Hudson and his daughter’s adventure
Life and survival in Midtown trudged on day after day. The Hudson Family worked constantly to scrape together food and medicine to keep themselves alive, offering prayers of thanks to their gods each night. Until one day in August, when Edward and Amity Hudson stood at the edge of the treacherous cliff that had been speaking of a doom for years. This time, however, they had not come to explore the edge of the world but were driven by something more significant.
"I can't believe we're actually going to do this," Amity said nervously, as they looked out into the vastness of space. "Dad, I just don't know if I can do this. I'm scared."
Hudson looked at his daughter with a look of great sympathy and understanding. "I'm scared too, but we have to do it. We have to take a chance and escape this place. It's all we have."
"I know," Amity said. "I just don't know what will happen. If we live, we could be stuck in the sun forever. And if we die, we'll die a slow and painful death."
"Aye, you're right about that," Hudson said. "But it's still better to take the risk than to stay here forever."
For a moment, the two stood in silence, overwhelmed by the enormity of the task ahead of them. Amity was only young woman, but she was already the strongest member of the family. She had to be the one to do this. She was the chosen one.
"Okay," Amity said, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this."
Hudson nodded and then began preparing a small slate and a scribbler. He had to take notes of everything for his fellow slaves. They needed to know the truth.
"Dad, be careful," Amity said. "You don't have much oxygen in your tank."
"It's okay, I've got plenty of time," Hudson said. "How much time do you have before you pass out?"
"About half an hour," Amity said.
"Perfect. That's just enough time," Hudson said. "You're going to be okay."
Amity nodded and then began to climb over the edge of the cliff, climbing about a hundred feet over the precipice. She was wearing a self-made spacesuit and carrying an old jetpack and a small oxygen tank. Hudson knew that he had to write down everything that went on. It didn't matter if he died in the process. They needed to get out of this place.
When he was done setting it up, Amity jumped off the edge of the cliff. She spread her arms and floated gracefully through the air, coming to a stop above the gray carpet of clouds, towards the edge of space. She took off her helmet and took a few deep breaths of space. It felt amazing. She could see the sun, the planets, and the stars, all burning brightly in the darkness of space. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Hudson began making quick drawings as she started to take off her suit. He knew this was his chance to show people what was possible. After this, he didn't know what would happen to him. He hoped that Amity would be safe.
As she climbed out of her suit, she began to prepare for the dangerous descent back down to Earth. She was almost ready, but she just needed to make sure that her oxygen tank was working. She pressed the button and listened for the hiss of the oxygen rushing out of the tank. There was a loud hiss, and then the air began to escape from her tank.
"Dad, it's all going," Amity said. "I'm going to jump now."
"Okay, honey," Hudson said, his voice trembling. "Just be careful."
Amity took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then jumped out of space. The wind rushed past her as she fell, and she could feel the heat of the sun against her skin. She could only hope that her father was looking after her. She had to know that this would get out. This was the only way they could escape. This was the only way to free all people in Midtown.
Amity screamed as she felt down to Earth. The speed of her descent was terrifying. She could hear the wind rush past her, and she could see the ground rushing up to meet her. She felt the heat of the sun, and she felt the air pressure squeezing her body. She could feel her muscles beginning to fail her. She could feel her body breaking down.
As she fell, everything became an ocean of colors. She could see the sun, the planets, and the stars, all lit up against the darkness of space. She could see the earth far below her, and she could see the desert shifting below her.
It all became a hazy blur, and then everything began to grow dark. It was like being in a cave, except there was the sun shining down on her. The sun was blazing in her face. The heat of the sun grew and grew, and she could feel the heat growing inside of her. She could feel the sun burning her flesh and taking her life.
She felt her heart beating, and she felt the terror of the fall growing inside of her. She felt the wind rushing past her, and she felt the sweat pouring from her body. She felt her adrenaline pumping through her, and she felt the blood flowing through her veins. Her body collapsed and her bones seemed to snap. She felt the fire of the sun burning within her, and she felt the sun's light shining through her.
Then, everything went dark. As Amity passed out, she could feel the heat of the sun inside of her. She could hear her father screaming for her. She could hear the sound of his voice, but the darkness overwhelmed her. The darkness swallowed her whole, and she slipped into unconsciousness.
The next thing Amity knew, she was waking up in a cold sweat. Despite the darkness, she could see the faint outlines of objects around her. She could see her father standing at the foot of her bed. She could see the florescent lights above her, and she could see the smoke in the air. She could see all of these things, but it was all so blurry. Everything was so hazy.
"Dad," Amity said, her voice trembling. "Is that you?"
Hudson rushed to her side. He took her in his arms and held her close. Tears were streaming down his face. Amity felt her heart breaking. She felt it break into a million tiny pieces.
"Oh, honey, I thought I had lost you," Hudson said, his voice trembling. "I thought that I had lost you."
"So did I," Amity said through her tears.
"You were out for twenty minutes," Hudson said. "Was it worth it?"
"No," Amity said. "It was not worth it."
"Why didn't you finish it sooner?" Hudson asked.
"I don't know," Amity said, her voice trembling. "I just wanted to feel something, but I don't think I should have. It was a mistake."
Hudson held Amity tightly. He held her to his chest. She could feel her father's heartbeat racing, and she could feel his body trembling. He was crying, but she was crying too. She had never been so scared in her life.
"It was a mistake," Hudson said. "I know that it was wrong. I saw everything and I know that it was wrong. I just don't know why you didn't finish it sooner."
"I don't know," Amity said. "I don't know why. I just wanted to feel something, and maybe this is what it felt like."
"It wasn't worth it," Hudson said. "It wasn't worth losing you."
Amity leaned in close and placed a kiss on her father's cheek. His warmth surrounded her, and his love filled her with a feeling of security. His heart beat quickly, and his body trembled with emotion. The heat radiating off his skin and the hot tears streaming down his face were palpable to her. She could feel it all.
"I'm sorry," Amity said. "I didn't mean to scare you like that."
"I know," Hudson said. "I know, but you have to promise me that you won't ever try it again."
"I promise," Amity said.
"I love you," Hudson said.
"I love you too, dad," Amity said.
A heavy silence settled between them. Amity felt her father trembling against her, and the rush of her own heartbeat in her ribcage. She could sense every emotion radiating between them.
It was over now. That was the most terrifying thing that Amity had ever experienced, and she knew that it would haunt her for the rest of her life. She would never forget the moment that she passed out, falling through space, and the moment that she woke up, seeing her father standing at the foot of her bed.
She had never felt more alive, and she had never felt more terrified at the same time.