Dogfights

Dogfights - Family (Chapter 3)

The crowd cheered with an enthusiasm that shook the foundations of the cloud city that floated high above the earth. A great celebration was taking place, electrifying the air and creating a sense of excitement throughout. Petals of the endangered daisy flower littered the evening's sky. White and golden buildings stretched upwards, their magnificent pillars standing steadfast. Clear wind blew throughout the streets of the heaven moving the banners that fluttered and danced. Denizens of this paradise were themselves perfect, their bodies healthy, their hearts glad. Men and women, old and young, gathered in the large courtyard of pure marble that glistened under the sunlight. They were happy, and so their city was happy, and so it shone all the brighter.

Split down the middle of the crowd was a red carpet laced with golden yarn. It went across, all the way to a set of steps which rose to a building of glass. A marvel, created by great artists and architects who had spent their lives to birth this creation of splendor. There it housed some of the wealthiest and most influential peoples of the world. It was both an honor and a privilege to walk through the giant glass doors, to see the great walls glistening in their array of vivid colors. Each inch of the building was created with loving care by the craftsman, every nook and cranny an extension of another human being. In many ways the glass building was the cloud city itself. It was the mirror of the well privileged and successful, of the greatness that was mankind.

On top of the steps leading up to the glass building stood a single man, peering down at the scene unfurling before him. He was a sharp contrast to the elegant-looking peoples cheering in the courtyard with their handsome suits and dresses composed of sharp angles and defined features. This man wore the clothes of the working middle-class, of the downtrodden below. A dark trenchcoat covered most of his body, hiding the gray suit so commonplace in the workforce. A dour expression lay on his face that seemed frozen in time. He could not have been older than thirty, yet the dark bags that circled his eyes and his scrappy beard aged the man considerably. Sitting next to him was a gray wolf. It was a magnificent beast, with eyes emitting intelligence uncommon in the animal kingdom. The wolf gazed along with his master, an uncanny resemblance existing between the two.

A golden Walker entered the front of the courtyard then, its four mechanical legs moving swiftly, like a spider. It parked itself in front of the horde of cheering spectators and then stood motionless. As the doors opened the crowd began cheering harder, beckoning the person inside. The noise reverberated throughout the cloud city, echoing off great stone monuments that stood in conjunction with the shining technologies of the rich.

From the Walker came a woman. She was beautiful, with soft features and graceful gestures that carried her out into the roaring crowd. She smiled, waving, her black hair dancing with each movement. She walked down the sea of peoples triumphantly and with grace.

After moving through the crowd the women encountered the many steps. She lifted her head to gaze upon the glass building. Every time she gazed upon the high, glimmering walls she discovered a newfound appreciation for the masterpiece. She smiled, enwrapped in it all.

Her eyes drifted to the man and the wolf. The smiled faded.

She approached the man who was staring intently at her, unfazed by the commotion around him. A few of the fallen daisies clung to his coat.

"Don't look so disappointed to see me, brother," the woman said. She transformed then, from grace and helplessness into something much more sinister and intelligent.

The man forced a smile. The woman closed in on him, kissing his cheek once and then turning around, waving to the crowd in front of her. Every action was elegance, a dancer in her element, a glittering symbol of hope for the privileged.