Creation and Destruction ***

The deep blue sky was just lightening. The faint sliver of moon appeared almost directly overhead. Fluffy cotton wool clouds drifted ever so slowly across the horizon. Below, the green foliage was wet with dew. The wet ground gave off a sweet earthy smell. Insects chirped at regular intervals, punctuating the calm silence. A column of ants marched purposefully, oblivious to the surroundings. Small animals foraged between the trees.

As he watched, gazing at the serene scene, the eastern sky began to turn bright orange. The blue sky took on an almost extra-natural depth of colour. The trees and bushes swayed gently in the cool wind. Flocks of birds flew in perfect formation overhead, tweeting gaily.

He sat savouring the moment, eyes closed, in idle reverie. As the sun rose in the sky, he got up and began the slow descent. He passed the lush greenery, gurgling pristine rivulets and breathed deeply of the invigorating fresh air.

***

The noise had grown into a deafening cacophony. The heat too was overpowering, while the cocktail of odours suffocated him. He looked down, below the hill. The chaos was unfolding. The metal boxes looked tiny. They came in all shapes and sizes and colors. They whizzed along at mad speeds, criss-crossing at the distance. Jarring noises emanated from the pandemonium. And it was all enveloped in an all encompassing cloud of dust and smoke. As he drew closer, he looked within the metal boxes. Inside each were desolate looking figures. One, or two. Sometimes more. Most looked tired and drowsy. Some napped, eyes closed, cocooned in their climate controlled boxes. Some appeared anxious and tense. A few spoke in low tones, into gadgets affixed to their faces. He could not see a single smile. They just moved along, mostly silent and resigned. They headed to the distant angular horizon, made up of concrete monstrosities, spewing thick black plumes of smoke. It was eerie.

Then, behind the metal boxes, a rumbling truck. Soon several others followed behind, like a funeral procession. They carried large logs, freshly felled. The drivers sat in his sparse cabin. Each wore a worried look. Some coughed incessantly, as they drove through the smoke and heat and smog. Little did they realize their role in the destruction around them. Neither did any of the people rushing along in their metal boxes, heading to the concrete jungle on the horizon.

***

“If the planet is destroyed, human beings will die too. But if human beings are destroyed, the planet may be saved”