Pockets Full Of Light

Every day, at dawn, Toby would go up the ladder against the border of the sky. The responsibilities were clear – Toby had to keep the clouds moving, so that the sun didn’t get bored.

This was achieved using a stick to poke them. Any clouds that could cause harm – greyish and gloomy clouds that could ruin kids’ recess on the school playground – would be moved aside. "Go", Toby would say. "They need their recess." However, there came a certain Tuesday when the cloud simply didn’t want to move out of its place.

It was stuck on top of the steeple of the nearest church. Toby went up and up until the air became thin, light and sweet, but still wasn’t able to pull it down, because the cloud was stuck. It was asleep in its place, humming like a large, lazy cat. Toby sat with it for some time before the breeze came and carried it away towards the horizon.

Toby descended at exactly the moment when the clock chimed.