‘Omelas Falls’ is my own story inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s short story, ‘The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.’

‘The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas’ speaks of a city called Omelas— the closest humanity has ever come to a Utopia. All citizens who live in Omelas lead happy lives, able to do what they want without ever struggling. However, the prosperity of the city is solely dependent on the suffering of one child, who is locked away underground for the rest of their lives. Some citizens of Omelas see the child and return to their lives, feeling the sacrifice of a single child is justified. Others see the child and decide to leave the city, unable to justify the suffering of the child. 

My story expands upon the original tale, asking, what would happen if the people who walked away from Omelas decided to return (and perhaps save the child?). In my world, Omelas is pictured as a floating city, high above the lands which have been abandoned and trashed. It takes place far in the future when humanity had failed to reconcile with nature, stripping away every resource they can get before moving up and away. 3 kids (there’s like one kid and two teenagers) have returned back to live on the ground after walking away from Omelas, however their attention now returns to the sky as they decide to take matters into their own hands, and rescue the child that has haunted them ever since