1 Earth on Fire

My lungs burned inside my chest as I sprinted through the burning forest. I'm almost there, I kept thinking to myself while trees collapsed behind me. My legs began to go numb and I couldn't feel the ground burning through my shoes anymore. I shouldn't've went back there but it was my last chance before I leave. Just when I was about to reach the end of the forest, a shriek came from behind me stopping me in my tracks. Don't do it Cora you're almost out of time, my mind screamed at me. I battled with my internal self before I whipped my head around searching for the source of the shriek.

"Hello!" I called out into the inferno, yearning for a call back. As more cries for help sounded, I raced around to find the source. A small bear cub woken out of hibernation was cowering on the ground as it's mom laid underneath a pile of burning trees. My eyes watered as I ached and sympathized for this poor soul as I remembered losing my own family the same way. I slowly bent my knees as I reached my hand out to the cub, careful enough to not startle them. Such a small animal wouldn't be safe out here, they won't have a life here.

A defeated looking cub looked unsurely and cowered away more. To leave it here to die twisted my heart and wasn't an option. Quickly, as time was almost out, I opened my backpack and grabbed a fire resistant blanket. Now wasn't the time to hesitate as I scooped up the child and continued running. I didn't have time to miss my time slot to leave.

I dashed out of the burning woods and ran as fast as my legs could go towards my bunker, ever so thankful the organization trained me. I contemplated leaving the now sleeping cub outside when my morals fought me otherwise. Sighing, I knew the other elders would go blind with rage at my decision but I'd cross that bridge when it came time. A life is a life.

I threw open my cabin door, looked around once more at what won't be my home anymore and sped towards the kitchen. Sliding the rug away from the flooring next to my sink, I squatted down and used the longly stringed key around my neck to unlock the metal hatch. Just then, a loud crack sounded when the few trees next to my shell of a home were finally consumed with fire.

I shimmied my way down; careful not to drop or wake the cub proved a hard task by climbing down the ladder. When I reached the bottom I set the kid on a chair and got to work suiting up and putting rations in the shuttle. Even through the thickness of the metal of the bunker, I could faintly hear my house collapsing in on itself. Thankfully everything of mine will be on the station when I reach there. My hands started to get sweaty as I thought about going into space for the first time, regardless of all my training.

Life on Earth seemed like a distant dream as it was crumbling away this very moment. It was supposed to be winter but it was hard to believe with most of the world on fire. So many species going extinct along with the human race. Even though I hated to admit it, this was exactly what Earth needs. It's been held captive by us for too long; tainting it with overly tall buildings, pollution, excessive hunting of animals, and overall lack of care. We said this would happen but not many believed it until it was too late. But the char on Earth mixed with the remains of what was once living will provide good fertilizer for the Earth. In a couple thousand years, the Earth will be flourishing again and we won't be returning. We don't deserve Earth anymore.

Getting lost in thought, I realized the cub had no space suit. A second didn't pass as I placed the bear in my own suit and secured them in. These suits always had extra space in case one of the colonists became pregnant or already were. I finished suiting up, grabbed my backpack and ran inside my shuttle; ready to leave this world behind forever.

Over the com I could hear the other elders asking if I was secured in and ready for lift off. "Century, this is Alpha A-5 ready for takeoff. Apologies for the delay I occurred a couple situations on the trek to my bunker." I said into the microphone while doing engine checks and strapping in. "A-5, this is A-1, please finish takeoff procedures we'll be taking off in T-minus 10 seconds." Came their response.

"Please stay safe." I whispered to the new life sleeping on my stomach. As I grasped the controls, I waited anxiously for the countdown for liftoff to finish.

"5."

"4."

"3."

"2."

"1."