Elena knew she couldn’t stay in her city. Sure there were buildings tall enough to reach the heavens and so many people of all different types, but it was dying. Not many people could tell, as they were too enamored in one thing or another, but it was clear to Elena when she was above the city.

There was a huge plateau on the west side of the city. Many people kept away from the towering cliff, as no one in the city was crazy enough to attempt the climb. Elena, had always been a desire to see the city as the birds do.

So, one day, she started her climb. She brought a backpack with food, water, and a blanket, knowing she would have to stay the night on one of the ledges. She fell a few time, but she was relatively close to the ground. But she kept pulling herself up.

After a long day, she had made it about 2/3 up the cliff. She gazed out at the city as the sun was setting behind her, but all she could see was a dusty haze. She frowned, as she had never seen the haze before. It obscured the city view from her. She was determined to see the city though.

She slept that night and started climbing the next day. Before she got to the top, she saw a cave in the cliff to her left. She climbed over that direction. She went in when she got there, and was stunned to see that at the back was a staircase up to the top of the cliff, cleanly cut in stone. She was about to run up the staircase, when she noticed a swing sitting in the mouth of the cave.

She went over, noticing the metal links and the metal plank were in good condition. She hesitated a moment, afraid of what would happen if she fell. Then, a gust of wind blew into her face. But this air was different than what she was used to breathing. It was lighter, somehow.

She sat on the swing and gripped the metal links. She counted to three and pushed off. She was amazed at what she saw. She could the skyscrapers, the smaller buildings, and even the rolling hills that were east of the city that housed the military. But the most obvious thing about the city was the dusty haze. She couldn’t notice it from the city or lower on the cliff, but here, she could. That’s why breathing was easier too, as the air was less ridden with pollutants and dust. She was breathing clean air.

She kept swinging for a while, feeling more and more sad about her city. She then decided that she wouldn’t go back to the city. She would live in the clean air, free from the city. She wouldn’t be leaving much behind anyways. She turned away from the city, and ascended up the stairs, never once looking back.