I'll never forget the day the skies turned red.

I think I was seven, maybe eight, and I was playing with Wren. We decided that we wanted to go outside.

I remember- we weren't supposed to go outside that day- I spend every single day wishing we hadn't. Spend every single day wishing I had just stayed in that house with Wren and played board games like we were supposed to because the moment we walked out the doors of the house- we could feel the weight of the atmosphere crashing down on us. I can still feel the hammering of my small chest and hear Wren's quick breathing in my ear. I can feel myself grabbing Wren's hand and just holding onto him for dear life.

It was at that moment that all my childhood fears faded away. It was at that moment that none of the problems skidding around in that brain of mine seemed to matter anymore.

It was at that moment that I was no longer a child.

Sure, physically, I was still just a small seven-year-old but my mind was completely grown up. No one else saw me that way, but I knew the truth. I saw the sky. I saw it.

Once the skies turned red, no one was young anymore.

If I'm being honest, the skies didn't just turn red that day. It wasn't something that happened all of a sudden. It was more like someone paving a road. Adding layer after layer. You have to lay foundations. You have to do things in order, otherwise, that road isn't going to be of any use to anyone.

See, when paving a road, everyone knows what you're doing. Everyone knows you're building that road. Everyone knows you're toiling away, pouring your sweat into making a street for them to drive all over.

Everyone knows.

Everyone knows because it inconveniences them. They have to go around that stupid concrete that's being laid. They have to take detours, and it makes their lives just that much harder.

It was the same way with the sky.

It all started with that hazy glow like you were constantly watching the brink of a sunset. Like a wine glass poised to glossy lips. The clouds just had a little bloody tint to their white cotton.

But then came the rainstorms. Just two straight weeks of rainstorms. Everywhere. In some places, it brought people out of droughts, but in most, it caused devastating flooding. All the while you could see that crimson glow behind the jet-black clouds. You had to witness those terrifying windows of death behind deceiving fluffy agents of the sky. You were victim to the pounding of watery fingertips scraping at your shelter, threatening to tear it down.

Then when the clouds started clearing we were told something was different, but honestly, no one cared. It was over. The rain was over. Who cared if the skies were reddish? We were saved.

Still, deep down everyone knew something was wrong.

But, none of that matters right now. Because today, beautiful today, the skies are going to be blue once again.

Every five years the sky goes back to its wonderful baby blue. It turns the blood-soaked oceans into pools of laughter. It turns the tears of acid that rain down from the sky into streams of joy. It turns even the angriest person on the planet into one that will offer you a smile as you walk down the street.

And today, oh today, is that lovely day.

"Where's Adyan?" I hear my niece, Isla- the daughter of my older sister- ask.

"I think they're in their room," my sister answers, honey lining her voice. I take one last look at myself in the mirror- my white outfit adorned with baby blue highlights as is the custom for today. I walk out of my room and see my niece at the top of the stairs. When she sees me her face lights up brighter than the sun and she waddles over to me, lifting her arms up. I pick her up and twirl her around, wide grins evident on both our faces.

"Adyan!" she giggles, putting her tiny hands on my face. I grin. "We gotta go find Wren, Adyan," my niece says once I set her down, tapping her little foot in demand. I laugh.

"Okay, let's go find him little Isla," I say, bobbing her nose. She giggles again and grabs my hand leading me down the stairs.

As soon as Isla finds Wren, she leads the two of us over to the couch and pushes us both onto it then sits on our laps, bouncing with excitement. I can't control the smile that slowly spreads over my face, taking over every emotion I've ever felt. Isla looks at me, eyebrow raised. She turns her head to Wren.

"Wren?" she asks.

"Yes, Isla?" he replies, lifting her to sit on his knee.

"Why is Adyan so happy?" Wren looks at me, teeth showing in a wide smile.

"Well, this is Adan's favorite day," Wren answers, eyes sparkling. Isla nods.

"Adyan?" I can't help but giggle at her sweet pronunciation.

"Yes, little Isla?" Isla huffs as she clambers over to me, sitting herself down directly in front of my face.

"Is Uncle Wren right?" I nod.

"Sure is."

"Why?" Isla asks, head tilted. I smile softly.

"You've never seen the sky," I tell her. "But as soon as you do, you're going to realize why this is my favorite day. It'll be yours too, I'll bet." Isla's eyes light up as I speak and she begins getting herself off of the couch and takes my hand, leading me to the back door.

"Then I don't want to wait to see the sky Adyan!" she exclaims. "Let's go out now!" I quickly pick her up before she can get out the door.

"No, we have to wait," I scold.

"Why?" Isla pouts.

"Because," I say gently. "The scientists have to tell us it's safe to go outside. We wouldn't want anyone getting hurt would we?" Isla's eyes grow three times in size as she vigorously shakes her head no. So we wait. And wait. And wait.

And five minutes 'til midnight, the sky still hasn't turned blue.

I grip onto Wren tightly. He holds me close to him, sliding his hand up and down my back. My sister stands close behind us with her husband, holding Isla, my mom and dad right beside her, and Wren's parents beside us. We stare at the blank blinds drawn. We can see the neon glow of the sky from behind them that comes from the crimson-blooded moon.

"It'll be okay," Wren assures us all, but I can hear his voice shaking, for when the skies paved red it wasn't just about color. Crime rates went up. The oceans were soon littered with trash. Everyone became irritable and angry. The world constantly felt like it was going to break in two at any given time. It always felt like a nightmare.

It always feels like a nightmare.

Now, twenty years later I sit here wondering- wondering- wondering- where did it all go wrong?

The sky didn't turn blue that day.

It didn't turn blue any day after that.

It's stayed red for twenty years and it may never go back.

Everyone I love is gone. My parents were simply taken by time. My sister and her counterpart- murdered. Wren- shot in broad daylight. Isla- a child born from the glowing skies and dark seas- drowned in a pool of misery and fear. And me?

Well, I imagine my time to go will be soon too, after all...

Our life should have ended the day the skies paved red.

***

A/N: Haha...uh this took me forever to get up...lots of editing had to be done...

Anyway, I hope you liked this story, it was a really short one, but I enjoyed writing it! I've actually had this idea in my head for about two years but I just now wrote it. Why you may ask? Because I am lazy. But I'm so glad I finally wrote it.

If you liked this story please consider leaving a vote and comment! Thank you so much for reading!!

-Sunny <3