Time and Judith [edited version with happy ending]

The girl stepped across the cracked path,

Around parched trees.

Her soft footfalls upon the soft sand,

That made up the remains of Central Park.

She hummed a tune through an oxygen mask,

Her fingers pattering across an old shopping trolley,

Like it was a Xylophone.

She arrived at her destination.

A metal cube.

No longer did skyscrapers and office buildings form the New York

Skyline.

They fell when the atmosphere did,

Toppled like dominos.

As was the same in all the cities.

She rapped on the door,

Gently, as if not to disturb the urban wasteland.

"Judith!" The old man exclaimed without an oxygen mask. 

"Time." The girl replied.

The man took out his pocket watch,

Grinned at its tarnished surface

"It's time to go!" the old man whispered, as if someone,

Anyone,

Was listening.

But Judith knew there was no one.

Fifteen years ago, 

The CO2 

Had brought the world to its knees.

To beg forgiveness from the other green house gases too.

The atmosphere burnt up,

Seas boiled away.

Forests disappeared in cinders and smoke.

The lack of Oxygen turned people's hair white,

But so few were left alive,

It didn't really matter.

But with Time and his watch,

It didn’t have to have happened.

He pulled back the hands and they were in proper Central park.

With proper trees and lakes and benches and grass.

Oh how Judith had missed grass

And its sweet smell.

Stall holders called out,

Buy this smoothie, buy these ice creams.

She had been six when she had eaten ice cream last.

A woman with black hair jogged past,

No oxygen mask needed.

Wind whistled. 

Wind, filled with precious oxygen!

Tall buildings, made entirely of glass,

Jutted out into the skyline, glinting shards of

Diamond.

Another form of Carbon.

A plane rumbled somewhere,

A carbon trail like that of snails,

drizzled across the sky.

Judith sank to her knees,

Felt the sand beneath her feet once more.

The wasteland greeted her, piles of derelict buildings,

Half collapsed.

Tears dripped down her face.

Collected at her oxygen mask.

Fell to the ground.

"Hey." Time whispered, 

Placing his hand on her shoulder.

"It's not over yet." He leaned closer.

"Follow me; I have a gift for you."

The duo got up,

Judith trailing behind Time,

Stepping through decayed alleyways,

Along cracked roads.

Judith helped Time push back a tin sheet.

There behind it was a secret patch of grass,

Water trickled along a tiny stream.

"Here's your gift." Time murmured,

Holding an acorn out to Judith.

They knelt down and dug a small hole.

"Look after your promise." Time whispered,

And he faded away into the past.

Judith placed the acorn into the hole,

And pushed the dirt back over it.

Sam held a hand to Judith and they embraced,

Cheeks flushed and eyes wet with tears-

Tears of hope.

I'll make sure you grow, 

Little Oak.

Even if Time is just a part of my mind,

He helped my find the others.

He helped me become kind.

Reviews

[VALORMORE DE PLUME]

I like this as a self made horror that looms over us. Still, hope begins anew in the conclusion.

[MomzillaNC]

Maddi, this entry of yours into the Pandora’s Box of Horrors Challenge 2016 is a dual winner. You tied for the win with Joy Yehle. Congratulations.

[MAD ENGLISHMAN]

I love this. It reaches the parts of me that cry out for our world. Brill

[Hebe]

wow.... amazing, great theme, defiantly has a ring of truth to it!! hopefully we will all realize before it's too late!!