I turn the corner off of West Boulevard and slowly make my way to the sweet sound of running water.
Could it really be? I haven’t heard the sound of water for a long time.
I follow the sound, making sure to avoid the toxic waste barrels that fill the area. I start to pick up speed. The sound is growing louder. It’s now right ahead of me. I can see it from where I am.
But, as I walk up to it, I am immediately disappointed. The water is polluted, like everything else in this city. I can see trash and oil flowing into it, never taking a break.
This was the first chance of clean water in a long time. I’m growing sick of having to disinfect every drop of water just for it to be semi safe for me to drink.
I turn around and walk back toward the garbage filled streets. But before I can stop, I trip and fall into a hole someone must have dug a while ago. I can’t see what’s inside of it. My face mask is cutting off some of my vision. I dare not take it off though. To do something that stupid would cause me to choke on the intolerable air.
I get up, making sure to watch my step and get back to the abandoned street. Nobody lives on this street anymore. When the pollution got bad, people were ordered to evacuate and move one street down. This street is now used as a waste dump, since all of the others overflowed years ago.
When I finally get back to my so-called house, I walk inside and greet my sister.
“Sorry Abigail, but I couldn’t find anything clean,” I say to my eight year old sister.
“But Gabby, you said you would find some,” Abigail whines to me.
“I know, Abigail. Things have gotten worse though,” I sit down to rest and Abigail curls up next to me, “We’ll find something soon. This has to get better someday.”
Suddenly, I jump with a start. But before I can turn to Abigail to see if she’s okay, I realize that I’m not in the polluted lands anymore. I’m actually in my hammock, under the green trees in my backyard. I have no mask on, and there is no choking air around me. I can even feel the suns warmth on my face.
Soon enough though, I realize that this whole time I was dreaming. There was no city that had no clean water.
Yet.
I sit up, understanding now. If someone doesn’t stop this pollution problem, our lives will turn to be the dream I had. We will be living the nightmare that I had.
I can’t let that happen though. Too much depends on our world now. I need to stop the pollution, before it gets worse.
This is my mission. Maybe, if others will listen though, it won’t be just my mission. It will be everyone’s.