Earth's Scattered Children

Chapter 1: The End

There I was, at the end of the world. People were scrambling onto large ships, carrying whatever belongings they could on their backs. Some had packs larger than themselves crammed full of stuff that they dragged behind them, while others had nothing but a picture of their family or an old, antique item that had been passed down by their families for generations. Mothers cried over the small children held tight in their arms while some who were too poor to pay for the trip snuck in or picked fights with the security guards who wouldn't let them through.

I watched the commotion from afar, thinking the last, dreadful thoughts I would ever think on my home planet. The earth was falling apart around us- pollution visibly wafting through the air, the sun's fiery rays pounding the planet so hard that the ground was hardened and cracked and what used to be large lakes were now damp puddles... I wish I could've seen this place when it was green and growing, and people could walk around without gas masks and protective clothing to block out the heat. Those days are long gone. I've only heard about it from history class and old stories of my ancestors that Grandpa used to tell me. Now my dear Earth was dying, and it was time to leave it behind and search for a new home. I knew the Earth wouldn't last much longer and was no longer habi... habatob... livable, but although I had always dreamed of living where it was green and cool, I felt sad, almost guilty, to leave it behind. It was still home, no matter how bad it was. I felt a heavy pain in my chest as I tried not to cry.Then I let out a deep, shaky sigh as I thought of the terrible events of the past week. My family was staying at home, because we were too poor to pay the fee and even sending me was a risk, but also because they couldn't part with the home they grew up in. The thought of losing my parents was like a heavy weight pushing down on me, making it hard to breathe and even to stand. They must have known how hard it would be, that a thirteen- year-old girl like me couldn't make it on her own. I guess my parents couldn't stand to see their darling little girl perish, but they never thought about how I would feel, losing my parents and all of my dear brothers. For once I wished my parents would think more about their own lives than mine, then I realized that even if they had let me stay, my brothers would have forced me out the door. Just thinking about my family gave me a stomach ache. I sat there dreading everything that had happened, when I should have been glad that I was alive. I felt a hot tear roll down my cheek as I thought of the tragic end of my family. I gripped the locket that was around my neck firmly in my hand. It was the one thing I had, a gift from my mother before she had sent me off, her face stained with tears.

"Be strong, Ellie." I told myself, remembering the many times Mother had said those words to me. I felt my heart beating fast as a few more tears trickled down my face and over my mask. After today, I would never see this planet again, or the precious family that couldn't leave it behind. With some trouble, I took a deep breath, and stepped slowly toward the massive ships before me. I tried to think of the good things to look forward to in the future, but I couldn't let go of the past.

They say the end is just the beginning- I hope that statement is true.