Quarkopolis

Climbing up the wall was the least favorite part of my day. It’s not that it was difficult, not at all, in fact, it was so easy that it was just plain boring. But it had to be done. Every day. What a waste of my time, my energy, my brilliance. Such a stupid and meaningless task!

Finally, hopping up to the top of the cliff, I stretched and breathed a big sigh of relief. Looking around I saw the usual sights. Leaves, branches, caterpillars, butterflies, birds. But they didn’t concern me one iota, in fact, I barely noticed them and that’s because they couldn’t see or smell me, in fact, they were oblivious to my very existence, unknowing and uncaring.

Let me introduce myself. I’m what my kind call a Quarkle. I know that’s not a familiar living species to anything else living but that’s only because no other living things are aware of us. And when I say us, I mean lots and lots of us. We live in colonies and usually prefer to populate forests but are content anywhere really. We’re pretty organized and disciplined in our colonies with a hierarchy of leadership that works well for us. At least that’s what the adults have always taught us.

Because, as you probably already guessed, I’m a kid. I’m a Quarkle kid or Quarkkid as we call ourselves. And it really sucks to be one. I have to do meaningless tasks like the one that I just described, just because the adults tell me to. They don’t give a reason, they just boss me around like I’m a kid….oh, I guess that part is true, but it still sucks.

So do you want to know what else the adults teach us? I don’t think you’re going to believe this, not even a tiny fraction of it. NO, it’s not about math, and I wish you’d quit guessing and acting like you already know what I’m going to tell you. That’s really annoying. So where was I? Oh yes, it’s not about math but it’s about another world! Yes, that’s right, they say that there’s not just our world of Quarkopolis that exists, but another one. And it’s supposed to be right next door to us, like through a curtain or more like a veil because you’re supposed to be able to see into this world before you cross over into it.

To me, that sounds like utter nonsense. Something that the adults make up so that us Quarkkids will shut up and listen to their nonstop talking. But I have to admit that it is sorta interesting to think that there might be another world somewhere close by that we can get to. I love to explore and maybe if it was true I could go there someday. I don’t believe it, of course, but there is that niggling in my energetic light adventurous soul that hopes that it's true. With these thoughts on my mind through the day, it was monsters, angels, and a strange alien world that dominated my dreams that night.

Earth

The idea came suddenly, like the first spark of a roaring fire. It was just there and she couldn’t get rid of it, no matter how hard she tried. Pervasive, intrusive, also rather annoying, come to think of it. She tried the la la la thing, mopping the floors thing and the counting the hairs on her arm thing. Those methods had worked over and over in her life, without fail, but this time, nothing could stop the spark from getting out of control. So she gave up and let it have its way.

Setting down her phone and laptop, she got up from the wooden kitchen chair, and walked, no, jogged, to her makeshift art studio by the horse barn. Entering it was sometimes difficult since it was built high in an oak tree’s branches. But she was still fit and trim and it wasn’t a problem unless her knees started bothering her as they did sometimes. At the last step, stopping to catch her breath, she looked around and saw art supplies, easels, brushes, paints, scattered randomly. None of it had a place to live, just a space to be. Exactly how she wanted it.

Frantically, she entered her space and began drawing. A full three hours later her hand was cramping, but she had finally finished. It was an exquisitely and whimsically perfect drawing of the persistent spark that had plagued her. Satisfied with her work, exhausted, relieved, she stepped carefully onto the rickety ladder and started the dark descent toward home.

Quarkopolis

I know what I’m going to do! Since the adults refuse to answer any of my relevant questions, I’ll find out exactly what I want to know about that mysterious other world without their help. I happen to know about a hidden underground tunnel and it could be a way into the forbidden rooms. As far as I know, not a single Quarkkid has ever been to those elusive rooms and I’m bound and determined to be the first. It’s about time someone finds out what’s going on in the secretive adult world.

I zipped through the lush emerald green and purple forest, riding the airwaves, bursting with light and energy. Seeing other Quarkkids flying by, I went after one and yelled, “Hey, Moki, wanna do something really fun?” He stopped in midair and stared incredulously at me for a minute and then said, “Hey there, Lizo, what are you doing out of school? I thought they had you climbing the wall today?” “Yeah, but I’m done with that. Wanna come with me to the forbidden rooms?” I waited for Moki to answer and was determined to go without him if necessary. Moki raised his non-existent eyebrows and his translucent orange-tinted eyes got wider and wider and I knew he was hooked.

The tunnel was only a little further and we talked about nothing and everything as we soared through the branches and wildflowers, not stopping at any time for any reason. And suddenly, there it was, the hidden entrance to the tunnel. Swooping down toward the ground, we landed by a gigantic sweet-smelling burgundy lily. At any other time, we would have stopped to smell it and see what was living inside. Instead, we dove into the tunnel and started to sprint through the mustiness and dampness of uncontrolled growth. It would’ve been black as night if not for our natural body light. We continued to sprint, not tiring, not stopping, until we came to a dead-end, an impenetrable door.

We didn’t think there was anything that we couldn’t go through, after all, we were just energy and light. But this door was of a different substance or had a magic spell on it or something else that the adults were keeping from us kids. I knew there had to be a way in and I was determined to find it, even if it killed me! Which was ridiculous because of course, I was going to live forever.

It was brilliant! Whoever built the door was very clever, but not enough to confound Lizo and Moki, super Quarkkids. It didn’t take us long to get the door opened and what we saw nearly made us fall down in shock. For there before us was a huge magnificent room with high ceilings and indescribably beautiful colors everywhere. The room was filled with easels and brushes and paints and adults. The entire sight was enough to want to make us turn around and run back to our boring existence. As we started to do just that, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. Turning, I saw something that I will never forget as long as I live, which will be for all time, of course. I punched Moki to get his attention and there we stood, rooted to the spot, mouths hanging open in awe.

Earth

She woke up the next morning with a headache. Groaning with pain and frustration, she climbed reluctantly from the warm soft bed and slogged to the kitchen. As she was making the coffee, to her utter dismay, there was a sudden sensation of another spark, just like the previous one, persistent and troublesome. She knew she’d have no peace or rest until she obeyed the spark and did its bidding. So she decided to do just that.

Not bothering to change out of pajamas and slippers, she trudged to her studio and tiredly climbed the ladder. Sighing, she picked up her brushes and paints and got to work, filling in the drawing with color and light. Stroke after stroke the drawing began to fill in with magnificent colors, in fact, colors that she couldn’t remember seeing and certainly didn’t know the names of. It was definitely odd but she groggily continued painting, mindless, brushstroke after brushstroke.

Done! After spending all day with brushstrokes and paint, exhausted, she was finally finished and it was truly a masterpiece worthy of accolades. At this point, she didn’t care, all she wanted was to finish her coffee and sleep.

Quarkopolis

As we watched, the movement became the focal point of the entire room. The adults were gathering in one particular place beside an easel holding something. Moki and I couldn’t quite see what was on the easel, so we carefully and slowly scooted to a better position. And what we saw was not unusual and certainly not worth all the commotion going on in the room. A painting, vivid bright colors gleaming from its surface. We were completely disappointed because every kid in Quarkopolis has to draw and paint pictures. We were expecting something else, I suppose, something not so common. But at least there was still something interesting about the way the adults were frantically running toward it and leaping at it like they had gone crazy. Shaking off our discouragement, we looked at each other knowingly, watching for them to appear on the other side of the painting. After all, this was always what happened when a Quarkle went through surfaces. But yet again, we were surprised and dumbfounded at the unexpected scene. The leaping adults never made it to the other side, instead, they just disappeared. That was impossible! How can anyone just disappear?

We both turned toward the door at the same time and got out of there as fast as we could, running toward home and familiarity. What we saw today were mind-staggering mysteries that brought more questions, more curiosity. Promising to meet tomorrow after our required respective tasks, Moki and I went our separate ways for the night. I had a strong sure feeling that I wouldn’t sleep so I decided to go back to the wall and get a headstart on tomorrow.

This is THE END OF the chapter but not the story.