The Planet That Wasn't

Reminisce (Leon above; imagine gray hair)

I looked up at the artificial ceiling from my sleeping bag, my hands crossed behind my head. It's been three years since The Surface was swept off into oblivion, and when it was gone, it wreaked havoc on not just us, but a lot of the surrounding universe too. The gravity from Eart-- er, The Surface, was no longer there. This caused the other planets to come out of alignment, causing the galaxy to move around a lot. Several planets shifted closer to the sun, and Mercury and Venus were engulfed by it. The outer planets fell into the asteroid belt, causing several of the asteroids to become chemically infused, and poisonous. That also meant we had to dodge uncalculatable obstacles, and keep a sharp eye. We made it out alive.

Well, if you can call what we have now 'living.' More like surviving.

I close my eyes, and hum a lullaby to myself about life, loving our planet, hope, and dreams. I know none of it will ever come to pass. Our old planet was amazing, but we didn't listen to the moans and groans when it tried to tell us it was hurting. Well, nobody who could have made a difference cared. My parents sure didn't. I thought about our lives before IT happened.

On a regular day, I would wake up in my bed, and get dressed. I would eat breakfast, and brush my teeth. Then I grab my pack, and leave for school. My normal school. I wouldn't get to see my parents, they would be off doing something frivolous that was probably hurting the planet more than most things would. Oh, didn't I mention? My parents were the two richest people in the world.

I was kind of glad they were, it meant I could buy things like mattresses and clothes, and food that didn't hurt the planet to make or grow. Unfortunately, It also meant I was swallowed by my parents shadow, and nobody noticed me enough for me to make a difference in time. Not that anyone could have really helped or anything, but...

I turn my thoughts toward the day. The day it happened.

"Mom, please, LITERALLY everybody in the class is going, and they're all going WITH THEIR PARENTS! Can you please think of ME, for once?" I said angrily into the phone. My parents were going to leave me hanging AGAIN! Were they simply not able to be there for me? Like, physically mentally, NOT ABLE to be there for me?! Seriously! I thought to myself. I hung up. Looks like I'm going by myself. Again. I got to school just as we boarded the rocket bus, and began liftoff. We're using the latest tech.

Disgusting. I remember feeling so helpless. I think about what I was thinking that day, how I felt about it all.

I wouldn't be here, except for the fact that my parents are hoping It'll change my mind about technology if I go to see and use the most advanced tech available. They were even the ones who funded and suggested this trip! They ENCOURAGED all the other parents to come! And then they COULDN'T BE THERE.

*a few hours later*

"Hey, kid, you gonna eat something? I hear the food is outta that world!" A janitor walked up to me, looking worried that I wasn't eating.

"No, I'm not gonna eat any of that stuff. I brought my own, NATURAL food. I don't eat any of that junk, it kills the Earth! My parents forced me to come; otherwise, I wouldn't even be here right now." I say, smiling at him. He seemed nice, and I could tell he cared a lot about helping people. I looked out the window to my left, where I could see the planet.

It was an strange, orange color, which it wasn't really supposed to be. It only took about 30 years for the planet to rapidly deteriorate, MUCH faster than Scientists thought it would, but was I seeing things? It seemed to get lighter and lighter, almost glowing at this point. All of a sudden, the Earth caved in, and a shockwave speeds toward us, pressuring the ship away, like a snapping rubber band; the hull shudders, and I'm knocked to the ground. I can see the janitor is on the ground, too. The hull stops shuddering, but we're still hurdling past everything at a rapid speed! Who knows where we are at this point!

The awful craft gradually came to a stop. I stood up, and stared into the oblivion. We were stationary. The stars were different, much brighter. You could see so many stars, but the Earth was gone. None of it mattered anymore. I stared out the glass, taking it all in, letting my once hopeful thoughts turn to dark, depressive ones.

I was too late.

I never should have hoped to change anything. I was too small, too insignificant. Things would never be the same, but I couldn't do anything about it. My parents, their friends, everyone; this was their fault. Nobody deserved to live, not even me. I should have worked harder. How Ironic; the only person who actually cared was the only one who survived, only to not have a purpose in the universe anymore. Heh, now what's the point to life? There's no point for me, anymore.

I punch the wall, and my knuckles start to bleed. I don't care. The janitor speaks to me.

"Hey, kid, you might not want to do that. The people in charge now will force you to use the tech that destroyed the world in the first place." He said. "My name's Leon. If you need anything, and I mean anything, just come find me." he started to head towards the elevator. At this point I'm crying bitter tears.

"How can you just walk away from the destroyed planet? It's gone, don't you care at all?" I accused, pointing at him now. "How? You have no heart; in fact, you have about as much heart as the people who made this whole mess in the first place!" I try to punch the wall again, with my right fist this time.

How he got there so fast, I have no idea, but he catches my fist before it hits the wall, and I know he'll always be there for me, like the true father figure I never had. I cry into his shirt, grabbing the sides of the janitor's vest. He stroked my head, and shushed me in soothing tones, my hand getting blood all over his shirt and a little bit on his pants.

"Here, kid. Come on, let's go to the Doctor and see if you broke anything. We'll get you doctored up." He put his right hand under my chin and lifted up my face to see his. I looked up at him, my eyes swollen and red, and I'm very aware that I just cried on a random stranger and ruined his shirt; probably one of the only ones he owns.

"My names Leon." He says. "Let's go to the doctor. I'll see what I can do about getting you all natural stuff for your hand, but I can't make any promises..." He looks down at me in sympathy. Just then, for a split second, I realize he's in pain too, but is concealing it. I can tell that he's actually not very good at showing emotions other than concern, and the humor I saw from earlier.

We walk toward the elevator. "I don't wanna use it. I'll leave you and walk down the stairs if you try to force me." I say to him, nearly monotone. He just looks down at me with a face of no expression.

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to." He says, picking me up bridal style. I curl up, and see we're heading toward the stairs. I close my eyes, and sleep until we reach the doctors office.

I remember that night. It's vivid in my mind, and it's generally the last thing I think about before I fall asleep. I yawn, and turn in my natural sleeping bag and squeeze my pillow, thinking sadly to myself These are probably the last totally natural sleep item in existence...

and I drift off.