Duskfall

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The next morning ay nagising ako dahil sa kakaibang pakiramdam. I moaned and forced myself to open my eyes. I immediately pulled the blankets and peaked inside. I saw Lucius being...busy down there.

"Tesoro~." I moaned. He looked at me and smirked.

"Good morning bee." Bati niya before continuing what he is doing.

After about a few hours ay pagod akong bumangon. Hindi ako pumayag na sabay kaming magshower when he asked if he can join me. Goodness, baka hindi pa kami matuloy sa lakad namin.

I wore a black lace long sleeve turtleneck under a spaghetti strap white dress that reaches my knees. I braided my hair and put a pins on both sides. Matapos magmedyas ay nagsuot ako ng snickers bago ko kinuha ang shades at bucket hat saka ang long strapped bag saka bumaba.

I went to the dining room kung saan naghihintay si Lucius. The food that Beth brought from the mansion, like what she always did whenever she comes every Sunday, is already served on the table. Madali kaming natapos ni Lucius sa pagkain.

After brushing my teeth ay kaya nagpaalam na ako kay Beth at sumakay sa sasakyan. Lucius followed after me matapos siyang magbilin. After closing the door ay humarap sa akin si Lucius at hinalikan ako sa labi bago hinilia ang seatbelt at ikinabit ito.

Our first stop is the church. After naming magsimba ay muli na kaming dumiretso sa byahe. We just made a quick stop to buy some snacks.

"Tesoro, where is this heading?" Tanong ko sa kanya nang mapansin na ngayon ko lang nadaanan ang kalsada. And the road looks different. It's what they call skyway, right?

"It will lead out of the city. Tell me if you feel the need to use the restroom. We won't find restrooms along the way later."

I was so fascinated at the scenery. Mula sa skyway ay kita ko ang mga nagtataasang building. Nang medyo malayo na kami ay nakita ko ang maduming usok sa hangin na parang ulap.

"Tesoro, did you know that . . ."

"Really?"

"Yes. It's actually made mostly of ozone, and it's harmful to humans. Inhaling ozone can cause coughing, shortness of breath, worse asthma or bronchitis symptoms, and irritation and damage to airways. Short-term exposure to peak levels of ozone can temporarily affect the lungs, respiratory tract, and eyes, and increase susceptibility to inhaled allergens. Long-term exposure to ozone can reduce lung function."

"Then, what should we do?"

"We can reduce the harmful gas emission that creates smog though reducing the usage of gasoline and stop burning plastics. Factories that uses coal and produces harmful smokes and vehicles are one of the most producer of fumes, so lessening vehicle usage will help a lot. We should also plant more trees because it filters the air and produce oxygen. And in case that the smog is too dense, like when there is a volcanic eruption, we should avoid going outdoors and wear masks if we can't avoid it."

"Hmm, isn't that a long time problem that's being discussed for years?"

"Yeah. That's why there are policies that banned burning plastic and even woods. Burning woods will release the harmful gasses that are stored inside. They are also developing vehicles that doesn't use or use less of petroleum like the electric vehicles. But it's expensive and not widely adopted yet. We are also planting trees but there is a high demand for woods as it's vital to our society for producing goods like papers."

Inalis ko ang pagkakatingin sa bintana at bumaling kay Lucius. "But did you know that the largest producer of oxygen is the ocean? The marine plants contributes around 50% of the oxygen in the air , specially phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are a type of microscopic plankton capable of photosynthesis found in oceans, seas, and freshwater, and an essential component of aquatic ecosystems. Phytoplankton can range in size and shape, and since they are photosynthesizing autotrophic organisms, they inhabit waters exposed to sunlight."