Today’s the saddest day of my existence. I’ve delivered my verdict. This world, as you know it, will end in a year. And yet, I still wonder and hope, can you all save yourselves? Can you change for the better? Or will this truly herald the beginning of the end?
Though you think this story should be told by you, the humans, for it’s your world, your end. But I beg to differ. There’s no one better placed than I to tell it. It gives me no pleasure to watch the world come to this. But how long can I stand by and watch the beings I once loved destroy everything, including themselves?
I know you’ve many questions: who, why, and how? Patience, my dear, I will answer them all in time.
Let’s start with the who. You know me by many names—Creator, Maker, A Mysterious Force, even God. But I am none of those things. I am just an artist who embarked on a challenging project billions of years ago.
I began with a ball of clay, hoping to create something magical out of it. For eons, there was nothing. But I never gave up. I kept moulding, and shaping, day after day, year after year. Finally, something magnificient emerged—this planet of life. Ah, I get goosebumps recalling those early moments. I can’t describe the joy I felt watching my vision come to life. The first trees, the mountains rising from the dust, the seas stretching across the land, the rivers carving their paths. But it felt incomplete. I wanted something, someone, to stand on the shores and witness the golden sunrise, breathe the fresh air, and gaze at the stars.
So I created life. Birds, animals, insects—each one a brushstroke of beauty, alive with purpose. But none of it compared to what I created next: humans. I gave them the best of everything—intelligence, empathy, the ability to reason and to feel, the capacity for kindness, love, and gratitude. They could dance in the rain, and touch the stars with their imagination. They could weave stories and create wonders out of nothing. Oh, I took such pride in my work. Was I vain? Do you think that pride is the reason for this fall? Do you blame me?
I know you’re wondering why this is happening.
It was years ago that I began to notice something disturbing. Small cracks, like a poison seeping into the heart of my creation. Hatred, greed, jealousy, and apathy became your nature. I watched helplessly as you turned away from the virtues I had instilled in you all. You fought and killed, suppressed the powerless ones, and rejoiced in their victories. You created something called religion and fought wars in my name – ironic, isn’t it? On one hand, you worshipped me. On the other, you used that same belief to destroy each other.
My trees, once stretching high into the sky, were chopped off mercilessly. The rivers that once shimmered with life became graveyards of waste. The oceans, once a sanctuary for creatures of wonder, screamed to be saved.
It was no more the world I had created with great toil and passion. How could I continue watching this? How long could I endure the destruction silently?
I called out to you all. I sent warnings—fires, floods, storms, droughts. Each time, I hoped someone would stop, listen, and understand. But none did. You pressed on, heedless of the destruction you wrought, both to yourselves and to the world around. Each warning was ignored, each plea dismissed.
Every fiber of my being wanted to believe that you could change, that you would remember the beauty of the world. But that hope had become a shadow, fading with time. And it was not just the destruction that troubled me—it was the apathy, the refusal to change. That was what broke me.
And so, I made my choice. It wasn’t easy.
How did it happen? The answer is simple. At dawn, when the sun’s first rays kissed the horizon, I issued my final warning – You all have a year to live. Make the best of it, or don’t, the choice is yours, but there’s no second chance.
A small part of me, deep down, hopes that a year is enough time for you to learn. Maybe you will mend your ways, and it might not be your last year after all. But I am no fool and my heart grows colder with every ticking minute.
***
Waiting and watching have never been easy, especially when all I hoped for was a spark of change. But after a year, it’s clear. This was just another lost opportunity for humans. Except for a handful who rallied to save the world, the rest clamoured for more: more wealth, more power, more possessions. When the inferno spread, engulfing the world in its fury, the humans played the blame game. They blamed each other, their governments, fate, nature, and even me. But not once did they blame themselves.
It’s unfortunate, but the end has come. Ironically, it’s also a new beginning.
Starting over is always an exciting prospect. The last time I created something from scratch, was billions of years ago, and it was… a failure. But now, as I begin again, creating a new world, a new home, I am determined to learn from the past.
This new planet will have nature and life. Yes, it will have humans, but they will not be the same. I am not vengeful, but this time, I will not be so patient either. This time, I will ensure they value, love, and cherish what they’ve been given. I won’t let them forget their purpose and virtues.
Perhaps in the end, it’ll be enough. Perhaps this time, they will learn.
Or not, and I’ll fail again. Only time will tell. It always does.
(985 words)
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Upon the Ashes of the World is my submission for #TheLastOneYear #UniK20 contest hosted by ArtoonsInn.