Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Earth.
One Man's Trash
It’s been a stressful day. I’m awaiting a refill on my anxiety medication; this amplifies even the most minor of situations. I’m unemployed despite hours of applying for jobs, and I’m overwhelmed when I think about my finances. I need something to take my mind off things and still my shaking hands.
By Hannah Pugh5 years ago in Earth
Serenity in Nature
The sound of waves lapping against the sandy beach is the only noise for miles at night on this small island just off the North Carolina coast. A cool breeze caresses my skin and ruffles my hair, bringing with it the smell of the salty ocean. Gazing across the open sea I see the moon reflected, shining on its ripples as it hangs in the sky with the night stars - a sky far from the light pollution of our cities. This is serenity.
By Adam Carden5 years ago in Earth
Chinese Rancher Makes 'green Incredible Divider' In Desert
Shi Guangyin, a farmer in the Debian region, Yulin city, northwest of China's Shaanxi province, recently received the July 1 Medal, a tribute to the Communist Party of China (CPC), for his outstanding contributions to desert management.
By Mohan Adhakari5 years ago in Earth
Unlocked
The apocalyptic event on earth which is what we are all talking about. Is everyone delusional and starving for survival? I know I am, watching the last restaurant on the street shut down. Family is gone, lost my best friend, what’s next? give me a sign. I look up and that’s exactly what I see. A sign stamped to the tree. Is that the heart shaped necklace I see? Not on the tree but right beside me? I pick it up and put it on. Next minute there’s a hand covering my face and I’m dragged into what sounds like a van. I then wake up in the middle of a paddock, no bruises or anything. I don’t remember the car ride, I feel completely fine, so I decide to take a wander. I’m walking on this dirt road and Im hearing a cow pretty sure, so I start picking up my pace to get closer to the sound. Its cows alright, and there are tonnes of them. I start running through them so happy with joy, yelling out “can anyone hear me”? The cows get louder, I start laughing until I trip over a stick and land face flat on my stomach. I look up and notice the heart shaped locket on the ground. I go to pick it up, but this big brown boot steps on it before I get time. I look up and it’s an elderly man who looks like Hagrid from hogwarts. He helps me up with his helping hand, “are you alright kid”? He takes the locket to put in his pocket “you won’t be needing this today” I try to get some answers from him as we walk past the fields where all the animals have been safely kept while the rest of the world thinks their extinct. Still ignoring all my questions, he says “I’ll show you your room, you start tomorrow morning” I wake up the next morning with an outfit laid out at the end of my bed. Next to it is the heart shaped locket. I pick it up, curious to see what’s inside. As I take a closer look, my bedroom door slams wide open, that was frightening. It’s a lady at my doorway, she doesn’t seem that friendly. She tells me to hurry up, to put on the necklace, theirs breakfast waiting. Thank goodness, I’m starving. I walk into a room and there are 100s of people of all ages gathering around tables like where in a jail cell all wearing white, though everyone seems to be pretty happy. I see the food for offer and it’s like I was born again! a buffet of the freshest and finest food like I had forgotten this even existed, no wonder everyone is happy. I find the closest spare seat near the buffet knowing I’ll probably go up for seconds. I look around and notice everyone in white are also wearing the same heart shaped locket necklace. A huge screen projects from the wall above. Welcome New Comers, you have have been sent here to be transported to a place we call youth establishment. Underneath your seat you will see there’s a guide and pamflet map for your specific code and directions. Shortly we will be handing out your own Electronic wallet, once your code is entered in it will identify you through your eye recognition. You will all be divided into 4 sections. Your wallet will notify your time and section number for the train. For the time being get familiar with your guide you will be informed more along the way. I get on the train for section 4. the tree of life. As I walk on the train they hand us all microphone and headsets before we take our seat. Getting educated along the way about this facility and experiments. Explaining to us the history of science we are about to enter. What has been worked on for years predicting earths future events. We are told these testings are crucial and important for learning our new way of survival. We arrive at our section and enter the room one by one with our personalised heart locked necklace. I walk in and shocked by how many cameras are seen in this room Never have I seen so many cameras in one room. We are told on the speaker you have entered a room with new new technology, this is how we learn from your human perspective. We are set on singular stations. We all have the same small plant sitting in front of us, with cameras hovering all around coming from the ceiling. We are given Headsets that record our senses, feelings and sensations. They give us the direction and start recording. I’m shocked by the sound of this plant, or let alone for it to even have a sound. It’s amazing! The taste of it, was of something familiar but couldn’t think of what exactly. Cameras were then raised quickly back to the ceiling and people in the room start collapsing. Meaning they are fainting in front of my eyes one by one and I’m still standing. a guy comes in and grabs me, “quickly, come inside, your the first one to stay standing, this wasn’t suppose to happen but it’s incredible. “What the hell is going on?” I ask. He tells me to escape, “they will try to keep you locked up as long as they can, your special kid, this place isn’t what they say it is, take your heart locket and run through the back door, and keep on running, you will eventually come across the high voltage sign, stop there, I will meet you. We are going to escape and save everyone together. He throws me the locket and I go and run as fast as I can, passing all these people working at different labs, curious to know what they were doing, they start looking at me confused. I was eventually stopped by the Hagrid man. Oh crap. “It’s you kid, how are you in this area, you shouldn’t be here” I was told to run I tell him. He looks confused, takes me and locks me in this dark room, “I’ll be back soon” he says. I’m in this dark room and my heart locked necklace lights up and turns green, lighting up the whole room. An interesting smokey texture starts floating in the air making me feel more relaxed. The locket now starts flashing green to red, with a strange sound coming from somewhere. I look around the room to see where it’s coming from. I eventually find a hidden door, connected to my heart locket. I open up and see A room full of children sitting their with no emotion all wearing the same suit as me but in all in different colours, Im the only one in white. I ask them what’s going on, if they are ok? They are hardly conscious, so they don’t respond. They all have beds made out of all different types of trees. I start losing my energy also. My heart locket opens up and starts playing a song, the music is giving me more energy, the others seem afraid, until the sound starts coming from their lockets as well joining in on the beats. There energy levels start to rise also, this has to mean something. Door slams open, I frightenly yell Hagrid! He chuckes and says the name is mike Kid. He takes me out of the room along with 6 other children. We are told they are ready for us and our next location. There are motorbikes for each one us, I hop on the back and we start moving. Its super fast, like I have never experienced before. This place must be massive, the beautiful colours and patterns in the air we are flying past, which feels faster then the wind. Is an experience like no other. We eventually slow down driving towards we this huge sign that’s says DANGER high voltage. I remember this was where I was meant to meet the man, I don’t seem him anywhere, and at this point my feelings have gone from cloud 9 to cloud 0 and my whole body starts to shiver. We drive in dead quiet, the motorbikes don’t even make a sound. I’m the last one to enter as I watch the other kids be dropped off in these electric light buildings to their matched uniform colour. We drive past all the coloured buildings to the other side of the exit sign which reads “Welcome to section 3” I take a big deep breath out, let’s do this!
By Caitlyn Paterson5 years ago in Earth
End of the World
We were the only survivors. There were 62 of us that survived. One minute the world was there above us, that is before the silence hit. I was working as a plasma scientist at the Homestake Mine in South Dakota. The mine is home to one of the largest underground xenon detectors in the world. The detector is literally buried a mile beneath the Earth in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The mine was built to study dark matter and hunt for particles that could help explain the “Big Bang” event that gave birth to our universe. The experiments we conduct are spearheaded by an 815-pound xenon detector primed for particle detection deep below the Earth.
By JENNY A. TIBBETTS5 years ago in Earth
For The Birds
It happened so fast! Pain pulsed through my body before I could even react, as though I’ve flown full speed straight into a mountain side. Gasping for air, the earth swirled around me as I fell closer and closer to death. Helplessly fighting to lift my wings, time was running out. Was this it? Was this how it was all going to end? What would become of my babies. As, I plunged towards the ground a thermal updraft caught my wings and I managed to glide out of the blast zone. 100yrs later and still the effects of the humans linger. We surveyed this area countless times before the last move, how could I have missed this one. I must warn the others.
By Melanie Wilson5 years ago in Earth
Kin
Her strength was gone, her abdomen ached. It took everything she had to escape, but she knew if she could just pull herself over to the shattered street she could breathe, if only for a moment. With one last effort, she hoisted herself over the ridge, the weight of her exhaustion throwing her on her back. She laid there slumped on the cold wet ridge, the sun beginning to retreat behind the jagged horizon. The rain pitter-pattered across her body, rinsing the once stark white sneakers her mom gifted for her birthday, now soiled and unrecognizable. Her breath was heavy, now beginning to slow, not from relief but from necessity. It was finally quiet on the road except for the rain hitting the bent street lamp above her in rapid succession. Thunder continued to roar above, but the frustrated bellows of her pursuers had stopped. She could no longer hear them. As she realized this, she took one moment for herself, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. As she caught her breath, old memories began firing in her mind, like the fireworks from the 4th of July. She laughed softly embracing this simple moment. With her eyes still closed, she analyzed her situation. "I got it, I got it…" She continued breathing heavily as she patted her bag feeling for the large rectangular outline. "Okay. Okay." Celebrating with a big exhale. She lied there for another minute. She opened her eyes, sat up, and almost mechanically moved her arms and legs checking to make sure everything was still working properly. "I don't think anything is broken. It's cold-- why am I sitting in this muddy water?" She asked herself. Suddenly alert, her eyes widened "They're still looking for me. I can't stay here; I have to move." She rolled over sitting on her hands and knees, and as her survival instinct kicked in she pushed out several heavy puffs of air through her nose like a determined bull going for the red cloth.
By Michael Radatus5 years ago in Earth
