➼Title: The Last Leaf
➼ Word count: 408 ➼ Warnings: Mentions the word suicide
➼ Troptember: Gaia's Lament
I lean back on the tree, the last alive tree on Earth. It was true what they said centuries ago, that the Earth was dying. Many lived in the fantasy that it would take millennia, but Time caught up and brought with it the Reaper. The oceans were polluted, all fishes were dead—save for the ones that were in aquariums, although none are left on earth—and the rivers and ponds dried up. The entire Amazon forest was dead, mostly from forest fires but the rest they took along with them.
Where? Off into space. Maybe the Moon, or Mars. The newest habitable colony is in Europa. Everyone who wanted to leave this dying planet paid an arm and a leg to get on board the space ships. A small population, a few thousand of us, decided to stay. We were born here, and would die here, along with our dear planet.
Mass murder, a few of the leavers called it. Suicide, the rest decided. It wasn’t either. We liked to think we would be the last inhabitants of Earth, scavenging the little food left, singing and dancing to our deaths. It might sound depressing, but thinking that perhaps, your name would go down in the future books across the solar system, “The Ones Who Decided To Stay Back” is a fun thought indeed.
I am the only one, it seemed, who was outside and lamenting. The rest of them are inside, as I can hear the chirpy and fun songs. I could hear bits of Japanese, Swedish and Tamil. Somewhere inside, my mother would be there, crying to herself, screaming internally, ‘WHY DID I STAY BACK?!’ like many others. It was a lost cause, as the last ship was leaving Earth in a few minutes. Among us, there were groups, based on emotional stability. Ones who still think they can survive, grow plants and resurrect the Earth. Rest who were happy to die with their beautiful, haunting planet. Some, crying that they made the bad choice, regretting every breath they breathe.
I can put myself in all of them, depending on the mood of the day. Perhaps it would change. Perhaps I could help the Resurrection, trying to grow plants with stolen seeds. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. I promise on the last leaf on Earth, that I will live every breath as I try my best. May the gods stand by me and watch the Earth die or live.