by Dagan C

Created on: May 29, 2010

Another Tear

“Daddy, why is the ocean black?” Asked the small child sitting on a high hill on a rock covered in moss, with his father beside him, they were looking out at the great expanse of black ocean.

“Because it's polluted” He said, never taking his shining eyes off of it. It was quiet for a moment except for the noise of the waves rolling in. The child kicked at some moss on the rock, knocking it down to tumble away,

“Why is it polluted?” He asked in that innocent voice of his

“Because we made a mistake” Said the shiny eyed father. He sighed and looked down at his son, who looked back up at him, he smiled under his old grizzled beard.

“But why did we do that daddy?”

“Because, well because some men only cared about money, and when all the money was gone they started fighting, and they didn't pay attention to the people who told us this would happen, so then when it did all the men who were fighting stopped, but it was too late.” Explained the father, very loose broad version of what actually happened.

“Why didn't they listen?”

“Because they didn't want to deal with their problems, so they put them aside for another day”

“Oh” Said the boy, kicking off more moss from the rock. “Can we go home daddy?”

“No”

“Why not? We've been away for so long” Complained the child

“Because, no one is left there. We are one of the last few...” The father trailed off, a tear dribbled from his eye down his cheek to get lost in the gray stubble.

“Last few what daddy?” Asked the child looked up at him with those innocent green eyes.

“People, son. There aren't many more. We don't have too long either I'm afraid” He said patting the child on the back. Another tear.

“Why not daddy?”

“Because there isn't much air left, son” Another tear

“Why not daddy?”

“Because there are no trees left because we cut them all down. Come, it is time for bed” Said the old man, his eyes twinkling in the fading light of the evening. He led the boy back to the beds they had set up where an old forest used to be. They both lay down, pulled on their blankets and closed their eyes.

After an hour or so the old man sat up and sighed. He got up and walked around for a while, heaving in all the breath he could. Trying to get as much oxygen as possible, it wasn't very much. He had tried everything for the boy, he had tried it all to no avail, he did not want the boy to suffocate. He was too young to deserve such a terrible fate. He got down on his knees beside the boy.

“I am so sorry” Another tear.

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