139 Years to the End of the World

The Healer, Part Three

I wondered if elevators as large as some of ours were the norm in the past. The circular platform stretching at ten meters in diameters with cushioned seats built into the walls, held half a dozen families and was lit by a ring of fluorescent lights on the ceiling. It was commodious enough that the groups could stand in their own cliques with space left between. However, the normal looking crowd made Joan's constant inquiry about my experience in the parking lot all the more strange a topic that drew stares from groups nearby.

"I told you," I said for the seventh time. "Nothing happened."

Joan glared at me suspiciously, "You're so lying. You know you can't lie to me."

"What could possibly have happened!" I raised my arms in exaggeration of the deal she's making. "You were beside me the whole time. If anything happened, don't you think you would have known."

She considered my logic, which was pretty much flawless, helping in the lie. "If you lie to me..."

I held her shoulders reassuringly. "I swear on my life," I said, hoping she wouldn't realize I considered myself a dead man.

Her affirmative nod told me she didn't. "Alright. If you say so."

We reached the rooftop garden of the school building and the elevator's large double metal door retracted and opened. We let the other families flood out first, leaving us a clear path onto the artificial yard.

Exiting onto the rooftop, I found myself under the light-violet, Mist filled sky. Surrounded by a glass dome, the level was high enough above ground that I could see the Mist cutting off at the horizon, the purple coloured sky and the lighter brown lower atmosphere separated cleanly at the edge of the world.

The garden itself was of a simple layout. The bushes of flowers lined the perimeter, with a few sparse shrubs scattered around the rest of the area, giving life to the place with their flowers of the colours of the rainbow. In the centre of it all was a round stage encircled by a dozen neat rows of chairs. Empty paths crossed each rows, dividing the seating cleanly into four segments. Around us, families stood excitedly in groups, almost matching the patches of bushes in numbers and colours. I counted nearly a thousand people in the large garden.

Joan explained, "Every building has one of these gardens at their highest points now." Sure enough, as I looked across the cityscape at the other skyscrapers surrounding us, multiple style of greenhouses capped their tips like hats. "Helps increase the oxygen cycling the city."

"All this in fifteen years," I said in wonder. "You amaze even now," I placed my arm around her and kissed her forehead, staring at my surrounding in wonder.

"She is amazing," a voice said from behind. I turned to see G step out of the elevator, his classic dressing of a suit perfectly fitting the occasion. He looked around the air of New Roagnark, taking in the scene of skyscrapers with their bright domes shining under the violet sky. He turned back to me and reached out his hand. "Just like you."

I took his hand in mine, "Good to see you again, my friend."

"So um...no hard feelings, right?" he gestured with his eyes towards Joan. It wasn't a question of condescension either, but a legitimate, friendly, 'Are we good?', which made it all the more painful for me to reply.

"So long as you keep her safe and out of trouble." I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We're good." I gave as sincere a smile as I could muster, hiding the jealousy within.

From the stage, the MC, a female student dressed in a gold tasselled cap and blue gown, announced in an annoyingly high pitched, her voice screeching through the speakers. "The ceremony is about to commence. Will all families please take a seat around the stage. Thank you."