Genevieve Hartley

Every Little Thing is Going to be Alright

They said labor shortages caused the world to stop, but can anything like the fall of capitalism be that simple? The sun blazed overhead, baking the dirt path before her as she walked, her thoughts beating against her skull. She envied those who were born after the great fall because they didn't know any different. It was torture for people like her, people who still remembered another way. Getting food and water shouldn't be this difficult, it wasn't always this difficult, the thought stung. She remembered turning on a faucet and water just coming out. She'd never even realized what a miracle it was, to just turn a handle and water comes out. It was clean water that came out. There were no clean water sources anymore, no clean water and no fresh food. I'd sell my soul for a strawberry. She tried to remember the last time she'd had a strawberry. She couldn't recall; it was so long ago she wondered if she even really remembered what they tasted like. She remembered the sensation of biting it and the juice that would fill her mouth as she chewed, it was sweet – she remembered what sweet tasted like, at least she thought she did. She remembered what sweet felt like at least. She grasped at the edge of her memories trying to feel a strawberry.