The Fog

Looking back, we could have done something, but we were blind, wrecking the Earth as we owned it, everyone knew this was going to happen, but they thought that would be when they were dead and a further generation would have to face the problem. Well, that generation is ours and that moment is now.

It all started at the beginning of the 22nd century, the peak of the technological era, even though we just use technology for our entertainment: TV, mobile phones, electrical appliances…The money ruled the world and controlled the media, who cared If the polar ice caps were melting? That would only mean that the powerful people could have their beloved oil, or that people would have to wear masks because of the pollution. Money was power and it was beyond anyone or anything, even our own life.

It all started as a typical day, my friend Sophie and I were going to school, gossiping about the people in our class, and talking about that new album that she had bought. I remember that I went to my math class with that teacher that I hated because he was always giving us pop quizzes. We were doing one of these exams when we saw the fog, behind the town bridge. There it was, this strange orange smog that was destroying everything that it touched. We all saw the massacre. No one moved in what I thought it was an eternity. Suddenly Robb, who I had not seen so scared in my life said with a trembling voice: „What is that thing!? „Everybody panicked and ran through the door, many people became trapped in the exit. The fog was getting closer and we were running out of time. Suddenly my teacher shouted: “Everybody keep calm! Follow me to the basement and we will be safe”.

When we got there, we had to insulate the room and close all the doors. If we opened them we would be dead. We heard people shouting from the outside to open the door, and we couldn’t do anything, I think I will never forget that moment, I felt as If we were dreaming and at the last minute I would wake up from that nightmare, but that is not how reality works.

These extreme events not only happened at my school, actually it affected somehow to the whole world. We were in crisis, in fact, we still are, but we didn’t notice how bad the situation was and how much we were damaging the Earth, the place where we lived, should have been a priority. Now we are making a difference: everybody recycles, use less water, do not use cars. The government also realized it was a critical situation, and they invested in the research for eco-friendly technologies. We all know that the  tiniest action could save the world.

Sandra López Sánchez