Lifespan of a Day

I awakened, chest swelling with air, filling with my lifespan. The wide, beautiful sapphire sky looms above me. I wish to fly, but as soon as I think that, I am grounded. Literally. My feet are tied to the ground by my creators.

With the sway of the wind, I survey my surroundings. Many of my kin are around me, all of us shaking in the graceful summer breeze. Reds, oranges, yellows, greens, blues, indigos, purples, and even some pinks. But none of us were free from our tethers.

"Why can't we fly?" I ask the others.

"The air is dangerous. Sky Beasts can attack us, and we have no control of how far we go in the air." A red one of my Kin answered.

"Don't tell 'em that! Don't worry, kid. The sky is freedom."

"What about the sky beasts?" I ask, voice quivering in fear.

"Look at the 'beasts'. They may be frightening, but the sky is as much theirs as ours." The elder blue one answered.

The wind forced my head up, and the sky was as magnificent as my last look. In the sky, elegant dancing silhouettes stood out. They danced through the air. Sky beasts. Their arms were lined with small brushes, and only a long pointed nose stood out on their faces.

"Beautiful...." I whisper in awe. Just as I mumbled that, a pink one of my own drifted off. Our creators tried to save her, but the Pink Kin was far in the air.

I was amazed, but then I realized what the red meant. The pink kin kept going and going. I could hear her muffled scream as she was struck with realization; Pink Kin was stuck in the air, and she wasn't going to stop.

"We have to get her down!" I yelled. Red Kin looked at me in utter sadness.

"There IS no getting down. Once you get airborne, you fly until your lifespan drains."

"What?!" I half asked, have yelled in shock.

"You feel the breath inside you? What's gonna happen when you run out of it, out of lifespan?" He rhetorically asked.

It finally hit me. There was no hope. In my depressed state I did not notice two small creators approached. Our creator pulled me, along with another purple balloon. Fear ripped at me as I was given to the small one, fear I'd be released.

"You okay?" Asked the purple.

"I-I thought they'd release me on accident..." I stuttered.

"It's okay, so what if you get let go? I mean, look how happy the small ones are!" The purple beamed. I looked down, the small ones were happily laughing, staring at them in awe with strings tied to their wrists.

"See? The creators make us for them. So that they will be happy." Purple explained. "It doesn't really matter if we last past sunset or if we pop now."

I found myself agreeing with purple.

"I guess you're right." My heart swelled with happiness at the small ones skipping below us.

Happy screams and bright music caused a symphony of joy around us. Large metal monsters moved creators around, and they seemed to enjoy it.

At one point, our small ones got lost. I panicked slightly for them, but one raised Purple higher, and the large creators found them again.

Every now and again, the large creator took us from the small ones, and they rode a metal monster. The small ones always came and took us back.

At one point, I bumped into Purple.

"I'm s-sorry!" I stuttered as we bounced off of each other.

"Oh, it's okay.." Purple awkwardly stated. We bumped into each other again. I looked down and we both burst out into laughter. The small ones below us were purposely knocking the two of us into each other.

Slowly but surely, the sun lowered; causing the metal monsters to release beautiful lights around us. I felt my tether being pulled, and looked down to see both small ones releasing Purple and I. My head wasn't filled with fear of sky beasts. Only of how wonderful the night was, and how happy I was to have Purple with me.

The two of us floated up into the air together, from the sky metal monsters shone brilliantly. We could see everything. I knew our lifespans would soon be destroyed. So, I intertwined my tether with Purple's, and we continued to ascend.

"Our lives were short, but wonderful. Isn't that enough?" Purple asked. "I think so."

"As do I. This one wonderful day is better than a century of bad ones." I stated, no regrets in my voice.

Purple smiled at me, and the two of us floated together, far into the swirling black sky.

Pop.