death

is more than the end

it is the beginning

of something bigger and better

​

​

"Sarah...Sarah...Sarah...Sarah!"

               Sarah's head quickly rose from her laminated wooden desk, with drool masking half of her face and masking her black paper cut-outs of people.

       "I understand that the school's Earth's Day volcanic projects may have been a bore to miss highest gpa in 5th grade, but I need you to pick your head up, sweetie," her school teacher said.

                  Quickly comprehended, Sarah reached under her desk and grabbed her notebook, paper, and mechanical pencil.

            "Now, I did want to start you guys on the new lesson, but considering we're making good pacing with the schedule, and some of those concepts I could hop and skip around, I've decided for us to just spend the rest of the period having a class discussion about that poem I gave y'all last week, and we'll start lesson 22 on Monday. How does that sound?"

                   The class gave off a unanimous sign of approval.

       "Okay. Who would like to kick this discussion off?"

Silence filled the room.

                    "...Nobody? Okie dokie, then. Guess I'll randomly pick someone......Julie. What are your thoughts?"

          "Uhhh...can I be honest?" she asked. "I read the poem at least five times, and I think I'm still kind of lost on its meaning. I don't understand the point of the caterpillar turning into a butterfly. We all know that they do, but I'm pretty sure there's more to it, yes?"

           "Well, I appreciate the honesty. Can anyone explain the central theme of the poem?"

     All the students looked at Sarah, waiting for her response.

                "Sarah, do you want to help your classmate out a bit?"

        "Uh, sure," she responded. "From my understanding, it's about change."

           "Yes, you're right. The poem is about change and the willingness to adapt. The caterpillar was finally ready to accept his new reality. It tried so hard to avoid what was going to happen because it was worried about where it was going, or what it was going to wake up to, but soon enough, it took its hands off of the wheel and sat in the passenger seat. Sarah, can you tell me why that theme is such an important one and how you can connect it to a personal situation?"

            "I think it's important because change and adaptation are important, even when we disagree with it. Some things are beyond your control. I can relate to that a lot because we just had my grandma's funeral last week. I believe this is my first time ever really experiencing the loss of someone close to me and it's kind of been hard to accept that I won't be able to create new memories with her. She meant everything to me and it's going to be a long road not having her around anymore."

               "First, I want to give my condolences. I really hope you and your family find strength and encouragement during this time, and if you ever need anyone to talk to, my office is always open. I know that it's going to hurt now, but let time do its thing and you'll feel better eventually. Second, that is a great connection to the poem's theme. Not sure if any of you kids are aware of this, but humans don't adjust well with change, especially if it's bad and it's out of our control. It's interesting. We always try to find some way to make changes to make our lives better, but life always reminds us who's really in charge."

        "Attention students, faculty, and staff," the secretary on the PA system announced. "Due to weather alerts, the school will be dismissed early. All afternoon activities will be canceled. Have a safe day!"

  "Weird," the teacher said. "I thought they said it wasn't going to rain hard today. Well, looks like you guys are going home early. Pack your things and I'll see you guys next week. Oh! Be sure to review chapters 9 and 10 over the weekend."

                 "Oh, thank God," Julie said to Sarah. "I'm so happy we're going home early. I wished this could've happened on Parent Day. Ugh! That was one of the worst days of my life."

         "It wasn't that bad, Julie. Your dad's job wasn't the most embarrassing one that day. I'd argue Chester's dad and Cindy's dad had yours beat by several miles."

              "Oh, that's easy for you to say. Your dad didn't show up."

     "Yeah. Luckily my mom was able to fill in at the last minute."

"What does he even do, by the way?"

           "Honestly, I don't really know. He's never told us, or at least me. I know that, often, he likes to be cooped up in his study and doesn't come out unless it's dinner or he's out to his office. I probably have asked before, but he might've been kind of vague about it. If I remember, I'll ask him tonight and let you know later."

After packing up, Sarah went out to the school's parking lot to be met by her mom, Emily, waiting for her in the car.

                 "Hey, baby," she said. "How was your short day?"

          "Okay, I guess. I wish we could've had lunch before we left. We were only 30 minutes away."

                  "Well, you can get a snack or something when we get home. It'll be a minute, though. We gotta get Dylan first. I can't wait til you join your brother in middle school in August. It was definitely less of a hassle when both of you guys went to the same school."

                     "What about Eddy?"

    "Your father's getting him. They should be at home by the time we get there."

            Emily and Sarah traveled across town and pulled into Derrickson Middle School and picked up Dylan.

              "Hey, Dylan," Emily said. "How was your short day?"

   "It was cool," he responded. "I made a new friend today. He's an ant. I named him Flick. He kept me entertained until the announcement for us to go home."

       "Oh, okay...glad you're still making friends..."

             "Hey, Sarah. I got another theory for you to think about. You know how we have so many planets, yet ours are the only one with life on it? Which do you think is scarier? The fact that we aren't the only advanced life forms in the universe, or we actually are?"

         "Ooo, I don't know," Sarah said. "That's kind of scary if you think about it hard enough. What do you think mommy?"

                "Uh, I don't know," she responded. "I don't try to think about conspiracy theories and stuff like that. I focus on the present and my family. I don't want you kids to worry about that. Just be kids. That's the best thing you can be."

         "Okay, but you don't also have to shelter us all the time. We're not babies. We can take on anything coming our way."

        After some time, they drove up to their large, two story home, solely sitting in the grassy areas of Florida.

     The kids started to go upstairs when Emily said, "Hold up. Let's go to the living room and check the weather."

               They headed to the living room and found Eddy and the father, Steven, sitting on the couch.

All together, they turned on the local news.

        "I'm Trent Sparks and this is the Florida weather news. We're getting intel that Hurricane Ian has officially formed and could potentially affect the eastern cities of Florida. Prepare for extreme high winds and heavy rain coming from the east. If persistent, this weather could possibly produce a tornado and possibly some hail. We recommend finding some safe places in your home just in case. Stay dry. Stay safe. This is Trent, signing out."

       "Oh no," Emily said. "We should probably go to the basement and wait out the storm."

"No, we're fine," Steven expressed. "I have faith that we will be barely affected. No need to worry."

                "Are you sure, honey? This does look kind of bad."

    "Trust me, Em. We're okay. I haven't steered you wrong this far. Why now?"

          "I um...well...okay. Let's...continue with life as normal, I guess. I trust you. We trust you."

     As everyone dispersed to their desired location, Sarah headed to her room and started to play house with her dolls.

​

one hour later...

​

              As she was playing, she heard the wind pressed its face against her bedroom window. Curiosity grabbed her by her school uniform collar and made her get up and look outside.

      She looked at the trees, and, to her, it seemed like two of them were almost smiling. They also seemed like their branches were connected like people holding others' hands.

          She stared at the forest with a sense of curiosity and confusion. She didn't really want to look away, wondering if what she's seeing was real or a figment of her imagination.

   Heavy rain shot from the cemented clouds and a huge gust of wind kicked in the window she was looking into, causing pieces of glass to barely dodge her body.

            A low, ominous sound filled the air.

"Kids!" Emily shouted. "Come back to the living room!"

                Reconvening at the living room, they checked back on the news for a weather update.

   "Weather update. Not sure if anyone heard that odd sound a minute ago, but I came back to state that the hurricane threat is over. It was coming up on the edge of the Nature Coast, and it suddenly disappeared. We don't really know why, but be sure we'll update you on any weather changes."

        "Oh, dang," Dylan said. "We probably could've stayed at school, but oh well. I can never complain about starting the weekend early."

    "This...this shouldn't be happening," Steven mumbled to himself. "I gotta talk to them."

            Steven hurriedly walked to his study and closed the door.

Curious, Sarah quietly stepped away from the living room and followed her father's footsteps. She heard his muffled voice behind the door, but couldn't fully make out what he's saying.

       "...didn't follow the plan......too much......out of control......against us?.......reinstate it or something......of course we can because we're--"

              "Sarah!" Emily said. "What are you doing? Stop spying on your father. Come. Let's go in the kitchen and help prepare lunch."

        In the kitchen, Sarah's concerned face catches Emily's attention.

"Everything okay, sweetie?"

           "I don't know, mom. It's just...grandma. We used to have so much fun making cookies and cakes. I'm really going to miss her a lot."

"Yeah...I miss her too..."

       "...Why did she die?"

    "...She was just old. It was her time. Luckily it happened when she was asleep and she didn't have to suffer a horrible tragedy. Just know that she's in a better place where she can truly be free. She's with her husband and siblings now, and, one day, we'll all be together for all eternity."

            "...Why do people have to die?"

       "...That's how our nature works. We live and we die. We live to die. No matter how many ways you spin the record. It always ends the same. Everything eventually dies."

     "Yeah...it just sucks...knowing that you're signed to a contract you never really signed in the first place......I know that when people die, they get buried in the ground. What happens after that?"

            "Their bodies slowly decay and become one with the Earth. Why do you ask?"

       "I was just curious. I don't know why, but sometimes, I think our bodies are being used for something else."

               "Well, yes. The worms and bugs get nutrients from our bodies. It's a whole cycle thing."

    "Yeah, but I sometimes think there's something else going on that we don't see."

        "Listen, what happens to our physical bodies doesn't really matter. You need to stop listening to Dylan's crazy conspiracies. I think it's starting to rot your brain and if you keep listening to him, it'll send you down an unnecessary spiral. We are here and we are alive. That's what really matters. Don't think too much about everything. Everything's going to be fine. Why don't you go see what your brothers are up to while I finish up down here. Sounds good?"

         Nodding in agreement, Sarah went upstairs to Dylan's room and found it empty. She went to Eddy's room and found both of them on the floor, playing video games.

              "Hey," she said. "What are you guys playing?"

    "The new fighting game, Immortal Battle 12," Eddy responded. "I just bought it when we came home. You want the next turn?"

         "YESSS! Hopefully today's the day I can finally beat you in a match one time so I can die in peace."

      "Ha, as if," Dylan said. "Eddy's a beast. The only way you can beat him is in your dreams."

               "There's always the next day to get better, Dylan. If I remember correctly, you haven't beaten him yet. L's across the board."

    "I'm a work in progress. I don't take L's. I take lessons. I'm definitely better than you."

          "Interesting," Eddy butted in. "If I recall the last 15 matches between y'all..."

       "Those don't mean anything. Of course you can win when you're a certified button masher."

             "You always say that, but you always forget that I know combos too," Sarah said. "You said you take lessons. How come you haven't learned to stop coming for me?"

      Eddy and Sarah chuckled to each other, while Dylan rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed.

         "You know what? I'm ending this match. Sarah, get on the sticks. We are settling this right now!"

   After many matches, Sarah left the room for a quick breather when she got a video call from one of her best friends, Tori.

                "Heyyyy bestie," she said.

       "Heyyyyyyy," Sarah responded. "What'cha up to?"

"Nothing much. Just laying here in my bed. Still kind of sick, though. I might be fine enough to go back to school Monday, so you'll no longer be bored in class anymore."

        "I literally can't wait. Also, you have a lot of work to do when you get back, so be prepared to be underground in homework and assignments."

    "If only my bestest friend in the whole wide world would give me the golden shovel so that this hole won't be so hard to dig myself out of."

            "Nope. I gotta let you sort this one out, especially considering the fact you left me high and dry two month ago with our gym teacher."

      "...fair point. Guess this'll make us even--"

                 A rumbling noise came through the phone, followed by a couple of screams.

"...mom...dad...is everything okay?..."

      "Is everything okay over there, Tori?"

           "...I don't know. Let me see......mom?.....dad?.....Where are you guys?..........mo--....what is that? Oh my gosh!! Ahhh--"

         Tori drops her phone on the ground as a snake-like silhouette bleeds on the hallway wall. Soon after, the call dropped.

             Before Sarah had the opportunity to process what she just witnessed, the kids got called downstairs for lunch.

                The family gathered back downstairs and sat down at the dining room table. Everyone began eating when Emily saw Sarah on her phone, more concerned than earlier.

      "Sarah, put your phone away," she said. "We've talked about this a million--"

           "Mom, please!" Sarah almost cried out. "Something happened to Tori and I'm trying to reach back out but she's not responding! I need to know if she's okay--"

  The news channels interrupted Sarah with another update.

       "Breaking news: many people from across the world have reported seeing others being drug underground. The only description we have right now is that it's long and green. We will develop this story as we get further insigh--...the hell? Stay back! Stay baa--"

               The signal went dead as loud violent screams can be heard all across the globe. The lights flicked off.

"What's happening?" Eddy asked.

        "Not 100% sure, but everything will be fine," Steven affirmed. "The generator should be kicking in by now. Go out there and double check that it's on."

                    "...In the pouring rain?"

"You'll be fine. It's just water."

         "Then how come you can't go out there? I don't really know how it even works like that--"

     "Don't argue with me, Eddy. Just do it."

          Reluctantly agreeing, Eddy braced himself and went outside.

"Are you sure we aren't going to die?" Dylan asked.

                   "No, Dylan," Emily said. "Nobody is going to die. We are fine."

        "How can you possibly say that right now, mom?" Sarah interrupted. "Something happened to my friend and people are being drugged underground. You can't possibly deny that something odd is going on!"

           The lights flicked back on. Eddy came through the doors and back in his seat, soaking wet.

    "There," he said.

             The lights flicked back off.

        "I'm not going back out there--"

                Huge gusts of wind swept through the house, breaking all of the windows. The broken glass soared like mighty eagles throughout the home, grazing and cutting various body parts of the family.

          "We gotta get outta here!" Sarah screamed.

    "Where can we possibly go?!" Dylan asked.

              "The basement!" Steven said. "Hurry!"

         The family quickly headed down to the basement and locked the door. They looked around the room for supplies, but couldn't find much to work with. Eddy found some flashlights for everyone to have. The kids got into one corner and the parents went into another.

            "What do you think is happening outside right now?" Dylan asked his siblings. "Do you think aliens have finally reached Earth and are taking over? Like from that Jordan Peele movie?

     "What? I doubt it," Eddy responded. "Then again, I don't even know. Crazy things have happened this year, and the year isn't even half way over."

               Sarah looked at her parents and saw them whispering among themselves, looking very concerned.

    "You guys got something to add to this conversation?" she asked them.

 "Sorry, what was that?" Emily asked.

          "I asked if either of y'all wanted to add to our conversation, considering that you guys have been whispering like mice since we got in this basement. Part of me feels like you guys know something that we don't."

    "Listen, sweetie," Steven said calmly. "We just have to stay down here for a while until this bad weather rolls over. Nothing to flip a lid over."

       "...I love how both of y'all are continuing to downplay the events of today as if any of us are stupid."

"W-We haven't said that though, Sarah," Emily stuttered.

            "You don't have to. Look how you've been treating us all day. Every answer from y'all has been 'everything's fine' and 'don't worry about it, we're good'. You seriously can't pretend as if today's events are normal. I would love it if both of y'all grew some balls and were honest with us."

        "I will not continue to sit here and be pushed around like some damn soccer ball by my own daughter," Steven said, annoyed. "I suggest you stay in a child's place."

           "I don't think you have the luxury to use that line right now," Eddy said. "We're under attack by something we don't fully understand right now. It would be nice for you to inform us on any information you're aware about. I guess we can assume how much of a damn chicken you are."

       "Hey! What did I tell you about your language and your tone?"

             "Well how about you take some responsibility and let us in on what's going on!" Sarah said. "Our lives could be at stake and you're too worried about protecting us all the time! You can't protect and shield us from everything!"

               Steven took several pauses, then confessed, "Fine! To tell you guys the truth...we don't really know what's going on. I was going to go back into my study and talk to some people but then that's when the windows shattered and we essentially trapped ourselves down here. It was supposed to be a simple 1090 protocol and it was--"

"'It'?," Eddy asked. "What is 'it'?"

        "...the hurricane. It was supposed to last for a certain amount of time, and affect certain areas, but for some odd reason it just went away and now we're in something that has never happened before..."

          "Wait, " Dylan said. "You're talking as if you have something going on behind that. Aren't hurricanes supposed to happen randomly?"

     "Well yes....and no..."

            "What does that mean?"

"Yes, natural disasters do happen on their own, but sometimes..."

       "Can you just spit it out, dad?" Sarah asked.

    "...with my job, we are responsible for weather control...we are assigned to produce whatever type of weather conditions our higher ups tell us to produce."

          "Huh? Are you telling us the weather isn't real?!" Dylan asked.

    "What? No. The weather is real...it's just, sometimes....we influence it..."

"Why?" Sarah asked. "Why not let Mother Nature do its thing?"

            "...because our higher ups have decided that we are in need of some population control, so they have us manage that by means like this. It's our most commonly used one."

     "How...how many people have this same job?"

         "I don't know honestly. I know there's sections spreaded throughout the US."

    "...dad...how could you be a part of something like this? There's so many people who have lost their lives and for what? Because it's getting crowded? Are you kidding me?!"

           "Listen, sweetie, I know it may sounds crazy, but trust me, you would understand if you were older--"

        "Don't give me that, dad! I might be in the 5th grade but I don't think like one. Don't you see what this is?! Because of you and your people's meddling, Mother Nature is fighting back. This is Mother Nature's vengeance! Innocent people are dying, and it's your fault!"

           A low, ominous sound rattled the air, causing the family to immediately tense up.

    The sound went on for 15 seconds, then immediately silence came in and swept the room. With their eyes moving faster than a scared rabbit and bodies stationary like a tree, everyone scanned the basement, waiting for something to happen.

       In an instant, the house shifted enough for one of the basement walls to collapse on the ground, exposing the dirt behind it.

        The dirt shook as four brightly colored green grass blades popped out and wrapped itself around Steven's legs and arms.

"What have I done?" Steven hauntingly said right before he got dragged and submerged into the wall of dirt.

          The family are shocked, terrified, and confused about what they just witnessed. Feet's heavy as ten boulders.

    The dirt shook again as the blades came back out, now reaching for them.

      With no other options, they ran back up the stairs and onto the first floor to witness several grass blades around the home, waiting for their arrival.

                Emily looked at the kitchen drawers.

      "Stay right here. I'll be right back."

          Emily made a b-line for the kitchen drawers, trying to get a knife or scissors, but some of the blades blocked her path.

              Frustrated, Emily rushed back to the kids and said, "Upstairs!"

        They started to go up the spiral stairs when the big front doors swung wide open, knocking Emily onto the floor. The blades grabbed her by her ankles.

               "Kids! Run!" Emily shouted as she was being dragged outside.

      "Mom!" all three screamed out.

          They ran down to try to save her when more blades came up the stairs, forcing them to run up to the second floor. They stood in the hallway, looking around for answers.

             "Where do we go?!" Dylan frighteningly asked.

      After a quick scan, Eddy suggested going up again in the attic.

The trio rushed up to the attic, barely escaping the homicidal blades.

          "What the hell is going on?" Dylan hyperventilated. "I don't understand! Why are there blades of grass out to get us?! Where did they take mom and dad?! Why is this happening--"

    "Hey!" Eddy said. "I don't really know our situation too well, but we have to stay calm and figure out a plan or something."

         "How can we?" Sarah asked. "We're stuck here in this attic. Those blades are probably surrounding the house. We don't have anywhere to go. I don't even know if we could call the police in this situation...is this the part where we wave our white flag?..."

     "No! We shouldn't just give up so quickly. Look, I don't know what's going to happen to us, but just know that I will do everything in my power to protect both of you. Let's just stay here and maybe someone could possibly get--"

          The house shook violently, causing the attic floor and roof to crack up.

Grass blades sprouted up and started to surround the children.

       Eddy swatted a few out of the way to look around the attic. He found and grabbed the latter. He took it and positioned it under a hole in the roof.

                "Come on! Climb up!"

       Dylan and Sarah ran up the ladder while Eddy was throwing different objects to keep the blades at a distance.

          After both made it up to the roof, Eddy tried to quickly run up the ladder when one of the blades caught his leg. Eddy tried to shake it off of him, kick it, and rip it off, but no success.

      The struggle caused the ladder to fall over, forcing Eddy to grip his fingers on the edge of the roof. Some of the blades slowly wrapped themselves around him.

"Eddy!!" Dylan cried out, trying to pull him up. "Sarah, come help me!"

           "No, don't!" Eddy said back. "Dylan, don't worry about me! Whatever happens to me, happens."

"No, I'm not leaving you like mom! I can't lose another family member."

        Trying to pull the grass off of him, Dylan got entangled within it, and the grass started to wrap itself around his wrists.

     Struggling to get it off of him as well, Sarah tried to help, but the grass eventually dragged both Eddy and Dylan down. Sarah wanted to go back down, but the hole got blocked by the grass.

               All alone, desperate, and nowhere to go, Sarah couldn't help but fall to her knees and cry. Clips of her loved ones being picked away one by one were on repeat, eating up her cracked mind and fragile soul.

       She looked up to check her surroundings, and she saw a multitude of brightly colored green trees holding some of their branches together, like people holding hands in a long chain, all across the nearby wooded areas. Man made objects and buildings were towering over and catching fire. Smoke and ashes floated in the air.

           Just when she felt like giving up, a police helicopter swirled near the home. Trying to catch their attention, Sarah jumped as high as she could with her little legs. She flung her arms everywhere like a little bird. She screamed at the top of her lungs.

                  Someone in the chopper recognized her high up and came down to come rescue her.

       A few seconds later, multiple grass blades grew from the ground and caught the end of the helicopter, eventually bringing it down, adding to the screams, flames, smoke, and destruction circling the Earth.

        The little sparkle of hope in Sarah's eyes came and went in a flash.

  The grass rose up high and mighty like giants, surrounding the circumference of the house.

     With the blades slowly getting closer and closer to her, her skin and eyes turned as pale as a ghost. She closed her eyes and silently prayed to God, hoping for some type of miracle to wake her up from this nightmare.

            When she finished, she opened her eyes and the blades weren't there anymore. Everything went silent.

         The house shook even more violently until the entire place collapsed to the ground.

​

​

   Sarah woke up in a cloudy daze. After the dust and smoke cleared, she realized that she was surrounded by bricks, wood planks, broken furniture items, and various broken family memories.

         She wanted to get up, but she quickly realized a large, long piece of wood was plunged right through her right chest.

            Screaming in agony and pain, the grass blades rose their heads, slowly sliding their way towards wounded Sarah.

      Noticing, her mind wanted to get up and run, but her body stood still like the wind.

               They quickly wrapped themselves around her ankles and dragged her out of the debris.

        Covered in glass, wood chips, dust, and blood, Sarah was dragged to the spacious backyard. She slightly raised her head up and saw five dirt patches. Four of them were already filled up, and each had gravestones with her family's name on each one.

          The grass dragged Sarah into the empty fifth patch as the dirt and grass filled the space.

    Begging and pleading for mercy, Sarah raised her right arm as far as she could, hoping for someone to help her. The more she tried to go up, the further she sunk in the dirt.

           Sarah made one last attempt to scream as loud as she could, as her body was being enclosed by dirt and the sunlight was no longer in her view.

​

​

Sarah Root became the last human being to be one with the ground, dying April 22, 2022 at 3:47 p.m.

​

​

Gone.

  Everyone...is finally gone.

I...can finally be at peace.

        After so much time...this life that I've been envisioning has actually come to fruition.

   All the other planets have already eradicated their respective species for energy several millennia ago.                        They've been waiting so long for me to do the same.

     I know that eventually it would've had to happen at some point, whether it was 1000 years ago or 1000 years into the future.

      I think I honestly could've started this process a long time ago, especially when some of those humans started to manipulate my weather patterns. I wonder...how come I didn't?

              Maybe I didn't think I could've reached my fullest potential...

Maybe I cared a little too much...

       If only they knew...they would've understood if our positions switched. This process was only a part of the bigger plan It has set for us.

                                                                  ...but it doesn't really matter now.

        With so much energy circling my core, I can finally do what I've been wanting to do since the earliest moments of realization.

Just exist.