I've done a bit | An SVA stori

Chapter 3: The Tall Tree

Rowan woke to the sound of his mum yelling for him and his brother. He sluggishly put on clothes from the floor before seeing it was almost midday.

"Sayle! Rowan!" Their mother shouted.
It hit Rowan that today was when he said he'd visit his father.
"Yea, we're coming." Rowan sighed, brushing his teeth.
His brother came a few minutes after, fixing his bed hair.
Sayle was Rowans older brother by a few years. The two had similar faces and the easiest way to tell them apart is Sayles height and his long hair, although I'm sure if given time Rowan would catch up.
The boys headed off and their mother drove off to work.

They got to their fathers 'hut' as they called it and knocked on the door. Their father, Field, answered with a warm smile on his face.
"Sayle, Rowan." He said and welcomed them in.

In reality the 'hut' was a one floored house Field had built himself in the Rhospen woods, at the east end of Holy Isle.

There was never anything to distract Rowan from how bad he really was at talking to people in the hut. The TV was never plugged in and the aerial lead to soil outside.

Field had dinner almost ready for them all before they arrived. He served it around his small table and sat with his boys.
"You still talk to your friend?" He asked Rowan, digging in.
"Uh, yea- she's- we talk." Rowan got out.
"Good, you two were always close."
"Can we- how's the house?" Rowan said, not caring.
"Good." Field answered, knowing he only asked to change he subject. "So how's school going?" He asked.
While he did answer, Rowan zoned out, not aware of what he was saying anymore, just living in his own head. He assumed Sayle was the same. He preferred it as Field would go on about recent conspiracy theories. Whenever he did Rowan would only pretend to listen, but he'd hear a voice at the back of his mind, reminding him the sky wasn't real.

After about an hour of bad small talk Sayle got up.
"Yea, I'm gonna go, see ya 'round dad." He said and left. Not before Field yelled his goodbyes from the other room.

"He's- he just doesn't like this stuff, y'know." Rowan sighed, feeling a little embarrassed at Sayle being rude.
"I know I know." Field nodded. "I just want you kids to know this stuff."
"...have you seen anything... about the sky?" He asked a little nervously.
"...why'd you ask?" Field asked, smiling a little.
"I've just been... thinking." He replied.
"Well. There's a few I've seen in my time." Field began, sitting back and getting comfortable, "We can start with the clouds being manmade. Then there's always the dome, but that's with flat earth, I assume you don't want to hear that. What else?" He paused to think.
"Like, have you heard about what's past the sky?" Rowan asked, looking down.
"No. I haven't." Field said, "But I'd like to." He sat forward, waiting for Rowan to talk. Rowan felt his stomach drop when he said the last part.
"I, no I dunno it's just a story." He brushed off and got up, "I'll..." He sighed and nodded to the door. "Nice seeing you." He said and made his way to the door.
"Rowan." Field said and followed him.
"Yea?" Rowan asked, looking up at his dad.
"Whatever you're doing, or whatever you've seen. Don't let it scare you. Okay?" He said and put his hands on the boys shoulders, who just looked embarrassed.
"...yea, whatever. See ya." He said and left.

It took him a few hours to really think about what his father told him. He didn't go home after visiting him, he went to the waterfall.

In the few months Piper had been away, the waterfall rarely saw anyone. Their secret place, hidden in trees and leaves had now become overrun with them. Rowan would only go up there when he felt sad or scared, just to be alone.

When he thought about what his father told him he looked at the sky. It did scare him. For the first time he was aware of just how much the idea of the sky being fake scared him. That's why he decided to learn the truth. He thought if he could just touch the top of sky, he'd know where it was, and he'd go from there, wherever it led him.

He brushed the dust of his jet boots and brought them to the waterfall. He stood still, in an opening of trees a minute away and looked at the sky he was determined to touch.

The boots shook but just let out a wheeze of dust. They were out of fuel and he just sighed,
"Shit."

As if the boots set it off, the clouds began raining. This is when he saw something move. Just behind him, in the corner of his eye. A tall figure but when he looked, he was alone again, just surrounded by trees and the sound of running water.