Svante

Nestled close to the rocky coastline, there was a small community where Svante lived. Compared to the boundless expanse of Earth, this was only a meagre abode. Although minuscule in scale, this tiny refuge, was where Svante and all his ancestors had survived for generations. Through years of chance and toil, they had calved out a safe niche in this diminutive sanctuary. It was as if their entire world had evolved, trapped behind an invisible dome. 

With abundant resources and comfortable living conditions, there was little need to venture very far. Svante’s elders had always warned the youngsters about the dangers of leaving their village. So engrained was this dogma, that most soon forgot about the outside world and made humble yet productive lives. If anyone ever brought up the idea of leaving the enclave, it was rapidly cut down against a chorus of fear mongering and naysaying. Although a figment of the collective's imagination, the impact of this dome was irrepressible.

Maintaining a cosy life, it wasn’t free from heartache and suffering. Svante, born into a large family, was related to most others in this insular hamlet. Unfortunately, he had lost his brother at a young age, which wasn’t uncommon due to conditions at the time. Being so tight knit, tragedy was always shared collectively across the community. Overtime, continual exposure to these tragedies led to the formation of a hardened exterior.

Protected by the armour gained from years of suffering, Svante followed the community and remained productive during the day. Subsisting from the land, everybody's fate was intertwined. This tried-and-true pattern was the path of least resistance for the majority. Although safe, life seemed to just drift along, rarely deviating from its predestined course. Everyone remained distracted, with just enough to be happy but little more.

Without many surviving family or close friends, this routine often felt like his only purpose in life. As a young adult this intensified the pressures of day-to-day life. Adding further to the irritation, Svante was still single, much to his father's disappointment. Sometimes lonely at night, he dared to ponder about what lay beyond the confines of his neighbourhood, outside the dome.

Such dreams, where always quickly shut down. Pressure to conform with societies norms were exacerbated by years of warnings from his aging father. Any thoughts of exploring beyond the figurative invisible dome felt futile. Not only was it deemed a waste of resources, but there was also a perception that great dangers existed outside their sanctum. Having never met someone who’d been outside their haven, Svante still had a tough time extinguishing this curiosity.

While their way of life didn’t change drastically over the years, eventually the living conditions started to deteriorate. Summers grew longer, hotter and drier. Consequently, food became scarce, and the tranquil lifestyle started to crack apart and break down. With depleted resources, conflict started to occur and many more of the community perished as a result. Even though these changes began creeping in longer than Svante had been alive, almost overnight, it finally became apparent their future was suddenly under threat.

As conditions began to rapidly worsened, many of the older inhabitants struggled for survival. With the writing on the wall, most still fumbled for answers and continued the only way they knew how. Floundering, they now had to rely on Svante’s generation to find a way forward. Fleeing the only home that they had ever experienced, although a gamble, seemed the only logical action. Heartbreakingly, the fear of what lay beyond the invisible dome kept everyone immobilised.

Sadly, one evening amongst all the chaos, Svante’s father finally succumbed to the brutal conditions. Passing away and leaving Svante practically alone. Overcome with grief, the future was now left in his hands. Starring down a bleak path, without anything anchoring him down anymore, he decided to act. That night, he resolved to leave all that he had known and break free from the confines of the invisible dome.

Under the cover of darkness, he made his escape. Initially travelling past a rock wall, that marked the furthest he’d ever travelled. Crossing an open expanse, the rush of freedom was both liberating and terrifying. Now in uncharted territory, Svante soon came to a river and followed it towards the coast. Resting by day, he continued his journey each night, under the relative safety of darkness. Exhausted and losing count of how many days had elapsed, he eventually stumbled upon an oasis.

Arriving in this fresh location, he was soon taken in by a concerned yet inquisitive group. Surprised by the outsider, this clan felt it was their moral obligation to care for this stranger. After taking a few days to regain some strength, his new companions decided to allow him to permanently stay. Svante was relieved because he wasn’t up to the arduous journey back home. He was also in love with this beautiful new locality.

Adjusting to his fresh location, Svante couldn’t help but feel tinges of nostalgia. This spot reminded him of how his father spoke about his home from when he was a boy. Food was plentiful and the air was clean. Still sheltered, everyone coexisted and went about their day in ignorant bliss. Over time, this became Svante’s new home. Eventually making a family of his own, he still couldn’t help periodically thinking about his old home.

Narrowly escaping the horrors from behind the dome, that was never there, he harboured a sense of guilt. This gnawing darkness was always overpowered by the immense happiness he had now found. With the rational brain taking over, it was obvious his course of action was the right move. In reflection, he realised that it took crossing a massive void to fill his own internal void.

Now content to move on with his new life and make the most of his second chance. Not knowing the fate of his home, but filled with newfound hope and purpose, he could only look towards what the future would bring. If there’s a moral to the story, I guess it’s lucky Svante was only a fish and there are no direct parallels between his plight and the current state of our society.