Falling Off the Edge

Once upon a time, as this is how all good stories begin, there were two lands far, far away. They were completely flat, one about fifteen ritles across, over another piece of land, about seventeen ritles across. Everyday, the sun and moon traded places through a large tube at the centre of each piece of land, which was forty ritles long. They were pulled by some unknown attraction; no one knew what.

One day, the town vagrant from Foahex-over-the-sun wandered further than anyone had dared go, past the deadly desert where it was said giant Sharpies roamed. No one had ever seen them, but legend proclaimed that one little girl came back from the desert with a face fall full of dark markings and expired shortly thereafter. The vagrant survived because father the desert was an ocean. The reader can suppose that the vagrant drunkenly swam through. After the ocean, well, that was it. He fell off the edge and own forty titles and onto Foahex-under-the-moon. The inhabitants of Foahex-under-the-moon were very bewildered as to where this creature had come from.

Foahex-under-the-moon has a strange tradition of sacrificing one inhabitant every 525,600 moon switches. The day this new creature landed happened to be the eve of the 525,600th switch. So of course, half the population wanted to destry it, for the species of over-the-sun and under-the-moon were very different. The other half wanted to study it. War erupted, but that was fine because the under-the-moon inhabitants regenerated after ten mentzels. War ended in about twenty benoweths with those who wanted to study him wining because they captured it and left (which was how they won most wars).

Meanwhile, in over-the-sun, no one was looking for the vagrant. They were totally unaware of the war happening fort ritles below them.

At this point, the author should explain a mite about the creature and species of Foahex-over-the-moon and under-the-moon. Over-the-sun has two species much like Earth's: the Bobs and the Marys. Under-the-moon however, has destroyers and studys. As for the naming of the lands, they were imprinted on the ground and have been called every since. The author does not want to go into the details of religion, consummation, or creation of these unusual creatures.

The studys took the vagrant, whose name was Sirius, and a Bob, into their high-tech laboratory to perform intensive research on the individual. Sirius, now somewhat sober, took mental pictures to tell his folks in Foahex-over-the-sun -- that is if he ever got back. The feeling of homesickness began to set in as he noticed all the unfamiliar machines crowding the laboratory.

The studys brought Sirius into a blank white cell, containing only a magnetically charged chair.

"Please, sit," a voice said from behind him. Sirius turned around to find the voice and found none; the studys who had ushered him there were gone. Sirius had no other choice but to sit.

"Are you a study, or," a pause, "a destroyer?" The voice said the latter with disgust.

"Uh...where do I answer?" Sirius felt helpless in the new environment.

"I can hear you. Answer the question." the voice commanded.

"Well, I don't know what studys or destroyers are -- sir." There was no reply from the voice. "But I know I"m a Bob, my name is Sirius, and I'm from Foahex-over-the-sun, and..." Sirius trailed off. He often blabbered when he was nervous and knew it.

"Foahex-over-the-sun?" Suddenly a study, dressed in a white coat and goggles appeared in front of him. Seeing Sirius' shocked face, the study explained, "We have teleportation," the scientist waved his hand as though to brush it away. "Tell me about this Foahex-over-the-sun you speak of." And so Sirius, homesick and yearning for familiarity, began to describe the rambling country-side and simple cottages of his hometown. Then, he moved on to the deadly desert of Sharpies, and lastly the vast ocean of waving flags.

The study listened, fascinated. When Sirius stopped, the study calmly pointed out the spoke the same language. Of course Sirius had not noticed because the inhabitants of Foahex-over-the-sun were not as bright as the studys of under-the-moon.

"Yes, I suppose so," Sirius mused.

"What do you call your, well, this language in over-the-sun?" asked the study.

"We call it Foahesian," replied Sirius. The study teleported a notebook and wrote everything down; studys have perfect memory.

"I see." Sirius continued to sit awkwardly. "Would you like to go back?" Sirius nodded furiously. "I believe the studys in Lab 409 have found a way to send you back up." Sirius jumped up with glee. Home. A word that could change one's perspective on everything. The study went on to explain that Sirius would be seated in a ship, then they would catapult him at a fifty-two geno angle, and hopefully Sirius would land in over-the-sun. Sirius was a bit doubtful of all this because he thought the study s moved altogether zoo quickly for him to fathom, but went along with it.

The study escorted Sirius outside to meed the studys who'd created the ship and catapult. The silently indicated for Sirius to sit in the ship and glared at the study who had been interviewing Sirius, though he did not know why. As soon as he was settled, a study programmed the ship to 'walk' to the catapult and seat itself.

"Flouz, fiez, faoz!" And Sirius was off.

Unfortunately, the studys made the first miscalculation in 2,628,000 moon switches. Sirius hit the edge of over-the-sun and fell back down to under-the moon, where the studys were standing. All the studys murmured disappointment and grew even more polite and reserved. Sirius heard one study say softly,

"What if we sent him up with the moon?" But all the other studys quickly shushed him and Sirius also wanted to protest.

A few more towels of silence passed, the studys in thought. Then the began to discuss how that could work. After all, the moon only reflected the Sun's light, so it couldn't be dangerous. Sirius and the rest of the residents in Foahex-over-the-sun had not been aware of this.

It was broad wad daylight because the sun was beginning to rise upwards.

"Well, the moon's going to come down soon, so we'll send you up with it tomorrow," announced on study. "Meanwhile, a kine has been prepared for you, courtesy of Teleportation & Co." Some coins flew into the study's hand, and it put it in its pocket. The rest of the studys began to disperse, and a study escorted him into Lab 106, where a lofty kine waited for him. The study left, locking the pristine white door behind him. Exhausted from his inter-Foahex travels, Sirius fell immediately to sleep. But the problem was, inhabitants from over-the-sun are given specific information to remember all there lives. Everything else vanishes the next sun switch. Consequently, the next morning Sirius had no clue where he was or what happened.

The studys, not aware of Sirius' condition and thus, confusion, woke him early before the moon began to rise. They told Sirius to get into the safety ship and when he asked why the studys stared to him. Self-consiously, he got into the ship. One of the studys pull out a remote and pressed a button. A glass door revealed itself, making an entrance to the moon. The ships rolled into the glass from and onto the moon and the door slid shut. The studys gazed at him solemnly and waved in unison.

Sirius shot up with the moon and was never seen again.