Short Story

by Tiffany Liu

March 11, 2056. That was the day that humans realized they could no longer live on our earth. Extreme droughts, devastating wildfires, massive floods and widespread famines conquered the land, forcing us to retreat underground. We built bunkers and preserved what little rations we still retained, but it wasn’t enough. Only the wealthy survived. Millions of rotting bodies could be found on the contaminated earth above, and the sky turned into a myth we doubted existed.


As children, we were taught to hate the sun; it was painted as the antagonist in our heroic tale. “The sun is the reason why we cannot walk the earth,” they said, “We were faithful to it, yet it was not to us.” We were taught that we, with the will to live, perseverance, and fervent nature, fought back valiantly. The earth, the sky, the sun, the sea, who are they if not our enemies? We were the last line of defense, saving our planet from impending destruction. I never questioned the reasons behind our actions or our beliefs. I didn’t think I needed to, but as they say, curiosity killed the cat.

I left.

I left the protection of our sanctuary; my home.
I sacrificed my safety for a freedom that I have never known.

But now I see.

Standing on the dry, scorched ground the earth has become, I see, I finally see. I felt like I was drowning until now, truths murmured but never made clear. But now, with my feet on the ground, surrounded by plastic and trash, I am clear. Is this what I was meant to be? Is this what I am meant to face? The cold, dirty truth of humanity? I feel contaminated; unclean. But, somehow, admist the whirling thoughts, my mind remains clear. We, humanity, have abused the earth’s resources, returning nothing but plastic. We, the prime rulers of our planet, felt that we deserved the right to do as we wished. But, we were wrong. The earth, the sun, they never betrayed us. They needed to teach us a lesson, for the same reason that I am standing here at this moment.

I advance to the cliff’s edge, watching the water lapping against the shore below. At this moment, I know what I need to become, and what we will never be. I cannot live a life full of lies. Standing there, I do not care, not about myself, nor my life. It will be marked on my soul for eternity; a proud sacrifice. One foot goes over the edge. Then, another.

I fall.

I beg for the pure waters of the ocean to cleanse my soul, and be reborn into a creature worthy of life. My final thought, my final regret as my body succumbs, water stinging my eyes. I didn’t do what I was able to, while I still could. The sun, the earth, they did not do us harm. All this time, the one that did us wrong was us ourselves.