Why is the Sky Sad?

Defying gravity can be a scary thought, floating up and up and up never able to touch foot to the soil that rakes the floor of Earth. Never able to feel the grass, sticky, between your toes, the heavy sun on your neck. But at that moment James didn’t care for those worries, loving the feeling that came with defying gravity. The comfort of the crystal blue sky, of the tips of trees that dare go as high.

James had always hated the feeling of his feet on solid ground, a simple man unable to take flight. He hated how mundane he was, a 2D character compared to those in his books. But in the now, James wasn’t himself. No longer a man bound to gravity, James was able to defy the laws of physics and take off. With the help of his angel, his Emma curled in his arms he could change himself. Become a man. His worries about everything, everyone flew away with him, letting James relax. Letting things, for once, be okay.

And her voice speaking his name let him fly higher, higher than every cloud in the sky.

“Sorry.”

And then he came crashing down, weighed by the worry of her apology. His fears came whooshing back with a vengeance and need for blood. Why is her voice so quiet? Why is she apologizing? Why is she making him feel so bad?

“James,” Emma spoke again, “I’m sorry.”

Sitting up, James ran through every possible response in his mind, “Why?”

Of course, that hadn’t been what he intended to say at all. It had been his first thought, his first rejected thought. He meant to say something as simple as No problem or It’s okay. But his mouth didn’t want listen, getting a brain of its own for those thirty seconds.

Before he could take it back with an apology of his own, Emma answered, “For everything. James, everything I do is wrong. I’m a bad person.”

“No,” he began to protest, at a loss for words.

“Yes I am.”

She began to shake, her hands instantly flying to protect her pride. James couldn’t see them, but he could hear them. Just like the sky, he thought.

“Emma,” all he could think to say was her name, “Emma.”

She just shook her head, leaning into his shoulders. His head jerked back, his hands fluttering above her back. She didn’t seem to notice his discomfort, wiggling even closer.

“James.”

And just like that he was flying.


“Emma.”

Dirk’s voice was angry. He stomped over to the slide; two friends flocked on either side.

“Hey dork, have you seen Emma?”

James looked up, dropping the fistful of wood chips that had been previously grasped in his left hand. From his angle on the ground Dirk seemed impossibly bigger, his neck thicker than a tree’s trunk and his height daunting.

“I said,” Dirk spat, stepping closer, “Have you seen Emma?”

James shook his head, scared for his life. He wanted to jump up and run. He wanted to be somewhere, anywhere else. He’d rather be hanging with Joanna. He’d rather be poking out his own eyeballs.

“Well I don’t believe you.”

Dirk smirked, one hand on his large hip. His sidekicks laughed, eyeing James up and down for size. Stupid third-graders.

“I-I promise,” he stuttered, “I haven’t seen Emma.”

He rose to his shaking feet, praying for a teacher. Or anyone for that matter. It was just his luck that the slides were empty today.

Dirk cracked his knuckle, ready to punch Emma’s whereabouts out of the little dork. “I’ll give you one last shot. Where. Is. Emma?”

James didn’t even answer, too scared to form coherent words.

And then she was there, red hair flowing behind her ears, “I’m right here Dirk.”

Her anger matched the thick-headed kid. She stepped in front of James, trying to protect him.

“You need a girl to save you?” Dirk’s sidekick squealed, laughter bubbling through every pore.

“I-”

Emma interrupted, her foot stomping on the boy who dare make fun of her friend.

“Don’t ever talk to me again Dirk.”

She grabbed James’ hand and pulled him away. They walked away in confidence, ignoring the mean shouts of the third-graders behind. He refused to look at her warm eyes, embarrassed of the tears that threatened to take over his eyes. She didn’t seem to care, though, just holding his hand in a warm embrace.

As they came to the monkey bars, surrounded by their friends, she leaned on his shoulder, “I’m sorry James. So, so sorry.”