Human

The Beginning

I guess there has been a lot of fanaticizing how the world would meet its destruction. Most wrote science-fiction/fantasies about futuristic scenarios that the world would lose all civilization because of either war or aliens. Others believed that one day the world would end and wipe the human race out just like the dinosaurs did, but that seems a bit silly. The world doesn't repeat it's natural disasters twice; it just evolves newer, bigger, and stranger ones.

The world became erupted in turmoil and waste. It turned into a barren wasteland that was only the effect of human activity. Those activists that wanted the people of the past to save water and to clean up the environment? They are certified geniuses that are praised in life today. They were activists that we learn about in school now for being wise instead of the civil rights activists that were once learned. They didn't matter now. Nothing mattered now.

The human race got worse in their habits and single-handedly destroyed the planet that gave them life. They turned to greed - chopping down trees for profit, killing animals that helped the ecosystem, which also killed the meat source. Then they because everyone was so engrossed in making themselves rich and powerful, the smog came and made the sky stay gray. And no gust of wind could push it away. The smog killed a lot of creatures, and a lot of them we haven't seen since then. With the factories stockpiling to an all time high, the toxic waste and waste of production polluted the oceans. And once all got bad, everyone started to turn to violence to survive. Nuclear wars and war zones destroyed half of the human population.

There isn't an exact record of how many human inhabit the earth. In my colony, we reside in what use to be the state of Washington in the United States. Our past leaders and current leaders worked together to make Washington a safe haven. They found the most fertile land after scouting what as left of the United States, they brought whatever plant and animal life they could find back to make the land prosper and thrive. Most of those who were left traveled north in hope of finding civilization, and ended up joining the colony.

It's been 150 years since the Washington colony began, but things aren't as hopeful as it seems. Living in the colony is harsh and our leaders are very selective with those who live here. They wanted to make the human race perfect. We had to be healthy and in shape to be able to be in the colony. We had to know how survive against the earth and it's mysteries. Those who were unfit to survive were cast into the outlands. The rules stated that if they returned with something to benefit the land or our way of life, they were able to stay. Unfortunately all of those who were banished on the quest never returned.

That's probably the reason why they are so few of us living in the colony. If you weren't healthy, you were banished. If you committed a crime, you were banished, etc. The most absurd rule was that if you could not produce fertile offspring, you were banished as well. The leaders wanted to make our small human race prosper.

When each individual turned eighteen, they were to mate with another individual who was also fertile, and then they would produce offspring. Eighteen is a young age to worry about having children, let alone trying to keep the human race prospering, but it's our way of life, as absurd as it may be. You'll be surprised what people will do to survive.

In the colony, there are smaller ones, which are known as villages. They are twenty-two villages. Each village holds 200 occupants. Our colony only has 4400 people. There are only 4400 members of the human race left, as far as we know.

But it's a very important year this year.

I live in the Tamerlane Village in Northern Washington. My name is Clarissa Marie Bennett and next month is my eighteenth birthday.