Old World (another photo narrative) //Mikayla Bivona

I walk. 

Taking slow steps. Taking it all in. 

I loved nature. I loved watching things grow and I loved witnessing peace. It seems to me that peace is only achieved in this pond. Humans cause problems. humans hate... humans fight... humans create things that replace the things we already have and make them "easier" to obtain.  Humans have ruined this wonderful beautiful earth we live on. 

I find peace here. 

It's calm. The birds are singing and they look absolutely beautiful when they fly in harmony with one another. I look into the lake that would be freezing over soon, and I see small fish swimming in their schools. I look up to see the trees surrounding me. I listen to them creaking as they sway back and forth with ease. I see two squirrels jumping from branch to branch happily and with ease. 

I take a deep breath. I smell the scent of an upcoming winter. It smells different from summer, spring, or fall... it smells... minty? I breathe in and feel my lungs being opened. It's a refreshing smell that makes me feel... clean. 

I shiver. A slight breeze blows, making the fragile, dying, plants sway. 

I sit, waiting for the feeling of the snow to soak through my pants. It doesn't come. 

A bird flies toward me. I hold my hand out and it lands. I stare at it. I feel the tears coming, "It can't be over yet," I whisper to the bird, "I've been here for five minutes... I need more time. Please." 

The bird stares at me, cocking it's head to the side, "Mr. Kalhoun.. it's time. You have to leave. Your wife is waiting for you." 

I feel a hot tear fall down my cheek, "I just need one more minute,"my voice breaks, "please..."

I watch as the bird glitches along with every virtualized animal around me,"You need to leave." 

I feel my throat tightening. The bird flies away and I stand slowly. I walk towards the clearing in the trees, holding my hands out in front of me, waiting for my hand to hit the wall, and secretly hoping that it won't. But my hopes are diminished when my hand comes in contact with the camouflaged portal into the world today. The world I don't want to go back to. 

I turn, and take one last look at the world that I miss every day. I put pressure on the invisible wall and it gives way, revealing the "clean" hallway in front of me. I walk down the hall to my wife's designated room, and I see that she is just as distraught as I am. I hold her hand as we walk down the perfectly cleaned white halls.

We stop at the end at a desk. The nurse gives us our "happy medication" that does a real crappy job of making us "happy." ... We walk out the doors and into the already waiting car, with our designated robot driver, Ted. 

"Hello! How was your remembrance today?" He asks.

I squeeze my wives hand, "It was wonderful, Ted. Thank you for asking." 

"You are welcome, sir." And he drives. 

I look out the window to see the world we live in now, listening to the whir of the car. I see buildings. Buildings as far as the eye can see, and further. There isn't a single tree in sight, only the oxygen producers blowing off of the tallest buildings in the city. The blue sky is artificially created, and the clouds look like they've been painted with a sponge. I can now tell what's real and what's fake. 

I want our old world back. I want it now.