The Olive Tree and the Elevator

It is said that in the kingdom of Curaria, there is both a king of humans and a king of animals. It is not a matter of who is greater or who is stronger. It seems that there are simply those who listen to the humans and those who listen to the animals.

Orly was an olive tree. Now, he has been transformed into the form of a knight by the guardian of the clouds. It is here in Curaria that Orly's namesake lives.

True to its name, the "Kingdom in a Bottle that Trapped the Sky," the areas covered in glass gradually came into view. Orly thought it looked like the boundary of a rainstorm. Seen from above the clouds, it sparkled here and there, with rainbows occasionally flickering into sight.

"Arriving at Curaria, Curaria. Please check once more to ensure you have not left anything behind. Please be careful not to bump into the glass."

The voice of the raccoon conductor could be heard. Indeed, it seemed best to be careful of the glass.

“Alright, let’s go, meow.”
Miu the cat hopped down from the seat. Orly also put on his helmet and moved his body with a clanking sound.

Pshhh-whoosh.

As the train slid into the station, both animals and humans flowed out onto the platform. Miu nimbly jumped onto Orly's shoulder. This way, they wouldn't get separated.

It was truly inside a bottle. The sky looked a little distorted. What kind of scenery would it be if seen from above the clouds?

The station seemed to act like the mouth of the bottle. The area near the train was the narrowest circle, and it widened as it approached the station exit.

It seemed to be an underground station, so they had to go up and up. It was so long! Orly was not used to walking much, so he became a little tired. Miu, seeing Orly like that, guided him, saying, "There's an elevator over there, meow."

However, the elevator wouldn't move at all. Just as they were at a loss, not knowing why, a snail who happened to pass by told them.

"That is... because... it's been staying up late. Always... it won't move. Because it's... sleeping."

Could such a thing really happen? An elevator staying up late! Miu's eyes narrowed, and she shouted.

"Meow! How could you do something so unhealthy! Wake up!"

Then, the elevator began to tremble slightly. Shaking and shivering. And then, there was a loud, groaning sound.

"Yaaawn. Who is it? Don't wake me up. I've been moving non-stop, and I have no idea when it's morning or when it's night. There's no way I could know that."

This night-owl elevator seemed to have been working non-stop. Perhaps thinking she had done something bad, Miu let her tail droop.

"It sounds like a difficult job. Thank you for your hard work."
Orly said softly. Then, the elevator leaned forward (it didn't actually tilt, mind you) and said.

That's right. Twenty-four hours a day. Three hundred and sixty-five days a year. My body has to keep moving. When a button is pressed, I have to move. Just when I think I've finally reached the top, it's back down. Just when I've reached the bottom, it's back up. Morning and night. I can't take it anymore. So, I decided to sleep during the busiest part of the day. And then I get told I'm staying up too late like I am now. I've had enough of this!

Ollie listened to the elevator's rant, nodding along. After thinking for a while, he replied like this.

How about setting specific hours, like from nine in the morning until eight at night? It might also be good to include some break times.

Hmph. If the station master agrees to it.

Where is the station master?

He's at the top.

Then, let me tell the station master. For that reason, if you don't mind, could you take me up there?

...You could just take the stairs or the slope, couldn't you?

It would be faster if you took me, and I could meet the station master sooner.

...Hmph. You'll really tell him, won't you?

Yes, of course I will.

Hmph. Get on quickly, then.

And so, Ollie, Miu, and the snail decided to ride together.

Whir. Clunk. Vroom.

The snail was holding a lovely rainbow-colored umbrella. Even though it wasn't raining, it was open.

Aren't you going to close your umbrella? Miu asked, and the snail laughed softly and said, That's right. This is, you see,

an umbrella that only opens once every 100 years you see. It's not up to me whether I open it or not. That's a mysterious umbrella, Miu said.

As they were having that conversation, the elevator stopped with a ding.

...We're here. I'm counting on you.

The elevator said this as if to make sure, and then opened its doors.

-To be continued-
The sound overflowing from the envelope will appear in the next story.

I wrote this for the #3 themes of fantasy inspiration by Mikan Katagiri [3rd Session].

Themes: Late-night Elevator / Sound Overflowing from an Envelope / An Umbrella That Only Opens Once Every 100 Years

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