An Untoppled Tower

“We must hurry.”

The man’s eyes darted quickly to his watch. His shoulders were slightly slumped, eyes worn, with disheveled hair and a face nearly continuously aimed towards the ground. Yet he still managed to spare a slight smile as he glanced towards the little girl holding his hand, struggling to keep up with his quick pace. She wore a pretty pink dress, her blonde hair cascading in curls around her head, and in her free hand she grasped a small teddy bear.  His smile disappeared as his eyes fell on the small metal collar around the girls neck, and he was reminded of their urgency.

Sneaking another glance at his watch, the man practically pulled the small girl along. She stumbled for a second before finding her balance, rushing to keep up with him. He didn't look back, simply rushed through the streets, buildings lit red in the fading sunlight. The cement monoliths loomed over the streets and caused a perpetual shadow to fall upon the lanes, each building at least 3 stories high. Yet even with such giants surrounding them, a single building was visible in the distance. A huge tower towered over the other buildings. They were pebbles surrounding a mountain, ants crawling underneath an oak tree. This building reached up into the sky, and beyond; a massive pillar of crystal darkness. It was completely covered in windows that caught the sun and threw it back out to the world, but nothing was visible inside. All one could see was the surface of this protrusion, and none of the darkness inside.

The shadows deepened, creeping along the surface of the walls, slowly growing higher and higher, as the man raced across the pavement, now carrying the girl on his back. The sun was setting. Soon, it would be night. Still, he ran. Building after building blurred past them, the streets completely empty, void of people. There were no lampposts. Nothing to run into. The only sounds were those of his footsteps and his breath, and occasionally a small “mph” of discomfort from the girl on his back. The man winced each time, but still ran on.

There it was! The door of the tower! Just at the end of street, was the tower’s mouth; an open, black, hole at the base of the glittering shaft. Soon, they would be in the tower’s confines. He ran faster, stumbled, caught himself, and kept running, not noticing the teddy bear that hit the ground behind him. With a final push, they were inside.

“Papa!!”

He put the little girl down, and she struggled to free herself from his hand on her arm and go out into the world.

“No, Varinia! You must not go out there!”

“But Papa!”

She pointed, eyes raining, and the man saw what had been left behind. A teddy bear lay on the street, limbs sprawled in every direction, black, soulless eyes facing the tower door, accusing them of abandoning it. He looked at her, tears streaming down her face. He knew that the teddy bear was her only friend, her constant companion. And, now, it was lying motionless on the pavement, waiting for the end. She would never forgive him if he abandoned it. He would never forgive himself if he let her hurt like this. He looked into her trembling eyes.

“Stay here.”

And he ran out into the descending darkness.

The man reached the bear in a matter of seconds, running as though his life depended on it. He reached down, grabbed it, and spun around in order to dash back. He could see his daughter standing inside the tower, smiling, laughing, eagerly awaiting the bear’s return. He ran.

He thought of nothing as he ran for what seemed an eternity. He focused simply on his feet slapping the pavement, arms pumping at his sides, the teddy bear flailing, trapped by one leg. He could hear his footsteps. His shoes made a clicking sound when his heel hit the ground, and soon it was all he could hear.

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

Slam.

He looked up at the sudden sound and saw his daughter. She wasn't smiling anymore. Her eyes were filled with fear, and she stared in hopeless shock as he reached the glass that had suddenly come down in front of her. She watched as the man put his hand against the glass, as if to make sure it was real. She watched his mouth move as he said her name, but all she heard was silence. She watched the man stiffen as the collar around his throat flashed. She watched as the bear tumbled from his hand, as though in slow motion, and hit the ground, fur rippling. She watched as her father’s eyes grew wide, as he opened his mouth, as a blood red tear slid down his face before falling to earth. She watched as her father collapsed to the ground, eyes vacant, uncaring.

“PAPA!!”

She screamed. But there was no one to hear her. No one to hold her hand. No one to pick her up, swing her around, and then set her on their shoulder. No one to love her. She was the only one to hear her sobs.

She felt her own collar pulse. She could feel it drag her eyes down; pull her into a tormented sleep. She didn't fight it. She closed her eyes.

And fell into blessed unconsciousness.