Seller of the Sky

"Seller of the Sky" by Dave Dryfoos is a science fiction story about a beggar named Old Arch who travels between enclosed cities, thrilling people with imaginative stories of the untamed "Outside" world. Old Arch inspires the city's children with his tales and by selling them "stock certificates" for a share of the sky, promising a future adventure. This promise turns to reality for a pair of siblings, who he escorts into a snowstorm, showing them the awesome beauty of a sunrise before he passes away from the cold. Old Arch's death sparks a wave of change in the city, leading its residents to seek a life beyond their protected walls, where they abandon their old lives and start a bold, new adventure with both excitement and loss.