A WORLD THAT NEVER RAINS
I coughed at the smoke that was moving into my lungs. Putting down my shovel and wiping away the sweat and black coal marks off my face, I wondered, what time is it in a world like this? I pulled up my arm to look at my wrist as though it would tell me the time. It was a weird habit I've been doing lately, I'm curious if I have caught a disease. It's always raining here, but I don't think there's anything other than rain, or is there? I wished my life could be a little more interesting than just working in here, the Heatre Room.
Because this world is always raining, it seems like everything is dead. As though life has been washed away by the rain. The dolls here are always cold therefore my job is to make heat for this world however, the grey fire never ever seem hot enough to me. Despite my thought towards the strength of the heat, I can never stop working till I hear the bell..that's when it marks the end of one day.
On day XX101, I left my house and headed to the heatre room as usual. The porcelain doll was standing at the entrance, ready to hand me my name badge and have the usual chat with me.
“Oh hello there boy!Let's see...Dante Eleanor..” he searched through a pile of laminated cards while humming the same old melody of a song I know nothing of. His humming stopped abruptly as he stretched out his hand to hand me my badge .
“Here you go! Having a good day?”
“Thanks. Nothing interesting..the usual” I replied in a monotonic tone.
“Well then, have a...great day!” he hesitated for a second before finishing the final part of his sentence.
I looked at my badge to make sure it was mine. It only had a picture of me and my name printed on it. I guess that's how all the dolls are in this world. They know nothing of themselves except their appearance and name.
Carrying my shovel with me, I hung my coat up and went to get a bucket load of coal for the fire. As my hand reached down to pick up the heavy load, something caught my eye. It was a tiny bright light shining in the heap of used coal on the fireplace. Without looking too suspicious, I picked up my bucket and walked towards the fireplace. I was so eager to see what is was, my legs were almost running by themselves. As I bent down to look into the fireplace, I saw it! It was the most implausible thing I've ever seen. I picked it up with the most awestruck expression I've ever put on. In my hands was a stone of colour so beautiful that I couldn't even utter a single word to describe it. It was as though I have caught a glimpse of what they call heaven. The stone, did not belong here.
Seeing such a colourful stone in the middle of a pile of piceous coal struck me with a question that I would never have thought of asking myself. Could this unbelievable rock have come from an undiscovered world? I slowly put my head through the fireplace and looked up the chimney for the first time in all my life of working in the heatre room.
As I looked up into the dark narrowing chimney, I let out a gasp of horror which in my heart was filled with hope, joy, and confusion. Deep into the long pathway of the chimney were rays of coloured light shining through the middle of the long stony hole way. “How could such colour exist here?” I thought to myself. Noticing that what I just saw was incredibly unreal, I decided to climb towards the ray of light. I emptied my mind of whatever hopes I had of that light because I didn't want to fall deep if this sighting would only be a mere dream. I grabbed onto the gravelly stone walls of the chimney path with all my strength and before I knew it, I was standing in front of this mouldy liquid warp surface. Without hesitating, I gently touched the surface of the warp and my finger went through it as though I was going through another dimension. I squeezed myself into the warp and walked down a staircase which slowly turn from black to grey and then, to white as I descended from above.
I looked at my feet and below it was a white surface which looked almost furry. It was the first time I've seen something so fluffy; I wanted to touch it. As I bent down and touched the surface of what I was standing on and I let out a huge gasp of astonishment. These, were clouds! It felt almost dry except for a few hint of wetness on my fingers which evaporated almost instantly. I glanced into the distance and in front of me was a path of clouds connecting to where I was standing.
So eager, I started running and in a split second I was falling through the clouds. I heard a huge thud as I landed and a girl's voice
“Oh dear! Are you okay? Here, let me help you up”
I glanced up and a girl with pleated pony tails was stretching out her arms and kneeling down to help me up.
“I'm fine.” I said as I gathered the energy to stand up
After regaining my balance,I took a clearer look. This female doll had colour. No, she did not look like any of the other dolls in the other world. She was bright and alive.
“Did you come from somewhere else?” she bent down, her eyes widening.
I was shocked. So this isn't a dream after all. I gave a subtle nod and answered still in shock,
“I came from above. I went through this warp and I walk down a staircase and...clouds..Where is this place?” I asked.
She widened her eyes and let out a huge gasp.
“You must have seen the umbrellas then!I can't believe this is real! The warp has merely been a myth to this whole city but...you came through it?! Oh, I can't wait to tell all the people about this. I'm Crimson Gold, and you are?”
“Umbrellas? Uhm, I'm Dante Eleanor. What umbrellas? People?”
“Look up!” she said.
I tilted my head towards the sky and on top of me were the most extraordinary sighting I've ever seen. Umbrellas were hanging from the sky and light passed through the curved surfaces of the umbrellas, shining the colours and patterns of heaven to the surroundings. I looked at my hands, they had colour! I have colour! Not long after, Crimson grabbed my hand and led me down a stairway that had the exact same stones that I found in the fireplace. While running through every corner of the colourful city she told me more about this new world. About dolls like me whom are called people, how everyone had a birthday and the nifty gadgets that people would wear on their wrists to tell them the time. She brought me into her home and told me of her mother who hangs a calender in the kitchen to count the years and cooks delicious fried chicken for dinner. But most importantly, she spoke of the existence of the sun and how it awakes this city.
Two years have passed since I've been here. I help people chop firewood and light up fireplaces for the royal parties held by the successors of this city. I've never regretted not going back because after I came here I've never stopped smiling. It felt as though I have been reborn into a place where I belonged. A world where fire is orange and not grey and clouds are white and pure. A world that never rains.
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