A different sort of Apocalypse

Prologue

Life is bleak...

In the past, when my ma had a full head of actual, non-grey radically curly hair, life was bursting with joy. According to her, the world used to be bright; with the sky a rich, deep blue and the clouds fluffier than a sheeps petticoat. Apparently, nature used to stand tall, thriving with creatures big and small. Some with tails and others with wings.

Back in the days She would sigh, looking back into her mind so that she could experience what there once was. For a few minutes, she would stay there, lost in her own thoughts. I would wait beside her patiently, waiting for her to open her eyes to reality and tell me what she saw. She told me of such beauty that I had never seen and probably never will. She told me of a great blue that once held a manner of different creatures: animals with fins; eight-legs; and the largest mammals on Earth. I held on to her every word. Yearning, to be able to see through her eyes, to experience what she experienced.

But I cant.

Not anymore.

When I glance outside my window, to the dark, iciness that is the outside world, I do not see what she saw. Past generations, ruined the Earth. When I look outside my window, I cant see a thing. Not a soul in sight. Not a light shining. Not a beautiful, colourful landscape that my ma saw, but a dreadfully depressing dull landscape.

No one is quite sure why, but when the apocalypse started happening, people only started to act once they saw that the colour in the world was disappearing. However, by that time, it was too late. Thousands of millions of creatures had vanished! Some say that they may be hiding, waiting for a time that it may be safe once more. Others say that they slowly faded out of existence (which is what happened to colours). However, the majority of the human population say that they became extinct, that they were unable to adapt to the rising sea levels, rising temperatures, pollution, the stronger storms and the vast changes happening to the sky and to colours.

Putting all of this into perspective, I think the only reason I am here today (along with the other two hundred members of the human population) is because humans had created inventions for staying warm, cool and withstanding attacks.

But then again, there used to be billions of us

And even those that are left have a hard time staying it that way. No sunlight can make its way into Earth anymore. The gases in the atmosphere became too thick for even a glimmer of sunlight to make it though. All we can see when we look up is pitch black darkness. It terrifies those, who lived in the past to the very core. Most feel ashamed and -on the occasion that you meet one of them- they wont ever meet your eyes.

Due to the lack of sunlight, oxygen quickly became non-existent through natural resources such as trees. Fortunately –or unfortunately, depending on your point of view- scientists came up with a way for humans to breathe. They managed to gain an oxygen atom and duplicate it. They send the duplicated oxygen atoms through peoples houses via pipes. If for any reason, we have to leave our houses, we all have to wear a mask, which is connected to a tank, that we have to wear on our backs (it is exactly like a cross between a gas mask and scuba diving equipment) so that we can breathe.

Food and water has also changed throughout the years. Ma said that people used to be able to chew food and that it was just as colourful as the outside world. Now, I guess one out of the two is the same. Beverages are just as colourful as the outside world; grey sludge. Food is tasteless and slimy as it slides down your throat.

Many passed away even after everything had settled. They werent able to cope with the new reality and honestly I dont blame them. There are very few kids out there in my generation or below. We were the first generation to be born after the apocalypse. The first generation to never experience colour or life. Many adults simply never found love or fell into an ill state of mind, which no one could bring them out of. Many kids were left without guardians.

Im not going to lie, life is tough. But Im still alive. Im still living

Right?

Author's note

Hi. I know this writing is one of the worst out there but if you find any mistakes (sorry but there definitely will be some), could you please comment on it? I am trying to become a better writer so any critique is welcomed (about my work no slamming is allowed against anything else). Thanks for reading this far :)