I emerged from the chaos and confusion, coughing and
disoriented. The sight that greeted me was like nothing I had ever seen
before. There were bodies everywhere - on the pavement, on the road, in
stalled vehicles. Even the people in moving cars looked lifeless, their eyes
listless and bodies numb. It was like they were the living dead or dead
living. Was I the only survivor?
As I tried to make sense of what had happened, I realized that the
Environmental Department had issued an Orange alert two hours ago. This
meant that the air quality had become dangerous, and citizens were advised
to stay indoors. The warning had been given because the pollution had
reached unprecedented levels. The United Government had contingency plans in
place, and people had been trained to handle such situations. But no one
could have predicted what would happen next.
I had been on a work assignment on the other side of town, and it would take
me four hours to get back to the safety of my home. I had my mini oxygen
device with me, which would provide me with three hours of oxygen. But at
the Orange Alert level, no public transport was operating. I would have to
get to the "Safe Station" pick-up point on foot.
I had almost reached Haven Point, which was only five minutes away, when the
sky turned dark. It was like a swirling mass of darkness, and everyone
around me panicked and ran in all directions. In the chaos, I was knocked
down and trampled by the mass of human bodies.
When I finally managed to get up, I realized that it was still dark. My
first thought was that this was the end. But then I heard a voice that cut
through the darkness. "Come, Mister, share my tank. I have two masks." It
was a black man with a face mask, and he was holding out his hand to me. I
gratefully accepted his offer, and together we breathed in the unpolluted
man-made oxygen.
We were the only two survivors that day when the air quality turned to Red.
It was a day that would be etched in our memories forever. The pollution had
claimed the lives of so many, and the survivors were left to pick up the
pieces. In the aftermath of the disaster, the government launched an
investigation into what had happened, and how it could be prevented in the
future.
As for me, I learned a valuable lesson that day. I learned that we cannot
take the air we breathe for granted. We must do all we can to protect our
environment, and ensure that the air we breathe is clean and safe. We must
be prepared for the worst, and take the necessary precautions to protect
ourselves and our loved ones. And most of all, we must never forget the day
when the air turned red. |