Outside the Oasis: Part 1
Wall Between Worlds

Claire disconnected the phone call that Mason had initiated and continued to stare at her screen. Her finger was pressed firmly in the bridge of her nose as she read the news article before her. The city’s news station was only allowed to appear live on television once every day and post five written articles at noon. Today’s headline caught Claire by surprise.

She read the headline once again: “Prices of imported goods into the city have risen steadily and sharply over the last three months,”. Claire skimmed over the article, picking out sentences such as: “Root vegetable import fees have risen,” and “U.S. Government considering trade tariffs for all products exported to Solar Oasis,”. Claire didn’t get it. The city wasn’t a separate entity from any other major city like Seattle or Boston, but the country’s government continued to ostracize the city she called home.

A breeze swayed the flowers nearby and Claire fixed the sleeve of her orange sundress. She placed a hand on her beige sun hat that cast shade over her face and chest. The world around her seemed so beautiful and green, yet the photos that she saw showed barren wastelands of dirt and decay. Why was there such a fissure between the two worlds?

She opened up a new tab on her web browser and began to search for charities or non-profit organizations that focused on providing aid to citizens outside of Solar Oasis, but there was nothing helpful. There didn’t seem to be a single group inside the city that was working to better the lives of people outside the walls. Claire was disheartened by her empty search. She wanted to help but had no idea where to start. Claire didn’t know what life was like outside of the walls. Questions floated around in Claire’s restless mind: Were people starving? Are people homeless? Most of all, she questioned if they even wanted her help.

Breaking the solemn atmosphere that Claire had created, two individuals approached Her. Both of them had bright green gardening gloves, dark green overalls, and black rubber boots. The woman was tall and slender, dawning a light tan sunhat that radiated under the midday sun. Her bright blue eyes sparkled as they peeked over her floral round-lensed sunglasses. Her blonde hair was braided and the ends were tucked into her hat. Ruby red lipstick distracted one’s attention away from the dirt stains that dotted her outfit. She had a bounce in her step as she held hands with the other individual that approached Claire.

“Clairvoyance!” the woman sang as she approached, “How is my little honey bee?”

Claire blushed the moment she heard her mother’s voice, “I’m doing fine, Mom. I’m just working on something.”

“Always busy,” her mother sighed nostalgically, “Just like when you were a toddler. You’ve always been tinkering with something ever since you were born.”

Claire’s face couldn’t become a deeper shade of red, “Don’t you have plants to tend to?”

“We have a daughter to tend to as well,” Claire’s dad spoke up, “And she is more important than any zucchini on this roof.”

Claire’s father rested his hands on a garden hoe and surveyed the rooftop around him. He had a black mustache, and the stubble growing on his jaw reminded him that he had to shave soon. He had soft black hair that he ran his fingers through every now and then. His stature was thin and tall like a bean pole, and his arms were caked with dirt. He took his simple black sunglasses off his face and tucked them neatly in his front pocket so that he could see his daughter clearly.

“When is the next time we are going to travel?” Claire said suddenly, and the abruptness of her question startled both of her parents.

“Well, there is this new nursery that’s opening up on the other side of town,” her father thought to himself, “Maybe we could catch a train and make a day out of it!”

“That sounds fun, but that’s not what I mean,” Claire smiled apologetically, “When are we going to travel outside of the walls? You guys always talk about how amazing your trips were before I was born. I want to experience it firsthand!”

Claire’s mother smiled and sat next to her daughter, “I appreciate that you are curious, but frankly the world isn’t like it was back then. Twenty years ago you could see the beauties of nature and experience the country, but it just isn’t like that anymore.”

“I don’t want to see what it was, I want to know what it’s like now!” Claire responded, “It sounds like a lot of people are going hungry out there. If I knew more about what it was like out there, maybe I could organize an effort to help people.”

Claire’s mother wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulled her close, and squeezed, “You have such a big heart. Maybe we can figure something out, but it’s becoming more and more dangerous out there. It isn’t safe out there anymore.”

Just then, Claire saw Mason giving a tour of the rooftop to Taylor. Claire perked up when she saw the box of doughnuts in Mason’s hand and eagerly waved them down. “Mom, I’m expecting friends, maybe you could give me some space?” Claire asked her mother while her friends were still out of earshot.

Claire’s mother still had her arms wrapped around her daughter. Once Mason and Taylor sat down next to them, she raised the brim of her sunhat and smiled a pearly white smile at Mason, “Oh Mason, how are you doing?”

“I’m doing fine! Enjoying the weather,” Mason replied.

Claire’s father took his glove off his right hand and wiped the sweat off his brow, “It really is shaping out to be a beautiful day.”

“Dad, you say that every day,” Claire tried desperately to bury herself back in her laptop.

“Because every day is a beautiful day,” Claire’s father responded happily.

Claire’s mother gasped with excitement, “Claire, who is your new friend?”

“This is my friend, Taylor. She just moved to Solar Oasis,” Claire began, however, her mother was quick to jump in.

“Hello, Taylor, you are just so beautiful. My name is Andromeda, but you can call me Andy, and my husband’s name is Oscar. If you ever need anything, please let me know.”

Taylor’s eyes went wide like a rabbit in a cage. Not only did Claire introduce her as a friend, but she was also called beautiful by a complete stranger. Taylor’s face turned bright red and all she could do was wave.

Andromeda continued, “I was just coming over here to check on Clairvoyant. Have all of you applied sunscreen?”

Mason and Taylor exchanged looks of hesitation and Claire interjected, “I can give them some, don’t worry. Please go back to work.’

“Our daughter is right, my star,” Oscar put a calm hand on his wife’s shoulder, “These plants aren’t going to trim themselves.”

“What are you working on?” Andromeda continued to linger.

Claire closed the tab she had been reading and showed her mother a new screen, “I’m putting some finishing touches on my school project,” Claire replied.

“Your project?” Andromeda asked in confusion, “I thought you finished that months ago!”

“I did,” Claire replied. Suddenly her body language shifted. While she spoke, she turned her body so that her mother couldn’t see her screen. Claire’s fingers began to navigate her keyboard quickly, “Whenever I revise it, I realize that I want to add more content to my slideshow. In fact, Mason has been extremely helpful with my research.”

As she finished her sentence, Claire turned her laptop back towards her mother. On the screen displayed a photo of Mason inspecting a ripe tomato plant. Mason’s eyes went wide and he did his best to maintain his expression.

“Oh,” Andromeda looked at Mason with a puzzled look, “Do you have a green thumb that you’re hiding from us?”

Mason hesitated before speaking, “I’m still trying to get a handle on it, but Claire has helped me a lot.”

Andromeda chuckled with a wide smile, “Well if you ever want to get more hands-on experience, you are welcome to help us any day.”

“In fact, Mason and I are planning to volunteer at one of the greenhouses nearby so that we can further our research. My teacher has given us the authorization to spend a couple of days there. We may bring Taylor with us!”

“That sounds exhilarating!” Oscar cheered, “You’ll have to tell me what it is like in there. Now, Andromeda, let’s get back to work.”

Andromeda reluctantly stood, and both Claire’s parents kissed her goodbye before walking back to their planter boxes to continue gardening. Mason and Taylor sat in silence while Claire gave a sigh of relief.

“You guys are doing a project together?” Taylor filled the silence.

“No,” Claire responded, “That photo of Mason is something that I whipped up just now.”

Mason nodded slowly, “You are way too good at making fake evidence. And what’s this about us working in a greenhouse?”

“That wasn’t a real photo?” Taylor said in surprise as she rolled onto her knees.

“No, it wasn’t,” Claire turned her laptop towards Taylor so she could have a second look.

Taylor’s eyes scanned the entire photo, but everything looked genuine. Any evidence that the photo had been tampered with was invisible to the naked eye. All her life, she thought that photo evidence was the most concrete evidence you could provide. The be-all and end-all of any discrepancy. Claire had edited a photo to tell a story that never happened, and it looked so real.

Claire changed the subject as she reached for the box of doughnuts, “Now that my parents have given us some space, I think it’s high time we break into these.”

Inside the box were four doughnuts that shimmered with a milky haze. Before any further questions could be asked, Mason grabbed one and took a bite, his eyes closing with glee as he moved the pastry in his mouth.

“Have one!” Claire offered the box to Taylor, “Did you go with Mason to the bakery? Didn’t it smell amazing?”

“I will be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a bakery like that,” Taylor felt an odd sense of excitement when looking at the doughnuts in the box.

Taylor reached in and grabbed a pastry for her to try. After Taylor had made her selection, Claire reached in to take hers. “They make the raspberry filling fresh every day, and the berries come from this roof,” Claire said with excitement.

Watching the other two’s reaction to the pastry made Taylor excited to try it, as much as she didn’t want to admit it. A smile crept onto her face as she pushed the doughnut into her mouth and took a bite. The sugary glaze and soft bread melted on her teeth with a warm sensation and the raspberry filling sent electricity through her tongue. Raspberry seeds gave texture to a smooth and sweet jelly that mixed with the bread and created an experience she hadn’t known she craved. Taylor couldn’t remember the last time she ate something so flavorful.

As the group enjoyed their pastries, Mason spoke again, “Back to the greenhouse. Did you sign me up for something?”

Claire smiled deviously, “I want to go with you to North Dakota.”

Mason was caught off guard by this statement, “I don’t even know if I’m going anymore. I have no idea how I’m going to get out of the city!”

“That’s the thing,” Claire’s smile was becoming uncontrollable, “I think I have a plan.”

Taylor spoke up after she swallowed her doughnut, “Do you think I could join?”

Mason’s heart rate quickened. He hadn’t even heard the plan yet, but if Claire was making it he knew it would work. On top of that, Taylor seemed like she was an expert on all things outside the wall, and having her as a guide made them unstoppable. The image of his Camaro flooded his brain and the hope of getting his dream car made his insides feel warm and giddy.

Mason adopted Claire’s wicked grin, “So what’s the plan?”