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Peg was distraught over the decision to leave Josie behind. Sure Josie had proven time and time again that she could take care of herself, but Peg felt it may have been too much for her. What if Josie didn’t make it? Would she be ok crossing the finish line and climbing the stalk without her, especially with all she’s done to help?
She cursed to herself as Midnite Cruiser barrelled closer and closer to the finish line. Victory was merely minutes from her grasp but Josie was still nowhere to be seen. She checked the rearview, desperate to see Josie’s familiar face but instead, greeted by a pair of teams struggling behind her.
“Hey!” Peg yelled, turning her head to speak. “Have you seen a black girl, short locs with overalls?”
“Screw you!” One of the racers yelled back, pulling their whistle to signal more coal to be loaded so they could close the distance.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
Peg reached into a nearby compartment and found a small jar filled with beans. She carefully maneuvered lighting a match and tossing it into the jar, quickly casting it behind her. The jar exploded on impact causing a thick cloud of multi-colored smoke, sparks and other things to disorient the teams trailing her. This helped Peg keep her distance and she knew it wasn’t much farther. But, guilt and despair had begun surging inside her. She tried to breathe deep and center, but this feeling felt overwhelming and somehow all too familiar.
🌱🌱🌱
Years ago, there was an expedition up the stalk and into the clouds. Peg’s parents were chosen for their fame as explorers, each of them known worldwide for their adventures and discoveries. Elaine Lancaster, the grandmother of Dupree Lancaster, formed the event to move society farther into the future. For years it was believed that passing through the clouds was impossible due to humans being unable to survive the pressure and dying instantly. Elaine with her near unlimited funds and the help of scientific minds from across the 4 stalks was able to create a vessel that could not only pass through the clouds, but return safely.
The morning of the event Peg sat near her radio with her ears perked to hear every moment. The announcer proudly introduced Elaine Lancaster who spoke about what an achievement this would be and how we could find ourselves just one step closer to Leopold’s guiding hand into Paradise. Peg didn’t care about any of this and fidgeted on the floor waiting to hear her parents. Soon enough every passenger spoke ranging from school teachers to scientists and eventually Peg’s parents. Peg hollered and cheered when they talked and felt a twinge of embarrassment when Peg’s mother said over live radio how much she loved her. The feeling passed as only a few moments later did everyone load onto the vessel and into the clouds.
The announcer described every moment from them entering the ship, to the fire pushing it higher and higher into the clouds. There was apparently a radio connection between the ship and the announcer but after a few minutes the connection fell silent. Then the sounds of hushed voices in a panic were heard in the background while the announcer tried his best to make things sound copasetic. Peg didn’t know how to react to everything going on, she just wanted her parents to be ok, and then it happened.
“BOOM!”
An explosion bellowed through the airwaves and the silence was replaced by screams. Even the announcer had finally lost his composure before the connection was cut. Peg sat in that silence for hours, not moving an inch until she heard loud banging on the door. She shook from her trance, seeing time had gone from day to early evening and walked to the door in a zombified state. Opening the door revealed two men in suits with a huge stack of papers. Peg heard what they were saying but couldn’t register anything past the words ‘death’ and ‘unfortunate accident.’
“Please,” a young Peg begged at the side of her bed, hands and eyes gripped tight. “Please make sure my mama and papa are safe and bring them back to me.”
The days that passed after the explosion Peg used every free moment she had to pray that same prayer over and over. She was whisked away to meetings with people she didn’t know and introduced to family members she never knew existed. Talks about Life Insurance Policies and settlement claims spun through her mind but all she cared about was her parents. Finally the day came where she would be presented with her parents' remains, two matching urns and a box of belongings they had brought with them. She placed all 3 items in her room on her night stand and stared at them for hours until she ran out of tears to cry. When the tears dried up she finally built up the courage to open the box and inside she found a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it revealed a drawing of the stalk with everything above the clouds empty. While staring at the map a thought crossed her mind that made her leap from her bed and run into her parents room.
Peg thought back to the day her parents left and that morning her parents took publicity photos in front of their research facility. To make the photo special, Peg’s mother held up the drawing of the stalk and when the photos finished she returned the picture back to her bedroom and into her desk. Peg saw this with her own two eyes, so how was this map also among her remains? Peg ripped through all the contents of the desk until finally finding the original picture, proving whatever she found in that box was a fake. Peg started to cry, partly out of sheer confusion of the situation but mostly due to happiness. She didn’t know the reason why but if the paper is fake there’s a chance the ashes were as well and somehow, some way her parents were alive.
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Peg had forgotten about that moment and how it initially sown the seed of hope in her heart to sprout and begin her quest to reunite with her parents, regardless of how ridiculous her belief was. Peg looked forward and knew she had only a few minutes before crossing that finish line in the clouds so she took her hands from the wheel, clasped her hands and eyes tight and prayed.
“Please…” she begged, squeezing her eyes as tight as they’d go. “If someone, something, anything can hear me. Please bring Josie back.”
Peg continued to beg and plead for Josie’s safe return but soon enough she regained her composure. The end was drawing near, signified by the large metal nets visible in the distance. Once she saw them and the crowd of photographers waiting out to snap the shot of the winner she thought back to a conversation with Josie she had the night before.
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“So why do we gotta be first?” Josie asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You said all that matters is making sure we’re first to the clouds, why?”
“Ah right.” Peg replied, standing to her feet and walking to the front of Midnite Cruiser. “You’ve seen a lot of clouds while walking up the stalk but the toughest make up what’s called ‘The White Horizon.”
Josie followed behind Peg as she hopped into the driver seat and began pressing buttons.
“25 years ago there was an incident and essentially, no one is allowed near the White Horizon. So the Derby set up these tough metal nets that are meant to keep anyone from getting too close to the clouds. If everyone is up against this netting it will bend and stop teams from getting through but if we can hit the net first at one specific point we can puncture and break through, but we have to be first.”
“So if the metal is super strong,” Josie thought aloud, tapping her chin in a manner she believed people did when they were thinking. “Does that mean I’ll need to jump to the front to break it?”
Peg chuckled and shook her head. “As much sense as that makes, no that’s not the plan.” She then pressed a button and the point at the front of Midnite Cruiser popped off revealing a thick green blade. Peg went on to explain how she was able to round up enough Hard Green to create this and it should be exactly what they need to break through. It was all science mumbo jumbo to Josie so she nodded until Peg finished speaking.
“Sounds like a piece of cake! I’ll leave it to you Peg!” Josie replied with a thumbs up and her signature grin.
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Peg’s stomach turned the more she thought of Josie but she had no more time for self loathing as it was time to put her plan in motion. The finish line was swarming with reporters, flashing cameras and men with large microphones ready to radio in for those down below. Peg gave one last sigh after wiping away tears. She had to accept what happened to Josie and do her best to live out her dream in her honor. Peg started the button sequence while taking a glance in her rearview to see something flying through the cloud of colorful smoke she left behind. At first she thought it was some rock or other debris but with a closer look it was no rock at all. She was mute with joy as tears streamed down her face. The object drew closer and closer until landing right into the coal loading bay.
“JOSIE!” Peg screamed.
Peg wanted to leap from the cockpit and run straight to check on her, but now wasn’t the time. The finish line and netting was approaching and she needed absolutely perfect timing to pull this off. The bramble forest seemed miles away as Peg looked ahead for the White Horizon. All eyes were on her as she approached the finish line.
“Mama, Papa.” Peg thought to herself. “I’m gonna’ bring you home.’
“TEAM YORK AND MIDNITE CRUISER WINS!”
Peg slammed her fist on the button and the blade was drawn. It plowed into the metal netting, sparking as it dug into the mesh. Peg pressed her foot as hard as she could on the gas and after a couple agonizing moments she finally pushed through. Midnite Cruiser ripped through the netting and moments later all Peg could see was white as she barrelled through the belly of the White Horizon.
To Be Continued…