A Dream to Fly

Little Lucy Lockett spent her days staring up through earth's grey haze. Dreaming of planets and comets and stars, imagining flying way up to Mars. Everyone told her, "Keep your head on the ground! There's nothing up there that hasn't been found! We know there are planets and comets and stars. That's all there is; go finish your chores!" So she swept and she cleaned, made her bed and did dishes, mowed the lawn, weeded the garden, and fed all the fishes. She finished her homework, always on time, got A's in school, and time passed just fine. She always did what she was told to do, made everyone proud who knew her, too. But Little Lucy's mind wasn't on these achievements, it was deep into space, quite far beyond Venus. So time went on and Lucy grew into a young lady, then woman, and soon she was all on her own, with only her dreams giving life to incredible, daring, mad schemes. They said she was crazy, it would never work, as she sent out space probes, finding Rae Burke (the first of many worlds that she would find and intelligent life of every kind). The Vaelas, the Phoonas, the Tel Tel too, and Carkelasakas, who were all quite blue, the Garkples from Selen, in their dance shoes, could put on a show that made Channel 10 News. On Quick, everything was red, orange, and yellow; the inhabitants, maple leaves, were quite fond of Jello. More and more planets were being discovered farther and farther; soon people were flustered and wondered what to do with all these new people: should they call out the army, or call them all equal? Lucy was flabergasted, and equally bemused, at how nobody seemed to have a clue. "Leave them be, they've done well on their own, we'll let them be well enough alone." People realized that it would be wise to listen, and take Lucy's advice. So space was still explored, new people's discovered, and people learned how to get along with each other. And Lucy, dear Lucy, whose dream started it all, began to see that life was short, after all. The years had passed, and she had grown old, people admired her, but left her alone. So Lucy was old, and lonely, and sad, because, chasing her dream, she still hadn't had the chance to fulfill her greatest dream, and so Lucy, again, started to scheme. Friends called her crazy and shook their heads, "Age has gone to her head," they said, "You're old, your accomplished, we owe you so much, the whole human race, you've expanded our touch to whole other worlds!" they said, frustrated, as she ignored them all and contemplated how to bring her dream about, when, suddenly, she let out a shout and careened down the street, like Archimedes of old, and told her plan to Phyllis (it was uncommonly bold). And physicist Phyllis sadly agreed to the plan, hugged Lucy, then found Dr. Reed. Together, they put Lucy's plan into action, fine-tuned the rocket, and filled the cabin with everything Lucy could possibly need and some other things beside, like a photo of the sea for Lucy's enjoyment, then lead her on board, hugged her, reminisced, and cried a bit more. Then Lucy was off, into deep space, until she reached a world, a brand new place. She landed quite softly, in this world, colorful and light; then Lucy, dear Lucy, began to fly.