created with dreamlike art ai.
Nakia scurried from one abandoned tent to the other doing what she knew how to do best, scavenge. In an apocalyptic world, the remains of the old generation had become some of the most valuable resources. Nakia and her sister were born after the apocalypse and knew very little of the old world.
She adjusted the scarf covering her entire head revealing only her deep brown eyes. She termed her eyes her most prized possession. Nakia could see any remains from a mile away. It was like she smelled them. That quality made her the best scavenger of her faction.
The scorching sun was showing off all of its splendor just before sundown. She looked ahead of the dunes that had formed in the vast expanse of land. What was once a Greenland, as they were told, had transformed into a desert. “One more. That tent below the hatch before we call it a day,” she murmured.
“I think we should head back now. The gators will be out any moment from now. “Zuri, Nakia’s sister, looked over her shoulders as she spoke rather fast. Even though Keffiyeh covered her entire face, you could sense fear and anxiety in her eyes.
The gators were almost like a different race of humans. Ever since the great industrialization over fifty decades ago, humans have become divided into factions. The insatiable quest of mankind's explorations depleted the earth's resources until there was nothing left on the surface of the earth. With almost all of nature gone, the human race risked extinction. The elites who had acquired most of the world's resources were rumored to have moved their explorations to another planet. They just disappeared without a trace. The rest of Earth's people battled for the remnants of the Earth until there was nothing left but factions of people barely surviving. The gators became the most fearsome group. They didn't just rob people, they also apprehended anyone that didn't belong to their faction. The fate of the captured was unknown.
The most scarce resource was clean water. Urban legend had it that there was a source of water hidden somewhere in the dryland. The only clue the people had was an inscription on the wall of an abandoned hatch. It had the markings of an elephant and a text that said, “Follow the elephant down to the source.” However, the people were told that the hatch was polluted with toxic chemicals. No one dared to enter. Besides, elephants were long extinct along with other species of animals.
“Just one more Zuri. We'll take the north side back.” Nakia, still looking far ahead, moved forward without any form of acknowledgment from Zuri. Zuri reluctantly walked behind her. The two began moving briskly leaving heavy boot depressions on the hot desert sand.
“Nakia look, gators! I told you we should have left for safety a long time ago.” Zuri cried out as panic ensued. The two turned to find two hefty men approaching from behind. They held batons and wore oxygen masks.
Nakia looked around her in hysteria thinking of what to do next. “Quickly! To the hatch,” she yelled while dragging her sister by the arm.
“But it's polluted there.”
“Do you have a better idea? It is the only place they won't come.”
Sixty seconds later, the two sisters were locked up in the hatch. Their eyes popped at the content of the hatch. The air didn't feel bad and they didn't feel sick either. They began to wonder why no one even dared to try this in the past. Perhaps it was the fear of the unknown that plagued mankind. They found many things of the old world in the hatch. Water, expired food and drinks, books, computers, equipment, first aid, and lots of other things. Some things they knew from scavenging and others they had no idea of.
“Look at these Nana.” Zuri pointed at a set of anaglyph glasses arranged vertically on a plane. “They look nice. I think they go on the eyes. The old generation must have been cool.” Zuri chanted as she handed Nakia a pair.
“Yeah. They were so cool they ended the world.” Nakia took the glasses and did exactly as her sister was doing. “I think we need to press this button here.”
As soon as they did with the glasses on their faces, they felt their bodies vibrate. They saw themselves back outside even though they had not moved an inch. It felt like an illusion. Soft sounds began emanating. They began to see bright lights followed by the vast land. They were standing in the middle of it. The land started to materialize into something green and beautiful. Trees sprouted from the ground. Shrubs and herbs filled the floor. They could feel fresh grass beneath their boots. Animals of different shapes and sizes loitered about. Birds of colorful feathers were singing, and chirping covering the blue sky. Flowers blossomed and the sweet smell of nectar filled the air.
“Do you see what I am seeing, Zuri? Is this real?”
“I don't know Nakia but all I see is beauty.”
Zuri and Nakia held hands. They began to walk around in astonishment. It was a feeling they could not explain. They halted when they came to the place where an elephant stood magnificent and proud. They recognized it from the imprints on the hatch. They were both startled at first but soon came to sense its calm spirit. The elephant began to walk away and they followed. It then stopped, lowered its trunk to them, and like a forklift, they ascended its back. The feeling was a rush. The elephant took them on a joyful walk around the rhapsodic paradise they had just discovered. For the first time, they say what part of nature looked like.
Soon, they came to a place where the grass was greener and the air cooler. More colorful flowers led to an opening where water sprung up from beneath the ground. The location was surrounded by the thickest flora in the place. As though the intention was to conceal it. The two looked at each other. At that moment, everything disappeared and the joyful ride ended. They were now back in the hatch again. They took off the glasses, looked at each other, and smiled. They were breathing heavily.
“I don't know what this is but that was exactly this land before now. That is what it used to be and we now know the exact location of the source.” Nakia hugged her sister with tears in her eyes.