Balloons

It takes a while for the family to slowly make their way up to the counter of the woman selling balloons. First, the mother has to corral her twin boys, who have somehow run off towards the toys. Then, she has to drag her oldest away from the computer gadgets and back towards her. However, eventually they make it to the counter and the mother (almost shouting to be heard over her offspring) orders two dozen gold balloons.

The old woman nods, and sets off to the helium tanks. She has gathered twenty-four shimmering pieces of rubber, and slowly fills the first one. Then the next. Then the next…

When the family finally has their precious cargo, and all of their members, they make their way towards the exit. Suddenly, one of the boy’s chubby fists releases the gold floating object he is carrying. It floats towards the ceiling, then towards an open window. Then away…

The boy is crying, and the mother is scolding because now they only have twenty-three balloons for the party. But this is nothing compared to what the balloon seller is seeing.

She is seeing a flash of red, floating in the air, tied to a special object that had been tying it to the ground. It releases, somehow, and is carried away into the sky. But it is also carrying the object with it. The last thing from her mother…

Wiping away tears, she again wishes there was another way to earn money.