Out of Water Interview

No more water? (Earth AU)

Interviewer: What do you have to say on the year everyone went crazy?

Me: No more good water? Please, don't make me think about it.

I lived through a time period where the planet DID run out of freshwater or was contaminated, and I barely survived it. I might be the only person who did.

96% of all water on the planet is salt water, so I wouldn't just say surviving without it is easy. For a few hours, why not, but year? You'd be dead by then. 

So the basic rundown was that some person (he's dead now) got tired of waiting for the world to end, so he decided to poison all sources of freshwater by dumping all sorts of plastics and trash into it. Plastic bags; broken forks, spoons, and knives; shredded drinking straws; you name name it, he did it. The year after that was complete chaos. Prices of fresh water skyrocketed. Wells and pumps became untrustworthy. Any known source of drinkable water went dry. Those who tried to keep water for later drinking were attacked and the water taken from them for others to drink. Insanity was everywhere, and so was sickness. People died by the millions.

But what about rain? Well, the poisoner also put chemicals where it mixed into rain clouds, forming acid rain. It ended up destroying people's tongues.

I'm an orphan, so I when the epidemic began, I ran to my favorite source of water that was untouched. The reason was that there was a cave nearby mostly blocked by boulders. I had always been a small person, so I was able to fit in the biggest gap the rocks had. There I functioned by peering through a hole in the boulders, the shadows hiding me, occasionally sipping water, and watch people go insane and/or die, it was horrible. 

The only animal that survived with me was a cat that had been walking past my cave. It was night, and most were asleep. Night was the only safe time to light a fire and eat, it was part of how I survived. I heard mewling, and took the critter into my cave and fed it bits of my fish that I was cooking. It knows that outside is dangerous, so it stays quiet.

I was almost discovered a few times. I had to act incredibly crazy so no suspicion was raised.

Well, where am I now? I built a small house near the cave, so I can come back and remark over the memories I had with it. I now have a loyal dog, who can get over-energetic but loves me all the same. It even gets along with the cat. One thing all of you should know, if the world is supposed to end, let it come on its own terms, don't meddle with it, or else everyone pays its price.

Interviewer: Thank you for your time ma'am.

Me: Not a problem.