The last generation

They were born during the end. The last ever generation of children were taught at a young age that the world which had once been beautiful was now crumbling away at their feet. Parents desperately clung to their child knowing their life would be short lived. Schools still ran though, teachers tasked with trying to explain the impending doom away, trying to apologize for the world they had left behind. 

Venus was five when she learned about her reality, how she wouldn't have the same chance of growing old as her parents or grandparents. How she wouldn't get to have children of her own. At school her teacher explained that the world was in a sort of limbo. ‘’We were waiting for the end knowing the population couldn't do anything to stop it. Scientists are trying to slow it down by a couple of months but on average we only really had about 9 or 10 years left.‘’

Venus now 14 only had about a day left. Most of the world hadn't grappled well with this news. The first ones to go were the rich and famous. Celebrity culture had become an afterthought during the last few years. Once gods among mortals they were now merely people like the rest of us who were also waiting for the clock to run out. Society's obsession with pop culture had died out as soon as the panic really set in. No matter how much money or fans they had, the end wasn't something they could simply opt out of. 

Rocket ships launched only to come back to the world with worse news. The colonization of mars, a lost cause. You would think Venus, a child of the end, would be as broken as her earth. And yet hope still coursed through her. Not hope for the future of course, she wasn't ignorant. She knew the future was a luxury she couldn't afford. But rather hope for a day. One good day. The last one spent as the last one should. Not filled with fear or dread but rather a day of everything. 

It was 5 o’clock in the morning and the sun hadn't risen yet. This was the only time one could go out because the heat was unbearable when the sun was beaming. Venus carefully put her heart locket around her neck, a symbol of protection a woman at a shop had once gifted her. When at first Venus refused, the lady explained that it was her gift to the last generation The locket had brought years of luck to her family and could perhaps bring that same luck to her. It was also her way of saying how sorry she was for the world that they were given. Of Course a locket was nothing compared to the promise of a life, but the gesture was kind and now a piece of her resided in the locket. Maybe the luck would come in handy, maybe it could buy her another year. 

Nova met Venus at the train tracks. Her hair was a deep black a sharp contrast to Venus's short blond curls. She waved to greet her. Nova didn't share Venus's hope. Nova wasn’t like her, she didn't want everything. She just wanted to live. 

“Hi,” Venus said as she sat down beside her.

“Hey” she replied dryly. The silence was long and loud, both girls stared up at the sky for maybe the last time. Nova reached for something in her pocket then handed it to Venus. It was a gold stopwatch with numbers engraved into it. 

"A watch?" Venus asked, holding the object up to the sky. 

"I found it in the landfill." She replied. Nova would often spend her days collecting different items from garbage cans, landfills or even abandoned houses. The production of toys and jewelry had  long since shut down so young children would often be found scavenging, looking for old toys that they could play with. 

"What do you want to do today?" she asked. Venus was almost surprised at the non-chalant way the question was posed as if it was just an ordinary day, a day that would end then begin anew. 

"I don't know" Venus answered as she picked at the dirt on the tracks. The streets were deathly quiet, and people slept in as if it were any other Sunday morning. The low rumbling of the ground indicated the arrival of a train. Both girls quickly moved out of the way and climbed up the fence by the tracks. Most trains were used as shelters for people who had lost their homes to the climate disaster of 2059. A chorus of screaming and laughter followed the train as it sped by them.

"The end is nigh" one of the passengers yelled at them. The same phrase had been spray painted carefully onto the train. Many nights were spent in celebration of the end by lighting fireworks or having large gatherings. People always had strange ways to cope with disaster.     Both girls walked towards the pond, the water was extremely polluted and the grass smelled like gasoline but it was calm- and away from the wild party goers. 

“Venus,” Nova said, turning towards her friend.

“Do you think that years after the end there will be people left to remember us, like do you think history just repeats itself, and that the new age of mankind might find our spot and think of the people who once lived here?” 

“Maybe the explorers of this new age will discover the ruins of- of the Eiffel tower and the great wall of China and wonder what beings inhabited this once strange land!” Venus said now standing.

“Imagine if after we are all gone the aliens come down and find our crumbled earth, they see how we treated it, how we left it to die, and maybe if they're lucky they’ll see it heal, that's all I ever wanted you know, to see our earth heal.”

Venus, now feeling inspired, took her locket and threw it into the pond. Nova stood up too. They both stared at the faintly green water devouring the small heart locket. 

“I know the chances are slim, but I hope someone or something finds that locket, hopefully they will see it and think of what was there before.” Nova nodded.

“They might even put it in a museum.” The sun was rising, the heat was intensifying, and quickly Venus and Nova walked away from the now boiling pond. During the day most people hid from the sun since exposure could result in 3rd degree burns. People hid in abandoned buildings such as churches or old garages. The old church that stood at the corner of Washington Road and Greenland Ave was usually Nova and Venus’ favourite place to go. They raced each other there, soon they stood at the foot of the decaying church out of breath admiring the shattered stained glass windows. Then Nova began to cry. The adrenalin wore off leaving her to crumble to the ground. Venus went to hug her friend, though no words were shared, both girls knew that deep down neither of them wanted to go just yet. Nova picked herself up and wiped away her tears.

‘’Won’t you play one last song for me?’’ she asked, her voice shaking.

 Venus walked into the church up to the old grand piano that stood in the corner, she began to play an old song she had once heard when she was very little on her great grandmother's record player. It was the first and last time she had ever heard music, other than when she herself played it. Nova laid on the dirt ground and stared up at the stained glass roof as she hummed the same tune. The light filtered through the windows leaving burn marks on the floor. Nova noticed more clouds in the sky than usual but thought nothing of it, hopefully it would shield them from the sun. Then something happened. It started to rain. Venus abruptly stopped playing and started to laugh, both girls ran outside cherishing every drop. Hand in hand they spun around frantically dancing in the pouring rain.

“I can't remember the last time it rained!” Nova yelled trying to catch the drops with her tongue. They laughed as their feet splashed around in the puddles. They noticed that almost everyone was out on the streets laughing, smiling, dancing, reaching up at the sky. Brothers and sisters, mothers and daughter, fathers and sons were outside of their houses dancing. People as awful as they were had come together to celebrate this small joy even if they were aware of the inevitable end. Moments like these were the moments they'd take with them to the grave. But like everything, the moment came to an end; the blazing sun returned, forcing people back inside. It wasn't long before their clothes dried and all evidence of rain evaporated. 

“Let's have a picnic” Nova suggested. 

“We can go to the grocery store and see what rations they have left and go out onto the cliff by the sea shore” she added.

“Okay, what should we eat, something special since it's our last supper.” There was only one store in the area, it mostly contained first aid supplies and canned goods but if you knew where to look you could find the occasional apple or celery stick. The girls then took their umbrellas out which they used as sun parasols 

Venus walked down the mostly deserted aisle with a basket in one hand and Nova’s in the other. They gathered a couple of things including cans of preserved fruit, tomato soup and some crackers, all of the fresh fruit and veg must have already been claimed. 

Once the food was taken care of they made their way to the salt cliff beside the shore. Neither Venus nor Nova had a blanket with them so they made do with the rocky ground. 

“Mmmm, old soup, my favourite!” Venus joked. Nova didn't laugh instead she looked into her soup can with a dismal expression on her face.

“I was hoping food would make me feel better.” she said.

“I doubt this stuff would make anyone feel better.” Nova looked out onto the ocean.

“How do you think it's going to end?” she asked.

“Definitely not a snowstorm.”  Venus responded as she took another sip of soup.

“No seriously, how do you think the world is going to end.” 

“I don't know, I just hope it's quick.” Both girls agreed on this front. Nova looked at her watch. The day was almost over. The stopwatch then began to ring. A timer must have been set. The girls let it ring at least five times before Nova turned it off. 

“Goodbye, world.” Venus whispered as she took Nova's hand. The ocean inched close and closer.

“It was nice knowing you.” Nova added.

The sun set on the low rumbling of shifting ground. They were the last generation; children born amidst rubble and chaos. The end of the world had finally approached but Venus and Nova already knew that. The ocean surrounded the cliff, large buildings carried with it. Soon the earth would be nothing but the blue continuous sea. The two girls sat at the edge of the water, hand in hand as the ocean swept them away.