The Rising Sea
By Porter Wayman
Age: 14
“Well,” announced Abram, looking down at his boat, “we’re almost done. Looks like the only things we are waiting on are my children and that last bird that Holly’s collecting, and then we’re ready.”
Jared nodded, “Where are your children Abram? I thought that they were just saying goodbye to neighbors.”
“ Emily and Lisa said that they were going to go say goodbye to the Garnings and try to get them to come.”
Abram cast an eye on the small island of Johnston atoll. The air was clean and fresh with a few of the remaining trees swaying in the breeze. The ground was full of shrubbery, and in the nearby ocean, a few lazy fish swam close to shore.
Almost 20 years ago he traveled to this beautiful island to work for the United States government by keeping the island as a reserve for the many animal species that lived there. There were several birds and fishes that he had never seen on the mainland. Abram, since he was a little kid, had been fascinated by the animals that lived in the oceans and the skies. So when he got the chance to live for a year on Johnston Atoll and be a caretaker for the animals that lived there, he jumped at the opportunity.
Not even a month into his new job on the Johnston atoll, the government that hired him to protect the island’s habitat completely collapsed. On July 1st, 2020, President Renard Fallon of the United States of America declared all 50 states of America independent from one another as the Covid 19 Pandemic swept through the country. News from the mainland, much less, Hawaii, was cut off and they only heard vague rumors about that chaos that ensued across the country and even the world. The Covid 19 Pandemic had caused the world’s largest economy to collapse almost as quick as a snap of fingers.
For the next 6 months, life continued for the 1,300 people living on the Johnson Atoll. For the first 2 months they lived in relative isolation, rationing the supplies they had received before they lost contact with Hawaii. Even with the rations, many suffered. After the first 2 months, ships started to arrive at the island, bearing news from the outside world. America had completely collapsed, with even the most stable of the states being thrown into anarchy. The next 4 months weren’t as dire, but they still had to be careful. Ships came infrequently, bearing some food and provisions from the Hawaiian government. Small farms were set up, and they began to grow crops, but rules had to be established to keep the people from using all the native wildlife as food. They managed to preserve the native species, but the way they managed the preserve did have to change.
After contact with Hawaii was reestablished, almost everyone living on the island decided to leave. Those few months without outside communication had made life on the small atoll unbearable for many, but it was during those 6 months of isolation that Abram fell in love with both the island and a fellow soldier, Sarah Herving. Before those 6 months had ended, they were married and they wanted to remain on the island along with a few others who loved the Johnston Atoll like they did. They created a new community on the island, making a life for themselves with schools for the children and the adults kept busy running the island preserve.
For 10 years they lived on the island, Abram raising his two daughters, Emily and Lisa after his wife Sarah drowned a few years into their marriage. She died after falling off one of the ships that was bringing supplies to the small atoll. He mourned her death, never remarrying again. He had lost one love that day, and he didn’t want to lose the island as well, so he continued to live on it and work at the preserve. Life continued however on the island, with some hope for the future. They had a life with friends and families, things could only go up.
Eventually, Hawaii enacted reforms and united with the rest of the pacific nations to form Polynesia, and with the formation of the new nation, Johnston Atoll became its own province with elected representatives to the congress in Honolulu. There were signs though that life wouldn’t be able to continue as it was. Even the dullest of eyes and minds could tell that the island was getting smaller and smaller by the year. Beaches started to retreat inward, swallowing up the land like a serpent. News came from the outside world that countries like Japan, China, Florida, and Europe were all building flood walls around their coastal cities and important land areas. But small islands in the middle of the oceans were unable to do much to prevent the rising water levels. Most of these small islands were swallowed up and forgotten. So while major countries were able to build protection for their coastal areas, Polynesia could only afford to protect a few islands, and now most of its islands were being swallowed up by the ocean waves.
Still, several people stayed on the Johnston Atoll, managing to deal with the rising water levels. But the news of a major hurricane approaching the island came and that was the final blow to those still living on the island. Some water barriers had been put up before the news came. “A last ditch attempt”, some said, “to keep the water at bay.” As the storm approached, growing stronger by the hour, very few were willing to risk their families and their lives to stay on the dwindling remains of the island.
Looking back towards the island, Abram saw his daughters, Emily and Lisa walking slowly, heads downcast with tears in their eyes. Behind them was the mostly deserted neighborhood. A few houses were still inhabited with lights coming out through the windows, but they were few and far between. Those who stayed had the hard job to ensure the wild birds could be evacuated to the Honolulu Zoo and make sure that the sea wildlife could withstand the coming storm.
“So why are you staying in Honolulu again, Abram?” asked his friend John.
“Sarah has a sister living in the city.” Abram said. “So I decided that it would be nice for Emily and Lisa to get to know their cousins. They haven’t seen each other for 5 years. Besides, we don’t really have anywhere else to go. I talked with them a few days ago, and they are willing to let us live there for a while.”
John nodded.
“And what about you? my old friend.” Abram inquired. “Still not going to stay in Honolulu once we get there?”
John smiled but shook his head, “No, your sister and brother in law are generous to extend an invitation to use as well, but Holly and I aren’t family. We need to forge our own path. We are still planning on taking a boat from Honolulu to Fiji. My family is either dead or in Alaska, and since there isn’t really any time to get emigration papers done, friends of Holly invited us to stay with them in Fiji until we can get those papers filled.”
Abram eyed his old friend. They had been friends for over 20 years, with many memories shared. They had first met while traveling together to Johnston Atoll. When he got engaged to Sarah, John was his best man at the wedding. A few months later, John proposed to Holly, a rosy cheek wildlife preserver like them. Holly and Sarah were very close, with Emily and Lisa calling Holly, “Aunt Holly” most of the time.
Glancing back toward the streets of the neighborhood, Abram saw Emily and Lisa, dragging their feet toward them, wiping away tears from their eyes as they tried to pull themselves together. Their eyes were red, the tops of the dresses wet from tears.
“So are the Garnings coming?” Abram asked.
Emily shook her head, frantically trying to stop the tears, “They say that the storm isn’t strong enough to put them in danger, so they aren’t willing to leave.”
Abram signed, the Garnings had lived on the island almost their entire lives. Their married children had left a few weeks ago with their families, but the old couple would not leave. They were as stubborn as a donkey and set in their ways, not wanting to give up the great and magnificent island that they lived on for most of their lives.
Abram looked back at the house he and Sarah lived in for years, and took a deep breath remembering the years of memories in their home. He saw Holly walking towards them on the beach, holding the last bird cage. It contained a Black Noddy, a small bird with a white spot on top of its head and a gray bottom. It was the last of 200 birds that they tracked down and were taking on the boat.
Holly reached the boat. “So that is it, right John?”
John nodded in confirmation. “Should be everything. All that’s left is to wave goodbye and get going.
Holly nodded and handed the bird to John. She climbed into the boat, taking one last long look toward the island, and then turned around and walked into the boat, not looking back. Emily and Lisa both followed, crying as they walked away from the island they had lived on their entire lives.
John jumped into the boat, securing the strap around the Black Noddy’s cage, and gazed toward the island in thoughtful remembrance.
“Do you remember the time that we first heard about Disunionization Abram?”
Abram chuckled, “Do I! I remember you saying that the earth would sooner turn into a bunny before that.”
John chuckled with him, and turned around, heading toward the boat’s steering wheel.
Abram stared at the island, hoping that what was being said on the news was real. That the rising water levels were only temporary. Many were claiming that this was just a curve in the world temperature, that eventually the water levels will recede and ice will begin to form again since they had reversed the amount of carbon emissions emitted. If the water would retreat, they could return to their homes upon the Johnston Atoll.
Staring at the island, he half knew that they would return if the world began to heal, but until he could come back, he would go out onto the waves, working with all his might to keep his family together and bring them back here, but if that was impossible, get them a new home they would love just as much.
Abram turned and jumped onto the boat, ready to face whatever was coming their way. It could be a storm, it could be floods. Heck, it could be pirates for all he cared. What he knew for certain was that he was going to protect his daughters, because they were all that he had left.