The Tragedy That Would Set the Earth Ablaze
Kansas
2020, Junior, Creative Writing
The melted silver of the waxing moon reflected off the rippling waters of the Florida coast and back to Kalani’s rich, russet eyes. The setting sun burst into a glorious conflagration of indigo and scarlet that flooded the waving water. She scrutinized the horizon, leaning precariously over the rickety rail of the homely fishing boat that had been her home for as long as she could remember. Now, her family’s future was as bleak as the dead coral peppering the shores of the beach. More and more fish had lost their lives from sudden heat waves that devastated marine life and the family fishing business. Tomorrow was their last day on the boat. Dad was selling it so they could move inland. “Kal!” her younger sister whispered, wide innocent eyes imploring. “When are they coming?” At nine years old, two years younger than Kalani, Keya was small, sweet, and unbearably adorable. “They might not even come,” lamented Kalani. “It’s only happened twice in Dad’s time. You know they might not be here.”
Powerful grace surged from the fin of the young-he-whale. The deep bellows of his pod resounded in the warm water. Too warm. The Bryde’s whale pod was being forced to flee its sanctuary because of the heat waves that swallowed the ocean, stifling and killing the innocent creatures living along the coast. The young-he-whale took one last glance at the burning acidic water and tiny bodies of other animals migrating to cooler waters. Elder-she-whale sensed his wistfulness. “It is for the better,” she comforted him. “Cooler waters mean more food. You are so frail already. I worry that you will not make it to the deep. We can’t survive here.” But that was it. They might not survive in the deep, either. In a few years, every place in the ocean would be lost to the desolate wasteland that had consumed their sanctuary. The whales would have no home, nowhere to go, and could do nothing to stop it.
Keya’s enthusiasm didn’t diminish even after Kalani’s words. The little girl’s twin braids bounced as she impatiently hopped on one leg. Her quest was interrupted, however, by Kalani. “Shh! Do you hear it?” Keya froze, her eyes wide, ears perked, until finally a wisp of sheer emotion coursed through her veins as a single serene note reached her ears. Enveloped in the melancholic wails of the whales, the two sisters stood, transfixed against the railing as they closed their eyes, trying to iron the moment into their minds. Morose symphony filled the ocean. The song leaped and danced across the waves towards the oozing sun.
As one, the whales uttered their last goodbye to the place that had nurtured them, fed them, and abandoned them. “It has begun, little one,” intoned the elder-she-whale. “No!” murmured young-he-whale. “It has ended. We will never see our home again. Oh elder, I would rather die here than live in the deep.” “No. No, you would not,” elder-she-whale muttered. And she was right. The young-he-whale joined in the keening. He poured his too-feeble heart into the howls that shook the ocean itself. In that moment, the despair of the calves, the cries of the elders, and the decry of all the pod joined as one. The pain of each whale’s heart stretched out their arms and clenched each other tight. Their trembling souls timidly raised shields against the swell of uncertainty.
The long arms of the music retreated from the fishing boat and back to their birthplace. “It was perfect,” whispered Kalani. A diamond tear wrung out from the dark depths of her eye like rain. Kalani’s gaze sought out her sister. For once, Keya was quiet, contemplative. The two stood, intertwined as the last remnants of the life they’d known slipped away from them. The only sound was their heartbeats thrumming against each other as time was stolen from the night.
There you have it. Both were victims of the same event. One was a refugee with a soul full of defiance. The other had borne the consequences of the actions of her own people. But trust me, the real consequences would come to them, and when they did, it would be a tragedy that would set the Earth ablaze.
Reflection
Growing up in Kansas, I don’t visit the ocean much, except for my family’s yearly vacation. But I have made some of my best memories at the seaside. Even now, I can still picture the ecstasy from navigating the path of rocks along Newport Beach. Thinking of the future of that same place twists my heart. Researching this paper has opened my eyes to the true nature of this dire catastrophe. I am struck by the utter carelessness of our race in efforts to save the very planet that feeds, nurtures, and is the very reason we can live. How can we stand by as our home is ravaged by our technology and luxuries? I strive to aid others in understanding that the consequences of their behavior will not only affect ocean animals but also ourselves. My hope is to bring light to the minds of lawmakers on the topic of ocean warming. Creatures in the water and on land are dying because of our advancements. Mankind’s legacy will not be a story of awe and glory. We will not be the heroes, but the villains of history. Ours is a story of how mankind has caused a catastrophe only we can stop.