldn’t feel the unforgivable rain coming down on me. Though, I could still hear rain pellets kissing the Earth all around me. While continuing to run, I looked up towards the reliable sky. I was beyond shocked. The sky had vanished. The new sky was some foreign pattern of a purple color. Though I was thankful that this new sky was not raining, I was immensely confused. Beside me was now a type of small tree with two branches that seemed to walk as I was walking. I inspected the tree branches, and they stopped walking. I too stopped walking, because I decided that these tree branches were what gave me my new sky. I smiled at the tree branches, showing thanks for my new sky. They began to walk towards me. Confused, I stood still. The rooting of the tree branches were big, black stone-like figures. Each step that came closer roared as it came down onto the ground. Unexpectedly, one of the tree branches planted itself down into the ground, right in front of me. I looked up, and saw the rooting of the other tree branch hovering above me. It began to tear down at me.
My body was flattened. I could feel life slipping out of me. The weight on top of me was indescribable, it was so painful. I had never experienced this, and knew I would never have to. I was dying. My murderer lifted off of me. I glared at the two branches as they gleefully continued to walk. Did they know they had just killed me? Did they know that death now laid in their tracks? In their absence, my new sky melted away and it continued to rain. The rain began to form puddles. I would have a watery coffin. I tried to cram some final thoughts into my head, but I could only wonder if anyone would even notice I was gone. No one back at the colony would. I had no family. My parents were dead. Then I reiterated: I really was going to have the same fate as my parents. I looked up at the sky. The sky never had any answers. I died.
“You see, the amusement park has been closed for some years now, but it would only take a little maintenance to get it back up and running,” the salesmen said with a cheesy, fake grin plastered across his face. He shifted his flamboyant, purple umbrella around in his sweaty palms. The plump client and his wife stood closely together under a single umbrella and bobbled their eyes around the rides and empty food stations. The wife looked down at the ground, and then whispered something into her husband’s beet-red ear.
“Where did all these ant piles come from? I ain’t buying some amusement park with a bunch of crawly ants manifesting and such. Dat won’t get any business.”
“It’s not a problem, sir. These April showers should kill the lot of them, and if it doesn’t, I have a list of expert exterminators that could kill them all in no time. Why, we’ve probably stepped on half of them already.” The salesman howled with a cruel laughter, and the couple began to giggle as well.