The Night the Sky Fell

by Stephen Levy

  Peyton giggled and said, “It’s a good thing they don’t have wings.”

  “Wings, Sport?”

  “Yes, wings, like the Valentine cupids.”

  Sleeping creatures filled Peyton’s bedroom. One of the creatures had its back side up. Through the creature’s slit emerged a pair of wings. Claws extended from its fingers and toes reminiscent of a large cat. The single tooth elongated.

  Downstairs, Stan managed to get the pantry door slightly ajar. He cautiously waded through the sleeping creatures. He tiptoed to the front. He nodded as he noted that Banks’ truck was missing which reminded him that he was in good hands. Returning to the pantry area, he froze to the transformation of sleeping creatures.

  He needed to get back to his safe room. Some of the improved creatures took flight. They eyed Stan, but made flight towards the openings in the broken windows. More improved creatures awakened and flew out of the house. Stan thought, “Where could they be going?” He changed directions and climbed up the stairs to Peyton’s room. Improved creatures flew out the window. He analyzed the mess…especially the destroyed bed. He picked up the two pieces of mattress and carried it down to the pantry. He scouted for additional protection to his safe room. While in the kitchen he passed the refrigerator; he noted the absence of Peyton’s eye drops and how the floor was covered with glass. Mentally, Stan assembled all the facts from the ‘scene of a crime’ and arrived at the correct conclusion.

  Stan was not the only entity that wanted to solve the current mystery. The Monarch Raven, on top of the Powers’ house, heard high-pitched noises instead of the earlier low-pitched roars from their earlier version. A flock of transformed creatures swooped down to meet a group of non-transformed creatures. The raven watched their descent. When the flock met with a non-transformed creature, it shared its flicking serpentine tongue with it. This action caused the non-flying creatures to immediately fall asleep. The raven, like Stan, mentally assembled the witnessed facts. The Monarch Raven concluded that the skies of Juneau would soon be crowded with flying creatures. The Monarch Raven was correct in its assumption.

  As Banks and Peyton arrived at the compound, Banks took in the eerie vision: Most of the windows were boarded including the doors. He looked up to his apartment. The windows were shattered and the door was bashed in.

  Banks whispered to Peyton, “I’ll be right back, Sport.”

  Peyton trembled, “Oh no, you take me. All the windows are smashed in the truck and a baby might eat me.”

  Banks picked up Peyton. He waded into his apartment. Tons of creatures were in process of transformation. The refrigerator door was gnawed off and all his vials of eye drops were missing.

  Banks cried, “No! No!”

  Peyton wondered what was wrong. Peyton said, “The Chief will know what to do.”

  Banks lamented, “They ate all the drops and my grandfather’s book is missing.”

  They downed the staircase. Roger Rainfall opened the door of the Chief’s apartment. He pointed to the Chief’s bedroom. Chief Dan’s head lay on a blood stained pillow. A wash cloth covered his head wound. His Arctic pummeled face was colorless. He looked dead, but his eyes opened.

  Banks mumbled, “Uncle Dan, I’m—”

  “No time for that.” The Chief interrupted. Dan removed his deer-hooved necklace. He wrapped it around Banks’ neck. “An Indian Chief can save the others.”

  Peyton chimed in, “You’re a Chief, Banks!”

  Banks regretted, “I turned my back on the Spirit Above.”

  Chief consoled, “It sees you from all directions, nephew.”

  “Forgive me, uncle?”

  “First you must forgive yourself.”

  “What do I do?” Dan closed his eyes forever.

  Banks cried, “He’s dead! He’s dead! It’s useless.”

  Peyton jeered, “The sky is falling. The sky is falling!”

  Banks raised his head, “What?”

  “Banks, that’s what the white man says when he felt all is lost.”

  “And what does the Indian say?” Before Peyton could answer, Marilyn White Owl slinked in the kitchen holding something behind her back. Banks and Peyton came out of the bedroom as Roger covered Dan.

  Marilyn said, “I killed Chief Dan. But I swear to you Banks it was during those nine months that I had no soul.”

  Banks consoled, “We know, Marilyn, we know.”

  Marilyn continued, “You see, Banks, Chief knew how to stop it. I had to prevent him from stopping the delivery. And, I had to take your family book.” From behind her back, she handed Banks the book.

  Peyton breaks the silence, “I know how to destroy them.”

  Banks added, “But Peyton, the sky is falling.”

  “No Banks, the sky is calling! The sky is calling!” Open the sky and it will go to the magic honey.”

  Banks complained, “We have no more eye drops!”

  “We don’t have the drops, but the creatures do!” And at that instant, Banks watched Marilyn open the refrigerator. The door opened and closed and she opened it again. He remembered the night that he came from the Powers’ house…the night the Leonids came. The night the sky fell. He remembered how the meteorites’ bombardment escalated when the refrigerator door was open and how the bombardment deescalated when the door was closed.

  Banks perked up, “Marilyn, I need to borrow a car.”

  Marilyn shrugged, “Take your pick, Banks.”

  Peyton giggled, “Can I drive?”

  It was night at the Powers’ house. Creatures destroyed most of Juneau’s power grid. Tricia held flashlights as Julie and Stan boarded windows. Tricia glanced at her wrecked car while cracking gum. “Dad, I need a new car. A brand new car!”

  Dassi made a quick visit to Mrs. Kadet. She followed Murray’s instructions about attending to Mrs. Kadet’s dislodged eye ball and did the best she could to make her comfortable.

  Murray gripped a flashlight as Ann and he did their best to prepare for a possible onslaught against the Powers’ house. Murray’s attention switched to the town below. About six thousand screaming transformed creatures assembled in the sky. Murray warned, “We better hurry,” They looked towards the flying assembly.

  Julie wondered about Peyton. She hoped that they drove to the compound and the Chief kept them safe. Stan knew that look on Julie’s face. He did his best and consoled, “If Peyton were with Banks and I’m sure he is, he’ll be safe. I know it.” But Stan relied on facts and therefore, he doesn’t know it. For a second he thought about Evelyn Sands. Even though he would never see Evelyn Sands the way he did in the past, he had hoped that she were safe.

  Evelyn Sands was not safe. She was at the top of a ladder pounding the last nail in to the wood board that surrounded her bedroom window. She did not see the flock of creatures that flew directly above her. The flock of twenty locked their claws to form one big group. They dove and used their other pairs of claws to dig into Evelyn and lifted her into the air.

  They flew Evelyn, who was kicking. Amidst her screaming, she sentenced the creatures to death as they were carrying her to the wilderness near Mount Juneau. They did not listen nor did they care what Evelyn Sands was screaming about. Once near the edge of the wilderness, the creatures’ claws retracted. Evelyn’s fall was somewhat broken by shimmering branches and friendly land slopings. Lucky!

  Evelyn attempted to get her bearings and searched for her glasses. She groped them successfully. Lucky!

  Catching her breath and adjusting her glasses, her clearing vision focused on a drooling pack of wolves. Unlucky!

  At the Powers’ house, Stan yelled, “Everyone back in the pantry!” As the six of them ran, they heard the high pitched screams of flying creatures. Then they heard ripping and clawing sounds against the boarded windows.

  Banks and Peyton sat around the lit campfire at the sloping base of Mount Juneau. Peyton clanked the deer-hooved necklace around his neck. They were at the same location where Banks celebrated his eighteenth bi
rthday with Chief Dan. It was the same location where Banks introspected the other evening. Only this time he was there with Peyton as six thousand flying creatures blanketed the city below. Peyton felt his way through the book of Banks’ paternal grandfather.

  Peyton triumphantly said, “I found it, Banks!”

  Banks ordered, “Your Braille is better than mine, Sport. Tell me what to do.”

  “You have to chant to the Great Spirit, Banks. You must chant! It must be a true Indian. It must be the Chief of the Tlingits.” Peyton extended the book and the deer-hooved necklace to Banks. “Read and chant, Chief!”

  Banks felt his way through the chant, “It says…call to the spirits of my ancestors.”

  Peyton demanded, “Banks. Call to them. The sky is calling. Chant now!” A creature hovered over them. It screeched to the other creatures. A flock flew towards Banks and Peyton. Banks chanted as the flock circled over them. Banks stopped chanting and feared for the impending attack.

  Peyton yelled, “Feel the spirit of the deer around your neck. Sense the gallop of the black horse—your family name!” Banks continued the chant as Peyton screamed, “Feel the spirit of your dead grandfather. Understand what he knows…see what he sees.” Banks rocked in a trance and the pace of chants quickened.

  Peyton continued, “Go back. Go back to your great blind ancestor who discovered the Night the Sky Fell. Be with him. Be him. Be an Indian and the sky will fall!”

  A group of circling creatures locked claws and swooped down on Peyton. Slowly Peyton rose. “Banks! Believe in yourself! Believe in your ancestors. Connect to the Spirit Above Your Head! And for God’s sake, please…hurry!”

  As Peyton was raised higher and higher, the pace of Banks’ chants accelerated. The screeching sounds above Peyton’s head increased with a maddening frenzy as if the creatures had found their prize in Peyton Powers.

  The Monarch Raven flew high in the Juneau sky. It startled when it recognized the indigo mist floating above the clouds. The raven could capture the essence of a human or another animal and shape shift, it could not capture the essence of the Old Soul. The indigo mist above was indeed the essence of the Old Soul. The Monarch Raven cawed as it noted the silent lightning above. The raven sensed that the Old Soul was in communication with another. The raven assumed that the pattern of the lightning above was a conveyance of anger. The raven was correct in its assumptions. In an instant a sprite appeared. The sprite flickered and the indigo mist dissipated. The sprite flashed and sent electrical forces upwards. The raven knew that these charges sped above the ionosphere into space. What he did not know, was that these charges flew into the asteroid belt where thousands of meteorites revolved. The sprite heard the calls of Banks Blackhorse and…made the sky fall.

  Banks Blackhorse chanted faster. Peyton Powers rose faster. Pea-size meteorites fall from the sky. They headed directly towards the creatures. They smacked into creatures since the honey within the creatures acted as magnets just as they did to Banks’ refrigerator some nine months ago. But despite thousands of small meteorites attacking, Peyton still ascended. Banks continued to chant and trance. He was oblivious to Peyton’s peril since he required complete concentration on his chants. The falling meteorites grew in size to the size of golf balls. They slammed into several creatures that carried Peyton. Peyton began a descent towards the camp. One creature fell directly into the campfire below. Banks took no notice as he continued chanting. Then another creature fell and another.

  The sky showered Juneau with baseball-size meteorites that decapitated the creatures. Peyton landed slowly back to the campfire. Peyton screamed orders, “More, Banks. More! Be with the Great Spirit. Connect!”

  Creatures flocked to the glacier. The sky felled watermelon size meteorites that squashed the creatures and unhinged the glacier that blocked the channel. Blocks of ice floated to the sea. Parts of creatures became dinner for salmon and halibut. And then there was a welcomed silence.

  When Banks Blackhorse took a deep breath, he exhaled the state of his trance. He returned to his conscious self and Banks took Peyton’s hand. They walked a few paces and stopped. Banks looked over the town. Banks realized that this was the town that he destroyed and that this was the town that he rescued. He looked up to the heavens in silence.

  Peyton interrupted Banks’ moment, “Banks, there’s no noise. You killed them, Banks. You saved us all. You’re a wonderful Indian, Banks. Now let’s go home. You relax, I’ll drive.”

  Banks studied Peyton. He was not amused with Peyton’s comment. He was angry. He led Peyton to the car and then forced Peyton to the passenger seat. He strapped Peyton’s seat belt with no gentleness.

  Peyton crossed his arms and pouted, “I’m a kick-ass driver.” Now it was Banks turn to apply the grill and drill.

  As Banks drove he ignored the remnants of creatures on the road. “Peyton, nine months ago you made a wish.”

  Peyton turned and defiantly responded, “Nine months ago I was a mere child. I’m eight now!”

  Banks grilled, “What did you wish for, Peyton, what did you wish during that night in your backyard when the Leonids fell from the sky?”

  Peyton smirked, “I wanted a brother…a brother that looked like a cupid, you know. It was you that told me about the Valentine cupids. You get a baby brother from the ‘maculate misconception.’”

  “Was that your wish, Sport?”

  “I thought about it. But that baby at our school bit me, remember? It had one tooth, remember? Also, I thought about reading people’s minds.”

  “Peyton, tell me what you wished for.” The car pulled up to Skyline Boulevard. Peyton tried to get out but Banks pulled him back, “What did you wish for the night of the Leonids, the night the sky fell?”

  “Oh, Banks. I can’t tell you that. You told all of us that night not to reveal the wish.”

  “Tell me, Peyton right now!”

  It was an Indian wish. I wished… I wished that people here could see…what I see.”

  The Powers’ house was a mess. Dead creatures, smoldering meteorites and green ooze covered the home. Tricia emerged holding her nose. She smirked at Ann, “Where is Mr. Clean when you need him?” Banks and Peyton entered the front door.

  Tricia yelled while cracking gum, “Mom, the Indian and the spazz are here.”

  Ann ran over and hugged Banks. Julie ran down the stairs. Stan scurried from the pantry. Murray and Dassi stood from the sofa. All cried for joy. Everyone except Tricia.

  Tricia walked out the door. She eyed her devastated car. A dead creature fell from the house roof and landed on Tricia’s head. Tricia screamed at it, “Look at what you did to my car!” Tricia jumped up and down on the dead creature. Her jumping caused her to be sprayed with green ooze. This was the perfect time for Tricia to use her knowledge of French, “Merde!”

  The surviving neighbors of Skyline Boulevard met in the street. Joy once again was restored to Skyline Boulevard.

  They all looked at the beautiful August Juneau sky. There was not a single flying creature. Wrong. The Monarch Raven landed on the roof of the Powers’ house. It was time for The Monarch Raven to get involved.

  Vision Quest

  About two centuries ago, white explorers came to New Zealand and killed many of the indigenous people. About the same time, the Chatham ravens died off. These black ravens eventually became extinct on the Chatham Islands which was a part of New Zealand.

  The Monarch Raven was used to living amongst indigenous peoples and once they were killed, the raven wanted to find new indigenous peoples to watch. This immortal raven chose North America as its home. The Monarch Raven was urged from the Spirit Above not to get involved with Indian matters. The Monarch Raven was merely to be revered by tribes through their shamans. All it had to do was to observe and enjoy. The Spirit above His Head gave this request to the raven when he chose North America as its home.

  There was some dispute amongst American Indians that accepted the raven as a spiritual leader and thos
e that did not. Some believed that the raven created the universe and that the Spirit doled out the rules and regulations. Some believed the opposite. There was always an undercurrent with The Monarch Raven when taking orders from the Spirit, so it delighted the raven to get involved with the goings on in Juneau to prove that the Spirit was mistaken about certain things. Because of this fact and the fact that the raven was a bit egotistical, it decided that now was the time for him to get involved and no longer simply be an observer.

  The Old Soul did not think about matters this way. He was simply an enforcer who was a soldier that took its orders from the Spirit. The Old Soul’s latest orders were to kill Banks Blackhorse.

  Due to the exhausting preceding days, the inhabitants of the Powers’ house rejoiced quietly. There were tears of joy, hugs/kisses, and as the fear was released from members of the families, tiredness swept over each person.

  Murray wanted to sleep but first he would check on the current situation of Mrs. Kadet’s eye. Dassi grabbed his bag and decided to follow him across the street. Ann knew she had a lot to do. She had received texts from the department of communications and was needed to reconnect Juneau to the outside world. Government officials discovered their ‘sent messages’ and wanted them to be corrected. Ann knew the women who aided her in creating Juneau’s disinformation which led to the city’s isolation. She needed to undo this with the women that aided her. But first, she wanted to speak to Banks.

  Banks sat on his chair by the window. He was exhausted as all the survivors of Juneau were. Banks wanted to just sleep for days. But he perked up when Ann came by and knocked on his bedroom door. There was so much Ann wanted to say to him, but she knew his state and thought ‘less was more.’

  As Ann stood in his doorway, she was ready to explain that she would be occupied for the next few days with restoring Juneau’s communications. But it was Banks who spoke first: