Water World

Avery's POV

Unlike other story tellers, Grandma didn't need a book to tell her story. She knew it by heart.

"Once upon a time, many many years ago, there was place; a place of land and sea. That world of peace and balance was called Earth.

"Many humans, animals, and plants lived on Earth. The humans were like us, except that most of them lived on land. They could farm and run and feel the grass under their feet."

"Oh, do tell us how they farmed, Grandma!" Alice urged. She wasn't like her normal uptight self when she was listening to stories. She let go and sometimes became a little, curious child.

"There were farmers who farmed the soil and grew beautiful flowers and plants. On the grass, they also grew trees."

Although there weren't many flowers left, I had grown up loving flowers, just like Mother. "Grandma, won't you describe the flowers?" I pleaded.

"Of course, dearie. There were roses and sunflowers, dandelions and poppies, tulips and daisies, all of different colours. Together, they were like endless rainbows stretching upon the fresh smelling grass; especially after the rain, when the flowers would glisten in the sun under the dew.

"There were also many animals, both on land and sea. On the land, there were wild animals like lions, tigers, cheetahs and wolves. There were also animals like elephants and giraffes. In the sea, there were fishes, dolphins, whales and sharks."

"Were lions friendly? What happened to them?" Anastasia pressed, though she herself knew the story by heart.

"Well, dear Ana, the lions weren't exactly very friendly. They were known as the King of the Jungle. They were fierce and roamed the jungles, killing innocent prey. However, this was all just part of the food chain.

"Now," Grandma continued, "it's good that you asked me what happened to all the land animals and all the flowers. Let me tell you."

As if on cue, we all gasped, awaiting with bated breath for Grandma's next words. The atmosphere was so still that you could hear a pin drop.

"It was The Great Wave!" Grandma raised her voice for effect.

Anastasia gripped her cushion.

"First came the Rains of Dread. There were days of endless everlasting rain. Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, turning to years. Many years passed, and the humans were struggling to survive. The rivers and streams overflowed into seas and oceans." A look of sadness came over Grandma's face. It had been a hard time for her and her family.

She took a deep breath and continued. "The economy stared dropping rapidly. The rain was ruining the crops, so there was a drastic food shortage. Many animals fled to higher ground, while some was killed in the floods. That made it increasingly difficult to hunt animals. The flooding also ruined houses and buildings, so many people became homeless. It was truly a very stressful time."

I don't know about my sisters, but every time she reached this point, my eyes would fill with tears.

I heard Alice and Anastasia sniffing. The worst part was about to come.

"After that, The Great Wave began. It happened when the water in the oceans started bubbling and boiling. It swirled around and formed a huge wave. Then, when the Wave couldn't get any bigger, it rose and blanketed the entire Planet.

"There was complete silence around the world for one small second. It was a moment of acknowledgment. Then, the whole world just fell apart. Earth became an underwater world.

"There was a magnificent panic around the world. People scrambled to the few remaining islands and started rapidly building ships to live in. Everyone was given swimming lessons and sailing lessons. We had to adapt to the new conditions."

"Oh, how sad! Do tell us about how you were coping," Alice leaned forward with big eyes.

"Well, at that time, I was around eight, just like you are now Anastasia. Mom, your great-grandmother, did not panic or freak out like other families did. She calmly grouped up with a bunch of her friends at work and started building a large ship, that could house all of them and their families.

"However, an unfortunate tragedy soon befell us. We were living in the high lands so we had nothing to worry about for quite some time, as we sat on our small little island. One day, my little brother, Jason, was playing by the water, when another Wave lapped over the island. It killed many people who were by the sea shore, including Jason and the colleagues that had been helping Mom build the ship." Grandma wiped away the tears from her eyes and turned away for a while. It was clearly a bad memory for her.

Alice walked over a put her hand on Grandma's. "It's okay. You don't have to continue. We know the story."

Grandma shook her head. "The death of Jason shocked everyone, Mom most of all. For a few days, she couldn't believe it. It was as if you was paralysed with shock. Finally, after about a week, we were losing land. Mom got back up and said, 'Lily, let's finish that ship.'

"For the next few weeks, Mom worked diligently with quick hands. There was a sense of urgency, so strong that even the birds seemed to sense it, and swooped down to help us.

"Finally, on the 14th of April, the Diana Fins was born, named after your great-grandmother for the effort she put into finishing it."

Grandma stood up and led us to the door, "I'm sorry girls, but I'm going to need some time for myself. I'll see you later."

Alice stood up, carried Anastasia from the floor and said, "Come Avery, let's give Grandma some time to rest. Do relax, Grandma, thank you for the story."

"Bye!" Anastasia waved.