Beyond

It’s been 80 years since exploration of our world became forbidden. Our cities, surrounded by 100-foot walls, keep us from leaving. The oldest member of our city was only a child before this law was created. She has also been kept in the dark all these years as to why.

No one knows for sure why we are to be kept from the rest of the world. Why those who lived during the initial passing of the law were sworn to secrecy. There have been rumors of dangerous creatures roaming the earth, people from other cities who wish us harm, and even disease spreading the lands outside our walls. But no one knows except the city council.

I’ve seen guards at the walls from time to time. But they never seem to be keeping anything or anyone from coming in. Their only job is to make sure no one is stupid enough to try and scale the walls. There are no windows looking out or doors that lead to the other side. It’s nothing but a giant slab of metal that surrounds our city.

Growing up, I had always wondered what was out there. What they were keeping us from seeing, from knowing. There couldn’t be something so terrible, so monstrous that they would need to hide it from us. I needed to know.

The day I turned 20 is supposed to be the day we discover ourselves and prepare for the rest of our lives. A day spent with family and friends, celebrating my coming of age and maybe the day I would be set up with my perfectly chosen future husband. According to the council of course. Not only are we forbidden to leave, but we must also follow the rules of the city. This includes accepting where we are chosen to live, the schools we go to, the jobs that are handpicked for each citizen, and accepting who the council chooses for us to marry if we ourselves do not find them by our coming of age day. They say they want what is best for all of us. For all of our people. To me, they want control.

But that day ended up being much different. It was the day I finally decided that I would find out what was waiting for me outside those walls. What was waiting for all of us.

The day was October 19^th, 2104. My 20^th birthday and the very last day I would spend in Hollow Valley. The only place I’d ever known and certainly wouldn’t be the last.

I got up earlier that day, gave my mother, father, and sister a hug and kiss, as I did every morning. I took a shower, brushed my hair and teeth, put on the dress my mother made me for my birthday, like how she has every year, and went downstairs. The only difference this morning was the bag already packed, hidden under my bed.

I didn’t want a soul to know my plan. I knew they would try to stop me and that was something I wouldn’t allow to happen.

So, I spent my morning with my family, keeping any suspicion at bay. We ate breakfast then went out to the market to buy strawberries for the cake my mother prepared. She always knew strawberry cake was my favorite. Afterwards we visited our neighbors, The Jones, for lunch. They’ve always been our closest friends in the city. Their son Des has been my best friend since we were 5 years old. We’ve spent every birthday, holiday, and school break together, even if only for a minute. I couldn’t live without him. Leaving him was the hardest decision I had to make.

After our visit, we all went back to our home and ate my mother’s famous strawberry cake together. Gifts were given, handmade I preferred and always suggested. There was always just something so personal about having a gift made specifically by someone you cared about.

This year, there was of course my mother’s dress that she always had waiting out for me at the end of my bed in the morning, a doll made by my older sister, a journal sewn together by my father, which almost two months later is still going strong, and a crocheted scarf by Mrs. Jones. I’m pretty sure half of my clothing is crocheted by Des’s mother.

“There’s one more thing.” Des said as he stuck his hand out to me.

In his hand was a box, small but heavy.

I opened the box and there was a ring. A small ring, with a small opal stone in the middle, my birthstone. I looked up and realized immediately what this meant.

“I hope it’s okay.” He said nervously.

I smiled and gave him a hug. “It’s perfect.”

I put on the ring and when I looked up, everyone was smiling. They knew as well as I did that my long-time neighbor and best friend and I were meant to be. Not a random stranger whom the city decided would be my fateful partner.

So, I told him. The decision to leave him now wouldn’t be so hard. He decided he would come with me.

“We were meant to be.” he said. “I will follow you wherever you go.”

That night, I added my mother’s dress, my sister’s doll, my father’s journal, Mrs. Jones’s scarf, and Des’s ring to my bag as well as some food that would last Des and I a while. Des also packed a bag, said his goodbyes to his parents and younger brothers. Although, they didn’t know it was goodbye.

Once everyone was asleep, Des and I snuck out our windows, climbed down the tree in between our houses, walked out of the garden, and down the cobblestone road.

Luckily, we lived at the less populated south side of the city where the guards only came by every few days. But the only thing about my plan that I worried about was how we were to get over the wall.

A few days before, I had contacted a friend who lives in the city center. Her father works for a company who maintains the wall. She told me there in fact was a door that leads out of the city. But it’s not where we were expecting.

She told me to look for a tree with the widest trunk. Underneath would be the door that leads out of Hollow Valley. She was right.

We found the tree, darker than the rest. Under it, hidden by grass and soil, was the secret door, hiding in plain sight. I opened the door with a pull of a handle disguised as a vine sticking out from below the tree. We entered and climbed down the ladder to find a tunnel. There were lamps lighting the way. It only took us a few minutes to reach the other side until we saw the second ladder.

I was nervous. We were nervous. Only one had been outside these walls with no memories or knowledge of what was actually out there. But we were about to find out. When we came up out of the entrance, we could smell flowers. Along the outside edge of the wall were roses. Curious I thought. Who planted these if no one has been allowed to leave?

We put our bags down and took a moment to take it all in before we noticed a road in front of us. We knew there were roads connecting the cities, but this road was… new. It looked freshly paved. There were street lamps that lit up the sides of the road with more roses below each light that seemed well taken care of.

“Woah, where do you think this road leads to?” Des asked me.

“I’m not sure.” I said, looking down the road then back at him. “Let’s see where it takes us.”

We smiled at each other, picked up our bags, and began walking down the brightly lit road, excited for what we were about to discover.