Second Chance (#PlanetOrPlastic)

Second Chance (#PlasticOrPlanet)

Alice couldn't believe her luck. There, in the middle of the scrapyard underneath a rusted fridge and a scratched-up microwave, was a puddle of murky water. Actual water! She ran toward it and collapsed to her knees, staring in awe at her muddled reflection. This much water would have cost her a month's worth of salvage, and now she could have it all to herself. For free!

Her hands shaking with excitement, Alice took an empty water bottle out of her backpack and dunked it into the puddle. Bubbles burst up to the surface, making Alice lick her dry lips with anticipation. She looked around, to make sure she was alone, but there wasn't another soul in sight – just heaps of corroded machinery and withered plastic.

The bubbles stopped. Alice ripped the bottle out of the puddle, eager to see her bounty. The water was a light shade of brown, with small chunks of dirt floating in it like the thick dust in the air. But there was something else in the bottle too. Something bright green that was moving around on its own. Alice swished the water around, thinking maybe it was some moss. But then it swam up, popped out the top of the bottle ... and started speaking.

"You saved me!" squeaked the creature. From the waist up it was a human woman, the size of Alice's thumb, but below that she was nothing but fish tail. A tiny mermaid. "I've been trapped in that puddle for years, ever since the ocean dried up. I got left behind when the rest of my kingdom evacuated, but now, with your help, maybe I can find them again!

"Have you ever seen my kingdom before? I don't know if you humans have. It was wonderful, built out of bright coral all the colors of the currents. But then it started to fade to white, and all the fish we shared our kingdom with ... went away. Then your plastic creations fell from the sky, covering our kingdom in a blanket of darkness.

"But I knew humans weren't all bad! I knew they couldn't be doing this all on purpose. If you listen to me, then I can guide you back to my family. We can work together and bring the ocean back. We can have a second chance! All we have to do is ... ah! Is this a new transportation vessel? It's ... it's very warm. Could you maybe ... could you please ... ahh!"

Alice couldn't hear a word the tiny creature spoke. She turned up the gas on the stove, bringing the pot of freshly-harvested water to a hearty boil. It was important to always boil water before you drank it. Dirt, moss, parasites. Who knew what sort of diseases and other weird things were hiding inside?

As the steam rose from the pot, Alice grinned. She was going to save so much money this month.