Living In The End: April

Prologue

At the end of the world, pollution, tornadoes, storms, tsunamis, eruptions, and various other disasters ravaged the planet we loved. You may wonder, "What went wrong? Is Earth under a curse?" However, it's important to remember that the planet is not responsible for the hardships that humans face. If we are looking for someone to blame, the fault lies with us.

The Apocalypse is widely regarded as the origin of the current state of affairs. Following a prolonged period of suffering and adversity, humanity ultimately found itself departing from the world that had once been their cherished abode, now plagued by a seemingly irreversible curse.

"Everyone," announced the person behind the speaker, its voice echoing in the spacious shelter. "The flight for the Mars Colonies will be departing in twenty minutes. Those who just arrived, please head for gate four."

As people started to move, some headed towards various gates. The sheltered spaceport was crowded with crying children and people conversing. Some individuals brought their thin pets along, and surprisingly, they were all well-behaved and quiet.

Among all of the places on Earth, only the spaceports were safe. Everything else was out of control; angry wind blowing, the sky gray with air pollution, the moon unable to be seen through the thick dust storm, and the ground soggy from the amount of rain. After years of living with these disasters, the governments decided they could not live on this planet, which was once flourished with life. It was hard to believe this broken planet was once their Earth - their home. Hundreds died throughout the years, trees were uprooted, houses were torn down, and the electricity kept on shutting down. Food was scarce and to feed their hungry bellies, men, women, and even children fought with each other; killing and injuring their friends and families for a piece of bread or anything edible. Families were torn apart. Friendships were destroyed. Their hopes were scattered.

Regrettably, there was alarming news in the scientific community regarding an asteroid of considerable size, measuring approximately 584 miles in diameter. It was expected to come perilously close to Earth in a matter of months, causing a great deal of concern among experts. The proximity was so unsettling that the possibility of impact could not be ruled out. In the event of a collision, the entire population of Earth would be devastated, and the planet could even break apart. The individuals wishing to secure their survival were making preparations to travel to the closest available spaceport, where they could depart for colonies on other planets.

The colonies were created a few years back when the 'The Apocalypse' began. The governments believed that trying to stop the disasters was futile as what were they to natural disasters? After a few gatherings with each other, they believed leaving the planet was the only option for the living beings living on Earth to survive.

But, to everyone's astonishment, the road to making everyone leave the planet wasn't linear. Some disagreed with leaving their planet. They said they would rather die than live on an alien planet. They said they were and are part of the planet itself and refused to leave. They said they must pay the price for what happened to Earth was their fault. Luckily, there were only a few of these voices and the plan went on even though there were some who opposed it. Soon, the plan turned out to be successful and everyone made it to their designated colonies - except a ship.

That ship was mostly filled with people who opposed the idea of inhabiting other planets. Needless to say, they made sure no one on their ship reached the colony it was assigned to - including themselves. No one knew how that was done and they were never seen again.

Following years of living in colonies, the people eventually settled into their own homes. It turned out that the scientists were correct - Earth shattered into pieces shortly after everyone left. When their beloved former planet was completely gone, everyone mourned, and even the planets themselves cried.