EARTH AS WE KNOW IT|✔

This is my entry for Urban Earth Day.
Enjoy!!!

"Beep. Beep. Beep."

I reach my hand out from under the covers to snooze my alarm. As I slap my hand sleepily across my desk, I hear the alarm clock drop on the floor.

Crap.

Still half asleep, I sit up in my bed and shortly after place my feet on the cold floor and walk to my window ready to watch the beautiful sunrise along with a beautiful landscape.

I cautiously open the curtains preparing my eyes for the bright light that's yet to hit them.

When I take a glance at the view in front of me, I groan in disgust. "Stupid skyscrapers. Always obstructing the sunrise."

I would do anything to actually witness a sunrise but unfortunately that cannot happen to me for as long as I live in this city with skyscrapers covering every inch of land, replacing the green gorgeous trees that once took residence here.

Angrily, I walk to my kitchen to prepare myself a cup of coffee to kick start my day.

As I take a sip of my coffee, my phone vibrates on the table.

Now who could be calling me this early in the morning?

My thoughts are answered when I see the caller ID. Trust my mom to call me at odd times.

"Hey mom." I greet sweetly.

"Hi sweetie!"

Mom's been calling me nearly every second of everyday since I moved to the coast about two months ago mostly to talk to me about sometimes the most irrelevant things. Can't blame her though, she does live by herself with only a dog to keep her company.

"You okay?" I ask before taking another sip of my coffee.

"Yeah I'm good. What about you?"

"Great."

"Got any plans for the day?"

"I have a meeting in the afternoon and I'm about to go for my morning workout at the beach." I say placing my now empty cup in the sink.

I hear some shuffling in the background before I get my reply. "The beach? What happened to the gym?"

"For some odd reason the gym shut down last week. I haven't worked out since then and decided to get back to it and what better place to get back to it than at the beach?"

"But aren't there going to be people?"

"Not at this time. It's a bit early so only a few people will be there." I explain as I walk back to my room to put on my workout clothes.

"Okay. I don't want to keep you in anymore. Talk later."

"Bye mom." I say before hanging up.

I place my phone on my bed and take off my huge shirt and shorts which I slept in and walk to my closet. I pull on a pair of yoga pants, a sports bra, a vest and trainers.

A few minutes later I'm jogging on the sandy beach.

As I jog, I notice a few plastic bottles and bags here and there but I ignore them and carry on jogging. I need to go home and shower before my meeting anyway.

***

When I reach home, I take a quick shower and decide to rest a little before getting dressed.

With a towel still wrapped around my body and another wrapping my hair, I grab my phone and lay on the beach chair on my balcony.

I scroll through my Facebook feed and stumble on a post by National Geographic.

I read through the post and I'm shocked by what I read. The post talks about the effects of climate change around the world and the effects of littering on the oceans.

I look up at the ceiling. "So this is your way of telling me to go back to that beach huh? I ignore the plastic bottles and the moment I go online National Geographic coincidentally posts something that makes me rethink my choices? Smart."

I need to do something. If I don't, this world is doomed. I don't want earth to become the next Mars in five years! It's heartbreaking reading all of this. Knowing that we humans are the reason that some animal species are becoming extinct, ice caps are melting while they should be staying frozen, winters are too cold and summers are too hot. We are the reason that the next generation will have bigger problems to deal with. If we continue damaging the ozone later and cutting down trees and everything wrong we're doing, life will be much harder for the next generations to come. Poverty is getting worse because of global warming! This is too much. I really need to do something...and now.

I have a lightbulb moment and pick up my phone again and search for recycling plants in the area and to my luck, there's one not too far from my place. Perfect.

I quickly throw on some clothes and a pair of gloves, grab two huge garbage bags and get out of the house.

I drive to the beach so that it's easy to take the bags to the recycling plant after.

When I'm done with collecting the plastic waste at the beach and taking it to the recycling plant I decide that I can't stop there.

"I need to do more." I say to myself as I scratch my chin in thought.

Five months later

I look up and wipe the sweat on my forehead using the back of my hand and smile at the sight in front me.

In front of me are a group of people planting different species of tree seedlings around the piece of land that was actually a little forest about a decade ago.

"You look like a proud mom." I hear my mom's voice beside me.

"I'm just happy with how things are turning out." I smile.

"How's the charity going?"

"Good. We have a total of a thousand dollars. Within no time the dams in Northern Africa will start being built and they'll be water for the counties inflicted by drought." I answer.

My mom turns my body so that I'm facing her. I notice how her eyes turn glossy as she speaks. "I am so proud of you Jenny. You have such a kind big heart and thanks to you, this planet might actually survive."

"Aw mom thank you but I don't know about surviving. If anything, I'm just prolonging it's lifespan."

***

Hi guys!!! I hope that this short story inspired you all to make a change in the world. Remember that global warming is a real problem and YOU, yes YOU, CAN help make a difference and save this planet we call home. There's no planet B guys so let's protect this one!!!

I love you all!!!

#urban