Credit: Joy Pixley
Casandra loved misty mornings. The thick fog would slowly encircle the house and she’d sit by the picture window, pretending to be the princess of the clouds.
Now, decades later, she cringed as the black mist descended, reeking with pollutants. She watched her grandchildren dutifully imprison themselves behind masks as they got ready for school.
Immersed in their selfish battles of ulterior motives and self-interests, leaders had miserably failed humanity and the most repulsive part of it was, they didn’t care. More than half the world’s population was now buried underneath layers of choking smog but they appeared on TV with lofty promises and arrogant justifications.
People too, had now simply shrugged off what they considered an inevitable part of their existence and concentrated all their efforts on adapting to this new reality. Years went by and this hostile environment eventually became the new normal.
But for Cassandra, this would never be normal. She yearned to breathe with the freedom she once had, for the friendly days of fog, not smog.
Dollops of Heedful Ramblings 
Excellent story and very powerful! I guess you don’t know what you have until you lose it, like being able to breathe clean air! Well done S!
So true! Thank you so much PJ! 😊
Powerful piece. That’s so true — the next generation comes to accept things that the earlier generation is horrified by, and can’t understand why everyone just thinks it’s normal. For me, I was raised on dystopian science fiction about Big Brother watching everything people do, and having no privacy, so it’s bizarre to me how everyone seems to accept that as normal now. I’d like to think that the same thing won’t happen with environmental devastation, but that seems an impossible hope at this rate.
Exactly! Depending on the type of environment you’re raised in, that just becomes normal for the person. We can just people learn from history, especially when it comes to the environment but sadly you still have groups telling those in charge not to cut down trees with such indifference!
A campaigning story, which reminds me of our cities where today new types of polluting gases are maiming people.
That’s sadly very true. Thanks for reading!
I just read a news story about half a billion Chinese people in a “smog red alert” area currently. Great story.
Unfortunately true. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Oh, I feel for Cassandra. It’s such a sad reality the pollution that’s happening. i loved how you portrayed it in your story.
Thanks a lot! Yes, it is indeed a sad reality that we all face.
Great story. This type of thing happens generation after generation with a few fixes, but nothing compared to damages all of it causes. Life goes on, but we can greatly improve it with the right actions.
Yes, it’s never too late to take corrective measures. Thank you for reading!
Great story conveyed Casandra’s sense of extreme despair and anguish over the environmental degradation.
Thank you!
The harsh reality of today – well highlighted
Thank you!