Tree Fall

On June 20, 2074, every tree in the world fell. It didn’t happen slowly or over time; the trees collapsed all at once.

An incalculable number of homes were destroyed. Businesses, schools, and vehicles too—with people in all. Like the world’s ugliest Christmas tree, powerlines and streetlights ornamented every neighbourhood; the smell of smoke and flesh perfuming them.

Thirty seconds—that’s all it took for Earth’s population to drop in half. That number has continued decreasing every month since, with survivors joining them soon after. Almost everyone living within a metropolis suffers from nutrition deficiency, landlocked residents face dehydration, and of course, carbon monoxide poisoning kisses the majority.

It’s common to see survivors travelling with container plants—typically, older folk forgotten by disease. They cradle succulents near their collarbones and, at times, wear them as necklaces. Every once in a while, a senior will wear a terrarium backpack. Incubated plants get strapped to their backs with a ventilation attachment for the hazmat mask.

One plant won’t emit enough oxygen for one body. Thinking it does could, perhaps, make breathing feel less detrimental—a sense of calm to those staggering towards delusion.

In moments like these, even El had considered caging herself within the leaves of houseplants. Being fourteen without a family isn’t a stable state.

El’s mother died in the Tree Fall nine months earlier. The two of them had just come home from school. While El ran inside, her mother was left behind to gather her school bag and Plasticine project. El just needed to use the bathroom. She didn’t know about the atmospheric poisoning—no one did. When it happened, it sounded as though the Earth had split down the middle.

With a turn of the knob, El left the old world behind. The entire neighbourhood was littered with trees. As green ash choked the sky, powerline fires broke out. Screaming could be heard all over the neighbourhood, and El joined the choir. A few feet away, a tree lay atop her mother’s crushed Sedan. El didn’t see any struggling.

There was no space for words in that moment.

El didn’t remember much after that. She recalled arms taking her from the porch, as she reached for her mother. The only thing her fingers could grasp was the heart-shaped locket resting on her chest.

El lived on her own since that day. The occasional visit from her neighbours was expected, but El could take care of herself. That is, assuming the Scavengers found enough rations for the week. But after thirty-nine weeks, they returned from their search with next to nothing.

“How was it?” El asked.

“Not our best, but we found enough food, I think,” James replied.

“I could’ve found more. You should’ve let me come!” El reasoned, only half-joking.

“El, we’ve told you before: the answer is no.”

El could see James becoming increasingly more irritated, but she kept pushing. “But I can help, James! I know I can if you just-”

“No!” James yelled.

El jumped back, as frustration pulsed through her core. They returned with fewer rations every week—it didn’t make sense that the Scavengers kept refusing her help.

“Please, just let me try,” she whimpered.

“Okay,” James swiped his map from his back pocket and threw it to the ground. “Where’s the food?” he bellowed. “C’mon—show me where it is! A skilled Scavenger like yourself should be able to tell me!”

People from the neighbourhood started uncomfortably dispersing. But El got on her knees and studied the map. She took note of the red markings on already scavenged territory and ran her fingers along absent rivers.

Without a remark, James snatched his map back. The other Scavengers followed behind him, leaving El to formulate a plan.

That night, she left her house—invisible on the streets of the lightless neighbourhood. With only a flashlight in hand, she set off toward the areas untouched by Scavengers. As the moon rose in the sky, the city’s shadows changed and her confidence in her navigation waned. Landmarks became unrecognizable under the cover of fallen trees. Where was she? She couldn’t see anything well enough to retrace her steps.

Before she knew it, she was at the edge of the city. Lost and exhausted, she slumped against the side of an abandoned bus depot. Barren prairie stretched beyond it. Once full of tall grass and bur oaks, it was now a graveyard. Fallen trees jutted out in the moonlight like bones exposed from years of decay. El shivered despite the midnight warmth.

Shaking it off, she turned her head to sky and admired the stars. Since the Tree Fall, light pollution had diminished. El was discovering stars she had never known existed. It was breathtaking; though, that might’ve been a result of decreased oxygen levels.

In her periphery, she spotted movement. A shadowed figure shot across the street, but El realized it was a cat before terror engulfed her.

She smiled, reaching her hand toward the cat. He started purring almost instantly, so El figured she’d have no problem picking him up… but she did.

The cat started scratching at her neck and clawed her locket to the ground.

“Hey!” El cried. “Come back!”

The cat scooped up the broken necklace in his mouth and ran.

El got to her feet and raced after him. Maneuvering the fallen trees and abandoned cars, she fell behind. Even if the roads were clear, she still wouldn’t have been able to keep up with him.

The cat darted into a desolate apartment building. El pushed on the broken window he squeezed through but couldn’t open it wide enough for herself. She tried the front and back doors too; they were locked. El resorted to the only option she had left.

“Mom, if you’re watching… close your eyes.”

El found a piece of rubble and flung it at the window. The sound of shattering glass pierced her eardrums with a wave of guilt. But still, she pushed her way through.

Her flashlight shone a beam of light around the room. It contained nothing but a boiler, some boxes, and the locket thief himself. The cat laid on the ground with his paws fondling the heart-shaped necklace.

El rolled her eyes and made her way toward the cat, clapping her hands to startle it. He bolted to the other side of the basement, leaving the locket behind. El wanted to chuckle but took notice of the broken clasp instead. It had ripped apart when the cat clawed her. Now, the only way she could wear it was by tying a knot in the back.

As if to apologize, the cat came back purring. He rubbed his back to El’s ankles, and she watched him circle something green.

“Wait, green?” she thought.

She had to be seeing things.

A few inches from the boiler, through a small crack in the foundation was a two-leaf seedling growing.

El rubbed her eyes several times to be sure she wasn’t hallucinating. She brushed the seedling with her fingertips and let out a laugh. It was actually real. El knew this could change everything: no more food shortages for the neighbourhood; no more wasted seeds in poisoned soil; no more struggling to survive. If they could find a way to salvage this dirt, they could build gardens. El’s plan had changed. She wasn’t looking for food anymore. She had to find the Seed Supplier.

She had heard about him before from the Scavengers and knew he had a reputation for being deceitful. But she had to try; this could save the neighbourhood.

She scooped the cat in her arms and crawled back out the window. Dawn was fast approaching, so it would soon be easy for El to navigate her way to the city center. There, she would find the Seed Supplier.

El set off, zigzagging through abandoned streets and alleyways. Her cat companion had ditched her halfway for a mouse, and from the looks of it, El didn’t think they would be very friendly with each other.

By the time El arrived at the city center, it was almost noon. The streets were flooded with shoppers and looters alike. What was once a prominent district, had now become a lawless bazaar. Small stands were spread around the entire area and citizens came from all over, hoping to find whatever they needed at a reasonable price. Many people in the city center took what they wanted, when they wanted it. Fights often broke out between looters, and those who didn’t care for criminal acts bartered with the crooked shopkeepers that restricted clean clothes and fresh drinking water. This was why El hated the city center.

After slipping through various shop stands, she arrived at a building that looked like it might collapse from a small breeze. Inside, was a long counter with no one behind it. El approached the desk and noticed a small service bell. She tapped it with her finger, but it made no sound. She rolled her eyes.

“Hey!” she yelled into the empty space. At this, a beefy man with pale skin opened an office door.

“What?” he said, seemingly annoyed.

“I’m here to buy some seeds,” she said matter-of-factly. “Vegetables, fruits, uh… I guess houseplants too?”

“Could you be more specific?”

“Just—whatever you’ve got.”

He sighed deeply and walked toward a shelf behind him. Digging through different containers, he threw several seeds into labelled plastic bags and dropped them onto the counter.

“That’ll be $94.00.”

“What?” El exclaimed.

“Prices went up.” He shrugged. “Seeds are harder to come by these days, what with everyone wasting them on dead soil.”

“But I don’t have that much.”

The Seed Supplier stared down at her. She was desperate, but she was also just a kid. He sighed, giving in to his good graces.

“Tell you what: give me whatever you’ve got, plus that locket, and we’ll call it square.”

El froze. Her mother’s locket for the seeds… she couldn’t. But at the same time, she wasn’t willing to let the seeds go either. It was an impossible choice.

“C’mon kid, what’s it gonna be?” The Seed Supplier pressed. “I could use the gold.”

She hesitated—her heart dropping into her stomach as she understood that getting these seeds was of greater importance than the high price tag.

“Okay,” she sighed. “Throw in five more seeds of each vegetable, and you can have it.”

He agreed. As he organized more bags, El untied the knot on the back of her necklace. She bunched it up in her hand with the minimal cash she had and snatched the bags from the counter.

Before the Seed Supplier had time to react, El tossed her payment.

“This chain is busted, you cheat!” he screamed, as she sprinted away.

El felt guilty for leaving behind what was left of her mother. This time, she let tears fall. She knew she had done the right thing, but that didn’t make it feel any better.

At least she had seeds for everyone; the neighbourhood could survive a little while longer.