“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”

-George Orwell, 1984

Night had fallen. The stars glittered above the tree tops as a cool breeze rustled through the thick branches. Staring outside his window, a light breeze scarved through the room, blowing Lay's hair back softly as the sounds of nocturnal creatures called out to him. The sound of giggling echoed up to the room. Peering down the tree, he spotted silhouettes of children laughing and chasing each other across the branches. Darkness did not hinder the people of Isacin. Lay smiled to himself, remembering how he was once like them; innocent and full of energy. Life had been good. And the Spirit had blessed him with a loving home and a wonderful, strong tribe to raise him. But things were different now.

He closed his eyes as he leaned against the window frame. Exhaling deeply, Lay ran his fingers through his hair. This motion was relaxing for him. After a few minutes had passed, Lay sat up from his position near the window and stood to his feet. It was time to go. He walked across the room to his desk, grabbing his dark leather satchel. He stuffed paint brushes, pouches of colorful powders, and a paint palette into the bag before walking over to his bed. He laid on the ground and reached under it. From beneath the bed he pulled out and a small, flat rectangular surface wrapped in light brown cloth. Lay carefully put the surface into his pouch, situating it safely inside before sealing his satchel closed.

Lay quickly blew out the candle on his desk and closed the room window shut before heading out the door. He locked it with hast. His eyes darted all around him in order to ensure no one was watching. Once he heard the click of the lock, Lay pulled his scarf over his face, masking himself as he be headed to the end of the tree's branches. The moonlight was brighter that night, which made Lay nervous. He needed to go without anyone seeing him. Upon his arrival, he took a deep breath before making a fierce dash to the end of a branch, leaping off its wooden surface into the air. His legs stretched out as his momentum sped him towards a neighboring tree. With cat like reflexes, his feet landed silently onto a branch as he gain footing and continued to run across the tree to the opposite side. He dashed speedily through the tree tops, leaping from one tree to the next. He slid across thickets of branches and swung across masses of trees as he grasped onto stocky vines, moving further and further away from the heart of the forest.

Within a few minutes, his village was no where in sight. All that remained was the sound of the creatures of the night, shrouded within the darkness of the forest. He began to slow his pace, jumping across the branches with more caution. He was almost there. Lay's ears could hear the distinct sound of running of water. The source of the sound was the Evyonen Falls. He began sliding down the trees as he heard the water's rushing become louder. And soon, he stood on a branch that was directly next to the clear opening where the falls were. The air was crisp and cool. Lay could see his breath puff and rise into the air due to the chilling temperature. He pulled his jacket tighter around himself before climbing down the branch towards the ground.

Holding onto the lowest branch, he gulped as he stared at the forest floor. He wasn't supposed to do this. He knew that. Although he had done it so many times before, Lay could not help but feel fearful and guilty every time he came face to face the earthen ground. Taking a final sharp inhale, Lay jumped off the branch, landing on soft soil. In all honesty, he felt extremely uncomfortable standing where floor dwellers lived. The trees and the sky was his home, not the terra firma. Getting over his initial uneasiness, he pulled his satchel off his shoulder and began opening it as he made his way towards the edge of the watery banks.

His feet trudged onto the quaggy skirts of the falls. Insects were singing their midnight musings to the silver moon, and a light mist rose from the waters. The scene made Lay's heart feel at peace. He situated himself on a large stone on the brim of the water, p