Supernova

I'm forced to wonder this barren planet that was once full of lush forests and seemingly bottomless oceans. All thanks to humanity trying to play god. They almost destroyed earth two centuries ago, until they decided to move to Mars. I knew then Mars was doomed to the fate earth had narrowly avoided, which is the reason I had decided to remain here when my family took the last shuttle to Mars. The terraforming turned out to be to much for that planet. It had gone supernova pushing earth closer to the sun and slowing our rotation to a mere crawl. Half of the earth frozen and the other half set a blaze in the immense heat radiating from the sun.

I'm trying to make my way to the salvation of the green belt. Nature is still in balance even on this forsaken planet. Other people I have met during my travels have learned and adapted to the harsh changes.

I will always be grateful to a man by the name of Evan. He had found me lying half dead in what would have been the great plains of the old United States of America.

He lives in the mountains that boarder the plains. He's a medium built bulky man with long black hair that was tied up in a ponytail. His hands were rough and cracking. He looks rough but gentle at the same time. It's as though his features have been hardened by the drastic changes of this planet. He told me that before Mars exploded he used to paint and do art of living nature. I guess being out in nature for extended periods of time helped him adapt quickly.

He said that he saw my footprints in the dirt on a mountain pass, so he decided to follow them since the lead into the valley. He found me passed out face down in the dirt. He picked me up and a heart shaped locket fell from around my neck. He was going to leave it there until I told him leave everything else but that.

He grabbed it by the chain which was scorching hot from the sun. He wrapped it around his wrist and held the locket in his hand. It was so hot it had seared into his hand.

When he got us back to his cave he revived me. It was unbelievable. It was like an oasis underground. He had a well built one room hut with grass growing around it. A garden was growing along side his hut. The fruits and vegetables looked delectable glistening in a refracted ray of sun off what seemed to be an underground lake. It looked like a picture in itself.

He handed me back my heart shaped locket before wrapping his hand in cloth he soaked in the lake. I put it back around my neck where it rested on the scars it had seared into me.

He's not one for a lot of words but the look on his face asked what's so important about a single locket. I had told him it was from my girlfriend who left for Mars a month before it blew up. He didn't say much the rest of the day.

He caught a couple of large beautiful trout out of the lake and made us a decadent dinner with ingredients from his garden. After we ate he told me to rest and I was welcomed to stay as long as I would like.

I spent almost a week with Evan in his own little paradise. I mostly stayed out his way and watched him daily. He would catch fish and lay them out to dry underneath a ray of sun. Then he would walk to the edge of the lake and sit down with a pencil and a note pad. He would sit there for hours and just draw in his not pad.

I decided to join him on my last day. He didn't try to hide his drawing or turn away from me. He simply flipped his page backwards. He had a picture of me that he had drawn and colored in. It had to have been the second day I was here. After I woke up, I sat down near the water.

His artwork was impeccable. From my short spikey brown hair to distant longing in my eyes, but my clothes were different. He had drawn me in what looked like baggy light colored silk clothing that floated on non existent wind. I was taken aback by the picture. Just then he stood up and walked back to his hut. When he emerged out from his hut he was carrying the same light colored silk clothing from the picture. He handed me the neatly folded clothes.

I graciously accepted them especially as I looked down at my tattered dark clothing that I had on at the moment. I was in awe by the clothes in his hands I didn't realize that he also had a well hand crafted backpack on as well. He took it off and handed it to me. In his deep but soft voice he told me to take it and be careful when I decide to leave.

I didn't know what he meant by that until the next day. When I had awoke Evan was gone. All of his art supplies were gone as well. I was in the elegant light clothing he had given me the day before. It was light and airy. I grabbed the backpack he had given me. Next to it was a package that was neatly wrapped and a note laid on top it.

The note was short: "This package of dried fish is for your trip. Where ever your bound. I hope you make it safely. Your friend Evan."

I grabbed the heart shaped locket around my neck and held it tight in my hand. I looked up to the sky through a hole in the cave ceiling. I took one last look around before taking my leave to head for the green belt.