The Big Blue Balloon

A boy sits at a desk doing his homework. He spies a big blue balloon out the window. He gets up, and follows it's trail through the other windows in the house. He runs past his mom, dad, brother, sister, and the dog. The dog follows. He bursts out the door. The balloon drifts off steadily. He gives chase.

The boy runs through his front yard, past his bike, past his white picket fence, past the sidewalk and out in the street. His feet hit the ground and lift off again faster than ever, with his dog close behind. He runs past the trees on his block, past the cars, past the girls playing hopscotch, past the market on the corner, past the old man on the the soapbox.

The boy runs. He runs and runs. The balloon just ahead of him. His heart pounds and sweat fills his brow. Still he runs. As the boy runs, the balloon flies out of his reach. The balloon soars higher and higher into the blue sky, too far for any normal boy to reach out to. And still he runs.

Faster and faster, over the fences, past the restaurant where his mom works, past the business his dad owns, past the school his siblings go to. He runs. The balloon soars higher and higher into the blue sky. It becomes a dot in the clouds above, ascending higher than anything he has ever seen. And still he runs. He runs and runs and runs, with nothing to stop him. The boy and his dog run past the town line, past the county line, past the state line. The boy runs across the rivers, through the forest, and over the mountains. He comes to the edge of the land and sprints across the waves of the ocean. Jumping over each white-crested hill that rises from the wet surface below. He runs past the dolphins flipping high in the air, past the boats speeding back to land, past the great ships that bring whatever it is the grown-ups always buy. The boy runs until he can no longer take it. But the boy must not stop. He can't. So he and his dog  sprout wings and fly high above.

They soar high into the sky, looking eagerly for the friend that started their journey. They fly past the clouds, past the thunder, past the lighting. They past the birds, and the planes, and the very heavens themselves, always looking for the balloon. When they can't find it they soar even higher.

Among the stars, our heroes search for their dear companion that is lost in the cosmos. They go past the moon, past the planets, past the galaxy itself. Their journey transcends time as they anxiously and excitedly look through every nook and cranny of the unknown for the big blue balloon. Finally, they see their friend. Sitting peacefully among the brightest suns and the most beautiful lights no one can ever imagine. The 3 sit and watch the fantastic spectacle, with grins spread ear to ear, drinking all that is displayed before them. All happy.


Then the boy wakes. His head lying on his text book, pencil still in hand. He looks out the window. There's no balloon, no big adventure. He looks out the window, and he smiles.