For Blue Skies

“No one believes in Blue Skies anymore,” my childhood friend Rebecca said tossing her long blonde hair over her shoulder in that haughty fashion that always ground my gears.

“Don’t Listen to her kids,” I retorted as I pulled the three children closer together to share the warmth of the electric heater. “I heard it directly from my mom that a long time ago, back when she was a kid, there were blue skies.”

“Does that mean the clouds turn blue?” Jenna, the youngest of the kids, asked looking up at me with her big brown eyes twinkling.

“Not exactly,” I replied gently with a small laugh. “Apparently in the warm time The sun which is hidden used to be visible in the sky, and instead of clouds it just looked like a blue ocean up over your heads”

“A Blue ocean” Elija, the middle-aged child asked, pure amazement plastered on his face. “I thought That all oceans were grey or brown.”

“They are today,” I said with a slight frown creasing the lines on my face. “A lot of things used to have more color back in the past, and they might be that way again someday.”

All the kids' faces lit up at the idea of a future with a blue sky and oceans, but the reality wasn't that kind I thought to myself. If they were lucky they would make it to the age Rebecca and I were, but even then there was little hope of the accident's effects on the environment being gone any time in the next seven generations. Rebecca knew this, which is why she had recently become so sullen about my mother's old stories. Still, I thought to myself, clutching the golden heart locket that my mother had passed down to me, It wasn't a sin to wish for a better tomorrow.

Even now as our group moved between cities looking for resources and survivors, nature was trying its best to adapt and survive to the perpetual winter that had engulfed the planet. Collapsing Buildings were occasionally found with numerous types of edible mushrooms taking root. Even in such a dark and dreary world the animals that had survived still scavenged and hunted to sustain their life and that of their young. Humans of course were no exception, many banding together to form colonies that were dedicated to surviving and restoring humanity's former glory and luxury. I knew that the struggle to survive had costs and that eventually, I might have to give up everything just to see the next day, but until then I really wanted to honor the name my mother had given me.

“Hope,” The Eldest Child, Alex said, bringing me back to the present moment. “I would really like it if you could see the blue skies with us.”

I felt a slight lump in my throat as I smiled down at them. Then patting their heads I sent them off to bed. The three of them curled up in a pile together in the next room where they would try to stay warm for another night.

“You really should stop getting their hopes up Hope,” Rebecca said, though this time a tone of sad sincerity in her voice. “I loved Aunt Rachel’s stories too, but…”

As her words trailed off I could understand her feelings. After her mom had passed, my mom helped raise Rebecca, I knew it was hard for her. My mom had been a member of the scouting group that frequently left the safe zone we had established in what used to be called a Hotel. As was the danger, one day she didn't return with the group she left with, lost to a band of raiders that had decided to rob them a few miles to the east. While it was true I felt sad, Rebecca took it as a betrayal of her trust that my mom didn't return, as if she had chosen to keep exploring over us.

While I got where she was coming from I understood the real reason my mom kept leaving the safe zone. It was her way of trying to protect us and give us a brighter future. I looked at Rebecca who continued to look out the window at the snow-covered landscape.

“Rebecca,” I said, a hint of nervousness in my voice.

“What,” she said, piercing me with her stare.

I shook my head, “no it's nothing,” I replied, crumpling the piece of paper in my pocket with one hand while I clutched the heart-shaped locket to my chest in the other.

Rebecca scoffed and went to wind the hand crank generator to make sure we wouldn't lose the heater in the middle of the cold time. I pulled the Exploration Team transfer form out of my pocket, letting out a slightly heavier sigh than I meant to. One day, I will help find my own answers to unlocking a better tomorrow, but I guess waiting a little longer won’t hurt. I tucked the paper into my jacket and went to help Rebecca with the generator, but first poked my head in to check on the kids.

“May you see blue skies in your dreams,” I whispered, then left them to rest for the next day.