1 20 250 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/65a497e895b07b0475f8714a421bbc2b.jpeg c79bb40126742ad7bf9dda5fdc93aad2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. The Disappearance of Andrea Sanchez The sound of a running motor boat engine filled Andrea’s ears as she tried to position her face away from the splashing sea water. Though when compared to the blaring hot sun it was an improvement, she turned to the rugged driver and spoke. “Can a girl get a hat here! I'm practically being burned alive!” “No”. The ship drove said with a sour grumble. “Frankly, you burning alive would be compensation for taking away my free Sunday.” “Awwww come one pal, why the hostility? Is that anyway to treat a nurse” Andrea gave a full blown smirk “At least I'm offering something to society, I help people, I make them better. What do you do? Driving this rusty shit bucket of a ship to wherever your bosses tell you. Her tone went down a significant amount “ Honestly if anyone one of this ship deserves to be at threat of becoming excess its you” Andrea gave a full condescending smile as the driver met her with her bright blue blue eyes, the type of blue eye that made people uncomfortable if they stared for too long. The driver stopped the boat and approached Andrea lifting her whole body up in anger as he held her above the water. “You wanna drown bitch! Cause I'm not above killing a smuggler.” Andrea remained surprisingly calm for someone brushing with death as she jokingly respond “No, I asked for a hat, though if you did drown me here I dont think you bosses would be happy with you sir. Besides why the sudden hatred for smuggling, it's not like I killed people” In a complying annoyance the driver dropped Andrea onto the floor of the boat and slammed her black hat onto her head, disrupting her dirty blonde hair. He grabbed a bottle as he spoke. “Youre lucky that the overseer of the Ansa requested not a single scratch to come to you. For someone so lucky though, makes me wonder how you got caught” the boat began moving again as Andrea answered. “Got too cocky honestly, tried smuggling a family to the New Confederacy” “The New Confederacy?!” The diver interjected. “With all those racist, slave-owning, inbred assholes!” “Hey my job was not to judge it was to smuggle, besides like we have not given the New Confederacy food, guns, soldiers, and slaves. After all it's either work with them or get ourselves conquered and forced to fight those hivemind hippie fucks up north for them.” “I guess the driver shrugged his shoulders as he agreed since while the people of Florida were divided in almost everything, many were united in their fear of the south and disdain for the north. He continued on “So how exactly did you get caught if I may ask?” Andrea leaned back and let out an angry sigh. “Everything was going smoothly I had gotten the mom and her two brats to south and was so close to getting my payout” “They were paying you?” The driver interjected once again. “You think I, on a nurse's salary, was risking my life and freedom smuggling out of the kindness of my heart? Please.” Andrea snorted. “Apparently some distant cousin in Kentucky was paying 5k for each member I got out and I would have had a happy pay day if it weren't for the dad, useless fatass.” Andrea sneered under her breath as she recalled the memory of border guards pinning her to the dirt as they handcuffed her and draped a cloth over a middle aged man. “The bastard chose not to inform me he had a heart condition that required specific medicine only delivered by medical experts, by the time we got to the drop off site he was painting like a dog and just dropped on me. I didn't care at first until I noticed the fucker had a tracker implanted into his heart that was transmitting an SOS the entire time. By the time I noticed the border guards had found me. Honestly I don't know what I was more angry with, the fact I got caught or that a heart attack killed that bastard before I could. Andrea’s voice went cold as her hands scratched along her handcuffs . “Well remind me not to have a heart attack next to you.” The driver remarked. An uncomfortable silence remained as Andreas tried to imagine where she was going. All she knew was that it was a community ship for the lower class that traveled along the key west seas and the archipelago and its name. The Ansa, an interesting name for a boat. Before she could imagine it more a figure began to appear in her eye. A massive yet old renovated cruise ship that had dents and rust as far as the eyes could see and written in black with the same name. The Ansa. “Looks like we're here” The drive said as he began reaching for his radio “Ansa this is drop-off boat #77305 do you copy,over” A silence lingered until a voice came through “ #77305 this is captain Milton of the Ansa for what brings you to our ship, over” “Im here to drop off a new resident a woman by Andrea Sanchez, over” “Roger, will send someone down to retrieve her immediately, over” “Well looks like this is where we say goodbye” The driver smirked as he brought Andrea up “Before you go though” The driver pulled out a red box and pulled out a black collar with a tracking module attached, Andrea braced herself for what came next. The driver placed it around her neck and with a clamp Andrea felt a sharp sting around her neck. The Driver at the same time freed her of her handcuffs. “A little gift from the government, can't go losing track of you.” Before Andrea could punch the driver the drop and splash of a boat appeared next to them, when the water calmed a man in a captain outfit pushed away his silver hair and spoke in a cheerful tone. The type of tone that reminded Andrea of her grandfather. “Well hello there miss! My name is Captain Milton, welcome to the Ansa!” Milton extended a hand as he spoke. Andrea grabbed the captain and gave it a good shake “Happy to be here, captain.” Andrea said as she put on a fake smile. She was always good at pretending to look happy, one of those skills nursing has taught her. Well that and how to stand for 24 hours straight. She leads herself onto the lifeboat on which captain Milton has descended from and sat down “Bring us up!” Milton shouted to a crew member Andrea couldn't see and she jolted as the lifeboat began to be pulled up. “Impressive use of the lifeboats captain” Andrea sarcastically remarked “Thank you, let me say you couldn't have arrived sooner. We have been in desperate need of a medical professional." Captain Milton remarked as his once jolly face showed a sliver of worry. “What do you mean?” “Will talk more later, for now let me give you a tour” Captain Milton's face returned to its usual jolly as the life boat stopped. Andrea turned her head and saw pools, slides and lounge chairs, all old of course. Though it did look like an average cruise ship and certainly smelled like it. The fragrance of alcohol, seawater, and sweat. “Here is Mountain class, you are free to come here whenever you like though I'd warn you the people here can be quite egotistical. Our pools are cleaned regularly and our wait staff responds to your every command. We also have a couple of automatons if people aren't your speed.”Like a magic trick, as soon as captain Milton spoke of automatons one appeared in front of Andrea and within its a black screen face Andrea clear anger was reflected. The bot spoke with its generic male voice. “Hello my name is Kyle,I am here to serve any request you have. Remember, the best help is autohelp.” “I request you to never speak to me again.” Andrea gritted through her teeth. “Request acknowledge, enjoy the rest of your day” The Automaton responded and with rhythm left to attend whatever next guest required its assistance. “I suppose you are one of those traditionalists, aren't you?” Captain Milton gave a nervous chuckle. “Damm tin skins are gonna be the end of us all, I don't want anything to do with them” “Noted, let's get you to your cabin, it's in Valley class. Follow me.” Captain Milton ushered Andrea to a sleek gold and white elevator and with a press of a button, nothing happened. After 4 more pushes the doors finally closed and descended to Valley class. When the doors opened Andrea was met with red victorian carpeting and grey walls lit by the warm glow of lights, she was met with the smell of alcohol Awful to some but to Andrea it was an odd comfort. “This way” Captain Milton said as he led Andrea through the hallways. After some time they stopped at Cabin 13. “Here are your keys.” Milton spoke as he dropped the keys into Andreas hand “Thanks captain.” Though before Andrea could close the cabin door the captain interjected “I suggest you make friends with your fellow boat mates, they're having a show later tonight, jazz apparently.” Andreas face remained uninterested “There will be booze” The captain sighed in disappointment. “Ah, now we're talking, I'll make sure to come” “Just don't get too drunk, I need you down at Coast class to attend to our patients in the med wing tomorrow ” “Relax, I drink responsibly” Andrea closed the door and quickly settled herself down. Her cabin had a bed, a bath, and a TV. Not too bad honestly. Though the constant red,gold, and ivory across her cabin was a bit eye straining. Reminded her of her time in Vegas. She decided to leave what little luggage she had on the floor and planted herself on the bed for a very much needed nap. When Andrea awoke she found it had become night, when she looked at her clock she realized the show the captain had told her about was just starting. So brushing herself up and cleaning the dust off her coat she headed down to the lounge. When she arrived she sat herself down at the bar and before she could make a request a male voice called to her. “So you must be the smuggling nurse,” A young man dressed in a bartender outfit with black long hair and brown eyes spoke as he cleaned a glass. “Names Andrew.” “How do you know that?” Andreas responded with a slight threat to her tone. “Boat gossip, besides you're the only nurse on this boat. Anyway, what can I get you?” “Whiskey” “Coming right up” Andrea relaxed herself as the performance started, a small band began to play a jazz song as a woman dressed in scarlet sang and walked around the stage. Hypnotic..Andrew bought Andrea her glass of whiskey and turned his attention to the singer. “Pretty aint she.” “Indeed, so Andrew right? Tell me about this place” “Well the Ansa is like your average community boat, filled with people at threat of becoming excess and practically always falling apart or running out of resources.” “Isn't that Overseer Milton's job to ensure that doesn't happen.” “Oh, Milton's not the Overseer, he just drives the boat. No one actually seen the Overseer apparently they don't like to be seen” Andrea pondered over her drink. “Why did the Overseer request me?” “Your guess is as good as mine, though if I had to suspect it's probably to handle the plague that's been going around.” Andrea almost choked on her drink “Plague? What plague.” “Not sure honestly, Just been hearing that some folks have gotten sick with some weird disease, it makes the bodies stiff and they start laughing. Freaky shit if you ask me” “Any idea where this plague came from?” Andrea asked, while she was never the most engaged nurse. The possibility of a plague that she would be working with got her attention. More importantly, she did not want to catch whatever this plague was. “No clue, but now everyone is on high alert.” The sound of singing and music and singing dimmed as the singer headed off stage, the sound of one light lobby music filled the room as guests began to indulge in their conversations. “Well, this has been fun but I should get to bed. Got a long day ahead of me tomorrow.” Andrea sighed as she began leaving the bar. “Wait!” Andrew slightly shouted, making sure to get Andreas' attention. “Can I interest you in some meat sticks? We have a pretty good sauce here, maybe a salad?” “No thanks, I don't really have a big appetite” Andrea pondered for a second before she spoke again. “Though do you guys have nutrient shakes?” “Oh Yeah we got those, do you want me to send those to your cabin.” Andrew replied in a slight surprise in the rejection of meat sticks. “That would be nice, Thank you, Andrew.” Andrea left the bar in a slight sluggish mood. She wanted to eat something, but she knew she couldn't anymore. She needed a cigarette… and badly. As she approached her cabin door she opened it to find the room's lights were dimmed to a seductive mood and the smell of roses lingered. Atop her bed lay a woman with brown wavy hair, freckled skin and light brown eyes. She wore a flirtatious red lingerie that matched her lips. Andrea had felt feelings of arousal only a few times, but at this moment she was entranced by this beautiful woman. Though her logic quickly brought her back to reality and she began to question the stranger. “Who the hell are you?” The woman lifted herself from the bed and spoke in a soft yet clear voice. Her hair covering one of her eyes. “The name's Irma, I'm your escort for the night.” “How very kind of you Irma, but I didn't request an escort.” “The captain assigned me here, he saw you eyeing that singer and believed some personal fun would be beneficial to you.” Andrea questioned further, “Why not bring the singer then.” “She Mountain class sweetheart, you're not able to access her. Also she's not an escort.” Irma crossed her arms as she huffed. “If your not interested in doing anything then please inform the captain so I can get back to my cabin, it's been a long night.” Andrea was about to tell the escort to leave till a thought crossed her mind. She was stressed and perhaps a conversation would do her some good. Additionally this escort could have some information about the overseer and plague escorts were good at gathering info. However, that info would be hard to gather. It was time to ease the mood and Andrea knew the perfect thing. “You smoke?” Irma's eyes went wide for a slight second then her brows furrowed “Why? You tryna get me in trouble?” “Not at all, just simply want to talk. Besides it seems like we've both had one stressful day” Pulling a lighter from her coat pocket. “So, what do you say?” “As much as I would kill for a cig, they're banned in the states, even more so on boats. Where would we get one?” Andreas gave a smug smile. “Youll see, for now I need you to get something sharp.” Irma's face went to a confused look at her head to the cabin bathroom and emerged with a pair of scissors. She dropped them into Andreas' hand “For the record you are freaking me the hell out.” “Well, best look away now.” Without a hesitation or a flinch she jammed the scissors into the side of her stomach. “WHAT THE FUCK!” Irma shouted as she tried to pull the scissors away. “Are you insane!” Andrea's face remained calm as ever as she spoke, Irma looked at her and was a mix of surprised and horrified as she noticed Andrea showed no sign of pain despite the sharp scissors inside her. Andrea pulled out the scissors and dug her hand into the wound and to the surprise of them both pulled out a box of cigarettes. “How?” Irma spoke. “A simple trade really, I gave half of my stomach and intestines and in return I got the perfect smuggling place. So, wanna smoke?” Andrea pulled out two cigarettes and lit the one she placed in her mouth. Reluctantly Irma placed the second cigarette in her mouth and allowed Andrea to light it. She gave a deep breath and sighed a cloud of smoke. “Alright, let's talk.” Irma said as she walked to the nearby open window canopy that showed the endless void that was the miami sea at night. Andrea joined her. “So, tell me about this plague going around.” “It's been popping up more recently and no one knows where it came from. Poor fish-eyed Franklin got infected just last week.” “Fish-eyed Franklin?” Irma's eyes saddened as she took another breath of her cigarette and let out another cloud of smoke. “He was a young fella who had glasses that made his eyes look huge, hence his name. He took care of the fish in the aquarium up in Mountain class. He loved water,could stare at it for hours… He was different from most people, apparently his parents gave up their money and freedom to get him on the Ansa.” Tears began to well up in Irma's eyes. “He was the only man who I know saw me as a friend and not just a tool. We would eat candy while he talked to me about fish…now he's dying in the med wing. What a fucked up life we all live.” Andrea kept a cold look but her eyes showed a drop of shame. “Im sorry for your friend, I can only hope that whatever this plague is there is a way to cure them.” “What about you? You lost anyone?” Andreas eyes went wide as she took as she let out a large cloud of smoke. “Yes, an old friend. Her name was Robin. “What happened to her?” Irma's gaze softened. Andrea finished her cigarette and dropped the burned butt to the dark void below her. “What needed to happen, no point in looking back.” Before Andrea could be questioned a knock scared both of them as they quickly rushed to throw away the evidence of their crime. Andrea answered the door and to her disdain was met with an automaton. “Here you go miss Sanchez,here are your-” Andrea yanked the nutrient shakes from the tray the automaton was holding. “Fuck off clanker!” Andrea yelled as she slammed the door. “Well this was nice, thank you for the cig break.” Irma said as she began to leave, though before she could fully close the door she spoke one last time. “Try to help them down there okay or at the very least ease their pain.” “Ill try.” Andrea was left alone in her cabin as she chugged one of her nutrient shakes and planted herself on her bed. Luckily for her, nutrient shakes were good at helping her fall asleep fast. When she awoke she headed downstairs to Coast class, endless hallways of light green and sand that had the faint smell of mucus. Reminder her to much of the old hospital she worked at. When she headed to the med wing she was surprised to find two people already there, a pair of twins that consisted of a slim male and an athletic female both having the same birthmark above their left eye. “Hello” Andrea spoke, allowing the two to register her existence. “Ah, you must be the nurse, thank the heavens you're here.” The male spoke. “My name is Andrew and this is my sister Katrina. “Sup.” Katrina spoke with a voice clearly showing she was not the speaking type. “Names Andrea, glad to be here” Andrea looked around the sea foam room and noticed the lack of patients. “Soooo, where are the patients?” Andre gave a nervous response “they're in the next room, though I warn you, they aren't in exactly the best conditions.” “I'll be the judge of that.” Andrea made her way to the door of the room that the patients were supposedly in. She noted a small glass window into the room and peeked through it. To her horror she noted at least 7 patients in deplorable condition, constantly shaking and some were laughing but no noise came out. It was clear that this plague was serious, and there was no way to help these people. She returned to the twins and sat down. “They got Kuru” “Kuru, what the hell is Kuru?” Andrew responded with a slight tone of fear in his voice. “It's a prion disease, slowly destroys the brain. Everyone in there is a walking corpse. Katrina scowled “That's it, you're not even gonna try! You were brought on this ship to help so help!” “There is no cure for Kuru!, and even if there was any way to treat them I doubt this shit ship got the necessary drugs and equipment. So respectfully, I'd advise you to send those bodies to the furnace before everyone on this ship gets sick.” Andrea stormed off and headed to her cabin, she never was a germophobe but she did fear the incurable. Her hands trembled as she lit her cigarette. Kuru was a cannibal virus she knew from her days of nursing school, a virus only obtained by a human eating the brain of another. As the dots scattered around her head her fear increased. She decided to drink herself unconscious in an attempt to quell her fears. When she awoke she was startled to find her door wide open with a note attached. “Head to Trench class, Overseer R” Andrea complied and headed to the elevator and began her descent to the trench of the Ansa. When she arrived she found nothing but the darkness and the inner workings of the ship and lots of deactivated automatons. It looked like the set of an ocean horror movie. However what caught her guard was a single door labeled Excess Processing . The door opened and Andrea stood still as she saw a face she thought was long dead. But even with the same dirty blonde hair as her she could make the face of her old friend. “Robin!, how…you're dead.” The woman spoke but no human voice came out instead a ramble of horrible mechanical noise came out of the box in her throat that slowly collected itself to a harsh machine voice. “What's wrong Andrea, surprised that I found you.” She placed her hands across the meta box over her throat that her voice came from. “I guess you can't hide your tracks as well as you thought, Old friend. Come now, I believe we are overdue on a discussion." Before Andrea could even react Robin pulled out a remote and pressed a button. In an instant a sharp pain surged through Andrea. “Glad to see this works, can't have you pulling a fast one on me again.” Robin headed inside the room and with a reluctant obedience Andrea followed. To her horror she was faced with a large blood red tank filled with the bodies and viscera of the Ansa’s people. Robin sat in a chair, her creation behind her watching over like a dragon. She gestured to Andrea to sit opposite to her and Andrea sat. For the first time in Andrea's life she was forced to confront her sins. As Robin dressed in her onyx black suit stared at her with the type of hatred only made from years of imagining this exact moment, Andrea could only stare back at her once close friend. The illumination of the excess tank dressed the room in a bloody red before Andrea could truly wrap her head around what in front of her the overseer spoke with her harsh machine voice. “I'd say it's nice to see but I would be lying, tell me hows the smugglers life?” “It's been fine, can't complain. Though if I may ask why bring me here? If you hate me so much, why didn't you let me rot in the work prison?” Andreas mind went back to the very moment she was informed about the Ansa, about how she called and wanted there, how she could consider herself lucky for avoiding the work prison. The overseer reached for a wine bottle behind her slick leather chair with one hand and two beautifully carved glasses with another. As she placed them down she chuckled her response “Well you know us floridians, we don't make sense. Besides, I wanted to see you die first hand.” She arose from her chair and placed one wine filled glass to Andreas side and like a serpent slithered to the tank placing a hand on the glass. “I want you to suffer and be humiliated the same way I was by you. I also want to make sure your story ends in a fitting way, the nurse slash part time smuggler who left her best friend to die meets her end at the bottom of the people's stomach! No legacy. No name. Not even bones for the historians of the future to find.” The overseer hands bled with a mix of blood and wine as the glass she held was now nothing but shards in her hand and on the floor. At that moment Andrea knew that she did not play cards carefully, she too would become meat for the people of the Ansa. Ironically fear for the people was not on her mind, instead she feared never securing the freedom she desperately wanted. As that thought crossed her mind Andrea already calculated all her moves, now all she had to do was wait… And provoke. “Well for someone who I suppose cares about the well being of others, feeding people human meat doesn't exactly scream caring leader.” “The people of the Ansa are alive because of this! Without this meat we would have starved years ago. Besides, when did you care about others, everyone is just a pawn for you to use or insult.” “Ooooh, yeah you're right! Like how I used you. I must say you had real potential but then you had to ruin it all by getting you caught. You may not think it but killing you that night was a mercy, otherwise you may be the one stuck on a ship with your once dead friend now plotting a shitty revenge plan against you.” “What did you say?” Robin said as she slowly moved closer to Andrea. Andrea now had her caught in her hook, now she just had to reel her in. “What, surprised that I don't regret killing you and cutting out your throat? Surprised that you still can't scare me even now? Surprised that after all you've been through, the one thing keeping you going is blowing up in your face as we speak!?” “You're really cocky for a dead woman walking, you just can't accept that I have the high ground. I've secured my freedom, you have nothing but your lies.” “Youre right, but at least I'm still me, you practically nothing compared to the Robin I knew. If anything you've turned into me, You're even changing yourself to me. Admit it Robin, despite wanting to kill me. I wont die…. Because I'll live through you and that's something no amount of time will erase. Robin grabbed Andrea and pushed her to the tank so hard a crack had formed. Both her hands grabbing Andrea so hard she was breaking her skin. Andrea stared back to see robin glassy eyes as hate filled her. “YOUR TIME IS UP ANDREA!!!, ANY LAST WORDS.” Andrea went cold as she stared directly at Robin. “All this time, and you still haven't learned anything about me.” Robin's eyes went blank as she let out a gasp, when she looked down she found a dagger plunged into her. She dropped Andrea and fell as she began to bleed. “HOW!!” Andrea patted the side of her stomach. “You weren't the only one to get an upgrade, mine was just smarter.” She kneeled down at her now dying friend. “You know what your problem was Robin? You believe in change in an already changed world, the morals of man have been decided and those morals are to survive in a world that's half drowned. I learned that lesson a long time ago and I will never forget it. Now look, here I am still breathing while you're dying.” “You are still a crook! You will never see freedom again!” Robin spouted as blood began to fill her mouth. Andrea went and picked up the remote that Robin had dropped and with a push of a button she was freed of her collar. “You were saying? Now I'll be honest I was still working out how to just escape but you presented me with the perfect opportunity.” Andrea said as she with one hand played with Robin's dirty blonde hair and with another placed the collar on her neck. “Like you said Robin, the nurse slash part time smuggler who left her best friend to die meets her end at the bottom of the people's stomach No legacy. No name. All while the secret overseer of the Ansa lives on.” As Andrea grabbed her glass of whiskey, she stared at the tank as she realized that under her leadership. Several changes were going on. The people though would never know since they would assume she died of the plague. She smiled at herself in the reflection of the tank one thought came to her mind. She still knew how to leave no track behind. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Disappearance of Andrea Sanchez Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Catherine Navarro Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/63a7ade5669296ae932586d16e9e6d6c.jpg da221f3cbd0f66470b5544fc0ed294d0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. It’s just a normal day in Miami, sun’s out, the breeze hitting everyone’s faces while they walk the strip Downtown. The day couldn’t be any hotter but that’s just the way it is in Miami. For the past couple of months, every news channel is talking about the huge meteor that’s been in Earth’s orbit. While people are living their normal day-to-day lives the meteor moves closer and closer, but the scientific experts are telling the public that there’s nothing to worry about. Suddenly people start to look up and see a big object in the sky, it’s the gigantic meteor. What’s something that people were told not to worry about, is now blazing at rapid speeds toward Earth. Panic worldwide. People have no clue what’s going on or what to do. Governments are throwing everything they can at it to slow down the meteor, but nothing works. Its course is headed towards the Antarctic. People struggle to get shelter and gather whatever they can. After 2 hours the meteor finally hits and instantly melts all the ice bergs. Miami is hit the hardest than any other place in the United States. Within the week the sea level has risen to 8 ft. Most of the city is underwater, and people are trying to survive in any way possible. Also, most electronics are either broken, don’t work, or are hard to find through the harsh conditions. Buildings are sticking out of the ocean like tiny little islands. Streets are turned into rivers, where cars are useless. The air feels hot and wet all the time, and big storms happen more often than before. If you thought the humidity in Miami was bad before, think again. With such a drastic change in people’s lives everyone must adapt to survive. The first couple of days after the big flood were the worst. You could see people screaming, running and trying to save whatever they could before the water swept it away. Some tried to stay on the roofs of large buildings hoping someone would come to the rescue. Others got stuck in their houses unfortunately didn’t survive the harsh conditions. Boats are the only form of transportation, but there isn’t enough for everyone, and gas was hard to find. Food supplies could only last so long for the people that weren’t well equipped. Weeks passed after the flood and things didn’t seem to be going back to any sort of normal. Obviously, they couldn’t. With so much loss and destruction people’s morale was at an all-time low, but they had to do what they could to survive. Camps all over Florida started forming. Some big, some small, but each with their own resources and leaders they could rely on. Each camp would find the biggest and highest place to claim as their own, which also sometimes caused conflict. The camps all had their own set of rules that everyone must follow. There were mainly only a few people in power, and they rest just followed to stay alive. This became the new normal for people as they slowly realized that they couldn’t ever go back to the way things were. One of these people was Jeremiah. He was only 18 years old when all this happened. Before everything he was just a normal kid, going to school, playing football, living his best life. Now he lives in a camp that’s built on top of what used to be a highway. The camp he belonged to was called Camp Delta. They were one of the more organized and civil camps in the area but also had the strictest rules to follow. You couldn’t leave without permission from the chief, you don’t steal, you don’t question orders from the superiors, and if you did, there would be severe consequences. In the beginning Jeremiah didn’t think too much about it. He was happy to still be alive and healthy, that’s what meant the most to him after all. That’s kind of how everyone at the camp felt really. But as time when on it started to feel as if they were caged instead of protected. Every day felt the same for Jeremiah, he would help with his assigned job, eat his portion of food, and wake up the next day to do the same thing over again. At some point rules get boring. In the night, some of the camp teens would sneak out. It gave them a sense of freedom, even if it was just for a little while. Jeremiah stayed away from this at first, seeing that it could possibly get him into major trouble. But months of doing the same routine over and over again could make a person go mad. He knew that joining the other teens could have consequences but staying how he was would drain him mentally. “What’s the worst that could possibly happen, right?” That’s what Jeremiah told himself before the first night he finally decided to go out with the other teens. He had to wait until most people were asleep. The camp was, for the most part, quiet except for the occasional sound of the water splashing around. He moved as slowly as he could, trying not to make any loud noises. He could hear his own heart racing, but he kept going. There was a small boat that wasn’t much, but it was what he needed for the night. He untied it and pushed it off into the night waters. The city was different at night, it was calm, quieter, and almost peaceful in a weird way. The moonlight reflected off the dark water and led the way for Jeremiah through paths of what used to be building and the remainders of streets. Jeremiah didn’t have much of a plan, he just kept moving. After a little bit, he came upon a beat-up building that was half-flooded and decided to stop there. He climbed up slowly using whatever he could to help pull himself up. That’s when he suddenly heard something. A faint noise behind him. He turned around quickly and realized that there was someone else, it was a beautiful girl. She looked around his age, probably 18 as well. Her hair and eyes were brown, and she was a tan. She had on clean clothes and a small bag that she clutched tightly. For a second neither of them had moved a muscle. “You don’t look like you’re from around here” she said. “No, not at all.” Jeremiah said as he shook his head. “Then you should be here.” “Doesn’t seem like you should either.” She paused for a second and gave a look that was almost as if she smiled. “Fair enough.” There was so much tension you could cut it with a knife, but it wasn’t the same as before it was, different. “I-I-I’m Jeremiah.” He barely blurted out because he was so nervous. “I’m Luna, nice to meet you.” She said as she was letting out a slight chuckle. That night they talked for a bit, but it got late so they each decided to head back to their camps. They knew neither of them was a threat to each other, despite being from different camps. Jeremiah climbed back into his boat and got back to Camp Delta before anyone had noticed. He couldn’t stop thinking about Luna. He thought about her all the way until the next night he decided to go back. And she was there. “You came back.” Luna said. “Yeah, and you did too.” Jeremiah replied. This time they talked for a while longer than the last. About each of their camps, how things went to shit so fast, and how their lives were before everything. Jeremiah learned that Luna’s camp was much different than his. They were way less strict, but messier. People didn’t get along as well and there weren’t as many rules, but that also meant things could go wrong fast. Still, Luna loved the fact she had so much freedom. “I couldn't imagine living somewhere where someone tells me what to do all the time.” She said. Jeremiah looked away for a second. “Yeah, it sucks.” From then on, they kept meeting up in secret as often as they could. They would dip their feet in the water and just talk about whatever was on their mind. It felt comfortable knowing that they each had someone they could talk to that wasn’t in their camps. Back at Camp Delta, Jeremiah started to hear things about Luna’s camp. “We might have to deal with one of the camps that have been getting closer.” said one of the leaders. Jeremiah didn’t want to believe what he had been hearing. The next time he saw Luna, he told her. “They’re saying things about your camp.” “Same here.” She said. You could feel that something bad was coming, Jeremiah and Luna both felt it. A couple days later the sky started to change. Dark clouds started to pour in, and the wind was stronger than usual. A big storm was coming, and fast. Both camps started to prepare everything for what was coming. While doing his tasks Jeremiah couldn’t keep Luna off his mind. He knew sooner or later he would have to make a choice. Later that night he decided to go out, he had to or it would drive him crazy. The waves were harsh and started getting bigger. Rain began to pour as he was almost at their usual meet-up spot. When he finally got to the building Luna wasn’t anywhere to be seen. But then he heard her. “Jeremiah!” she yelled. She had just arrived at the same time, drenched in water just like Jeremiah. He pulled his boat closer to hers and told her to get in. They gave each other a hug as if they hadn’t seen each other for months. For a second, they looked each other in the eyes, with no words. “You’re crazy Jeremiah, what are you doing here?” she said. “I had to see you, I would’ve hated myself if I didn’t.” The storm started to worsen. The waves were slamming against the boat, the wind howled and the sky got darker. While all this was happening, Jeremiah suddenly realized that there was no way he was going back to how things were, especially not after meeting Luna. He finally found something that gave him purpose, joy, and above all, happiness. The storm hadn’t stopped for hours, if anything it sounded like it was getting worse by the minute. Jeremiah held onto Luna as tight as he could, trying not to fall out of the boat. “We can’t stay out here Jeremiah.” “I know, we need to get to somewhere higher up.” He said. In the distance they saw the roof of a building still above the water and pushed towards it as fast as possible. The waves were fighting back the whole time there, but eventually they both made it. Jeremiah climbed out first and then helped Luna up with him. They sat there for a second to catch their breaths. “Did you really come all the way out here just for me?” Luna asked. “Yeah” he said. “You’re crazy” she said while smiling at him. “Maybe a bit, but you’re worth it.” He said as he smiled back. She knew she felt the same way but also kept the thoughts of their camps conflicts in the back of her mind. “What are they going to do when they find out?” “They can’t” Jeremiah said as he gulped. The storm had finally passed, and everything looked even worse than it did before. More buildings were messed up, there was debris everywhere, and the water was even higher. They said goodbye and went back to their camps. Back at home, Jeremiah could feel the tension had grown even stronger between Camp Delta and Luna’s camp. He could overhear people talking about it. “If they keep getting closer, we fight.” That night he went to go see Luna again. He told her about what he’s been hearing around camp. “They’re going to end up fighting” she said. “Then we have to stop it, or at least do something.” He said. “You know it’s not going to be that easy.” “If only we could just leave together” she said quietly. Jeremiah heard this and instantly thought about it, just the two of them, no camps, no rules. It would be easier said than done. Survival with just two people would be difficult, but they both knew it was what they wanted. Before any decision were made, the day came when everything changed. The next day Jeremiah woke up to people shouting and grabbing weapons to defend the camp. He looked over to see the rival camp’s boats moving closer. He knew exactly what was going on now. At the blind of an eye everything went to shit. Boats started crashing, people were yelling, and water was going everywhere. Then out of nowhere Jeremiah spotted her, it was Luna. They locked eyes from across the chaos and it felt like the whole world had frozen for a couple seconds. “Luna!” he yelled. “Jeremiah!” she yelled back. They both moved through the crowds of people just to reach each other, and they finally did. “What are you doing, you know we can’t be seen together!” she said. “I know but nothing matters more in the world right now than you.” He said. “What are we going to do?” she asked out of panic. In the background things started to get even more hectic. People were falling into the water and boats were tipping over. “Come with me.” Jeremiah said as he looked her in the eyes. This was the moment. Luna looked back at her camp, then at the people falling into the water, then back at Jeremiah. What she did right there at that moment would change her life, forever. She reached her hand out to Jeremiah’s boat and he helped her up. In that moment they only saw each other, and had no worry in the world, not what each of their camps would say, nothing. They hugged each other tightly, took a deep breath and kissed. It was the most magical moment for them despite everything that was happening. Once finally in the boat together, they went as far away as they could possibly row to start their new lives together. Sometimes love isn’t always about choosing someone when times are easy, it’s about choosing someone even when you’re scared it’ll all come crashing down. But that’s love for you. It’s a risk you’re willing to take because the person is worth it. It’s just a normal day in Miami, sun’s out, the breeze hitting everyone’s faces while they walk the strip Downtown. The day couldn’t be any hotter but that’s just the way it is in Miami. For the past couple of months, every news channel is talking about the huge meteor that’s been in Earth’s orbit. While people are living their normal day-to-day lives the meteor moves closer and closer, but the scientific experts are telling the public that there’s nothing to worry about. Suddenly people start to look up and see a big object in the sky, it’s the gigantic meteor. What’s something that people were told not to worry about, is now blazing at rapid speeds toward Earth. Panic worldwide. People have no clue what’s going on or what to do. Governments are throwing everything they can at it to slow down the meteor, but nothing works. Its course is headed towards the Antarctic. People struggle to get shelter and gather whatever they can. After 2 hours the meteor finally hits and instantly melts all the ice bergs. Miami is hit the hardest than any other place in the United States. Within the week the sea level has risen to 8 ft. Most of the city is underwater, and people are trying to survive in any way possible. Also, most electronics are either broken, don’t work, or are hard to find through the harsh conditions. Buildings are sticking out of the ocean like tiny little islands. Streets are turned into rivers, where cars are useless. The air feels hot and wet all the time, and big storms happen more often than before. If you thought the humidity in Miami was bad before, think again. With such a drastic change in people’s lives everyone must adapt to survive. The first couple of days after the big flood were the worst. You could see people screaming, running and trying to save whatever they could before the water swept it away. Some tried to stay on the roofs of large buildings hoping someone would come to the rescue. Others got stuck in their houses unfortunately didn’t survive the harsh conditions. Boats are the only form of transportation, but there isn’t enough for everyone, and gas was hard to find. Food supplies could only last so long for the people that weren’t well equipped. Weeks passed after the flood and things didn’t seem to be going back to any sort of normal. Obviously, they couldn’t. With so much loss and destruction people’s morale was at an all-time low, but they had to do what they could to survive. Camps all over Florida started forming. Some big, some small, but each with their own resources and leaders they could rely on. Each camp would find the biggest and highest place to claim as their own, which also sometimes caused conflict. The camps all had their own set of rules that everyone must follow. There were mainly only a few people in power, and they rest just followed to stay alive. This became the new normal for people as they slowly realized that they couldn’t ever go back to the way things were. One of these people was Jeremiah. He was only 18 years old when all this happened. Before everything he was just a normal kid, going to school, playing football, living his best life. Now he lives in a camp that’s built on top of what used to be a highway. The camp he belonged to was called Camp Delta. They were one of the more organized and civil camps in the area but also had the strictest rules to follow. You couldn’t leave without permission from the chief, you don’t steal, you don’t question orders from the superiors, and if you did, there would be severe consequences. In the beginning Jeremiah didn’t think too much about it. He was happy to still be alive and healthy, that’s what meant the most to him after all. That’s kind of how everyone at the camp felt really. But as time when on it started to feel as if they were caged instead of protected. Every day felt the same for Jeremiah, he would help with his assigned job, eat his portion of food, and wake up the next day to do the same thing over again. At some point rules get boring. In the night, some of the camp teens would sneak out. It gave them a sense of freedom, even if it was just for a little while. Jeremiah stayed away from this at first, seeing that it could possibly get him into major trouble. But months of doing the same routine over and over again could make a person go mad. He knew that joining the other teens could have consequences but staying how he was would drain him mentally. “What’s the worst that could possibly happen, right?” That’s what Jeremiah told himself before the first night he finally decided to go out with the other teens. He had to wait until most people were asleep. The camp was, for the most part, quiet except for the occasional sound of the water splashing around. He moved as slowly as he could, trying not to make any loud noises. He could hear his own heart racing, but he kept going. There was a small boat that wasn’t much, but it was what he needed for the night. He untied it and pushed it off into the night waters. The city was different at night, it was calm, quieter, and almost peaceful in a weird way. The moonlight reflected off the dark water and led the way for Jeremiah through paths of what used to be building and the remainders of streets. Jeremiah didn’t have much of a plan, he just kept moving. After a little bit, he came upon a beat-up building that was half-flooded and decided to stop there. He climbed up slowly using whatever he could to help pull himself up. That’s when he suddenly heard something. A faint noise behind him. He turned around quickly and realized that there was someone else, it was a beautiful girl. She looked around his age, probably 18 as well. Her hair and eyes were brown, and she was a tan. She had on clean clothes and a small bag that she clutched tightly. For a second neither of them had moved a muscle. “You don’t look like you’re from around here” she said. “No, not at all.” Jeremiah said as he shook his head. “Then you should be here.” “Doesn’t seem like you should either.” She paused for a second and gave a look that was almost as if she smiled. “Fair enough.” There was so much tension you could cut it with a knife, but it wasn’t the same as before it was, different. “I-I-I’m Jeremiah.” He barely blurted out because he was so nervous. “I’m Luna, nice to meet you.” She said as she was letting out a slight chuckle. hat night they talked for a bit, but it got late so they each decided to head back to their camps. They knew neither of them was a threat to each other, despite being from different camps. Jeremiah climbed back into his boat and got back to Camp Delta before anyone had noticed. He couldn’t stop thinking about Luna. He thought about her all the way until the next night he decided to go back. And she was there. “You came back.” Luna said. “Yeah, and you did too.” Jeremiah replied. This time they talked for a while longer than the last. About each of their camps, how things went to shit so fast, and how their lives were before everything. Jeremiah learned that Luna’s camp was much different than his. They were way less strict, but messier. People didn’t get along as well and there weren’t as many rules, but that also meant things could go wrong fast. Still, Luna loved the fact she had so much freedom. “I couldn't imagine living somewhere where someone tells me what to do all the time.” She said. Jeremiah looked away for a second. “Yeah, it sucks.” From then on, they kept meeting up in secret as often as they could. They would dip their feet in the water and just talk about whatever was on their mind. It felt comfortable knowing that they each had someone they could talk to that wasn’t in their camps. Back at Camp Delta, Jeremiah started to hear things about Luna’s camp. “We might have to deal with one of the camps that have been getting closer.” said one of the leaders. Jeremiah didn’t want to believe what he had been hearing. The next time he saw Luna, he told her. “They’re saying things about your camp.” “Same here.” She said. You could feel that something bad was coming, Jeremiah and Luna both felt it. A couple days later the sky started to change. Dark clouds started to pour in, and the wind was stronger than usual. A big storm was coming, and fast. Both camps started to prepare everything for what was coming. While doing his tasks Jeremiah couldn’t keep Luna off his mind. He knew sooner or later he would have to make a choice. Later that night he decided to go out, he had to or it would drive him crazy. The waves were harsh and started getting bigger. Rain began to pour as he was almost at their usual meet-up spot. When he finally got to the building Luna wasn’t anywhere to be seen. But then he heard her. “Jeremiah!” she yelled. She had just arrived at the same time, drenched in water just like Jeremiah. He pulled his boat closer to hers and told her to get in. They gave each other a hug as if they hadn’t seen each other for months. For a second, they looked each other in the eyes, with no words. “You’re crazy Jeremiah, what are you doing here?” she said. “I had to see you, I would’ve hated myself if I didn’t.” The storm started to worsen. The waves were slamming against the boat, the wind howled and the sky got darker. While all this was happening, Jeremiah suddenly realized that there was no way he was going back to how things were, especially not after meeting Luna. He finally found something that gave him purpose, joy, and above all, happiness. The storm hadn’t stopped for hours, if anything it sounded like it was getting worse by the minute. Jeremiah held onto Luna as tight as he could, trying not to fall out of the boat. “We can’t stay out here Jeremiah.” “I know, we need to get to somewhere higher up.” He said. In the distance they saw the roof of a building still above the water and pushed towards it as fast as possible. The waves were fighting back the whole time there, but eventually they both made it. Jeremiah climbed out first and then helped Luna up with him. They sat there for a second to catch their breaths. “Did you really come all the way out here just for me?” Luna asked. “Yeah” he said. “You’re crazy” she said while smiling at him. “Maybe a bit, but you’re worth it.” He said as he smiled back. She knew she felt the same way but also kept the thoughts of their camps conflicts in the back of her mind. “What are they going to do when they find out?” “They can’t” Jeremiah said as he gulped. The storm had finally passed, and everything looked even worse than it did before. More buildings were messed up, there was debris everywhere, and the water was even higher. They said goodbye and went back to their camps. Back at home, Jeremiah could feel the tension had grown even stronger between Camp Delta and Luna’s camp. He could overhear people talking about it. “If they keep getting closer, we fight.” That night he went to go see Luna again. He told her about what he’s been hearing around camp. “They’re going to end up fighting” she said. “Then we have to stop it, or at least do something.” He said. “You know it’s not going to be that easy.” “If only we could just leave together” she said quietly. Jeremiah heard this and instantly thought about it, just the two of them, no camps, no rules. It would be easier said than done. Survival with just two people would be difficult, but they both knew it was what they wanted. Before any decision were made, the day came when everything changed. The next day Jeremiah woke up to people shouting and grabbing weapons to defend the camp. He looked over to see the rival camp’s boats moving closer. He knew exactly what was going on now. At the blind of an eye everything went to shit. Boats started crashing, people were yelling, and water was going everywhere. Then out of nowhere Jeremiah spotted her, it was Luna. They locked eyes from across the chaos and it felt like the whole world had frozen for a couple seconds. “Luna!” he yelled. “Jeremiah!” she yelled back. They both moved through the crowds of people just to reach each other, and they finally did. “What are you doing, you know we can’t be seen together!” she said. “I know but nothing matters more in the world right now than you.” He said. “What are we going to do?” she asked out of panic. In the background things started to get even more hectic. People were falling into the water and boats were tipping over. “Come with me.” Jeremiah said as he looked her in the eyes. This was the moment. Luna looked back at her camp, then at the people falling into the water, then back at Jeremiah. What she did right there at that moment would change her life, forever. She reached her hand out to Jeremiah’s boat and he helped her up. In that moment they only saw each other, and had no worry in the world, not what each of their camps would say, nothing. They hugged each other tightly, took a deep breath and kissed. It was the most magical moment for them despite everything that was happening. Once finally in the boat together, they went as far away as they could possibly row to start their new lives together. Sometimes love isn’t always about choosing someone when times are easy, it’s about choosing someone even when you’re scared it’ll all come crashing down. But that’s love for you. It’s a risk you’re willing to take because the person is worth it. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Tide Between Us Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Joel Gjini Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/bac94427a4e0b983644e8e07caab17af.pdf 91aab33314557a7b2044945b94f12593 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. Suddenly, Miami has become the most expensive city in the United States. It did not just disappear by the water as expected but it became exclusive. Only people with the luxury of having AI Floating luxury homes and private docks instead of garages. could remain in Miami with no struggle. With the technology of 2072, wealthy people found a way to escape from the reality of land to the privilege of smart buildings elevating themselves, literally. In Miami everyone knew that flooding did not only come from the ocean but also from the ground itself because of the porous limestone beneath the city1. Some people, mostly landowners, lost money before floating became permanent, nobody wanted to invest on flooded land. But of course, where land lost value, new investments were floating their way in such as AI Floating luxury homes. At some point it gave people hope. The rich saw it as their vacation homes, turning Miami a waterfront paradise. Middle-class family were forced to either move inland - if they even had money, other states became more expensive than Florida as demand increased - or survive having an half-flooded house transporting themselves with old boats. Thankfully, Grace's family had and old houseboat that was meant to be only for vacation back in the day never imagining that it could turn into their home. They were not a privileged family but they had it better than other people who had to survive in abandoned buildings and could not afford to move out. Grace's mom, Georgina worked remotely selling jet skis for a millionaire company, so that was also an advantage of stable income. Alejandro, her father, is an immigrant from Venezuela who had flee years ago from his country to Miami and decided to stay in Florida for the same reason every immigrants is scared of; deportation. Even though his status is legal, he could not risk his family losing him. He heard different stories about immigrants moving from Florida so, he did not hesitate to stay. Leaving Miami was not only about money but also starting over, something very risky for some people. Grace is 18 years old and she hears stories from her mother when she was her age wondering if she could ever be part of a chess club, volleyball team, or even paint in an art class. After all, she did not know what those social events looked like. How could she? She has lived on that old houseboat ever since she could remember. "I remember being at your dad's baseball game, and I'm certain that if it had not been for the floating he would be playing professional baseball right now" said Georgina to Grace giving her hope that one day she'll find her person but most importantly, she'll get to experience a game live. Grace would only get to watch her dad playing baseball on the tv from the YouTube videos he posted from his games years ago. "I'm glad I posted those on my YouTube channel" Said Alejandro. "Were you famous dad?" asked Grace. "No" answered Alejandro with a hopeless expression on his face. "Not on YouTube, that app became old. I posted them on TikTok though back in the day before it shut down. I think that was the real apocalypse worse than the floating" Said Alejandro on a more hopeful tone. "Maybe I get to be a famous model" "I know you will! You've already achieved the first step; being the most beautiful girl I've seen, besides your mom of course!" Said Alejandro feeling proud as if she had already been a supermodel. Grace stayed home with her mom and had school remotely, most of the homework involved live AI hologram teaching and automatic assignment systems that she had to complete live with no computer or notebook, just the hologram. On her free time, she taught herself how to walk in heels "one step in front of the other" repeated to herself as she wore her mom's old European style heels. "Look up, do not look at the floor" said Georgina as she was sitting across the dining table while working on her computer. It excited her so much, she forgot the fact that it might not become real because of the reality she was living in. Her parents weren't worried her dreams would become true because they were trying really hard. The education system was broken, as you can tell, her parents were not worried about college. The only wanted her to have her high school diploma and a successful job that could bring her joy and financial stability. At least she knew what she wanted to be and had her goals set not like her friend, Maru, who did not worry about the future or appreciated the life she had with rich parents. They met through her father who owns the millionaire jet ski business Georgina works for. As expected, Maru lived in land somewhere in the United States Grace never bother to ask because there were more important things to know about Maru's life. "Do you use different shoes when you're walking through sand?" Maru laughed and answered, "You haven't asked your parents that before?" "No" said Grace "Sometimes I rather ask AI assistant from school instead because it must be hard for them" "Is it also hard for you?" asked Maru. "Well, I can't miss something I never had or experienced before. That's why I feel it's harder for them" answered Grace. Then there was an awkward silence. Maru did not know what to say, she wanted to uplift her spirit so she asked "What did AI tell you about shoes and sand?" Grace said "It said something about sand always finding its way into your shoes" Maru answered "Just know that it is better to not wear shoes on the sand". Sometimes the weekends were family fishing days, only when Alejandro could afford spending more fuel to go the closest to the coast. The whole family knew they would not catch anything, they never did, as if the aquatic animals got used to living around humans and knew our typical bait. The floating did not even bring new marine habitat because of the contamination it produced. They tried to filter water to clear it but that wasn't going to help economy, AI Floating luxury homes did, that's why their focus is only on that. Even though the fishing wouldn't go well, the family stayed together knowing that for the memories it was always worth it. Georgina likes fashion and clothes so, she would create designs on the same screen she worked in while watching Grace practice her model walk quietly because he dad was fishing. He would hold his fishing pole and Grace's as well while she walked. They knew it was kind of boring but they could endure it just to watch the sunset after, it was peaceful and wholesome. While sitting there Grace thought it wasn't so bad to not know why walk through the sand barefoot like Maru said. She is happy and loved, that's all that mattered to her. For Grace it was the normal life of the middle-class people but for her parents, it was lonely. Alejandro had planned to go back to his country to visit his family as soon as he becomes a citizen but as time goes by, his immigrant situation only gets worst not knowing when the day would be he could see his mother again. And just when he thought his situation couldn't get worse, the flood happened which made it less possible for him to financial afford a vacation to his country. He felt stuck, but he never let that get in the way of happiness. At the end of day, he was thankful to have a home and a family to go back to feel protective over, which made him keep going forward. Georgina was a regular teenager back in the day when flood in Miami was not a thing. She enjoyed many things she now thinks about when she sees Grace growing up wishing she could have the same. She wants to see her play volleyball at the beach, dropping her off to have brunch with her friends, but most importantly she wants to see her on a fashion show runway having her dreamed job. She knows that her family's future will look different than now, but she feels frustrated asking when it would be different. Fishing became a struggle not only for Grace's family but for many other people who wanted to obtain their own source of food due to the high prices of imported food. Everything came from other states, even countries. Large cargo boats would arrive at distribution centers making it accessible for people to go on their boats. You will have to wait on the line for hours since everyone wants to do groceries as soon as they arrive. The rich ordered their groceries with automated shipping systems, which is clearly more expensive. Some people had their gardens on unaffected areas so they would grow as much food as they can, but Grace's family did not so, they never knew of fresh food again. It was impossible but it was rare to find it fresh. They had a mix of canned/imported food, fish occasionally whenever it was a special day or celebration. Georgina would try to sell her designs in exchange for fresh food. Sometimes she would even offer discounts on her jet skis for a trade. It was hard for most people, but it was livable. One day, a kid and his family moved in the neighborhood, but they were not like the other people. As Grace looked through the window when they arrived, she noticed a red head boy who sitting on a corner of the outside of the boat. She feared he would fall but he seemed like he had been doing it for a long time before he moved there. Grace asked herself, "Is there any other place he came from that look like this?" "How is he not afraid of falling on the water?". Days passed and the boy never came outside, he lived with a man, "his father" said Grace assuming they're family. She was excited to see a boy that does not look like her dad but that looks like her age. Besides Maru, she did not know anyone her age, so she was curious. After weeks, the man that had just moved in paid a visit to Grace's family. She was surprised as no one ever had come to her house before, most people would live in Miami, they were mostly tourist. She was intrigued to see if the boy had come with him then he said, "I just moved in with my nephew here and we just wanted to introduced ourselves" Georgina and Alejandro welcomed them and said to the boy "You look just like my daughters age" then the boy with a shy and awkward voice said "I'm Noah" looking a Grace he was focused. Grace on the other hand was glad to make a new friend nearby since Maru never stayed around for long. Noah and his uncle were finally invited to Grace's house after a week of Grace insisting her parents and Alejandro saving up enough money to host a dinner. At the table they had porcelain dishes gifted to Georgina from her grandmother. They had smash potatoes and salmon, not fresh of course but delicious enough. Noah and his uncle were surprised and thankful for the dinner, after hours of talking Grace did not know enough about Noah. She had so many questions "Why did you move here?" "Where do you come from?" "Where are your parents?" "Do you know of other kids too?". But it was late and had to go back home. Grace suddenly stopped practicing modeling, instead she waited by her window to see Noah. Her parents arranged a family fishing day to take Noah with them and that way Grace could get to know him better. Grace found out that they had suffered a lot after his parents passed away after the flooding. Him and his uncle had to move frequently until they found the neighborhood they live in now, he says it's "Peaceful and safe". Most people from different zones tried to steal from them and as he continued to tell the stories about him and his uncle, Grace could not stop thinking how hard it must have been for Noah. She could relate to Noah’s situation and emotions because for the first time in her life there was someone that did not know life in land like her. She felt understood. As time passed, Noah and Grace became great friends and would hang out frequently to do homework, yap or go fishing. They would go on adventures together exploring the city on Noah uncle’s boat but one day they stopped by the Walmart on 157th street that was recently completely abandoned because it was affected by the water. It was almost empty, people around the area took everything from it as soon as the water took over it. “Not much is left,” said Grace. “I don’t see the point on coming here” “Well, there’s a lot of sofas here and electronics” said Noah while looking at the furniture sinking under the water. “Nobody would want new furniture while starving,” said Grace. “Look at that” Noah gasped and rush to grab this camara that was on top of a floating small mirror and said “This is the Sony A1 II just like the one my dad used to have. Well, it’s not the same one but it looks the almost the same!” Grace had a lot to questions about what Noah just said but she did not rush to ask him anything just yet, she just wanted to enjoy that moment; the look on his face was contagious, it was the first time she ever saw him so happy and excited about something, so much that she started questioning how much he liked fishing… Suddenly, that look on his face faded away, “What happened?” asked Grace. “You didn’t like it?” With a nostalgic and irritated tone Noah answered, “It’s whatever, I don’t think I want it, there’s no point. Why would I want a camara when there are more important things to worry about” Grace stayed silent, she did not know what to say because after all… He was right. But then she got up on the boat carefully and said “Take a pic” “What? right now?” said Noah “Yes, look at the lighting! This the perfect time to capture a picture” Then Noah grabbed the camara and started taking pictures of Grace while she was trying to balance her on the boat trying to not fall. Noah laughed, she looked so funny, but he kept on taking pictures. The more pictures he took that day, the closer he was getting to professional pictures. He felt like that was his purpose in life, he felt passionate, but the stronger emotion was towards Grace. He was so grateful to have her by his side to make him see things differently even when things were bad. “Thank you”, said Noah. “Oh no, don’t thank me, they’re not free! said Grace trying to keep a straight face while Noah was looking at her surprised, but she couldn’t hold it, she burst out laughing and Noah said, “You sounded so serious I was about to throw the camara to the water” and after a while laughing at each other’s jokes, they went back home. They had a great time that day and Noah took the camara with him to continue exploring its settings and potential. After days of photoshoots between Grace and Noah, they both had develop better into photographing and modeling. Noah would go on his uncle’s boat photographing everything he could find, he learned how the lighting worked, he learned about the best frames, and he even knew how to zoom in things far away with the best quality. Grace had learned what poses worked best for her, she learned editorial poses and got more comfortable with weird but high fashion poses. Grace found a flayer that flew out a yacht passing by her house, she could barely see what it said and almost ignored it as it was sinking in the water but then she read in some part of what was left of it “Artist… your Opportunity…” so she quickly grabbed it and almost fell inside the water to get before the water erased away its content. She grabs it and reads; “Artist around the world, this is your opportunity to shine and demonstrate your work. We’re looking for some new talents to represent them at the Art and Color festival”. “Art?” said Grace, “This is just what Noah needs!”. Grace immediately texted Noah through “Tweeting”. “Hey! I know you said photographing is just a hobby but maybe you can take it to the next level” texted Grace. “wym?” replied Noah Grace sends him a picture of the flayer, and she just sits there waiting for his response. She’s looking at her phone with a smile on her face thinking she’s the best friend someone could ever ask for but as times goes by, she still sits there less joyful. An hour goes by, two hours, then five hours she waits for his response but nothing. She now thinks “Did I say something wrong?”, “Is he thinking about it?”, “Is he writing a long “thank you” paragraph?”, “Did a fish eat his phone?”. Whatever it was, it was already late for Grace to go to his house and check on him, so she just tried to go to sleep. The whole night she wouldn’t stop thinking about Noah, “why would he ghost me?” over and over again. She wrote a paragraph on her notes describing how she feels about being ignored, she never felt that way before. She thought about sending him the paragraph but as soon as she pasted it, she deleted it all. She feared being ignored again so she turned off her phone and tried to go to sleep. The next morning Grace woke up with a headache, she didn’t sleep good, but she still had to attend class, so she got up and got ready for school. She wasn’t tired, she felt like she was going to lose her best friend and that’s what kept her awake, the fear overcame the exhaustion. After class she asked her mom if she could take her to Noah’s house, but Georgina didn’t really like her daughter going to another house, she has never done that. Grace escaped her house after her mom said no and she felt it was the right thing to do, “it’s an emergency that my mom won’t understand” she repeated to herself to feel less guilty about it. Grace gets to Noah’s house and she finds him sitting on a corner of the outside of the boat and he looked as if it was his first day in the neighborhood. She sits next to him and asked, “How much do you like photography?”. “it’s what I spend most of my time in” he answered. “Then why didn’t you like the idea of showing your art, your photos, your work? You’ve become so good at it!” said Grace. “I don’t think it’s good enough, they wouldn’t accept me even if they got paid to do so. Besides, who would take care of my uncle if I’m here” said Noah. “I’ll take care of him, you won’t have to worry. This is your chance to get him out of this life, to get yourself out this life.” Said Grace but Noah got up and said, “I won’t let my life get ruined like my parents!” leaving Grace by herself wondering what had happened to his parents, but she wanted to give him space. She finally understood that there was nothing she could do for him but apply for him to get represented. Grace prepared every picture Noah had taken of her and send them right away to the tweeting address that the flayer had. She believed in him and his work. Noah got a notification of receipt, he was confused but as soon as he saw the word “art”, he knew. He tweeted Grace saying how disappointed he was, he did not sound as grateful as Grace thought we would be. They ended up arguing and when Grace said “Would you help me understand why this sounds like the end of the world to you?” “My parents died when they were going to my dad’s new job. They hired him inland and I stayed with my uncle, just to find out they had been in an AI floating accident” “I’m sorry Noah. I didn’t know. I just wanted to help.” “It’s ok. I know you like helping” “I think we don’t have to travel inland on a AI floating” “What are you thinking Grace?” Grace smiled and told him her plan. With the help of her friend Maru, they booked a flight to the company sponsoring Noah. It was their first time inland, “There’s grass!” said Grace excited. “I never though this day would come! Sais Noah. They walked around New York where the fair was going to be hosted. Noah presented some of his work and in most of them, there was Grace. Noah got accepted and started a job at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they celebrated with Maru who suspected there was something between Noah and Grace that they didn’t want to accept. Grace found this place in New York where they hosted the New York Fashion Week. She was excited but also nervous. She felt like there was so much competition and she wouldn’t audition. The last day for auditions, Noah recognized her being nervous and told her “It’s my time to help you believe in yourself” They both laughed. “I want to, but I don’t feel ready yet. I wish my mom was here, she would know what I should do” said Grace. Then Noah proceeded to compliment her walk and poses and he slowing started getting closer and closer to her. When they were almost as close, someone came in the room and they quickly went the opposite way. “Maru! Hi! I didn’t know you were coming.” Said Grace. “You told me to come help you with the auditions,” said Maru Oh, yes! I think we should start going to the auditions and you can just help me out on the way there.” Maru awkwardly agreed and started walking towards the door as Grace joined her. The air felt weird, Grace felt something that she never felt before or maybe something she felt for a long time but decided to ignore. “Does that mean we like each other?”, “Does he actually like me?” “Are getting married?”. Then, Maru interrupted her “WOAH! Let’s focus on the auditions for now, okay?”. “Definitely, thanks,” said Grace. Grace got to the modeling castings, but it was nothing like she imagined. There were models of different sizes, heights, weights… “This is not what my mom described to me” said Grace as she proceeded to walk towards the line and she said, “I cannot do this!” and ran to the bathroom across the room. Maru followed her and told her, “Do you remember when you told me that it must be hard for your parents now that they’re living under the boat circumstances?” “Yes” said Grace. “Well, how about you do this for your parents to change that! Imagine what their life would be like when you are so financially stable to move them here without worrying about immigration or their job or the water? You must go in there and show off your hard work for them” Exclaimed Maru. “You’re right maru,” said Grace. It was at that moment where Grace started her modeling career. She did not make it to the New York Fashion week, but she met a girl on the day of the audition that had connections with a Victoria Secret’s Promoter. Grace had a lot of photoshoots, events, runways, promo days and finally after two years in the industry traveling around the world, she came back home. Noah came too, but in a different auto flight since she had moved to Los Angeles and he had stayed in New York. They came back to take their family with them after two long years. Grace and Noah went their own way to their families and agreed to meet for a dinner at Grace’s house just like the first time they meet. Everyone was happy to be together, Noah’s uncle was happy to see him and Grace’s parents to see her. They enjoyed dinner while sharing their memories of each other and their adventures while they were inland. Grace and Noah were happy to see each other as well. They hadn’t seen each other since that day of Grace’s casting for the New York Fashion Week. “You were busy, huh?” said Noah to Grace while approaching her outside of her house when dinner was over. “I’m living my dream,” said Grace. “I’m happy for you, you deserve it all” said Noah convinced. Grace replied shaking her head “Thank you, but… I feel like something’s missing”. “Well, you’re already taking your parents with you, that’s probably the missing piece”. -Noah “I’m happy that my parents get to live inland again but that’s not really what I feel is missing,” said Grace. “I’m sure you’ll find it” said Noah and then he proceeded to whisper “and I hope it’s me”. “What was that?” said Grace. “Oh no, I didn’t say anything” assured Noah. “Woah! Is this my uncle’s boat? Asked Noah surprised as he notices his uncle’s boat with some repairs that Alejandro did while they were both gone. Grace turned around and as she was looking at the boat she said, “Should we take our last adventure before we leave?”. “We must!” said Noah. Grace and Noah were so happy while going for a boat ride just like old times. As they went through 104th street by Miami Dade College they started naming as many adventures as they could remember, laughing and joking around they started to realize how much their life have changed. That moment brought them closer together. At a point they were smiling at each other but not because of the jokes, they felt connected but unsure. The water brought them back together and their story together continued. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Where the Water Remembers Us Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gabriela Carolina Alvarado Aguilera Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/5a001e17bfad1cfeca253897fc0d9ab3.png 7bcdc19a570f9f030910b57784953d58 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. It was 9:00 in the morning, and the body floated to the surface. Blue, bruised, and bloated. Thei body of Emily Lin was found near the dormitory, Bayview Student housing. In a matter of minutes, students started to gather. Chatter zigzagged through the crowd, and screens were pulled out. “Attention! Please move back and give the detectives space! Please!” yells campus security. They try to control the crowd while detectives pull the body out of the water. Gasps and the phrase “Oh my goodness” were heard from the crowd. As they put Emily body on the stretcher, the crowd was silent. Students stunned at the fact that one of their peers was found dead. Sweetwater, Miami, the city that houses Florida International University and the students with it. College life is different; the city is different. There aren’t roads, cars, buses, or trains anymore. Instead, boats and kayaks and 8feet of water replace what was. The dorms top floors were only available and reserved for lower class men. The rest of upper-class men had to rely on off campus housing. This was difficult because the apartment buildings were limited due to half of it being submerged in water. They use Pitbull stadium as their temporary homes. They have house boats where the paint is a dull, dirty, blue color. The paint on the buildings was dull and peeling. For many years, Miami has been dealing with constant flooding that has submerged Miami Dade County in a sea level rise of 8. For years, warnings were issued, and strategies were put out. Yet, Miami is currently in the situation it is now. Natasha woke up at 9:30am to prepare for her 11:00am class. Natasha always woke up 2 hours earlier to prepare herself. She did not like the feeling of being rushed, and her mother instilled in her the importance of looking her best. Natasha Brown is 19 years old who majors in psychology. She has dreams and ambitions to become a psychologist. Natasha grew up in North Miami with her mother and older sister. She is the first to attend college; her mother never had the money or opportunity to attend college. Her being the first meant so much to her and drove her ambition to be the best. Natasha stepped out of the shower and washed her face at the sink, starting her skincare. “Hey Alexa, play “Tyrone” by Erykah Badu. The song fills the little restroom of her dorm. Natasha hums the song while applying moisturizer to her dark and vibrant skin. In the middle of her mini concert, she gets a face screen from Xavier. Natasha huffed and rolled her eyes, “what now?”. “Hello?” as she continues to apply her sunscreen. “What’s up Natasha, what are you doing?” replied Xavier “Nothing, just doing my skincare and I was having a mini concert until YOU interrupted.” Said Natasha playfully *Xavier laughs* “My bad, I just wanted to call you to ask about the news this morning.” replies Xavier “What news?” said Natasha concerned “You didn’t hear” said Xavier, “They found a dead body near Bayview Student housing.” “WHAT?” “Are you serious? Who died?” asked Natasha “It was a student named Emily Lin.” stated Xavier “Oh my gosh. How is this possible? How did she die? Did they find a suspect? Oh my gosh, is there a certain demographic they are targeting? Xavier are they-” “Natasha calm down!” “Stop freaking out!” exclaimed Xavier. Natasha tends to freak out at things when she doesn’t have the answers. Especially when it comes to murder. “I'm sorry” says Natasha, “You know how I get when I freak out.” “Yeah. I know” says Xavier Xavier and Natasha have been best friends for over 10 years. They did everything together. Xavier was also from North Miami, where he grew up with his dad and younger sister. His mother died from cancer when he was only 8 years old. Ever since her death he had dreams of becoming an oncology nurse. Natahsa hangs up the call from Xavier. Her mind started to ask questions. Who could kill a person? And why on campus? This made her mind reach a very sad memory. The death of her sister Naomie. Naomie was 16 years old when she was found flat face in a ditch. That night was the worst for Natasha and her mother. Knowing her only sister was murdered and to make matters worse, the detectives rarely cared to find out who did this to her. In the midst of her reminiscing, her phone started to ring. She looked at the time it was 10:30. “Oh crap!” Say Natasha. She hurries and gets her items and heads out the door. She walks out on to the wooden plank where she sees the cluster of speed boats with the words FIU transport marked across them. She hops in and greets officer Mendez.” Where you headed to?” asks Officer Mendez, “Math building, I have statistics today,” said Natasha “Alrighty”, Mendez starts the boat. “Officer Mendez, what happened this morning?” “Is it true they found a dead body” asks Natasha concerned, “Yes, unfortunately. It’s a little sad you know, who would do such a thing?” Mendez replied as he looked at Natasha through his little rearview mirror. There was a little silence as Natasha watched as the palm trees and half of the buildings passed by. Officer Mendez and Natasha have a good relationship with one another. Mendez was a huge help with Natasha on her first day on campus. She was lost; she did not know where her dorm was or the library or even her class! Mendez found her wandering like a little lost puppy and gave Natasha her own personal tour of the school. Ever since, they have been the best buddies. He ensures she makes it to her dorm safely and always looks out for her if she needs any help. As they approached the math building, a large group of students seemed to be blocking the entrance looking over the wooden plank they stood on. Silence filled the air. Natasha gets off the boat and joins the crowd. Two bodies were being taken out of the water. Her heart starts to beat, and she becomes short of breath. Her anxiety started to consume her. Flashbacks of the night her mother received the call that her sister was murdered flooded her mind. Natasha quickly pushed through the crowd and into the math building where she sat down to catch her breath. Two more bodies? Natasha could not believe it. A stray of murders of college students. Natasha blood begins to boil. She couldn’t let this be overlooked, she needed to know if students' safety were prioritized and if they were going to do everything they could to find who did this. Natasha skips statistics and texts Xavier and her friends to meet her at the cafe. Xavier joins the booth, and he can see the state of fear on her face. He was about to say something until a group of girls interrupted him. “Hey Natasha and Xavier! I haven’t seen y’all in a long time. Is everything fine? We got your text.” Lily says as she plops her backpack next to Xavier, forcing him to scoot over. Lily and Marie were both 20-year-old sophomores. Lily is currently majoring in art history and Marie is majoring in biochemistry. They were both Natasha and Xavier first friends when they came on campus. “Where is Jay?” asked Natasha while scooting over, allowing Marie to sit next to her. “I don’t know, I texted him, but he did not respond.” replied Marie. “Hey, what was so urgent you wanted us all here?” asked Lily. “You know the bodies that were found on campus? I was thinking maybe we should help the detectives solve the murder or maybe even-” Natasha was cut off by Lily. “Wait, why would we help the detectives? Isn’t that their jobs?” Lily said as she looked around the table with Marie nodding along. Natasha looked shocked. “Well, yeah but I think it would show them that the students really value their safety and to solve this as soon as possible” Natasha responded nervously “ I’m pretty sure they are under a lot of pressure already and I don’t think it’s necessary to help, I mean what can we really do that they can’t? Replied Marie Natasha heart sank. She really believed her friends would support her. That's the struggle of college life. Having friends but not having their support. She slouched and let out a quiet low “Never mind”. “I’ll help you” says Xavier after a long awkward silence. Natasha face lit up. One thing she can always do is count on her best friend. “Thank you” she whispered to Xavier. A week has passed, and both Natasha and Xavier have only figured out the victims' names. Which was public information by the way. “Natasha, we have been looking for a week and all we know is that their names were Myle Dell and Joey Miers.” says Xavier exhausted. Natasha paces back and forth with her I screen listening to the video of the police officer talking to the news about the incident. This was her 5th time watching desperately looking for a clue. “If we want to find a clue, why don’t we just go and ask the detectives?” asks Xavier. Natasha turns her head and gives a mean glare. “Never mind” Xavier puts his head down hoping Natasha looks away. Natasha glances at the clock and sees it is time for her to get to chemistry. She tells Xavier she would meet him after class in the cafe where they will continue their “ongoing” investigation and eat dinner. Xavier arrives at the cafe where he grabs two slices of pizza with a Gatorade. He sits and scrolls on insta tube on his screen. “Yo! Xavier is that you?” Xavier looks up and to his surprise he sees Jay. He lets out a sigh. Jay is the type of person you stay away from if you want to have a quiet night. Lucky for Xavier, he gets to have a high-end energized night with Jay. “What up Jay?” he says as he reaches his hand out. They dab each other up, and Jay takes a seat right across from Xavier. For the next 30 minutes, Jay yaps and yaps while stuffing pizza and all types of food in his mouth. Xavier was disgusted he tries to dodge food particles from Jays mouth. To Xavier's rescue, Natasha walks through the door frantically looking for her friend. She spots Xavier and glances at Jay, confused as to why he was there. “Ok, so I found some information that can help us. Apparently, they were not killed in the water. Someone killed them and put them in the water. Which is messed up but we need to know how they died and who killed them, Xavier.” Says Natasha “How do you know this?” asked Xavier “The investigators were here while I was in the office doing my duties as a teacher's assistant and I seen the report.” replies Natasha “Ok, and how exactly do you plan on finding that out.” Xavier asks Natasha, “We have to start asking questions.” “We need to question the friends of the victims to see if they have any idea why someone will kill them and see if they are connected.” Says Natasha. “I can help with that” “You know I like to conversate.” Says Jay “OH we know” whispers Xavier. Jay opens his screen and goes on to insta tube where he starts to snoop around Emily page. She always posted her friends and family, so it was quite easy to reach out to close ones. Jay sent them a message asking to conversate with them about Emily and get down to the possibilities of what could happen. “Ok, so I texted Emily friends who attend this school, and her brother they haven’t respond so I will let you know how that goes.” Jays informed them. “Ok I think tomorrow morning we should visit the site where they found the body maybe we will find a clue there?” Natasha says excitedly “How exactly are we going to find a clue in the water?” replies Xavier Natasha gives a stare indicating they go and dive into the water. “Absolutely not, we are not getting into that dirty water Natasha what is wrong with you??” replies Xavier “Xavier why??” Natasha whines “I really need to find some type of clue please Xavier” He sighs “I DONT EVEN KNOW HOW TO SWIM!” exclaims Xavier “I was on the swim team for 3 years, I can help” Jays says joyfully “Ok great! Xavier you can be on the lookout while Jay and I go dive into Atlantis” Natasha says playfully. It was Saturday morning and Natasha, Xavier, and Jay were on the way to the dormitories where Emily body was found. Officer Mendez cranked up the speed boat, “What are you guys up to?” “Uh we are just heading out to Bayview just to meet up with some friends.” responds Natasha Natasha could not tell Mendez about their plans. It was forbidden for students to be in the water. The waters contained sea creatures such as alligators and eels. If you were found in the water, you would be expelled. Officer Mendez arrived at the dorms, and Jay, Xavier, and Natasha stepped off waiting for Mendez to speed off. Jay removes his blue backpack off his shoulders and opens it taking out 2 masks, snorkels, goggles, flashlights, and fins. “Are you serious?’ Asks Xavier, “You bought diver equipment?” “Jesus Jay, did you buy a submarine and gas tanks as well.” Says Xavier sarcastically. Natasha rolls her eyes “How do you expect me and Jay to find things in the water without the proper equipment?” “Thank God, Jay is experienced in swimming.” Natasha says as she smiles at Jay. As Natasha and Jay put their gear on, Jay hands Xavier on his phone. “Yo, can you watch to see if any of Emilys family members or friends reached out?” “Yeah, sure I guess” replies Xavier. “Ok we are about to go under” says Natasha, “please make sure no one comes near here” “Ok, what do I do if someone does come near here?” says Xavier “ I don’t know distract them, or make a signaling sound I don't know” Natahsa replies aggravated “How am I supposed to make a signaling sound if you guys are underwater? You wouldn't be able to he-” “FOR GODS SAKE Xavier just keep them distracted ok. Jay lets go.” Natasha replies angrily. They entered the water with their flashlights; the water was dirty. There were all types of trash and debris in the water. The lower part of the dormitory was empty and glass broke in. Turtles and fish swam past Natasha and Jay. They swam for 10 minutes; Jay clueless on what to look for. It was hard to look for a clue when everything under the water looked like a clue. Metal scraps, car parts, trash, and ropes were all abandoned. Meanwhile, Jay’s phone gave off a notification. One of Emilys friend responded asking to meet up at the library later that day. Xavier liked the text and arranged to meet with her at 2pm. Amid him texting Jay popped out of the water and a minute after so did Natasha. “Did you guys find anything?” asked Xavier “If you consider turtles and fish as clues then yeah.” replies Jay as he climbs on to the wooden plank “No, we haven’t found anything. Guys, this is pointless. I feel like we are wasting time here we haven’t found anything.” whines Natasha as she takes off her equipment “I don’t think we will find anything in the water. I mean it wouldn’t make sense there is too much debris and trash in the water and even if there were clues how can we be sure it is the murder weapon if we don't know how Emily died?” says Jay We can start off by talking to Emily’s friend, she wants to meet at the library at 2.” replies Xavier Natasha finds a boat, so they don’t raise suspicion considering her and Jay are both drenched in water. They put their belongings in the boat and row it towards the dorm so they can change their clothes. Xavier and Jay stay on the boat while Natasha head back to the dorm to change. Jay however decides to remove his wet shirt and wet trunks. “Dude, are you serious? You couldn’t do this in your dorm” exclaimed Xavier “Just chill, we are men ok just let me do my thing.” Jay responded Xavier huffed and shook his head in disbelief. He looked to the right where Officer Mendez caught his attention. Officer Mendez was on a wooden plank walking towards the library. However, he looked suspicious, looking around as if he didn’t want anyone to see him entering. Xavier thought it was weird, but his thoughts were quickly cut off when Natasha came back. “Hey, you, ok?” asked Natasha Xavier nodded his head and said, “there’s just a lot of weird stuff going on.” as the boat headed towards the library. They entered the library, Jays' phone had Emily's picture; they were looking around trying to match faces to the picture. They finally found Emily friend. However, she looked paranoid and scared. “Hey, I’m Jay, we texted on Insta tube.” He reaches out his hand to shake her. “The name is Amy; look, I can't really talk to you guys.” She says as she gets up and starts to look around frantically. “I have to go” as she tried to push through Natasha and Xavier, Natasha aggressively pulls Amy’s arm. “Look I don’t know what is going on here, but you NEED to help us, help YOUR friend.” “Do you not want to know who did this to her?” asked Natasha angrily Amy stopped in her tracks; she was wearing a black jacket with a hoodie over her head. Her skin was pale and eyes were red like she had been crying. “Listen, I was warned ok I can’t tell anyone anything ok all I know was my friend Emily was supposed to meet with a security guard the night she went missing I have to go.” She ran off; Natasha, Xavier, and Jay were in disbelief. “Ok, that was very weird” Xavier states “Meet up with a security guard? Why would Emily meet up with a security guard?” Natasha says confused “Oh my gosh! Officer Mendez he was in here, but he was looking all suspicious and stuff.” Xavier says eagerly “What?! No not officer Mendez he is a good guy; she was probably just lost or something and she became someone victim.” Natasha says as she defends Mendez. “Guys, I think we need to regroup. We have details all over the place.” Jay states "Jay is right.” “We know Emily was going to see a security guard, maybe the others were too! I think we need to split up to make things more efficient and easier.” Natasha replies “Xavier, you go and find Myle friends while Jay you go and find Joey's friends then y'all will meet up at my dorm and discuss what we found.” demanded Natasha Five hours later, Jay and Xavier both met up with the victim's friends, and both had a similar story. They were going to meet up with a security guard. Natasha, on the other hand, was trying to figure out which security guard they were meeting with. She went to her friend Officer Mendez to see if he had heard anything. It was getting late Mendez was parking his speed boat near the dock where the rest of the speed boats were. “Hey, Officer Mendez can I speak with you right quick?” asks Natasha “ Yea what's up” replied Officer Mendez “ Apparently, Emily and the rest of the victims were meeting up with a security guard the day they went missing or probably when they were killed, anyways have you heard anything from the security guards?” asked Natasha “Um...you are quite interested in the case, are you? Isn’t this the job of detectives? Natasha, I hope you haven’t involved yourself in anything dangerous.” Mendez warned “No, No I just wanted to find what happened to them.” Natasha sat down on the wooden plank. “I just wanted to make sure they found who killed them. I know how it feels to not have anyone find justice for the dead. I know the detectives are on it, but it doesn’t seem urgent. I guess I just wanted to know and bring justice to the family.” Natasha said as she let out a deep breath. “Well, I heard that they were strangled with a cord and thrown in the water.” Mendez stated Natasha looked up. “How, how do you know this?” Natasha said concerned. She looked at Mendez, trying to figure out how did he knew about the cause of deaths when the police hadn’t released anything to the public. “OH, um I overheard security guards talking, talking about it.” Mendez responded as he rocked back and forth He was red in the face and started to stutter. There were a long pause and awkward silence between the two while they just stared at each other. “I don’t understand why a security guard strangles them and throws them in the water? What have they done?” questioned Natasha as she sat up and started pacing back and forth “Probably because the security guard felt unappreciated.” stated Mendez Natasha stopped in her tracks. “What?” “Are you trying to victim blame?” “And how do you know this?” Natasha says “Officer Mendez, you know an awful lot for someone who doesn’t know a lot.” Natasha says while backing up There was a long pause between the two. Natasha was scared, her eyebrows furrowed, and her hands were shaking. She concluded that it was Officer Mendez who murdered the students. She couldn’t believe it, she thought he was a good person, but I guess looks can be deceiving and personality can be fake. Natasha began to run; she ran as fast as her little legs could allow her to. *BOW BOW* Natasha was on the floor of the wooden plank. It was quiet all she could hear was the water flowing underneath the wooden plank. While its mildew smell infiltrates her nose. Tears filled her eyes and she started to feel pain. She was shot. Officer Mendez shot her; blood trickled from the back and stained the wooden plank. Natasha was short of breath, “Help! Help!” Natasha said with a hoarse voice. Her eyelids were blinking; they were starting to become very heavy. Her eyelids closed. “NATASHA”! NATASHA!” “HELP!” “NOOO Natasha’s dead” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Water Holds Secrets Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Abigail Pierre Louis Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/c2edf89980bf5a41f84e876cade53af0.png e33e0b2fc858774a264f59a5d72c4972 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. My name is Elena and in 2130 in Miami the water has risen and taken over everything in the city because of the number of storms that happen every year. The city is flooded, streets don’t really exist anymore, and they have turned into canals. People do not use cars anymore, so they started using boats to get around. A lot of buildings are still standing, but only the top floors are livable. People started to turn those into small communities. The buildings that’s people are living in have clothes hanging outside, little plants growing in containers, and have supplies laying around wherever they could fit. Everything in these people’s lives feels kind of thrown together because they are just trying to make it work. The environment itself has made things in Miami harder for people to live in because it is always hot and humid, worse than the stories I have heard in the past of the beautiful city of Miami. The weather now just feels like it sticks to you, and the air feels extremely heavy. There has also been a constant salty smell with a mix of something old, and it just never goes away. The reason for these smells is because of all the big storms that happen yearly in Miami. These storms destroy our environment even more as the days go on; it keeps people on edge all the time of what might happen next. The city is quieter but not in a good way; it feels empty and creepy as if something is missing. I grew up like this, and I always hear stories about how Miami used to have beautiful beaches, parks, streets full of people but honestly it does not feel so real to me. It is something I can imagine though, but I do not fully understand how it was like that in the past. I live with my parents on the top floor of an old hotel on Kendall Island and life for me is simple and repetitive. We collect rainwater, store food, and stay close to our community because it can be dangerous to go too far out into the city. I am very used to playing it safely and listening to my parents and not taking risks. Things start to change when I meet Kai. Kai lives on Brickell Island and is far from where she lives. He is more adventurous and he also takes more risks than she does. He always talks to me about exploring and finding new places that still have parts of the old world. I sometimes do not really trust him, but over the time that we have been talking we have been getting more comfortable with each other. We were awkward before but lately it just feels natural between us. He tells me about this place that used to be a park, where you can still see parts of it underwater; the idea is stuck in my head because i have never seen anything like it before. I was nervous to go ahead and go with him, but I eventually ended up going with him to see if we could find it. When Kai came to pick me up in my community and we left, everything started feeling different. The city started feeling bigger and I do not know, but it is not what I expected. During the day, the water looks so pretty since it reflects from the sky, but it also feels scary since it is deep and you cannot see what is under you. As we travel, we see pieces of the old world under us. At one point I notice a bench sitting underwater and it is covered in algae. It looks like it has been down there for ages just waiting; this moment stands out because it makes everything feel more real to me. As we keep going, we end up going farther than we planned. That is when things get tense; the sky changes, and a storm starts to form it did not look like it was going to be a bad storm, but it got worse by the second. The water became rough, the wind picked up speed, and everything got chaotic. I was forced out of my comfort zone; I was very scared and I did not know what to do in this situation, so I had to rely on Kai. He stayed calm and guided us through the storm and that is when I realized that I could trust him. That is also when I realize that he means a lot to me. After the storm passes, everything goes quiet; the water is calm and the wind is chilly. A little bit after we got to the park. When we got to the park it was not what I was expecting, most of the park was gone and what was left were just shapes under the water, it was barely visible. I was disappointed at first but then I started thinking and I started seeing everything differently. Instead of seeing what was missing, I started to realize the journey itself mattered way more. Being out there, getting out of my comfort zone, seeing something new, and going through all of that with Kai meant more than finding the park. When we started heading back to my community, everything started to feel different even though the city has not changed at all. The same buildings are still half-submerged; the water stretches in every direction, and the humidity still sticks to your skin. I still do not. feel the same anymore, as I keep looking around, I am noticing things that I have never noticed before, like how the light hits the water or how quiet everything is; it is not empty anymore it feels like if something is hidden under all the water, so now is when I started to understand everything. Now I am thinking about all the stories that everyone told me. Before it all sounded distant and unrealistic, but now I feel closer to what people used to tell me. Seeing the bench underwater made it all feel more realistic, and all those stories were not just made up. It makes me wonder what else is out there, hidden under the surface and just waiting to be found. When we finally get back to my community everything looks the same as when I left, people moving around, boats tied up, clothes hanging dry, but I feel out of place just for a moment. It feels like half my brain is still thinking about the park, the storm, and everything that has happened today. I realize that even though I came back home I do not want things to go back to how they were. Before Kai leaves, there is this quiet moment between us, when we do not know what to say, but nothing needs to be said. I just looked at him, and I understood something changed between us today being out there in the city. It was not just about the trip anymore, but it was about trust, and maybe something more that I am not ready to say yet. After all this, I finally find myself standing near the edge more often, looking out at the water instead of being stuck inside all the time like I used to. It does still feel deep and unknown and sometimes a little scary, but it does not feel impossible anymore. It anything it. Feels like there is more waiting for me out there and for the first time I am not scared to take the chance. As the night went on, I could not really sleep, and the water hitting the building felt louder than usual, as if it was trying to get my attention. I keep thinking about how close everything is like the old world, the memories, and everything that the people lost. It is still all out there, but it is just hidden under all that water. For the first time I did not feel curious but connected to it. The next morning, everything went back to normal outside. People move around like they always do, fix things, trade supplies, and talk about the weather. I still do not feel the same after yesterday's adventure. I started to notice how small my world started to feel, how i stayed in the same place just because it all felt safe. Now all that safety feels different and almost like it was holding me back. I started helping more but in a new and better way. Instead of just doing the same routine, I started to ask questions. I started to listen more closely when older people talked about the past. I even started to imagine what other places might still exist out there, hidden under the water like the park. It is not just about surviving anymore, but it is about understanding. As the day goes on, I keep thinking about Kai and about how he was not afraid to leave, to explore, to take risks. I realize that maybe that is all I needed, not just someone to show me the world but someone who made me believe that I could face it. The idea of leaving the community again does not scare me the same way that it used to. One evening, I started to walk to the edge of the building, and I looked out at the water while the sun started to set, and the sky reflected across the surface making everything glow for just a moment. It all looks peaceful, even though I know how dangerous it can all be; so, I take a breath and let in all the heavy air filling up my lungs and for once I do not feel like it is suffocating me. I realize that the world did not change but I definitely did. Even though everything around me is still broken, still flooded, and still uncertain, I finally feel like there is something more out there for me. Not just something to find, but something to become. A few days later, Kai came back and I was already waiting near the edge as if I knew he was coming. The water is calm again, reflecting the sky like nothing ever happened before. For a moment, none of us said anything; we were just standing there. The silence between us is not awkward, but it feels understood. He asks me if I want to get back out to the city and I say I do but not alone but with him. We untie the boat together, the rope sliding loose like something being let go. As we push off, the building slowly drifts farther behind us, but I do not feel scared of the way I used to. The water still looks deep, still unknown, but now it all feels different from the possibility. As we moved forward, the sun started to set, casting gold across the surface. The light catches in the water making it look almost endless like the world is bigger than I ever imagined. I glance at Kai and for a moment everything feels calm. It is not broken nor lost. It is just the beginning; I lean back slightly letting the boat carry us forward, and for the first time I do not wonder what is beneath the surface. I am ready for whatever comes next with Kai. It all feels enough. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Falling In Love In 2130 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Johana Dominguez Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/0ffdc151f1848213db0147fdf1316362.jpeg 059162b7d60ed59da5de74b6aca489f1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. The year is 2122. Miami has had its sea level rise to 8 feet. Most of Miami is gone. Most of Brickell’s buildings survived. Vice City as all that remains. Havoc has wrecked the streets and all that's left are canals and bridges. Raiders have taken over the city becoming powerful by stealing all resources and cold bloodedly killing each other for any reason. Survivors have become terrified of even leaving their shelters to allocate resources. The Miami metro police Department is heavily outnumbered, and only a few stayed after the city was destroyed. If things couldn't get even worse, a series of murders would have come to light with a gruesome execution method. He has been given the name “The Shark” the killer kidnaps his victims and slashes and leaves cuts all over their body and even their bite mark on the victims neck then they tie them up to a bunch of heavy rocks and leave them to drown to their death while the salt water makes all their cuts sting cause them to die a painful and brutal death. Vice City is relying on one man to save them all. His name is Jax Slade. A gritty 25-year-old detective who has been assigned lead detective to this case. He’s had experience with murder cases before due to all the cold-blooded raiders all over the city, but Jax has never seen anything like this before. He is willing to do whatever it takes to catch The Shark. Jax sits on the ledge of the Miami Metro building in downtown Brickell. He smokes a cigarette while looking at the sunrise; the warm sunrays hit his skin and as the smoke fills his lung, he lets off a weary exhale. Something is weighing him down. He drops his cigarette and starts to remember his ex-girlfriend, the only person who could even bring out a laugh or grin out of him. He remembers her silly smile and funny acts; he begins to tear up as he remembers the bloody suicide note she left. Jax then pulls out a photo of him and her out of his pocket that he always keeps. It's been 6 months since she took her life and her body was never found. A teardrop falls on the photo and out of nowhere Jax’s Lieutenant storms from the roof hatch and says “Jax what the hell are ya doing.” Jax almost falls off the ledge and catches himself quickly, stashing the photo back into his pocket. “Just taking a smoke LT, what's up?” The lieutenant replied “Two drowned bodies have been reported in South Pointe Pier. We think it might be our guy:”. They immediately stormed downstairs to the dock where they had their jet skis and boats. Jax took the jet ski while the rest of the police crew went in their boats. Jax was the first one to arrive on scene, where he saw a group of survivors waiting. Once the whole police crew arrived along with forensics, they reeled the body out of the water. The moment Jax saw the victim he was repulsed and gagged, it was a middle-aged woman and a little girl who they presumed was a mother and daughter. The little girl didn't even look 5 years old. Jax’s vision started going blurry, and everyone’s voice around him kept getting louder. His breathing slowly stopped and Jax damn near fell off the boat. But one of the officers managed to catch him before he fell. “Jax, are you ok” Jax couldn't respond. He was a tough guy, but this nearly broke him. It all then started coming back to him. The loss of his precious mother. Jax had been on a fishing trip with his mother on their boat’s when a boat came out of nowhere, a man attacked them and pulled on her arm, but she was shielding Jax, the man then dragged her into the water and dunked her head in and drowned her alive , Jax saw the horror on his mother's face as she drowned to her death. The man stormed off. Jax was left alone before he was eventually found by law enforcement. Jax snapped back into reality, he got up from his ass and looked at his Lieutenant.” LT tis bastards killing even children now, we must find him.” His lieutenant replied, “Were on that Jax, but you need to go back to the station you don't seem stable right now.” Jax’s face twitched slightly before storming towards his LT and jumping on his boat and grabbing him by the collar “Of course I'm not stable what the hell's wrong with you look at that poor little girls face look at her” as he grabbed his Lieutenant to face the poor girls body. Officers immediately rushed to break them up. The lieutenant sighed and only looked at Jax and said its ok son, grabbing him into his arms. Jax hugged his Lieutenant and put his face into his chest, maybe even letting out a few tears because he didn't want anyone to see him in that vulnerable state. “We’ll catch that son of a bitch, Jax I promise”. Forensics took the body in and then Jax headed back to the station in his jet ski. As soon as he arrived, he started building a wall of potential leads. He analyzed every single body and the location they were found. After hours and hours of putting a theory together, Jax is starting to notice a pattern. As soon as he thinks he might have found something. He receives a call through the specialized signal tower they have. He quickly picks up thinking it might be an officer patrolling who needs back up. As soon as he answers, he hears a chilling noise. He hears screams and the begs of what appears to be one of his police officers. Someone finally talks, “Jax Slade i know it's you, I have Officer Shank here, bring us your helicopter, and all your supplies, and seized drugs or he dies”. “Who the hell is this” Jax replies. “Come find out, but don't take too long every second you make us wait is another second closer to Officer Shanks death, and most importantly make sure to come alone if we hear or see anyone else Shank will pay the price. Tick Tick Slade.” They finally hung up. Jax wasted no time he immediately ran to the armory, picked out an AR-15 with multiple attachments a sawed-off shot gun and dual wield desert eagles, multiple throwables like, grenades, Molotov's. He also takes the duffel bag full of seized drugs. Before he hops on the helicopter, he takes one more look at the photo of him and his ex-girlfriend. He kisses it and stashes it in his pocket. He does the sign of the cross on himself. And he starts flying towards the raider’s base. While in the air all he sees is Brickell’s remaining buildings, and he can only wonder where everything went wrong. After 5 minutes he was almost there. He landed on a nearby building and took the duffel bag with him. Jax knew he might not make it out alive, but he had sworn how he would never let another man die with the blood on his hands, so he was willing to rescue Officer Shank at any costs. Jax swam to the entry of the base once he got onto the bridge; the gates opened into the abandoned Miami Dade Stadium (Ex home of the Miami Heat). Multiple snipers were pointed at him, and a loud voice came from above “Show your hands where we can see them.” Jax dropped the duffel bag and said “I come in peace I left the helicopter parked on top of the old Hotel i m just here for Officer Shank. Two members of the raiders walked out with Shank, they had him tied up and he was covered in blood, they had nearly beat him to death. The men shoved him towards Jax where he fell and broke down in tears, sobbing at Jax’s feet. “Everything's Ok Shank I'm here now”. “You have your drugs and money, are you happy now, I need a jet ski to head back to the station”. Then that's when a man appeared from the Shadows. It was the leader of The Raiders, “The Mask”. “You’re not going anywhere, Jax” he said. Jax immediately tensed up as he felt all the sniper lasers pointed at him. He thought he was about to get his life taken. He began to take steps back as The Mask slowly approached him. “Open the bag up” he tells Jax. “Good, now rip open some of that cocaine and snort it, that way I know you're not bullshitting us” Jax complied and snorted some of the cocaine. Jax felt everything around him start spinning, the voices got louder, his vision and hearing amplified. He began grinding his teeth and clenching his fists. Then out of nowhere The Mask snapped his fingers and slowly walked away, in a matter of a split second Jax heard the loud sniper gunshot fire, and boom, the bullet landed but luckily, he had his bulletproof vest on. That's when Jax knew he had been set up. Out of rage, the bullet didn't even stun him. He threw a smoke bomb down and dragged Officer Shank out of the gunfire that erupted. Jax knew he might not make it out of this, but he wasn't going out with a fight. He hid Officer Shank under some seats and told him, “I'll be back for you just lay low.” Jax popped out and started firing at everything he saw. He shot 3 raiders that ran at him in the head with his assault rifle, then one appeared from behind him, but he heard his footsteps and Jax immediately blow his head clean off with his handy sawed-off shotgun. The Mask then was heard over the loud PA screaming “We need reinforcements.” Jax started launching grenades across the main part of the arena, and Molotov's caused the arena to catch on fire and eventually collapse. Jax continued to gun down every Raider that ran at him, but then he saw more rappelling from the top of the arena, Jax was heavily outnumbered. He ran to where Officer Shank was and handed him a pistol and said “Shank, if I don't make it try to make it out of here at any costs” he shook his hand, and Jax grabbed his dual pistols and was ready to take on every single one of those bastards to the death when out of nowhere a huge chopper started hovering around the arena, then a loud explosion occurred. The chopper had fired missiles into the arena, then the choppers' spotlight flashed on Jax and Shank, and a loud voice said come with us. Jax finally recognized the chopper it was his LT and the rest of the Police Officers. Jax thought to himself “They must have put a GPS chip on the chopper I came here in and found it strange I was here alone” The chopper dropped a ladder down and Jax picked Shank up and put him on his back and then jumped off the hole in the wall and was able to reach the ladder. The chopper pulled and launched a final missile that made the whole arena erupt in flames and collapse almost instantly. If any Raider’s remained in that building, they were for sure dead. Once the LT, Jax and Shank and the rest of the police crew arrived at the station. They all took a moment to catch a breather. Jax thanked his LT for helping him and Shank make it out of there. Jax was glad they basically put an end to most of the Raider’s. And the rest of Vice City was now safer to cruise. Jax wasn’t done for the night; he went out on his boat to make sure no Raider’s had escaped during the fire. While cruising around, he spotted something that shocked him. It looked like a little boy's body, but he was floating above the water and looked pale as paper. Jax immediately jumped off the boat and rescued him and once he placed him back in the boat and flashed his light at him, Jax was terrified when he saw the boy's body covered in slashes and cuts and then he saw it. The mark of “The Shark”, Jax started trembling, he immediately checked the boys pulse it was light but still there, Jax immediately started performing CPR and had shot a flare gun for backup to hopefully arrive. No matter how hard he tried the boy wouldn't wake up, that's when Jax started to have flashbacks of him sitting in the boat by himself the day his mother died. Jax kept pressing on the boy's chest with tears in his eyes, but still nothing. That's when he lost his temper and started pounding on the boys' chest with his fists, and screaming, "Don't you die on me “ and with all his strength he did one last blow and that's when boys eyes shot open and he threw up all the water he had in his body. Jax hugged the boy and broke into tears. He was glad he was able to save life. Medics arrived shortly after. After the boy was treated and taken care of, Jax passed by his bed, and the boy said, “Thank You officer, you saved me from The Shark.” Jax just smiled and patted him on the head. “I know it's too soon, but do you think you can tell me anything to maybe catch this person.” The boy replied, “I remember seeing many different colored fish and a killer whale and a shark.” Jax was lost at first, “Buddy can you water this down and tell me more, but out of nowhere the boy’s eyes started shutting and his heart monitor started increasing his heart rate slowly going down, Medics immediately rushed into the room and kicked Jax out. Jax put his hands over his head, and then it clicked on him. The Miami Seaqarium, it all made sense now. Jax wasted no time and hopped on the jet ski and made it there quickly. Once he arrived the whole place looked abandoned and eerie to him. He used his flashlight and rode around most of the aquarium, but there were no signs of life anywhere. He got to a section where he would have to get off his jet ski and swim. He swam around and finally found something promising it was the kids play area. He slowly opened a door that was wedged, but he got it open when out of nowhere a shark pounced at him and bit his arm. The shark had nearly bitten his arm off, and Jax screamed in pain and agony. He was able to get it off of him and then he grabbed his shotgun and blew the shark into Smithereens. Jax’s whole arm was shredded, and he was getting nauseous. He wasn't going to be able to keep looking under these conditions; he had no choice but to retreat to the station to treat his injuries. Jax makes it back alive but instantly collapses while climbing the stairs,, and he is immediately spotted by fellow officers and the Lieutenant; he gets his injuries treated, and he is thankfully able to recover. That's when his LT walks in and screams at him, “Jax what the hell do you think you were doing going there alone, there is a chain of command for a reason, you don't do anything unless I say so, I understand going to the raiders alone, but this is unacceptable.” Jax swallows his pride and keeps his mouth shut. "You're not leaving this damn station” said Lt as he walked away and slammed the door. Jax finally got some rest and woke up not even 4 hours later covered in cold sweat. Jax felt hopeless, he thought to himself “Where could The Shark be hiding at.” He got up and went to his board with pictures of all the bodies found, none of it made sense to him he tried circling where they had been found, but it led him nowhere. Victims were either male or female, ages varying from as young as 4 years old to as old as 90 years old. The police crew had already checked out every popular building in Miami; they had checked out many abandoned properties. Jax was grinding his teeth when finally, he got lost in rage and started breaking the whole board, he ripped all the papers off, he punched the wall multiple times and kicked everything around the office and as he punched the wall, his anchor bracelet snapped in half. He picked up the little anchor pendant and looked at it; his mother had given him this bracelet days before her death when they visited the abandoned Titanic Replica they had built many years before the flooding. Jax might have found a lead, and it made sense. Many people drowned to their death in the Titanic so it would make sense for The Shark to be using it as their hideout. Jax wasted no time, he grabbed all his weapons, and disobeying his LT’s orders, he grabbed his jet ski and stormed off to the Titanic replica. Upon arriving at the Titanic, Jax got flashbacks from his mother. He misses her so much, but Jax was on a mission. It was time to finally put an end to “The Shark” and their reign of terror on Vice City. He hopped off his Jetski and opened the top hatch of the Titanic. He crossed himself and dived in. Once he was inside, he climbed onto a little surface area that led into a door. What he saw terrified him. There were names written all over the walls, but they were written in blood. The names seemed to be maybe the names of the Victims “The Shark” took out. Jax followed the names until he found a room with a dim light hanging. The light was shining upon some footsteps covered in blood, Jax followed them, and he walked into a hallway where he heard a loud thudding noise. The closer he got to it, the louder it became. He heard the cries of a women, but they sounded familiar. Once he found the door it was coming from, it was locked so he shot the lock off with his shot gun and who he saw inside dropped his heart to the floor. It was his ex-girlfriend, Bailey. He broke into tears, she was beaten and had cuts all over her body, but thankfully she was alive. She broke into tears when she saw him, they embraced each ither in a warm hug, “I missed you so much” she said in a weak raspy voice. “I missed you more baby, i knew you never left me” Jax replied. Just as he was happy to be reconnected with his lover a loud metal pipe hit him int he back of his head. It was “The Shark”. Jax’s head was ringing and when he saw the man's face, he recognized it. “The Shark” was the man that had drowned his mother to her death. Jax asked him “Why, why did you do it. Why did you kill my mother?” The Shark stayed silent and just laughed he replied, “Because I liked killing, I have no motives, i just love seeing the look of horror on people's faces as they drown to their death.” Jax felt sick hearing that, and his eyes filled with tears of rage. He immediately got up and landed a clean overhand on The Shark. He pinned him against the wall and started throwing elbows at his face, till he became a bloody pulp, but that's when The Shark fired a shot at Jax under his shirt, Jax had been shot in the liver, but that didn't phase Jax he shouted “I will kill you with my bare hands if it's the last thing I do on this damned earth.” He bit The Shark in the neck, and they both dropped their weapons as they clinched but then The Shark pulled out another pistol from his back pocket, and Jax had no choice but to back up. “Move an inch and I'll put a bullet in her head and yours too.” He tossed Jax a pair of handcuffs. “Cuff yourself next to her” Jax complied and cuffed himself in the pipe with his lover. “You will die the same way your mother did” The Shark said. He shoots the water pipe they are cuffed in, and the Titanic begins to flood, just as The Shark tries to make his escape and starts laughing a loud gun fire erupts. The Shark looks down at his chest; he had been shot from behind he looked back at Jax and Jax said “Looks like you forgot I had a spare too.” The Shark had been killed but now Jax and Bailey had to worry about the flooding. Jax checked to see if he had any more ammunition to shoot the locks on the cuffs, but that was his last bullet. Bailey started panicking but Jax grabbed her face and said “Look at me, we won't make it out of here but I love you so much, there's not a day that went by that I didn't think of those beautiful blue eyes and pretty pink lips, if I die here with you I will die happy knowing im finally reunited with you and maybe in the afterlife I'll be reunited with my Mother as well, I love you so much Bailey.” Bailey broke into tears and replied, “I love you too my handsome boy.” They embrace each other in a warm, tight hug and kiss as the water quickly floods the boat. The Shark was gone, and what would happen to the rest of Vice City is unknown other than the assumption it would be a safer place without The Shark. They both closed their eyes as they accepted their fate. All Jax could hope is that his sacrifice would not be in vain. For the first time in his life, since everything was taken from, Jax was finally not afraid to drown. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource How Deep Would You Go ? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Arsenio Prado-Vallejos Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/df1ef435e5b11073ec473029af45263e.png 651f70a1fac24439bb3757e4ebc20638 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. As the legendary Chinese curse puts it, we are to live in interesting times. They told us they couldn’t predict it, but we all saw. Still, we were too busy with our own issues to care when the streets began to flood. I can't give you an exact date when it started; over time, it just became the norm to wade through the murky, grey water that crept up to our ankles. The water kept rising, food became scarce, and eventually, we were all forced to leave. Since Christ gave this peculiar burden to my generation. Was this the first of the Ten Plagues? I sat in church, surrounded by many others, waiting for the ever-growing puddles at our feet to transform into blood. I’m not a philosopher. I’m a 55-year-old White man from Miami, expecting to retire as a boat tour guide in South Beach. Life was comfortable then, as I listened to tourists tell me how lucky I was to live in the city where people went to party. I never noticed until those nights in the cabin. Because of my growing health issues, I didn’t reject the offer when I later settled in Orlando after the Rise to become a Marine Communications Coordinator. Even though this job meant going farther out into the newly founded coast of Florida, we never ventured back to my hometown. Entering the wetland I used to call my home seemed meaningless, and my feelings stayed certain on that, even after being assigned to Operation Behemoth. All they told us was to check for any life there. No one prepared us for what we would have seen. All they told me was that we would know it once we saw it. Well, we saw it. I’ve experienced only one of the Ten Plagues, and I won’t experience the second, because we are all doomed. We will meet Him again. But I will meet Him before you all. After all, I was the ferryman who led everyone through Hell. --- I tried to make the best of the situation, I really did. But I’ve been assigned to plenty of these expositions, so I didn’t exactly care to build rapport for an operation that’ll only last a week, at most. I usually get assigned to the same people, too. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) finds it easier to know everyone’s strengths before we set sail. Because it is easier. No need for forced introductions or faking curiosity about why you applied to work at the DEP. We all did it for the pay; no need to lie to me. I didn’t recognize anyone in the team except for Marcus. He gets the job done as an engineer. Strong and tall, too, so he held his own weight and more. Always eager to help us ‘oldheads.’ I was used to being called Gringo. When my ginger hair was still visible, it made sense, but now it's only patchworked in with my white hairs; now I'm just 'oldhead.' There was an older woman on our team, but Marcus never called her an oldhead. Only “Ma’am " to whom I found out to be called Lucia. He would always use everyone's names around me to have me remember who they were, as I never introduced myself other than as Captain. “Y’know, they were talking about movies before The Rise,” Marcus told me on our third day on the boat, doing his daily check on the boat mechanics. “Maybe you can mention that one movie. The one when they were at War in Germany?” “That's all war movies.” “No. The main guy is German, and they actually go to war.” “You gotta tell me more for me to remember.” He rolled his eyes, looking away from the radio in front of him, “They banned the movie. In German. That's why you wanted to show me.” “All Quiet on the Western-” “-Western Front! Yes! I knew you remembered.” Nodding as he turned back to the machine, back to doing his job. “Well, you can talk about it with them at dinner. The youngin want to know about that time.” “She’s your age.” “Okay, but I’m a mature twenty-seven. I know all about history from you.” Using the screwdriver to point at me at every drawn-out word. “Stop doing that.” He sighed, hard. His shoulders slumping as he turned to look over at me fully for the first time this entire conversation, “All I'm saying is, this operation might take a while. Be friendly with them, they are all kinda weary of you.” His voice was soft, speaking to me as if I were being dropped off at daycare for the first time. “I met people like them in the past. Seen all those personalities throughout my life.” immediately shrugged off his suggestion. “You could still give everyone a chance instead of being all bitter about nothin.” While he wasn’t wrong, I had always preferred to keep to myself. It's easy. Clocking in for work, and the only thoughts in my head are the tasks for the day. I don't have the obligation to explain that to him, even if Marcus’s disappointed stare told me otherwise. It took about four more hours to finally get to Miami. Back when I used to live here, you wouldn’t call this part Miami to actual residents. This is just the Redlands, and from what I recall, it was one of the first areas to feel the effects of rising sea levels. Steering the boat was getting more difficult as we moved farther toward the coordinates they gave us. It was already dark out; using the boat's lights to make out what was out there was pointless. The water was mixed with large chunks of mud, and metal parts were scattered around. The metal pieces can pierce the boat, making it hazardous to keep moving through. The Cuban informed us that, as if I couldn’t tell, I was driving the damn boat. Marcus reminded me that her name was Yanelis and her job is to be aware of any safety issues we could encounter. The DEP made an interesting pick, choosing her among all the other safety officers I’ve ridden with. She reasoned that if there were people here, they would most likely be frightened by our arrival, and we could clearly see who needed help in daylight. That I did agree. I wouldn’t want people aboarding the boat so late, we wouldn’t be able to see how large a group we would be bringing back. I would need to inform through the radio if we needed more boats. And nobody comes when it's this late. I tried sleeping. It was futile as I twisted and turned in the middle of the night. I find the sounds of the ocean to be soothing, but now that we were near land, all you could hear was the sound of guttural bellows, mixed with hissing. I could tell I wasn’t the only one awake; all of us turning in our cramped bunk beds had the sound follow our changing positions of sleep. The bellows were in tune with the water's movements until a large roar was followed by blood-curdling screaming. Then the tipping of the boat. I got up as fast as I could, rushing over to open the boat trapdoor to get to the deck. My plan was to steer the boat back into balance, and I saw the cause for all the screaming. Marcus, who was holding onto Yanelis's back while she held onto her hand, whatever remained of it, and a large crocodile that was leaning onto the side of the boat, a death grip on her hand. It was snarling, its sharp teeth on display for all of us with eyes that were oddly human, staring at us as if we were to blame for all this. I couldn’t focus on its eyes following my back as I held onto the wheel of the boat, trying to turn to the left as fast as I could, hoping the movement would throw the crocodile back into the water. All this made it do was fasten its hold on her skin, as it did what I hoped it wouldn’t have since its eyes locked onto me. It started rolling its entire body in a violent, fast maneuver as its goal moved away from her hand, but to rip her entire arm out instead. The first roll seemed to work just fine as I heard a loud, wet pop. From my spot on the boat, I could see Marcus fall onto the wooden deck, Yanelis off to the side with him, curled up in a ball, screaming. Her vocal cords were straining under the force of her own voice. The crocodile, finally getting what it wanted, peeled its body off the side of the boat back to the water. While Lucia tried her best to fix the damage done to Yanelis' arm, she wasn’t a magician. Not much you can do but bandage whatever was left of her side and try muffling her screaming so that beast doesn't come back for round two. After I reported through the radio what had happened, I demanded that Marcus explain what he was doing out there with Yanelis. Apparently, her seasickness was coming back, but she had used all the patches Lucia had given her. She had hoped Marcus could help her find some, and the crocodile must have heard them and tried to jump over and attacked her in the process. Lucia was demanding that we turn back, but the DEP had not responded, and we weren't authorized to return without their approval. And even if they did approve, they would need to send over boats to deliver more fuel so we could head back to Orlando, since turning the boat to throw off the crocodile had dented the fuel tank. Yanelis was doing as well as you would expect. She was already pale, but now she looked as grey as the water. Her eyes were swollen from the non-stop crying, and her bandaged arm was unmoved from the spot I saw last night. She was delirious but encouraged us to go explore, saying that if people had been out there for years with that thing, they needed all of our attention. Lucia offered to stay on the boat, but we convinced her to come with us since she would need her help if that crocodile came back. The three of us left the boat for the first time since we began this trip. Now that it was daytime, we could see our surroundings very easily. There were small patches of land with large pools of water surrounding them. Our boat was basically parked in the middle of this uneven swamp. Learning our lesson from the night before, Marcus led the way, carrying a shotgun with him, holding it awkwardly above the water as we explored. Hours must have passed, and we had found nothing. It was just constant stomping through water that made me feel 50 pounds heavier. I almost cheered when we came across an abandoned house on an elevated lot, which was just a pile of mud and wet wood. You could smell the house before even going in. It had a distinct earthy must. Unlike the air outside, it was like a gas chamber filled with nothing but wet rot. The walls inside seemed to be rebuilt over and over again, patchwork throughout. We all looked over different sections of the house. While decaying every second that passed, it seemed to have lasted through plenty. I bent down, trying to get a closer look at a pile of trash. I could feel my legs falling asleep. I tried looking through fast, pushing pieces of metal and wood. Underneath it all, I had found three large chunks of wood. The cravings were so deep, I was surprised it didn’t go through the whole plank. Each had a large hole on the top, as if they had been hanged previously. It took some time to decipher, but I finally figured it out. “1. Don’t look at it.” “2. Don’t speak to it.” “3. Don’t go in the water.” “I don’t think it's safe to touch that.” Marcus pointed out as he stood behind me. “It don’t got no mold,” I said in a rushed tone. My back was still turned to him as I hovered over the writings. “We don’t need you also getting hurt, too.” Letting out a dry laugh as he bent down beside me. His face fell as soon as he looked at Lucia to see her serious expression staring right back at him. “Are you sure? Everything here has mold.” She declared, holding her shirt to her nose as she walked over to us to see what we were reading, since we gave no response. “Maybe it's a poem?” Marcus broke the silence while Lucia and I shook our heads, hard. “Nah, these people knew something.” “Knew what? It doesn’t even say what not to look or speak to.” Lucia’s hand extended toward the direction of the signs. “And there's no way they never went in the water. This place is flooded.” “Why do you think nobody is here?” I countered, my eyes leaving the wood now to stare up at her. “Maybe they were all losing it.” She whispered back to me in a mocking tone, turning away from me and towards the doorless entrance we entered through. “We found nothing. And Yanelis has been alone in the boat for hours.” I didn’t know what ‘it’ was, but people had lived here for years and had somehow survived here long enough to make rules about something out here. I had a gut instinct to listen; they knew better than we outsiders. I didn't want to get in the water. But I had no other choice. The water felt much colder now. I had gotten over the initial stabbing pains that shot through my legs from each step, but my body was trying to escape the water. Lucia would've swum back to the boat if it meant helping Yanelis. She was a goner in my eyes; we all saw her arm after being mauled. Strings of her muscles and tendons swung as she clung to whatever was left. Marcus and I had to clean it up that same night. Both of us tense, looking over our shoulders, worried it’ll smell the blood of its unfinished job. “Why make signs?” Marcus had blurted out from behind us, bringing me out of my daze as we kept stomping through the water, the sun now setting. I was running on no sleep and was beyond the point of deciphering any more codes today. “I mean, you only make rules like that and hang them up for a whole community, right? Meaning someone must’ve broken them.” I could practically hear the gears turning in his head. No one spoke after that. When we returned to the boat, surprisingly, Yanelis was still alive. She smiled at our return, even at the mention of no one living here. I reported back to the DEP that we had found nothing, how Yanelis was still recovering, and how it was time to head back. While it was normal not to hear a response as you spoke, I would usually find one a couple of hours later, at the latest. I hadn’t seen any acknowledgment of anything from the night before. “Marcus!” He hadn’t done his daily check on the engine or our radio yet. “Yeah?” His voice, muffled, sounded far, most likely from the cabin. “Can you check-” “No need to scream.” My train of thought was lost as he interrupted me. He needed to stop doing that. “Okay. Can you check the radio? Ion think it's working.” “Can you leave my supplies out there?” I begrudgingly walked away from the radio over to a large glove box, seeing the very tool kit Marcus brought to every trip we’ve been on. He sounded pretty tired, his normally upbeat voice dull, but we were all exhausted, so I could at least do him this one. I placed the red box down with a loud grunt by the radio. Hours had passed since that interaction, and I was helping Lucia whenever I could. While I thought her lack of trust in the people who used to live in the swamp was extreme, she was a skeptic, and I couldn’t push any further on the signs we saw in front of Yanelis. Younger me wouldn’t have cared, though. I would've pushed on her stance, ask if she didn’t feel that presence outside that house like I did, and that's why she was in such a rush to leave. I had only gotten back to religion because of The Rise. Growing up with Irish Catholic traditions made it difficult to detach from the little things even as an adult. My Hispanic friends were the only ones who knew how culture was so intertwined with religion; there isn’t a way to experience one without the other. I’d tried to detach from that lifestyle, but it always comes back. I had an emptiness I never felt before. It's hard to explain to a nonbeliever that I've lived for something beyond myself since childhood. My moping was disturbed by rustling, and my mind immediately went back to the previous night. I shot up from bed. Marcus was moving around the cabin in heavy steps. He pulled at bedsheets, medical supplies, and cans of food as he searched around. “Where is the tool kit?” He said to no one in particular. “It's not in the glove box,” he would randomly pull at his buzzed hair, as if it would trigger a nerve in his brain to remember whatever he had lost. I relaxed into the bed more now, “I left it by the radio.” “What?” His head snapped in my direction. “It's by the radio.” He let out a heavy sigh, “No, it's not. I would’ve seen it.” He was stepping closer to me as he spoke, “Why move my shit? You know I always get it myself.” I stare back at him, not used to this anger from him. “You asked me to put it there,” when he stood silent, I kept talking, “When I told you to check the Radio, you asked me to put it there.” “You’re joking, right?” He just kept staring at me, confused and his mouth agape, words eluded him, “When have I ever asked you to do that? Are you senile?” His voice was growing louder, and now both Lucia and Yanelis were looking in our direction. Lucia stood up and tried to put herself between us. “Okay, I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding.” “No, I understand what's happening.” Shaking his head to Lucia, “The radio is broken, I can’t fix it because my tool kit is lost.” he turned away from her to look back at me, “How fucking stupid are you?” None of us could even respond as we heard that same hissing again. We all went silent. Yanelis was shaking, the most movement I had seen from her all day. Lucia rushed toward her, covering her mouth in case she started screaming. What we didn’t expect to hear was gargling. We knew it was a gargle because it was trying to talk. It would switch to this deep, uneven style of speech, if you can even call it that. It could only be described as someone trying to mimic English after hearing it spoken once, gasping between words while clicking their tongue against their mouth. We weren’t sure where it was coming from since it was so loud. It sounded like the whole cabin was filled with sound before, all at once, the symphony of gasps, hisses, and gargling was all we heard before it suddenly stopped. Then there was a knocking at the Cabin trapdoor. None of us bothered to move. Its knocks were oddly soft compared to the sounds we had just heard. Marcus looked at us, motioning to open the trapdoor, but Lucia shook her head in disapproval, her face stern enough to understand through the silence. So, we didn’t move, but the knocking didn’t stop, only keeping the same pace before stopping momentarily. “Oh, I can’t find it.” While still being muffled, it was undeniably Yanelis’s voice. Lucia covered her mouth with both of her hands now. With how sudden and forceful she was, I couldn’t tell if Yanelis was shaking at her touch or at hearing her own words spoken back to her. “Maybe in the cockpit.” Now, Marcus voice. Then, heavy marching above us, randomly stomping from the steering wheel to the bow. Our eyes followed each stomp above our heads, so heavy and forceful that I thought the ceiling would cave in. I was sitting up on my bed, my back pressed against the wall as I flinched hard at Marcus making his way toward the shotgun. He wasn’t being all that careful getting it, the stomping from above was loud enough to make him cocking the gun right beside me, silent. The erratic stomping suddenly became a straight line from the back of thr boat to above Marcus. His gun followed the sound as fast as he could before it spoke again. “I don’t think it's safe to touch that.” Marcus was shaking now; so were all of us. I could see his grip loosen at the mocking tone. It was almost perfect, but all humans talk with a cadence; whatever was speaking to us just flat. There wasn’t a flow to follow; it was just reading a script back at us. “This place is flooded.” That same phrase was repeated for the rest of the night, with the knocking continuing periodically. When the morning came, the knocking had stopped, but none knew how to address its absence. I don’t think any of us actually slept. How could when we now know something was out there watching us for the past two days? None of us expected Yanelis to be dead either. When Lucia had tried muffling her screams, she ended up suffocating her instead. Marcus and I didn’t blame her; if she hadn’t, she might have agitated whatever was out there again, as it seemed to have super hearing to hear Marcus grab the gun. Despite our reassuring comments, we could tell she still felt guilty about the death and focused on the thing that was bothering us instead. She pointed out that whatever was out only bothered us at night, so the daytime seemed to be safe enough for us since it didn’t attack us yesterday, despite following us around. She seemed more determined than the night before. With that in mind, Marcus suggested we return to the swamp to retrieve the supplies that had been taken from us. There wasn’t much else we could do; the three of us couldn’t stay another night in the boat. So we went back out. The swamp felt different now. Same water, same weight dragging at our legs, but now every step felt watched. It was confirmed now that the thing was out there, inspecting our every move. Marcus didn’t speak at all this time. Neither of us had addressed the fight we had had the night before. Lucia must have felt the awkwardness, too. We didn’t talk. We didn’t need to. We didn’t follow the same path we took yesterday; we went further east instead. We ended up finding a hut instead. Smaller than the house, lower too, like it had been sinking into the mud for years. The wood was dark, nearly black in places, soaked through with rot. The water got deeper as we approached, pressing cold against my stomach. I hated every second of it. Don’t go in the water. The words echoed in my head, louder now, but we kept moving. The smell always came first. Worse than the house. Like meat left out too long in the heat. Marcus stepped inside first. I followed. I turned to see Lucia, not stepping any closer to the hut. She was still shaken by Yanelis’s death as the smell was eerily similar to her body; we all could smell it anytime she tried peeling her bandages open. Marcus and I didn’t push her to come in. The hut wasn’t destroyed in the way the abandoned house was. Piles of ripped clothing, strands of ginger hair scattered around. I couldn’t point it out to Marcus as he was digging through the trash to find his toolbox, now blackened from the dirt beneath it. “Let’s just go back,” he said, his eyes softening as he turned to me. We both had some sort of relief after yesterday. I didn’t hesitate to follow him out. The walk back was shorter than yesterday's, maybe because we were all eager to get out. Marcus led the way as always, and I was close behind him. He kept making jokes to lighten the mood, I just gave hums throughout as I still uneasy. I would relax when we are out of her. Lucia had the right idea by not responding at all. She was trailing far behind us, though. I knew the water was tough to get through, but she didn’t seem to have a problem heading over. She just kept swaying, as if all her effort was going into performing a field sobriety test and was failing miserably. “Are you okay?” I had stopped walking and turned to look at her fully, and she stopped when I did. Marcus gave a light shove at my shoulder, “Cmon, that’s even low for you.” he shook his head before leaning over and whispering, “You know she has Parkinsons.” When he said, I suddenly remembered. While I thought it was weird that they hired a doctor with Parkinson's, she was good at her job before getting diagnosed. This would be her last major job; she gave us all this long story about it, running her in the family and avoiding getting diagnosed because of it. I turned over to apologize, and I could tell Marcus was going to ask if she needed help through the water. Lucia’s posture was wrong. She bent over, her arms hung too loosely, and she shook as she started convulsing. That's the closest thing it could be; her chest shook, and her mouth agape, but no noise came out despite how big her mouth was getting. The water had reached our waists, and everything underneath was submerged. She folded into the water way too easily. We then heard the same gargling sound from the night before as brown and grey bubbles formed above her head. All we could see was her back now, as her head was fully submerged. Her shirt was falling off her skin, not that it ripped, but as if her clothes were her skin and had just come off. You could see her skin harden. She shivered as a pattern akin to cracked mud appeared on her back, and she began morphing, quickly becoming inhuman. It looked like those poorly done CGI videos they used to show in school about human evolution. I could hear Marcus letting out gibberish as his mind couldn’t catch up to what we were seeing. It had made me aware that the thing in front of us was no longer Lucia, but the same crocodile. Marcus immediately went to shooting, his bullets flying everywhere as he was running through the water, as it swam toward us. I was already accepting my fate; no one can outrun a crocodile, especially not this one that was now 20 feet and swollen in front of us. He managed to shoot it in the eye, and it let out loud hisses, then human screams. We just kept running. We managed to get on the boat. Marcus got to work immediately, trying to fix the radio, hands shaking but moving anyway. I was already steering away; we wouldn’t have fuel to head back, but we would have enough to get away from that creature. We could feel something large circling beneath the boat, its body shaking the boat as we tried keeping our balance. Metal groaning, water splashing onto the deck. I kept pushing on the throttle. The engine screamed, then caught. The boat lurched forward. The crocodile followed, faster than it should have been, slamming into us again and again. Marcus fired twice. It didn’t slow. Then, mid-lunge, its body twisted. Limbs bending the wrong way, skin shifting, stretching into something else. I didn’t watch long enough to understand. I didn’t want to. We had run out of fuel. Marcus slumped against the wall, blood soaking through his shirt. I hadn’t even noticed when he got hurt. I looked at my own hands. Blood there too. Mine. I didn’t remember that either. It just kept hitting the boat, a mix of all our voices yelling at the two of us. We don’t have much time left, but our bodies are persistent in living. But all I could think about was memories of everyone on the boat, the happiness I felt when I was speaking with Lucia and Yanelis. I knew it wasn’t real; whatever was there had some trance on us. But I can’t deny the warmth I felt there. I can repeat conversations we had, word for word. How can you tell me that was all fake when it extends beyond the trip to hanging out late at night with them? Even when Marcus shot the creature, it stared at us with such love. I didn’t have any other memories to think about, when ‘your life flashes before your eyes’, all I had was that tenderness I never experienced anywhere else and had only wished for more of. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Operation Behemoth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Samara Fuerte Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/fdea58c05d4267a9183363aad5220128.jpeg d015cf26391b15d1050918acf2e82c62 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. Have you ever seen something so pretty you tried to grab it? A beauty so surreal it makes you cry. That’s how I feel about the bay. The open neon blue water that stretches for eternity with the sky with two amazing backdrop to compliment it better whether it’s dark or light. And a nice brown dock that look like it was made for me just to sit and observe the view. I wish I could touch it. I wish it could hug my whole body, I wonder what water feels like. Is it wet? Is it cold? I have so many questions that might remain unanswered …... Mama said were forbidden from getting in the bay. The only time we could even get remotely close is when we must ride on jet skis to the Bahamas for work. And even then, we must wear these long, thick, water suit that cover my whole skin. All of this because of the 0.01% …. Especially Mr. Bozos laziness ruined the city when he was being too cheap for actual safety conditions for his employee, thus making the nuclear plant blow up killing thousands and destroy Miami land. Most of the land got destroyed, all the native animals went extinct, and I would never be able to see my dad again. I would’ve some peace in my heart and did some healing if I had some justice…. But nah all Bozo had to do was give about 5 million to the Miami Dolphins team to get a pardon and a new school named after him. Like his name needs to be attached to children please. I never been the same since that day, I grew this dark energy in my heart. It’s stronger than hatred, I never loath someone the way I despise that man. It’s crazy, I’ve even had some thoughts that are borderline murde- “Girl, pay attention! We almost at the security gate.” I was so distracted by my thoughts I didn’t even realize that I already clock in for work about to pick up a shipment. My coworker and closest friend left in town was surprisingly accoupling me on this trip which is rare. Were always goofing off on the clock so they usually separate us. “Please state your business” said the security officer whose hands was on his gun ready to use if we even think wrong “We’re going to the Bahamas to pick up three crates of fish and come back sir” Mya took charge of the conversation. Gave me a look that said please get it together. The security guard gave us hesitate to look like he wasn’t sure of us “Come on man, were trying to get back before sundown” I said in annoyed tone I could’ve been nicer and have no real reason to have an attitude, but I really didn’t want to travel back through Caribbean water with a whole bunch of fish. That just seem like were making us easy prey. Mya gave me a ‘I’m going to slap you later’ look but the guard rewarded my boldness with by letting us through “Now you and miss smartass better be back here by sundown, the tides supposed to be bad” the security snapped back with warning. We take the hour and 30-minute drive and arrive to the dock before Mya spoke again “Please don’t bring me into your weird suicide attempt ever again. What was my mom and all my siblings going to do about food if I didn’t make it home? You are always so impulsive, never think things through.’’ Mya seem exhausted with my shit I need to be careful before she dropped me. I should have more sympathy about her situation. Having to be the breadwinner of a family of eight siblings and a mother with cancer I would be strict to. “I honestly sorry, I really didn’t mean to be so rude to the man he just doing his job. I keep getting mad about how my life got here. I’m unknowingly dragging you into my misery.” I finally confessed. “I should be at USC right now; you should be at the club doing God knows what. Can’t believe the whole city got fucked up because of one lazy man mistake. And we don’t even get compensating for it!! Like why the fuck the Dolphins have our money? You’re not going to tell me 4 peat Superbowl champs are broke.” I got so lost in my usual “I HATE THE RICH” monologue again I loaded the crate of fish on the dock by myself. “You need to let that anger go, it going to make you wrinkle and you can’t afford Botox” she joked trying to lighten the mood. “Its 2100 and we still don’t have time machine! It’s no point in trying to control or change the pass. Cause you’re stuck here mad, depress, and alone at that evil man while he somewhere getting money …. he doesn’t even know or care about the victims he hurt.” Mya words hit like a dagger in my heart and soul. Not because it was harsh but because it was true. “Damn Oprah you right, I am stuck here mad and depress” I notice we finished two hours earlier than expected. “How bout we get ourselves a drink and leave our problems here. You’re right I need to move on and be present again” “That’s the spirit!! I know the perfect spot it’s only a 5-minute walk from the dock. We could lock our bikes here” I have a questionable look on my face. One thing about Mya she LOVE hanging with the elites. Her dream life is to be a stay-at-home mom to a billionaire. “This not one of those rich kids establishments you’re obsess with, right?” “Nah it’s like a chill dive bar with like middle-aged tourists I promise.” “Girl, this is not chill what kind of bar is this?” I forgot how calculated Mya lies are. Like yes, she was telling the truth about it being a dive bar, but it was not chill and the youngest person there was us. Plus, it was a bunch of rich college kids who look like the only black artist they know is Logic. “The last time I was here it was chill. Only like 8 people and the DJ was playing PinkPantheress.” I let my eyes take a lap around the very lively bar, usually I would put on my fun fake personality and have fun, I just don’t think today should be that day, with how emo I was being a victim of capitalism. Partying with their offspring just seem like hypocritical. “You know, maybe we should just go back to Miami I could cook us something” I pleaded but she was not behind me. She already made her way over to a group of guys, her eyes already on the obnoxious one. I follow behind like a lost puppy and watch how quick she becomes like this female personality and make everyone welcome. “Hey, what you want to drink? They’re paying” Mya end up taking one of the boy cards like she’s her lifelong wife or something “Something quick like a rum and coke, we still have to go back to the shore” I tried to remind her that we are technically still clock in a work and we have fresh fish in a cooler that need to be delivered; Without putting her on blast in front of the nameless boy she’s trying to get with. “Hey, what the rush you just got here” I guess since he’s paying for one drink, he feels like he has some authority over us or something. ‘My name is Kristen, how about you come over and chill with the rest of my friends” putting his arm around me with some type of cigar lit in my face. “ Sorry, love too but we have to work” I say politely while removing his arm around me “ I feel better now thank you lets go” trying to find Mya but she was already drinking down five shots with the other boys that his friends were with, I don’t know how in the hell she got over there so fast but I headed towards her bout to scold her like a mother “Need I remind you that we are still clocked in” I whisper in her ear “Yeah, but we have time remember, plus you owe me for almost getting shot this morning” “That of more reason to head back you don’t remember the warning he gave us about the currents or something” I a little taken back at how Mya is acting. She is the life of the party wherever she goes, but she always focuses when it comes to her job due to her living situation. And looking around these guy…. None of them are that cute so I kind of confuse. “Look put a 20-minute timer on your phone, when its up we will leave and still make it time to delivered and get home safely. I just got like 1,000 bucks just from this jerk SOBER who knows who much hell give us with a little liquid courage” And there it is. I knew she was had an ulterior motive and even though I’m very impress how much she got out that man in 5 minute I still don’t feel comfortable around four guys we didn’t know. She saw it exactly how I was feeling on my face and tried to ease my worries “Look we can split even whatever we make you just have to sit there and look pretty, and I do the rest ok?” she starts trying to make my hair look more presentable. She feels like a Madam trying to pimp me out. “Ok fine but were staying for 15 because we still have uncooked fish” We got interrupted by Kristen who had like 5 shots in hand “First round on me guys!! Dale!!” he passed out2 shots per person, but I pushed mine away “Oh no thank you we still working” I tried to say as lively as possible, but I still sound like a Debbie downer and Kristen took that personally “Come on, you can take one shot there not that strong” he persuades before I could protest, he pours both shot in my mouth at the same time without warning. I start coughing violently like I was choking. Who does this guy think he is? this strike two. “What the hell man? I almost died” I snapped after finally getting my breath back “My bad I was trying to loosen you up. You seem uptight” he honestly spoke. I’ve never met someone so rude on first meeting. And I met when I’m in the worst mood imaginable. Mya come in between us trying to defuse the situation “Can you go her some water as an apology please” she said in the most babydoll voice. The drive back is going to be interesting. “Don’t worry I’m going to take all hid money for disrespecting you” she said like she fighting my honor when we both know she just money hungry. “It’s ok we got like 8 minutes left” I said remembering the deal we have. “I’m sorry about my friend” one of his boys from the friend group spoken up “He’s a dick we only hang out with him because of his money” he said jokingly “Here, do you need some water” I take the water and taken back at how respectful he is since the friend group is not. “When he gets back, I make him apologize properly to you. My name is Justin” he introduces himself and join in our conversation. I don’t know if it was the shots or if it was, he’s demeanor since he looks like a prince, but I started to feel a little more comfortable. “You could order whatever you guys like. Food, drinks, whatever its on us. Your friend told mine that you guys are from Miami we could take you back on our boat.’’ He flashes the prettiest smile I ever seen in my lifetime. Not even the models on the big skyline can keep up. “Ok thank you.” Is all that can come out of my mouth. I hate super attractive men I don’t know what to do around them it makes me feel weak. Justin could see me getting flustered but that just make him start flirting more. He leans closer and put my drink in my hand “To new friends?” he asked like he looking for consent I let my guard down a little and take it he seems like someone cool. I take the drink and click his own drink in his hand and cheers “To new friends” That the thing I remember before I wake up. I open my eyes, and I feel grogy and have the worse headache ever. What happen? Where am I? I shoot up as hard as I can to look around my surrounding to seem I’m back at the beach with my face in the ocean. It must be like 11:00 p.m. at least. Nobody is around and my stuff like my phone is scattered on the sand floor. The last thing I remember was the toast I did with Justin, and the pain in my lower body told me everything that happen in between…... I jump up ignoring the pain in my legs, those boys know what happen to Mya I need to find her before the worse happen. My anxiety is trying to come out, but I need to compose myself for Mya safety I look around for clues when I see a I.D. on the sand. I see Justin smile; I hate that fucking smile. I’m even more annoyed that it somehow looks amazing even in a government photo. I pissed at myself for letting my guard down, but I can’t beat myself up about it. I could use the address on the I.D. to call the cops. But then I see his full name…. Justin Bozos…... As in Mr. Bozos only child. I’ve been lusting over the son of my arch enemy. I got attacked by the son of Earth Satan. I almost fall for a Bozos. My blood is past the point of boiling. My eyes watered, biting my lip so hard I could break skin. I’m so fucking sick of this family. They always taking something, using money and manipulating to get what they want. And why the fuck is my family always the victims of this? I can’t even go to police because he could just buy them off. I calmly wiped my tears from my eyes and fix myself up. I start walking back to the bar. I’ve decided. I say a quick prayer to God out loud “Heavenly father, forgive me because so will sin. I cannot let that family get away with this anymore. I’m sorry in advanced for what I’m about to do but you haven’t punished them for the sins of their crime… You reward them. I’ll have to take vengeance with my own hand. God, please forgive me but Justin Bozos will die tonight in front of his father. please give me the tools and guidance to complete my plan, ahem” It’s decided so therefore it’s done. Tonight, this girl gets her revenge. To be continued Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Revenge of The Swamp Bitch, Part 1 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kashyra Woods Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/6060226062090aa0b0e6045caee9b333.jpg 7e4117c293f198e3a1720b41016fbe98 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. Waves crash against the panes of glass lining the school building, threatening anyone sheltered inside who dares to come out. Inside, school desks are abandoned, worksheets half finished and contents of backpacks spilled out onto the floor. The electricity has gone out, save for a bright red emergency light in the corner of the room. The light illuminates an exhibit of student projects, all on the subject of new flood-resistant architecture. Ironically, these models have all fallen to the floor, now floating atop the few inches of water that have made their way into the classroom. An environment once filled with life and hope is now cold, waterlogged. The sloshing of water brings the room into motion, as legs push their way through the water. Scraped knees, untied shoes, and a small but desperate voice, shouting: “Mama!” The first broadcast – One week before Ares Bryce’s life was one of routine: wake up, shower, brush his teeth, get dressed, wake up his mom, make breakfast, rush to finish his homework while he waits for the boat, and head to school. Today, though, was special: it was Bryce’s birthday. As he slowly came out of sleep, he could sense movement in the kitchen. He sat up in his bed and felt something on his chest – a handmade birthday card from his mom. The front was decorated with cutout paper balloons, all different colors and bunched up, tethered together. When Bryce opened the card, a small picture fell out, and he could see his mom’s handwriting on the inside. The card read: Thirteen years ago today I got to meet you for the very first time. I didn’t know then how special you’d be, but I always had a feeling. Thank you for being the best thing to ever happen to me. Bryce smiled, tears creeping into the corners of his eyes. He picked up the photo that had fallen out of the card and found it was a hospital bed and a small bassinet next to it – him and his mother. Her smile was the brightest he’d ever seen. On the back of the photo her handwriting noted “08.19.2087 – the best of days!” He held the photo tight, rubbing away tears and sleepiness from his eyes as the room around him came into focus. The sunrise dressed his walls in warm orange light, reflecting off of the “one way” sign his mom let him take home after their visit to Old Sunset. It hangs proudly on the wall next to old family photos, a calendar two months out of date, and crayon drawings of the waterlogged city. In the corner of the room, a short desk and a beanbag chair stood as Bryce’s work desk, where he spends his time studying and doing homework (or coloring if he gets distracted). A dinosaur lamp on the desk has been left on from his last session, washing his notebooks and pencil pouch in a soft green light. A small six-cubby bookshelf next to his door was stocked with coloring books, toy baskets, and school supplies. His turquoise-green book bag is propped up against the shelf, flap pulled open and stray papers sticking out of the top. His bed was his favorite place in his room. Simple but comfortable, a mattress flat on the floor covered with enough blankets and pillows and stuffed animals to almost hide the mattress underneath it all. One special stuffed animal stood out – a particularly well loved cat, hair matted and one button eye missing. It could be seen in most of his childhood photos, taped above the head of his bed. His first birthday, the cat tucked under his arm as he sits in front of his cake topped with one lit candle, baby Bryce somehow already covered in frosting. Taking his first steps, big burly hands holding his own as he stumbled towards the little cat across the room. Moving day, with little Bryce and his big backpack as his mom packed their lives into the back of a boat. His first day of school, his second place win in the spelling bee, his elementary school graduation; remembering the photo in his hand, he crawled over to his desk, retrieving pieces of tape. The newest photo would be placed right over his head – the most special photo of them all. He peeked out of his bedroom and saw his mom, already awake, humming to herself in the kitchen. Her movements were slow but firm, concentrated as she moved about the nook. Pancakes, it smelled like. A birthday tradition that Bryce never grew tired of. Chocolate chip eyes and a whipped cream smile always greeted him on this day. As he came closer, his mom noticed him and smiled before pointing to her ears. He hadn’t put his cochlear on yet, so he shook his head and she nodded in understanding. Happy birthday sweetheart, she signed. You won’t need that thing for you to taste how good this is. Bryce had been deaf since birth, and it had never truly bothered him. Sure it was harder for him to make friends, but he felt it helped to weed out the bad ones. His mom made the decision to go ahead with cochlear implant surgery at the age of two, though she still went through the effort of learning sign language herself in order to teach it to him. His dad never latched on, he remembers. Bryce and his mom would have silly secret conversations that sent them into laughing fits no one else could understand. His mom always “got” him. He thought that even now as she plated both of their pancake breakfasts, hers covered in sprinkles and topped with a strawberry while his was the all-familiar sugary smile he so loved. Breakfast was perfect; Bryce always felt his mom was an incredible cook. She couldn’t cook as often anymore as she got weaker, so Bryce would step in and take on meals instead. He wasn’t nearly as good as her, but according to her he really knew how to scramble an egg. They talked and laughed as they ate, with mom stopping to cough when the laughing fits got to her. Once they finished, Bryce offered to help clean up but his mom brushed him off. Go wash up, she signed. It’s your birthday, let me do this for you. She put on a strong face, but Bryce could see her hands shake as she picked up their plates from the kitchen table. He shook away whatever thoughts were creeping in and decided to take her advice as he made his way to the bathroom down the hall. After a particularly cold shower – not Bryce’s choice, but the weather’s – he stepped out and caught sight of himself in the mirror. He’d gotten taller, he thought, or maybe he was just in denial about still only being 5 feet tall. His curly hair, once frizzy and full, was now weighed down from the shower water, curls sticking to his forehead. His green eyes stuck out against his bushy eyebrows and squared features. As he brushed his teeth he wondered what he’d look like without any eyebrows at all, giggling to himself. He was soon startled out of his thoughts by the sound of a slamming door. As he peeked out of the bathroom, hair still wet and lounge clothes loose around him, he felt uneasy. The air felt sickly, cold like the moments before a fever breaks. His attention turned to his mother’s bedroom, the door closed. She rarely ever closed her door. The last time he remembers it shut was the day before he saw his dad for the last time. Remembering this unsettled him, and he decided this time he’d confront it. As he approached the bedroom door, he hesitated, hearing a voice on the other side that did not belong to his mother. He turned the knob on the door and heard the muffled voice grow louder as the door cracked open, his mom coming into view huddled in front of their radio. The broadcast was chopped up by interference, but in between the static he could recognize distinct words: danger. flood watch. debris. hurricane. evacuate. high rise. Ares. The frenzy – One day before Ares As the days grew closer, the wind grew quicker. Scientists outside of Florida had given up their time to focus on the prediction of the storm, which all culminated tomorrow. School had been cancelled once the first broadcast went out about hurricane Ares. The buildings were now being used as resource centers for citizens to stock up on supplies. The streets were flooded not yet with water, but with sirens and panicked voices; megaphone voices calling out instructions, families packing their lives into the backs of boats and driving out of the city, adults arguing over little things like who was in line first at a time when it shouldn’t matter anymore. The wind coming into the city was now bending trees at its whim, palm fronds floating atop the risen water like a promise of destruction. With school being cancelled, Bryce now spent his time at home with his mother. He knew she was getting worse, even if she’d never talk to him about it. He watched her as she kneeled on the kitchen floor, her frail hands loading canned food into duffel bags, shaky but not from fear. Her face was stone and determined, though Bryce could see there were cracks, and right now he needed the soft mother that was hiding within that shell. All he knew to do was kneel beside her, grab her hands, and look into her eyes. Voice shaking, he started singing her favorite song. Stuttering Cold and damp Steal the warm wind, tired friend Times are gone For honest men Sometimes, far too long for snakes His eyes had fallen closed as he sang, and when he opened them he found his mother in tears watching him. She pushed the duffel bags between them aside and pulled him into her chest, heaving as she steadied her breath. They sat there on the apartment floor, rocking back and forth in silence. Her voice rumbled against Bryce’s body as she sang. Black hole sun Won't you come And wash away the rain? Black hole sun Won't you come Won't you come They stayed like this for a long moment, both forgetting about hurricane and flood watch and danger and temporary and death and change. The silence was broken by the crackle of the radio, pulling Bryce and his mother back into reality. Her once steady hands now found again their tremor as they raised to brush away Bryce’s bangs. Her voice shook as she told him: Everything’s gonna be okay, right? We’ve made it this far and nothing’s taken us out yet, so what’s a little more? Even as close as she was, her voice sounded muffled and distant. Her hands found his shoelaces and knotted them tight with something unspoken. A strength enough to be her last, a plea to not come undone without her there to tie them back up. As she stood, she wiped her eyes and shook away the moment, her stone face stitching closed once again. Her mouth opened, but no words could come out before a large bang against their apartment window. Ares – One day early Winds. Rain. Water levels rise high enough to lick the bottom edges of the apartment windows. Palms bang against windows like they’re trying to break in. Mothers and sons huddle under countertops and pray to whatever god is listening. Soon enough a window breaks. Water rushes in and soaks the floor, quickly flooding the apartment nearly a foot high. Bryce scrambles up onto the kitchen counter, losing hold of his mother’s hand. Water churns through the apartment, taking his and his mother’s possessions with it. Scrapbooks, Christmas presents, stuffed animals, all whisked away by the unforgiving storm. He shouts for his mother but hears no response. Reaching behind his head he feels no cochlear device; it must have fallen off in the chaos. He feels the counter shake under his palms and soon it is uprooted from the floor and pulled towards the hole in the window. He clings to it as it rushes him out into the midst of the storm. Rain crashes down on him, disorienting him enough for him to lose hold of the counter. He slides off into the water and it flings him in all directions. As Bryce fights to keep his head above water he spots his school building amidst the chaos. He pushes against the current with everything he has toward the school dock. The winds and water combined scratch at his eyes, tear at his skin. He barely gets a hand on the dock before a wave sends him slamming into the wood platform and everything goes black. Bryce awakens in a room painted in red light. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource You're Gone And My Shoes Are Untied Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Emily Nieves Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/89bafe0d69a087604bb144659d309549.png f5671086ef1f06032301a2256cc3d875 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. Living in a world where everything is underwater isn't the most ideal place to live but it is home to me and many others. My name is Grace and I live in Miami or what's left of it at least. It's now 2073 . Most people don't really remember what it used to look like since most of the people who did are either dead or have moved somewhere else. They talk about how roads were something permanent that they didn't just crack and disappear under the pressure of the water. They talk about how beaches didn't always move and stayed in one place and people were able to visit them in days of wanting to go hang out in the water and sand. They talked about how it started slowly, ice melting, oceans rising, and tides getting higher every year until the water just stopped leaving. And even when I look like it does, it doesn't. The water comes up from the ground too, through the stone Miami was built on like, the city is flooding from underneath.My mom told me there used to be traffic so bad that you sat for hours on end just to go a few miles. Now the only traffic there is, we have floats and boats. Boats drift on by past what used to be intersections for cars . Stop signs are poking out of the water like warnings they used to be but no one follows anymore as it's all taken by water. Sometimes if the tide is low enough you can still see the tops of cars resting on the bottom of the water left there when this all started rusting and forgotten. I’ve never really driven a car, couldn't actually since there was no road . But I can steer a boat better than most adults. Our house stands higher than most. Not because we are rich but because my grandpa saw that it was coming before everyone else realized it did and for that we are grateful for now. Years before the water reached our streets he had raised our entire house on thick concrete stilts. People back then had laughed at him. They don't laugh anymore. The first floor of the house is gone now. It's completely underwater. If you lean over the side of our balcony and you look down and when the sun hits it just right you can see what's left of it. Kitchen tables, our couch and picture frames that are still hanging crooked on the walls. Sometimes you see fish swimming through our living room but I try to think about it too much. Life runs on tides here. You don't make plans unless you check the water levels first. School only happens when the currents are calm enough for the smaller boats to get through the water so it's not a danger for children. Supply drops only come twice in twice a week and that's if they make it. And if they don't come people get desperate for some food and supplies. Freshwater is harder to find now the ocean didn't just take the streets. It got into everything, even the fresh water people used to drink.That's where the pirates come in. I used to think the Pirates were just stories, something that was from old movies or books nobody really reads anymore. Out here they're very real, not with eye patches and treasure maps but with fast boats and empty water tanks they don't steal gold but they steal what matters, freshwater ,medicine, and food things people like us can't survive without and that is what makes them not so different then the stories because that is our treasure.The first time I saw them, I didn't really realize what was happening. It was early in the morning. The sun was barely over the water and everything was quiet and I felt peaceful. I was helping my mom unload crates from my supply boat that had just finally made it after being delayed for many days. Then we heard engines low and fast too fast for our liking. Inside the house my mom said immediately her voice was sharp, but I stayed. I don't know why maybe curiosity, mostly stupidity. They came out of nowhere three boats cutting through the water like they had owned it like nothing had mattered to them . People started shouting and scrambling to pull the supplies back to protect what we had and then I saw him. He stood at the front of one of the boats studying what was happening like the chaos couldn't touch him. He wasn't yelling like the others, not rushing just watching. Our eyes met for a second and something about that made my chest tighten. Grace, my mom yelled. I turned too late. A hand had grabbed my arm, not rough, but firm enough that I couldn't pull away from it. Don't move, a voice said to me . It was him up close to me . He didn't look like what I had expected a pirate to look like, no anger,no wildness in his eyes, just focus and something I just couldn't quite name.Let go of me I snapped trying to twist out of his grip to get free. I will, he said calmly, just don't make this harder. Harder for who you're the one stealing from us for a second something flickered in his expression not exactly guilt but not nothing either. We take what we need, he said and so do we. I shot back. The noise around just blurred for a moment people shouting. Water slamming against the dock, and our crates being dragged away, but all I could focus on was him. What's your name? He asked, suddenly I blinked. Are you serious right now? A small smile pulled out his mouth yeah he answered. I hesitated. I shouldn't have answered him. I knew that but something about the way he looked at me like I was more than just someone in the way made me pause …Grace. He nodded slightly like he was storing my name somewhere I'm… John, someone said behind him we're done.So that was his name John he looked back at me one last time before letting go of my arm. Stay safe Gracie he said, and then he was gone just like that the boat sped off, leaving waves crashing against the dock and silence settling after all that chaos, half of our supplies were gone people already arguing already trying to figure out how to make what we had left last longer, but I wasn't paying attention to any of that. I was still thinking about him, which made no sense because he was the reason people here were hungry. The reason my mom looks so tired all the time. The reason that this place felt like it barely was holding together. I should've hated him. I shouldn't want to see him again. I told myself I did and I don't . But that night lying awake with the sound of the water moving beneath our house all I could think about was the way he said my name like I had actually mattered and I had a feeling that this wasn't the last time I was going to see him. I was right, it wasn't the last time I saw him. A week passed before anything had actually happened again. Seven days of rationing what was left of our supplies. Seven days of my mom, barely sleeping and constantly checking our inventory, talking in slow voices with our neighbors about how long we can stretch our supplies for. Seven days of me, pretending I wasn't thinking about the boy named John who stole from us. The tide was low that afternoon. Low enough that parts of the old highway broke through the surface, forming narrow strips of land where people gathered to trade. We called it the ridge a temporary market that only existed for a few hours before the water swallowed it again. Stay close, my mom told me, handing me a small bag. Get what you can don't talk to anyone you don't trust, I nodded. I always nodded. The ridge was crowded. When I got there people were moving fast. Voices were overlapping and trades were happening quickly. Water crashed around the edges, reminding everyone that time was limited. I pushed through the crowd scanning for anything useful, filters, dried food, batteries, and then I saw him. John standing near the edge half in the shadow like he didn't fully belong here like he was waiting for something my stomach tightened. I should've turned around, but I didn't. You're staring he said without looking at me I froze for a half second then crossed my arms you're easy to recognize. He turned then that same almost smile appeared. Good to know, I made an impression. Yeah I said a bad one. He stepped closer, lowering his voice lightly. You shouldn't be here alone. I let out a short laugh and you should.For a second his expression shifted serious again. This place isn't safe. He said it never is. There was a pause. Not awkward, just heavy. You guys lost a lot that day. He said it wasn't a question. I didn't answer right away because if I did, I knew my voice wouldn't come out steady like I had wanted it to. My mom hasn't stopped stressing since I said finally. People are counting every drop now something in his jaw tightened here he said, reaching into his bag. I tensed immediately dont i said , but he wasn't grabbing a weapon. He pulled out a sealed pack. Water purification tablets more than I've seen in weeks. He held them out to me. I stared at them, then back at him. You're kidding I said no he answered you stole from us. I know he replied, and now you're just giving this to me, not everything we take stays with us. He says quietly I shook my head that doesn't fix anything. I'm not trying to fix it. He said I'm trying to balance it. I let out a sigh of frustration. You can't just take what people need then act like you're the good guy after. I never said it was a good guy. He said that shut me up because he didn't sound defensive. He sounded honest. The water was shifting around the ridge rising just a little higher. Time was running out. Why me? I asked John looked at me for a second longer than necessary because you looked at me like I wasn't just another thief. I frowned. I literally argued with you. yeah he said exactly. I didn't know what to do with that so I reached out and took the pack. His fingers brushed against mine again and just like before something lingered. Grace, my name was shouted. I turned at the sound of my mom's voice cutting through the crowd. She was closer than I thought . Go John said to me, stepping back, I hesitated just for a second. Will I see you again ask before I could stop myself, his expression changed something soft breaking through. Yeah he said then he was gone slipping into the crowd like he was never there. By the time my mom reached me, the ridges were already starting to disappear beneath the rising tide. Where were you? She asked, grabbing my arm. I told you to stay close. I was said quickly. I got something look. I showed her the tablets, her eyes widened. Grace, where did you get these? I hesitated just long enough for her to notice I traded. I said it wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the truth either. That night I couldn't sleep again. The water moved quietly beneath the house, soft waves hitting the beams with a rhythm I knew my whole entire life. Usually it had calmed me but tonight it didn't but now there was something else mixed into it expectation and maybe something dangerously close to having hope I don't know what John wanted. I didn't know what I had wanted either. All I knew was that in the world where everything was unstable where nothing stayed the same for long. He felt like he was the start of something new and that scared me more than the water and the change of Miami had ever could. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Thieves Of The Tide Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brianne Sanchez Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/5399763a678e0af91b8d46ada1476596.jpg e541b6b536efb17c5973644235375a85 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. The Adventures of Alice, Lulu, and Luna in Nature - Once upon a time, there was a little girl with golden curls, cinnamon-colored skin, and eyes as blue as the depths of the sea. She was eight years old, and her name was Alice. She lived with her parents on a beautiful farm surrounded by many animals and leafy oak trees, from which she would swing from one to the next. Her house was on an island, where the sea lapped at the shore. Her house was white and very tall because it stood in the middle of the water. She used to walk around the estate; sometimes she went fishing with her father, and she would get very upset when she couldn’t leave the house because of the heavy rains that often flooded it. One morning, during a heavy but not overly intense rain, she and her family went out to sea in a small boat they owned. Upon returning, they found their house half-submerged in water, and many of their belongings destroyed and scattered. To Alicia’s great sadness, she couldn’t find a small pink doll with golden, curly hair like hers in her bed; her doll’s name was Lulu. She cried inconsolably all night long until her bed was flooded with tears over the loss of her doll. Everything was in ruins; the water had risen high enough to cover the neighbors’ houses. Many ambulances and planes were rescuing people, the rocks were covered by huge mountains of salt, completely calcified. It took many years to recover from the disaster, but the most striking thing was the vast number of lizards wandering among the people and the water. These animals had grown gigantic, like dinosaurs, with deformities in their bodies because they had eaten all the plastic from that natural disaster that could have been avoided by producing less waste. Those animals grew so large that humans became their subjects; they ruled, and Miami Beach became the island of the dinosaurs. They ruled; they were the owners of everything. They built huge castles surrounded by mountains of salt, but the floods continued because people did not realize the gravity of the situation until the genetic transformation that occurred in these animals, turning into ferocious monsters. Faced with this problem, the water began to seep into the houses, flooding everything that stood in its way. But in the midst of that chaos, a little girl was crying and searching for her doll, Lulu, yet she feared becoming the prey of one of these transgenic lizards that had turned into immense monsters. But Alice decided that everything would change; that even though she was just a girl, she would fight with all her strength to save the world from the sea’s encroachment so that people wouldn’t lose what they loved most. Because of this, that six-year-old girl dedicated herself to promoting small actions and details at school—such as recycling and avoiding plastic—so that children would become more aware of not just buying toys but turning trash into other products; she would go to the bay on Sundays to encourage people to pick up trash from the sea. She would cry and say that in the midst of difficult circumstances, she had learned to make a different kind of change to improve her life and that of others. Her efforts were so great that more people joined her cause. Three years passed, and at age 13, during one of those trash collection and reforestation efforts, she found what motivated her to make a change: her doll Lulu, who was made of rags with huge braids of wool for hair and a red dress. But her problem didn’t end there, because she had to do something more; every day the problems with those challenging transgenic animals grew, so another challenge began: the War of the Transgenic Frogs, with Alice, a 13-year-old girl who fought to defeat those giant animals. One morning under a blazing sun, where her golden curls shone in the radiant sunlight, she was with her doll Lulu, who told her that while she was missing, she had overheard the conversations of the giant lizards. They said they were growing stronger because they fed on plastic and substances they extracted from the calcified rocks in the sea. They had a plan was to take over Florida, become stronger, and fight to flood everything to the point where only they would rule, because they were very strong and people were very foolish, thinking that every flood just happened and that was it. That’s how Alice, upon hearing what Lulu told her, came up with a plan against the giant lizards. She devised a meal of organic food that they used to give her every afternoon with her doll Lulu—food rich in organic spinach and sweet potatoes that satisfied these animals. As they ate the food Alice prepared, they shrank in size, becoming animals that kept getting smaller in size. In the middle of a swampy, rainy area with shifting sandy ground where the lizards were so powerful, they breathed fire from their mouths, they moved from one side to the other, growing to the size of buildings; the sea’s inundation of the houses was so severe that they collapsed every day. Living in an environment surrounded by water, due to a lack of awareness—not only because of climatic factors but also global warming resulting from environmental pollution—has caused the ice of the glaciers to melt, and that fresh water from the Antarctic ice arrived, causing environmental damage. It was impressive how Alice, in this constant struggle, had to endure the hot ocean water on her body, which raised the sea level, undertaking an almost titanic task in her desire to free her territory from the harshness of natural phenomena and the misdeeds of human beings. Her efforts to care for the planet turned Florida into a swampy area full of transgenic lizards. Alice fought from a boat she rowed herself alongside her doll Lulu; there were many porous limestone rocks that absorbed the salty seawater, causing the earth to tremble and the buildings to sway from side to side. On that journey, which lasted for days, Alice and Lulu fought against all odds to save the earth and the world. Diving into the depths of the sea, they asked other marine animals what was happening. On that journey, they met a beautiful pink dolphin named Luna, with whom they played, jumping from one place to another. She promised to show them the mysteries of what was happening and to take them on different journeys with her pod so they could understand. So, they plunged into the depths of the sea, where Luna, in a whirlpool of blue water, led them to a large, rushing river surrounded by jungle, where there were indigenous people with half their bodies naked, wearing necklaces and skirts made of dried banana leaves. The dolphin tells her she’ll meet the tribe’s shaman, who is a healer, and that in that place there are over 80, 000 varieties of plants on which chemical-free medicines are based, and that they should ask the Mamo for a remedy so that the genetically modified lizards would be healed and return to their natural state. This is how Alice speaks with the Mamo, Antonio, who tells her what is wrong without her even asking: “You have come to seek a cure.” Alice replies, “Yes.” The shaman tells her, “You must reconcile with Mother Earth and first ask God for forgiveness for offending His perfect creation.” And so, Alice, holding the hands of Lulu and Luna, kneels and asks God for forgiveness, looking up to Heaven and saying, “Forgive me for not being grateful for the gifts You give us, for immersing my life in things that are truly unnecessary.” Then God appears, dressed in a white robe, of an unattainable height and stature; He takes Alice’s hand and says, “I have nothing to forgive you for. You are a pure child; you are an angel sent from Heaven. Remember to love Me first above all things, but never forget that animals are My creatures—love them and respect them.” After this, a cool, calm breeze passes by; Jesus Christ departs, and Alice weeping, says, “Mother Nature, forgive me.” The trees respond by swaying their branches as a sign of forgiveness. Then Mother Nature tells Alice that she will show her the plants that will help her solve her problems. Mamo picked some leaves from the avocado tree and prepared an infusion for her with oregano and mint. Days passed as she enjoyed nature with her doll Lulu and the pink dolphin Luna. Later, Alice decided to return to her home, but this time she did so alongside the pink dolphin Luna. It was a wonderful journey; they leaped in the Amazon River and played with the other dolphins until they found the tunnel where a freshwater whirlpool carried them to the sea. Alice returned to a swampy area, but this time she had hope for change. She began scattering seeds from the avocado tree throughout the swamp, and they grew. The lizards ate these plants, and their size transformed into that of ordinary lizards, which gathered in herds of normal size. The avocado trees grew tremendously, reducing flooding on sunny days; the tides have run their normal course, and Biscayne Bay has become an earthly paradise, a natural lung for the planet. Today, Alice is 20 years old; her dolphin Luna and her doll Lulu continue to accompany her in her foundation called “An Adventure to Save Biscayne Bay from Sea Intrusion.” Despite the reforestation efforts led by Alice who is now a marine biologist to improve conditions, street levels have been raised; similarly, engineers recommended that construction projects respect the protection of flora and fauna. Ten years after Alice traveled to the Amazon with the pink dolphin Luna and her doll Lulu, Alicia decided to speak with the Mamo again and asked him for a prediction of what might happen in Florida due to environmental pollution. The Mamo told her that it was likely that transgenic lizards would grow extraordinarily large, roaring fire to the point of causing destruction worse than a Category 5 hurricane. He warned her that as these lizards walked, they would destroy everything. He would prepare a natural oil extracted from tree leaves for her. So, upon returning to Florida, Alice decided to pour this liquid into the sea, which shone like the color of her golden-brown hair. This liquid poured by Alice into the sea caused people to drink it and change their consciousness regarding environmental preservation and the reduction of plastic use. Today, every Sunday, Alice cleans the bay with many volunteers to prevent the collapse and damage caused by the sea encroaching on the city. Alice showed the world that love for animals and nature is a gift God has given us, one that deserves honor and gratitude. Likewise, Mother Nature deserves respect, as God created her as an example of His greatness and supernatural power. Alice without realizing it, had built a palace of wonders with nature; it wasn’t just about the science or the exact mathematics she knew, but about her connect on with animals; in fact, she would sit on the shore. The wisdom of Mamo transformed toxicity into decontaminated spaces. Alice turned a problem into a solution that transformed a way of life within human consciousness, improving the way we view life. Today, Alicia finished her work colleting trash in the bay, she observes alongside her parents, her faithful companions Lulu, her doll, and Luna, the pink elf, that nature holds the cure for illnesses, and that it is not enough to consume organic food, but rather to possess a strength like that of eagles to awaken and see a different perspective when faced with a problem of water immersion; this problem was resolved through the wisdom of an indigenous person who understands the vastness of natural resources. This story has ended. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Adventures of Alice, Lulu, and Luna in Nature Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Aura Baute Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/c0a1fa495232259d222a6ceb9c51d899.jpg 1ff27fcdad48521380da5c105dda74b9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. February 13, 2100 I wake up to every other day. I am the first one of my siblings to be up. Dad is already awake, like he never really slept the night before. Dad has been working on this draining machine project for the past two years, but no success on the key point. I go to the twins’ room, wake them up, and help them get ready for school. Meanwhile, mom is making us breakfast. In the school, we have our own catering, so mom only makes lunch for dad. Today is Luca’s birthday. Luca is the guy I like from school. We have been studying together since 8th grade -since when my mom started teaching at the school and got me and my siblings a scholarship. He is the son of one of the most wealthy people in town. His parents own the most successful flying and boat cars company nationally. It is my dad’s dream company to work at, but he will only have a chance once his project is done. Today Luca invited the entire class over to his house to celebrate his birthday. I am so excited, but nervous. I am going to see from closer what my forever crush’s life looks like, but also the town’s wealthiest family’s too. My family and I finish our breakfast and start moving for the day ahead. My family carries only one boat. It is made out of wood and doesn’t really have much space to sit in. It literally only has space for the five of us. So everyday, we first drop my dad off at his job, and then the rest of us head to the school. Everyday as we are driving the boat, I will always find myself hyper focused thinking on what our reality is like around us. Around my neighborhood –the humble side of the city– you will find the houses that were adapted from the engineering of many years ago. As the flood started, people used the old houses as base to sustain the new houses over them –that’s how our house looks like. Growing up one of my favorite things to do with my best friend, Leo, was to swim under these houses. You can still see the rooms, the kitchen, doors and windows, and even some furniture that were covered up with the flood. But as we make our way downtown, where both the school and Luca’s apartment are, you see the new engineering taking place. You see all the new flying boats. The new buildings that were built over strong pines of concrete, and not old houses. These new engineers were made thinking of future floods that can reach 10 feet – we’re now at 8 feet over sea level. We get to the school. Our school was the first school built from scratch adapted to the flooding reality. The entire school is a private one floor flat building built over 10 feet of sea level concrete. There aren't many students since it is a very limited access. The school has only one classroom per grade. Six bathrooms. One catering area. And two big courts, one inside and one outside, to practice sports. We get to the school and I help mom place our simple boat next to all the new-facing boats at the dock. At the same time that I feel uncomfortable and a bit ashamed being around wealthier people, I everyday see my parents’ hard work to keep our family well and protected, and then I remember to not feel ashamed but grateful. Mom gives us a kiss and heads to the professors’ classroom where the school staff meet every day before classes start. I take my siblings to their classroom –they're currently in 6th grade. Lastly, I take myself to my classroom, senior classroom. Since the flood became a situation to care about, both public and private schools are required to teach a self and societal safety class, where we learn about everyday survival skills and analyze future possibilities. In our school this class takes place in our first period. I arrive at class and there he is. Luca. Surrounded by everyone. Both congratulating him and also talking about later today. Because our class is very small, it is normal for us to wish one another “Happy Birthday” even if we are not close. I head to his table and try to get in between everyone that was surrounding him. At times I feel like my classmates avoid me since I am the only one in our class with a lower society status. I tell myself, “School is almost over, this will be one of the last chances you will get to talk to him.” I take a deep breath and squeeze myself between everyone. “Happy Birthday, Luca!” I give a slight smile. He seems surprised –I guess because I’m always in the back corner of the classroom and don’t really talk to the rest of the class. “Oh, thank you, Olivia. I appreciate it.” He answers back also with a slight smile and open eyes. I stayed there for a second staring at his eyes. How can it be so beautiful? Honey eyes with long ashes. I mentally ask myself. “Are you coming with us later today?” I feel everybody looking at me the moment he asks this question. I looked around, and felt a bit resistant to answer. It felt like everybody was telling me to say, “No.” I said, “Yes, I am.” I knew I couldn't let the opportunity pass by. I knew I had to be stronger than my insecurity. Plus, in a few months I will never see these people again. Everybody gasped and looked at each other when I answered. Luca kept looking at me. He was surprised, but seemed to be a bit excited. I looked around one last time, smiled at everyone around, and headed to my usual seat. Our first period started. Today, they came up with something different. They presented to us the project the school is collaborating with X-Rey company, Luca’s family engineering company. They wanted to work with the senior class, where they could potentially find future employees for their company. The company wants to grow with their products, and now they're interested in getting into the water industry. They want to come up with a machine that helps with the flooding situation. They did not put any limitations or specific requirements. They wanted to see every idea possible. It right away made me think of my dad’s project. They gave us one week to register for the program. To be honest, I am not too sure since I have always been more interested in the health care industry; however, this is a chance to help and show my dad’s work. We had an usual school day. Classes were the same as always. Lunch time is the same as always. I spent it with Leo. Then, once the last class is over everybody runs to the deck. Leo and I are the last ones to go. We get there and we see Luca’s family’s super flying boat car. It would have been the first time I go into one of those. Leo has been in one of them since he is in an engineering club. My mom and my siblings would be heading home alone today, which kind of made me feel bad since I tend to take care of everyone. My mom said I was good to go to Luca’s house since she has known I have had the biggest crush on him for years. The car is big. It has about 10 seats. Two in the front, three in the first row, three in the second row, and two in the last row. Leo and I sat on the last seat since we were the last one to board. The entire car has windows all around it and a good space in the back for luggages or anything like that. I notice how the display looks like an airplane's. Luca’s family’s personal driver is the one that picked us up. I was fascinated by how this car worked. At first it runs like a boat, then as it reaches the speed at a very high level then it starts flying, you hear the turbine sound and it looks to be just like what my dad had described how an old classic airplane works. It is beautiful from above. Its predominant water, you can still see some land. We passed through the tallest building. It felt weird to see our region from above for the first time. We landed at his house. This was unreal. I had never seen anything like this before. The house was like a floating boat. There were glass walls all over the house. Cars, boats, airplanes, all floating in the water in front of the house. It was a real ocean view. I was speechless and amazed by it. Leo and I were looking around. Our classmates started looking at us, kind of in a judgmental way. Those stares brought me back to our reality –we would never have such a living like theirs. I second doubted my decision to come, like that place wasn't for me. Luca comes my way. He started a conversation, “So what do you think? Pretty cool, huh?” I was a bit surprised he came all the way back to find me. He walked me through his house while the rest of our class headed to the outdoor area, where we would have the barbecue and enjoy the pool during the entire day. “I was surprised you wanted to come,” he told me. I thought to myself, is this a good or bad thing? I didn’t know what to say. “Yeah, I mean the school year is almost over so I thought of taking this opportunity to enjoy it with our classmates before we all split out. I mean, also of course to celebrate your birthday.” He smiled. My heart froze at that moment. He then guides us to the outdoor area. For the rest of the day, we were all having fun. Even I did. Luca made me feel welcome. We sang Happy Birthday, and I noticed his parents weren’t there. I was surprised. They have always seemed to be a very close and loving family. I am guessing they were too busy with work since it was a Thursday. It was time for us to go home. Everyone had their private driver picking them up. My mom was supposed to come get me, but she didn’t arrive the time she told me she was coming. Luca asked me if I wanted him to take him home. I was a little hesitant. I didn’t want anyone from my school to see where I live. It is nothing to what they have had their entire life. But at the same time, I had to go home, it was getting late. I looked at Leo like I wanted him to tell me what to do. “Yes, let him take you home. Your mom probably got busy with your siblings.” “But what about you?” I asked. “Don’t worry. My parents are on the way.” “Alright. Only if it’s not a problem for you, Luca.” “Not at all. Let’s just wait for Leo to be picked up.” Leo’s parents came. Then, Luca and I headed to one of their boat cars. At the same time, Luca’s parents arrived. They looked at us, especially at me, with judgmental facial expressions. They said “Hello”, and his dad right away asked who I was. I was in the middle of the conversation, where Luca is trying to explain that I am one of his classmates, and how he is about to take me home. I could see his parents unstoppable staring at me. Up and down. When his dad started asking too many questions, Luca took us to his car. “It was great to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Thank you for having me at your house.” They didn’t say anything. During the entire drive, we were talking about school, our plans once it is over. Everything was fine until we started arriving in my neighborhood. I noticed him looking side to side, like he was analyzing everything. I stayed quiet. I was embarrassed. This neighborhood is based on adjustable old houses, built on top of flooded ones. I am sure nothing he has ever seen in person. We got to my house and I didn't even invite him over. I just thanked him for the ride and immediately ran to my house. February 17, 2100 It’s Monday. I didn't go to class on Friday, I had to help my dad with his engineering project. Today was the last day for us to register for the program, and I had to have a draft of my project idea. I was going to work with what my dad has been working with. I get to class in the same way as always. I get to class and I see Luca’s eyes brightening as he sees me walking in. I smiled slightly and walked to my seat in the back. He looks back. That is confusing. I didn't understand why he was looking at me. He never did before. Honestly, I told my mind to not think too much about it. I kept looking straight. I didn’t want to look at him. I didn’t want to confuse myself thinking he had eyes for me. No. That would never happen. To our surprise, Luca’s dad walks in to talk about the program. Our first period professor and he go over the project again and ask for those that are interested to stand up and share their project name and draft idea. Once I stood up Luca’s dad looked at me like I wasn’t supposed to. I breathe and say, “I am Olivia Rodriguez, and I will be working on a Draining Water Machine.” I can see him taking a deep breath, but pretending to be excited. “That’s great Olivia, I am glad you’re interested in the program.” In our class, only me, Leo, Luca, and two other classmates signed up for the program. During the whole school day I avoid Luca at all costs. Especially after his dad’s appearance. His stare continues to remind me of our completely different realities. Luca tries to reach out to me after lunch, but I just walk straight to my seat with Leo. And that just continued like that for the rest of the week. I just continued with my regular routine, and worked on the project after school hours. February 21, 2100 It was the end of school hours when Luca approached me. And he didn’t let me go, until I talked to him back. He asked me if anything had happened. He said how he has been trying to talk to me, and I seem to be avoiding him. I didn’t want to tell him the real reason why I was avoiding him. The reason is because I don’t want to let my mind do unrealistic things, and plus, how embarrassed I was when he dropped me off at my house. Instead of that, all I said was, “Oh no, nothing happened. Everything is fine. I have just been very focused and busy with the project.” He looked at me for a moment, like he didn’t fully believe me, but he didn’t say anything about it and just told me that I didn’t have to avoid him. I didn’t really know what to say after that, so we stood there for a few seconds in silence before he asked if I wanted to stay after school and work on the project. I hesitated for a second, but I said yes –but mainly because I actually had to work on it. I WAS NOT GOING TO LET MY FEELINGS CONFUSE THE REALITY– and we went back to the lab and started working. At first, it felt a little quiet between us, not like the day of his birthday, but after some time it started to feel normal again. I showed him a bit of my project idea, how the water flows near my area and how we could use that instead of trying to completely stop it. We ended up sitting closer than usual because of how everything was spread out, and at one point we both reached for the same paper at the same time and our hands touched for a second before we both pulled back like nothing happened. My stomach felt that right away. My soul froze for a few seconds. I noticed it and I think he did too, even though we didn’t say anything about it and just kept working. After a while, he handed me one of his headphones, and I didn’t question it, I just put it on, and we worked like that for some time in a quiet way that didn’t feel awkward. Now I am wondering, am I more nervous about the project or everything else that comes with it? February 25, 2100 Today felt different. Luca and I stayed after school again to work on the project since the presentation is coming up. Everything is almost done, but he seemed a little distracted. I asked him if something was wrong, but he just said it was nothing. Later today, his parents came to the school. They watched us present our project draft, and at first it seemed like they liked it. His dad asked questions, and I answered them. But then they started asking about me instead. Where I live. What my parents do. I answered, but it didn’t feel normal. It felt like they were judging me. Again, with that same deep stare of always. After they left, Luca noticed that I felt uncomfortable. He told me not to think about it too much. I said okay, but I couldn’t stop replaying it in my mind for the rest of the day. February 28, 2100 Today was the presentation. I was nervous, but I knew my project was good. When I got there, I saw it. It was my project, but it wasn’t mine anymore. His family’s company name was on it. Everything looked the same. The same design. The same system. Like it belonged to them. I just stood there for a second. People were already talking about it. Saying how good it was. I tried to say something, but no one really listened. When I did speak the truth, “That is my project.” They looked at me with side eyes. And some people even laughed. Like I didn’t know what I was talking about. Someone even said it didn’t make sense for me to come up with something like that. That I was incapable. “What do you mean sweetheart? This is what the company came up with. We did it” Luca’s mom says in front of everyone. I didn’t know what to say after that. I looked at Luca. He looked surprised too, but he didn’t say anything right away. Like he was scared. For his parents? For our classmates? For his credibility? That hurt more than anything. So I stopped talking, and went to my usual seat. March 2, 2100 I haven’t talked to Luca since the day of the presentation. He knew it, and he didn’t want to dare to come up to me, and that is all I wanted. I was so over him. This school. These types of people. I just couldn't wait for the school year to be over. I stayed quiet the whole day. Not even with Leo I really wanted to talk to. I just wanted to come home already. Once class was over I jumped in our boat right away and went home. Later that afternoon, I heard someone scream outside my house. I come outside and I see him. Luca. I was so annoyed. I was also surprised. And I was once again embarrassed to appear in that situation, looking like how I look, old clothes, living in an old house. “What do you want?” I say from afar. “I am sorry for what happened.” He said he didn't know what happened. He said he would fix it. That he wasn’t like them. I wanted to believe him, but it didn’t feel the same anymore. There was too much that already happened, and I just didn’t want to have more stress than I already have. I stayed quiet. He noticed I didn’t want to talk. Before he left, he said, “I’ll come back.” I didn’t say anything. I just nodded. But to be honest, I didn’t believe it. I didn’t trust him anymore. March 4, 2100 I arrived at class today and I was so ready to leave again. Until, I heard about a crash. People were talking about it everywhere. One of his family’s aircraft went down. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Then I heard his name. I didn’t know what to do. I just sat there. People kept talking about the company and what went wrong. I didn’t listen. I just kept thinking about the last time I saw him. How guilty I felt. I started overthinking and worrying. “Is he okay?” I say. They tell me there hasn’t been any updates yet, but the crash was serious. I leave the classroom and go straight to my mom’s class. She was surprised and worried to see. I never go to her class. I tell her what happened and I right away break down. I tell everything that has happened the past few days. For the rest of the day I couldn't do anything other than think about it. Waiting for an update. I couldn’t stop replaying the last time I saw it. His voice. Him. March 6, 2100 His dad came to my house today. I almost didn’t open the door, but I did. He didn’t look the same. He looked tired. He told me everything. Luca had died. He didn’t resist it. My heart dropped at that moment. I couldn't control the tears coming out of my eyes. He told me how he had made Luca go to Texas for a few weeks since he noticed how distracted and different he was. He told me how he knew it was because of me. And that bothered him. He admitted it. He admitted that he judged me from day 1, because of how I looked, my reality, and especially because of the effect I had on Luca’s change. Luca started fighting his parents back –something that he had never done before. He said he knew the project was mine. That he shouldn’t have taken it. That he was wrong. He said he lost his only. Not only is his family broken, but his company also is. He tells me how much Luca cared and liked me. He broke down. He said how bad of a father he has been since Luca’s birth. How much the status and credibility mattered more than his family. More than noticing and listening to Luca. I didn’t say anything for a while. Then he asked for my help. He wanted me to join his company, to help with the project, and also a way to honor Luca. I could see he genuinely wanted to change, he actually meant what he told me –and the stare this time was different, it was pure. I thought about it. About my dad. About everything. Then I said, “I’ll help.” Luca has changed me forever, and I will always honor him. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Stare Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/269c0af823395cfe344418db15805baf.png 6fed9ddbb5fcf1e3b7864d25fd9fb647 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. In the year 2093, Homestead is now 8.0 feet or 2.4m underwater. My name is Jobe and I am 27 years old. I was born and raised in Florida, I wear high tech sneakers, camo jeans, brunette hair, and a blue shirt. On Saturday, I decided to take a trip to the now flooded remains of Biscayne National Park. I hit up my friend Adrian, I’ve known him since middle school, he wears a black high-tech jacket, khaki jeans, black boots, and a holo watch on his wrist. I asked him if we could explore it using a rental submarine, he replied “Okay, just let me use my holo phone to see if we can borrow one for a few hours.” We drove to the Sub rental station and found Our Submarine; it was a green oval shaped sub vessel with its periscope sticking out from the top. We fooled around with it for an hour and saw some fishes, mostly mackerels and Lion Fishes swimming around. The strangest thing happened; I thought I saw something out of the corner of my left eye. “What the hell is that?” I asked. It looked like a figure, I couldn’t make it out, Adrian replied "Could've been a Manatee or somethin, I dunno.” A Manatee? But they’re nearly extinct and are pretty rare to see, and they’re supposed to be seen in riverbanks. “It was probably nothing.” I spoke. We continued exploring the flooded area that used to be Homestead Bayfront Park. I couldn’t get that strange figure I saw earlier off my mind; it was living in my head rent - free. I then told Adrian to take over as the pilot, and I sat down at the small table at the corner of the deck. I got up and walked towards the small smart fridge, the voice coming from it said, “Good evening, sir, what a fine day it is, isn't it?” I replied, “I’m just getting mineral water and that’s all.” I sat back down and wondered what that thing even was for the next few minutes. Later on, I decided to go back to the deck to check up on Adrian. We were near the drop off point, Adrian admitted to losing focus and instead just messed around with the sub’s controls. I fought to regain the controls and told him to sit in the passenger’s seat. “What is your problem man?” He spoke. “Dude, we’re supposed to explore the sunken national park not beyond it!” I replied angrily. I piloted the Submarine and for the next few minutes we were in Biscayne National Park, or what remained of it. We docked the submarine near the old lighthouse and put on our diving suits and explored the abandoned area. The Park itself looked dead and mostly suffering from climate change as a result. Fishes were swimming around like they owned the place and I was fascinated at first but then it started to get old real quick. Adrian didn’t mind the fishes though, he was in fact, more fascinated at the sight then I will ever be. We spoke on the radio. “You seeing this? Over.” Replied Adrian. “Yeah, over.” I said back to him. We then spotted a strange figure in the distance, it looked like a giant fish with human arms and legs, it resembled an Angler Fish. Which is odd due to them only being sighted in the deepest darkest depths of the Ocean. The being was identified as female due to its lantern and the shape resembled that of a woman. It looked odd and I told my friend to be careful and to not make any sudden movements, the creature looked like it was eating something and I did not want to find out. So Adrian and I tread carefully so we didn’t disturb the Angler and her dinner. I wanted to ignore the creature and pretend that we didn’t see it. As we walked, I noticed that there was a similar creature, only this time it lacked the lantern, it was smaller looking, and the size of a Labrador Retriever. It was a male Angler Fish looking humanoid. My friend and I started to notice that there were more of them, and we both started to panic. What makes it even worse is that one of the Angler creatures noticed us and it immediately screamed, the rest followed. The diving suits were far too slow to use, later we caught up to the abandoned Lighthouse. We went to the top, took our diving suits off and stayed there for what seemed like an eternity. “What were those things?” I asked and Adrian shrugged, not even he knew. Well, I knew they resembled Angler Fishes, but they’re not supposed to be here, Anglers are supposed to live in the deeper depths of the oceans not near Florida waters. But then I remembered something from my college years: my biology professor talked about an incident that occurred on January 18th, 2068. A Nuclear reactor fell from a Naval Vessel and sank beneath the ocean, never to be seen again. I never realized that these sea creatures would forcefully mutate into bipedal humanoids but here we are. Adrian told me, “Dude, do you think that maybe these things have some sort of intelligence?” “Probably.” I answered. I looked at Adrian’s watch, and it was almost 7 ‘o clock. How long have we been here? I thought and wondered how we were going to get out of this. So, Adrian figured out a plan and even told me that we could use the harpoons from the submarine, I agreed and we went for the Submarine. Unfortunately, we were too late. The Anglers were surrounding it despite being next to the Lighthouse. However, our diving suits contained flares that we can use in case of emergencies. Adrian shot one flare from his suit’s arm and the Anglers darted towards the flare. We got onto the Submarine and tried to start it. The Submarine couldn’t start and we were doomed either way. I conjured up an idea, that one of us had to distract the bipedal fishes. For the moment, we tried hatching some ideas, but they couldn’t work. None of the ideas we had really worked. The Sub barely had anything at all. We were both at a loss, until we saw some harpoon guns and a box of TNT inside a cabinet. We geared up again, with the Harpoon guns in hand and took the TNT along with us. We fought these creatures for a few minutes and they never stopped coming. The creatures retreated to somewhere else and we tried following them. The Fish Humanoids swam back into a small cave and we both wondered if we could try to blow up the cave so they wouldn’t come back out. Adrian said, “Should we?” I replied, “Let's see if it works.” We went in and saw an entire nest. The creatures were asleep, so we stepped in cautiously and quietly, so we didn't attract any attention. As we walked, I thought to myself wondering how we ended up here in the first place. This was supposed to be a fun submarine trip around the flooded Biscayne area that used to be a tourist spot though it still is but for scuba divers and submarine trips. Slowly we tread within the cave and planted the TNT, Adrian and I bounced towards the exit of the Cave. Suddenly, I accidentally stepped on a foot of one of the creatures. It screamed, “EERRAAGGHH!” It awoke its fellow Anglers. We hopped as fast as we could out of there, as we hopped, Adrian’s diving suit was grabbed by one of them. I used my harpoon gun to kill them so Adrian could escape. However, I was then grabbed as Adrian ran off. I was terrified, I felt as if my life flashed before my eyes. That is until Adrian came back and shot the one grabbing me. He pulled me out of the cave, and we ducked near one of the large rocks. The Cave exploded, taking the Angler Humanoids along with it. A minute later; I came to and got up, Adrian laughed as we hopped back into the submarine. I piloted the Submarine, as we dove back, I realized that we were being followed by something even bigger. The Giant Sea Monster looked exactly like a giant sea snake. The Serpent was the size of an extinct Titanoboa from the Paleocene Epoch, its scales looked like it had ink covering its body, the fangs were sharp, and so was its tongue. We tried to narrowly avoid it, it started to follow us and devour our rental sub. Adrian was panicking, I was praying to God in my head, wondering why I decided to do all of this in the first place. I assumed that this was the day I’d die alongside my best friend. The Serpent was right in front of us, readying its jaws to eat us. Fortunately, I was able to scare it away using the Submarine’s flare via the emergency button. This Submarine had everything emergency related for some reason, did the rental service knew someone would be unfortunate enough to be put in a similar situation such as ours? Running away from the large Serpent was like a never-ending nightmare for the both of us. “Are you okay?” I asked Adrian. “I think I just soiled myself dude.” He replied. I then asked him to change his clothes in the small bathroom located within the sub. We continued our way back to the Rental Service area; I then decided to put the Submarine on Autopilot just so I could catch my breath. Adrian, now sporting Jean shorts, the same boots, holo watch, and an undershirt walked up to me to ask me if I was alright. “You look kind of upset, my guy.” He said nonchalantly. “Gee, you think?” I replied. “Well, we did just survive a Giant snake thing so…….” Said Adrian. “So?” I replied. “So, What!” I replied angrily. “Today was supposed to be a fun day, but no! Mother nature just had to throw whatever these Animals were, of course I’m deeply upset.” I spoke. “Leave me alone." I said once again. My friend and I didn’t speak for what seemed like an hour. It was 10 PM, it was dark and quiet in the ocean. All I saw was darkness with the occasional moonlight shining through the dark Florida waters. I wondered what would’ve happened if I never decided to come here with Adrian, we probably would’ve just hung out in my apartment and watched a few films on the flat TV screen hanging on my wall. Or maybe go on a double date and ask a few ladies out? I’m not really sure, I now want to get home and forget this nightmare ever happened. I took a nap and dreamt I was back home, though things were different. My apartment was oddly connected to the submarine's inner walls and I saw Abraham Lincoln wearing an I’m with stupid shirt for some odd reason. He looked very disappointed, Adrian appeared but he looked very upset with me, both him and Abraham Lincoln almost resembled the Angler Humanoids; Adrian proceeded to tell me, “I’m not sure if you’re full of waffles, Jobe!” Then, the Serpent from earlier slithered into my face and devoured me, prompting me to wake up in a cold sweat. I went up to Adrian and woke him up, I apologized and told him that I was still in shock over the serpent. Adrian accepted but told me that everything’s going to be alright. Suddenly, we heard a loud crash, it was that same Snake from earlier. We decided to free the submarine as it was being devoured. We found an escape hatch but if we opened the hatch we’d drown. We were doomed and not sure of our survival. Adrian was unfortunately pierced by the Sea Serpent’s long tongue and I screamed, “ADRIAN!!” My friend was dead. I had to pray but I’m not sure if it would work, until I returned to the cockpit, where I found an eject button. I went in and pressed the release button. The seat transformed into a miniature sub, and it swam up back to the surface. I narrowly escaped but Adrian wasn’t lucky enough, the Emergency team found me days later and I ended up going to the hospital for minor injuries. I initially thought to sue the Rental service, but I couldn't press any charges. I thought that this was going to be a 2-hour undersea adventure and that was all, but we were very unfortunate. Sometimes I wonder if there were more of those mutant sea creatures out there in the ocean, maybe there are far bigger monsters out there then what my late friend and I realized. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Florida: Monsters of the Deep Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Michael Konik Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/62480fa134acba1cc3451c645b8279f2.jpg 88e6d03447718062f79b4c0c67a8143e Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. 02/20/40 The purpose of this publication is for outlining the emergency guidelines following the Feburary 20th 2040 flash flood impacting areas of Miami-Dade County. Sea levels have currently risen approximately 5 feet as of Feburary 20th, 2040, and are predicted to reach 6 feet by March 2nd, 2040. Effective immediately: Post offices that are in high-risk areas are to vacate immediately with the following high priority mail: - Cremated Remains - Live Animals - Military & Diplomatic Mail Lower priority mail is to be transferred to the nearest safe post office, following standard interception procedures. (See attached file for routes.) Mail addressed to currently flooded areas is to be held at the nearest USPS office unless the post office is in a high-risk area, in which case mail is to be transferred to the nearest safe post office, following standard interception procedures. (See attached file for routes.) Residents can request mail to be forwarded to a different address or register for pick up at the nearest open Post Office. - Most people weren't really thinking about their mail when the shit started hitting the fan. Let's be frank, I wouldn't either. If I still had family, or a house filled with stuff I cared about, I'dve been losing my damn mind. But all I had then— and, well, all I have now— is this job. And I take pride in it, God dammit. Even if nobody's payin' me anymore. Nobody's paying me to document all this, that's for sure. But some historian is gonna stumble upon this in a hundred years and thank me 'till the day they die, and that gives me at least a little joy for right now. Besides, what else do you expect me to do? The post office I worked at was in Doral, so we were ordered to pack what we could and haul it all up. I've only been a few times, when they needed some extra staff for something. 80-something post offices, all crowded into a handful of them up in Pembroke Pines. We were lucky, we got transfered to one in Plantation. God, that was miserable. Hours of sorting through mail, trying to determine what priority everything was. Granted, it could have been worse. Most Valentines mail had already been delivered, and that's really when we get the bulk of our mail, besides the holidays. Nobody appreciates the value of a handwritten letter anymore unless it's for those capitalistic monolith we call a "holiday." Nowadays, mail is for stuff that you can't send over via 3D printer, or your Amazon packages. Postcards and letters and bills and all that junk, that's all digital now. Most incoming mail to South Florida had been paused, so at least it was a finite number of parcels. Still, a lotta packages ain't getting delivered, that's for sure. Mostly junk, though, the kind of shit you'd throw away anyways. There was one that caught my eye though. Little yellow envelope covered in stickers, addressed to someone in New York. Technically it ain't "high-priority," but… well, like I said. Nobody hand-writes letters anymore. So I brought it with me. - 02/21/40 The purpose of this publication is for outlining the emergency guidelines following the Feburary 20th 2040 flash flood impacting areas of Miami-Dade County. Sea levels have currently risen approximately 5.2 feet as of Feburary 21st, 2040, and are predicted to reach 6.5 feet by March 2nd, 2040. High priority mail is to be moved continuously to safe post offices. Please see the updated list of high and low risk areas. USPS has provided instructional guides on recovering damaged mail in the cases where the flood has impacted post offices. - RecoveringPaperMail.pdf - RecoveringHAZMAT.pdf - RecoveringPerishableGoods.pdf - RepackagingDamagedMail.pdf Please see the updated list of high and low risk areas. Thank you for your service. - Complete bullshit. All the post offices were filled up with everyone's damn mail. It was like squeezing a heifer through a closed cattle shoot. We had to move again, a little higher this time. There's no space in the offices there at this point so we were just doin' our best to keep it safe from the rain in the back of our vans with tarps. Unfortunately I can't archive any of these pdfs— they're all gone now. I do think the perishable goods one was pretty darn funny, because it basically just said "don't bother." The instructions for paper mail mentioned shit like drying racks, as if we had the space for that. Even said something about heaters, if I remember right. Right, sure, the heater that we definitely have in our office in South Florida. Each notice came with an attachment of zip codes, showing which areas were high and low risk. Of course, zip codes don't mean much no more, but I've included them in the full files if you wanna flip through 'em. - 02/21/40 Sea levels have currently risen approximately 6 feet as of Feburary 21st, 2040, and are predicted to reach 7 feet by March 2nd, 2040. Please see the updated list of high and low risk areas. Thank you for your service. - Really, it's on me for thinking we'd do this with any semblance of organization. Shit kept getting worse, and with nothing but radio silence we've just been doing our best. My coworkers slowly started giving up. I don't resent them for not showing, of course. If I still had a family I'd be runnin' with them as well. Still holding on to the yellow envelope. - 02/23/40 Sea levels have currently risen approximately 6.7 feet as of Feburary 23th, 2040, and are predicted to reach 7.2 feet by March 2nd, 2040. Please see the updated list of high and low risk areas. Thank you for your service. - By now I was starting to dread these messages. Nothing new, no support, just endless movement. It's tiring. I don't remember sleeping around then. I don't remember changing out of my uniform, much less having the time to wash it. I didn't have anyone back home waiting for me. After a while, I stopped having a home at all. I'd been towing around a backpack with my life in it— important documents, chargers, some extra clothes— and sleepin' among the mail. I figure most folks would have trouble choosing what to keep in their own little backpack, but me? Pickin' and choosin' what I was gonna take from my small apartment wasn't too hard. Still had that little yellow envelope too. Got all busted up in my bag, but still good enough to mail out when I could. - 02/25/40 Sea levels have currently risen approximately 7 feet as of Feburary th, 2040, and are predicted to reach 7.5 feet by March 2nd, 2040. Please see the updated list of high and low risk areas. Thank you for your service. - They didn't even bother to put the date on this one. - 05/13/40 The purpose of this publication is for outlining the emergency guidelines following the Feburary 20th 2040 flash flood impacting areas of Miami-Dade County. Sea levels have currently risen approximately 8 feet as of… - I'll be honest with you, I cut out a few emails. You ain't missing much. I'm not includin' the rest of that one, actually. I'm kinda tired. They sent out boats to collect whatever mail was left. I don't think the guy who They didn't consider that little yellow envelope important enough to take with, so I've still got it. All my coworkers went back to their families by now; the county's got a hold of the important packages, and everything else was left here. I'm not getting paid to be here anymore, of course, but… well, what else am I supposed to do with all this time on my hands? I've still got the login to the system, and it's all the same no matter what post office you're at, so I can at least try and keep a record of what I've got here. I can scan the packages, put em in the system, let folks know they're here. It's just me, so maybe I'll stagger em? If I get a bunch of people all comin' in at once I'm gonna be wrecked. I'm pretty good with a spreadsheet, I'll get that set up. Luckily nobody turned off the electricity, but I'm prepping for the worst- printing everything out. On label printers. Because I can't find the ink for the regular printer, and also that darn thing is ancient. Fun times! I've been sticking 'em on the table. I'll send emails when I can, texts if they're lucky. Unfortunately no return address on our little yellow envelope, so I can't contact whoever sent it. But I'll be damned if I can't get it to New York, one way or another. I might know a guy who knows a guy who could get it up there. Maybe I'll get it up there myself. Think I could steal one of the mail trucks? Think they'll pay for the gas? Nah… Might get a boating license though. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February-March 2040 Flash Flood Mail Alerts Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kai Ruiz Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/b883f7aaaff9d36f651577bcd41fcdbc.jpg 6a8b2ee667151d000a588401698945b3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. *clank, clank, clank, clank* My every footstep sounding a high-pitched alarm from the thin metal platform beneath me. I reach the door and raise my hand to knock. My hand swipes through the air as the door opens simultaneously, causing me to stumble forward a bit. “Sorry…” a smile came across his face. “I heard you coming.” He said while stifling a laugh. “Thanks” I walk past him, making sure to give him a little shove with my shoulder. Derek and I have been friends since ’98. We met in middle school and headed into high school together at the start of the 22nd century. He’s a crass know it all with a slick tongue. I mean there is no winning an argument with him, even if you’re right. He has this ability to make you feel stupid. It’s what annoys me the most about him, but it’s also probably what I appreciate the most. It’s like there’s a demon and an angel on either shoulder, and then there’s Derek calling them both wrong. I throw my bag off my shoulder and slump lifeless onto the couch. I take a sip of water from the aluminum can on the table and put my head in my hands. “What’s wrong?” Derek asked. He’d been waiting since the moment he opened the door, he just wanted to see a physical sign of resignation. Sometimes he catches on too early and he’ll ask when I don’t want to be asked and I’ll get all angry or defensive or both and then we can’t talk for like two hours. So he waits. “They said they’d alert me when they were sure, but I sensed a tone” I said in one breath. “… a tone?” Derek raised his right eyebrow. Condescending prick. “Yes, a fucking tone!” “A tone how?” “You know what I mean. Like it wasn’t really a ‘Hey, we’ll let you know,’ but more of a ‘we’re gonna keep lookin cause it ain’t you’” “You don’t know that” “Well I-" “No.” He cut me off “You really don’t know that, I know you don’t know that. you can’t look me in the eye and say for a fact you won’t be contacted.” “So?” I asked “Sooooo, stop complaining. All the time, all day, it’s incessant. I didn’t know it was possible to be 24 and be that miserable already. You’re feeling bad about something you only think will… or in this case… won’t happen. Not to mention, it’s not like you don’t have a job. You have a fuckin job, you just don’t like it.” “Do I need to know something is gonna happen to worry about it? Or think about it? It may not be very real to you but that feeling is real to me. I’m not choosing to be this way.” “My goodness, a 12 week intro to philosophy class and now all of a sudden you’re Kierkegaard. It is your choice. Maybe not to feel that way, but you choose how you react. Do you think I don’t feel angry when a snapper breaks the line or a manatee is crossing and we gotta shut down for the next hour? I feel very angry, but it can only ruin my day and others if I start acting angry. If I put on a scowl and I stomp around and I snap at everyone that walks past me, I don’t feel any better. If anything all that just makes me feel a bit angrier. It’s about control.” “Yeah, one anger management course and you’re Gandhi.” “You’re helpless.” “I know.” We kept eye contact for a few more seconds until he eventually turned and walked away. I won that part of the exchange at least. I woke up the next morning in the same spot on the couch. I walked to the hall and saw Derek’s door was open, meaning he already left for work. They get most of their work in when the moon is strong and waters high, rest of the year they’re kinda just jerking off on a platform with nets and cages. I work for a construction company; we’ve been building platforms over Key Biscayne for about two years now, they even started building stuff up on the platforms. Some of the old stuff is there, only what they wanted to preserve like the lighthouse. Stiltsville is still there, I guess they were planning a century or two ahead. Now all of Key Biscayne is on stilts, but they still just call it Key Biscayne. They turned the Naval Air Station in Key West into a full sized base in like ’71, I believe, when the government finally paid off the last 1000 people who would sell their land. I’ve seen pictures of Florida from a hundred years ago, so much green, both the pretty bright and the ugly swampy kind. Now from the Keys to Pompano Beach its webs of steel beams platforms. I believe it was some point in the 40s when the Governor at the time, I don’t know who, got funding and approval for a massive construction project preparing to change South Florida’s infrastructure. Well 65 years and hundreds of billions of dollars later and they turned Florida into a glorified aircraft carrier. I hate my job, I hate being another brush dipped in black paint, just blocking out the beauty, the reality. I step outside and as I grip the steel rail that lines the walkway I look out into a sea of hot steam and cold metal, the only two sites in this part of town. The areas that are still mainly above water or only have an inch or two, they go on like normal. Small dams and reservoirs and elevated streets, all so the people can wear their suede shoes. That’s where all the nice stores and houses are. I’ve been interviewing for different jobs whenever I can. Always related to my studies, a paralegal position, a political analyst position here, etc. I threw on my cheap blazer, grabbed my leather shoulder bag that was gifted to me by my grandmother, and I went out the door. One more interview this month, with a Mr. Harris Esq. I can’t say I’m necessarily looking forward to it though, he is an attorney, but the position is to be his secretary. Not a position I’ve necessarily aspired to. I get in my car and I head to the shiny white that stood amongst its surroundings like a large lifeless block set in the center of an even more lifeless gray plot of land. I parked my car as far from the building as possible, I like to use the walk to calm my nerves and think. This time I didn’t feel any relief. I felt worse with every step, the buildings shape growing larger and more dominating with every step, towering over me and the empty parking lot. Broad daylight, birds chirping, wind blowing, all the typical signs of a typical day. But I was somewhere else. The song of the birds brought me no comfort, I heard nothing but the pounding of my own heart in my ears. My hand gripped one of the long, thin, brass handles of the double doors at the front. I took one deep breath and pulled. The door weighed about fifty pounds, I had to push off my feet to get it to swing open enough for me to walk inside. As soon as I stepped in and let go of the door, it slammed shut behind me. I looked around to see this ornate design on the smooth tile floor. The walls covered in plaques, letters from royalty and photos shaking hands with politicians. I was merely a tourist in their world of high brow hypocrisy. “Can I help you?” A sharp voice echoed across the floor. I snapped my head to where it came from to see a woman sitting behind a counter. How I didn’t see her before I didn’t know. I approached her and apologized for just barging in, I explained I was there for an interview. “Oh yes, that’s right. You can have a seat right over there, I’m sure Mr Harris will be with you soon.” I sat down on the huge cushy chair she had gestured to. It’s the kind of chair that looks really comfy but when you actually sit in it, you realize how poorly designed it actually is. It was lumpy and you sink in certain positions. I could tell it was genuine leather though. I guess that’s all they really care about. I kept looking at the receptionist. She was young, probably only a couple years older than me. Pretty too. She was wearing this light brown sweater vest over a thin orange button down, she was very stylish. I couldn’t see her legs but I imagine she was wearing a nice skirt and pantyhose or maybe some khakis. I gotta say, I love a girl who can rock some dickies. The whole time I waited, she was reading something. Her glasses were a bit too loose or too heavy so they kept sliding down her nose, every three minutes or so she have to push them up to keep reading. She pushed her glasses up thirty two times before finally her phone rang. She picked it up and after two seconds she hung up. He’s ready for you, follow me. She stood up and came around the counter. She’s wearing khakis. She guided me down a hall to a door and knocked on it. Five seconds later, an old man opens the door. The man from the photos. Mr. Harris. “Thank you, Olivia, I’ll take it from here.” Said the man. Olivia, that’s her name, what a beautiful name. Olivia turned around and whispered good luck before walking back down the hall and out of sight. “Well, how are we doing today young man?” “Fantastic.” I said, with as much enthusiasm as I could fake. Every interview it’s always the same question. I always say the same thing. They don’t actually care if you’ve had a good day or not, they just wanna know if you’re the type to complain. “Great, well let’s get started.” He pulled back a plastic chair with metal legs from the visitor’s side of his desk and he told me to sit. He then sat himself in his big, cushioned rolling chair. “What brings you here today?” You know how the rest of this goes. What’s your experience, what do you bring the table, why you and not someone else, all that boring stuff. After an hour of mental gymnastics and bringing my best bullshit to the table, I had him. I knew I had him. I had the guy laughing at my jokes, I knew this job was a lock. The longer I sat there in that cold plastic chair. The longer my eyes were met with gold plated picture frames and murano glasses on the window sill. The longer my ears heard the hum of the fluorescent lights and his snotty laugh. The more I resented myself. I spent all these years dreaming of being in this rooms, I dreamed of an escape from the soulless servitude of industry. There isn’t any more soul here. Monuments to greed and deceit. They are all tools like I am, just a prettier tool that thinks highly of itself. Three hours in that building and I knew instantly I didn’t wanna spend another second in there. “Well, young man, I see some bright things in your future” he said as he stood up, extending his hand out to me. “What do you say we get you started the beginning of next month?” “I..- I’ll let you know” I could see the look in his eyes, a shift from enthusiasm to insult. I didn’t wait to hear a response. I turned around and walked out of his office, shutting the door behind me. I walked back out to the lobby and made eyes at Olivia. I thought about saying something, maybe asking her to dinner but I was more focused on getting out of that fucking building. “Goodbye!” She chirped at me from across the lobby. I smiled and waved before walking out. The moment the door shut behind me I smacked myself in the forehead. Cursing to myself. “Really dumbass? You wave at her? That’s it?” I thought. But it was too late, I wasn’t gonna turn around and open the heavy door cause then she’ll know I opened the heavy door just to say goodbye to her and that’s a little weird. This time I heard the birds, quiet, but they were there. I made it to my car at the back of the lot. I got in and headed back home. I open the door to see Derek leaning over the kitchen counter, smearing aloe all over his freshly burnt face. We made eye contact and before I could utter a noise he said. “Shut up, I don’t wanna hear it” “I didn’t say anything” I said in a singsong voice with a massive grin across my face. I knew I didn’t have to. “Yeah well… fuck you anyway. So how’d it go?” “Amazing.” “Really?” “Oh yeah, he loved me, we were laughing for hours.” “Man that’s great, so you got the job?” “I told him I’d think about it.” “And did you mean you’d think about it or did you mean you weren’t interested?” “You know what I meant.” “Well, you did get a letter from the other firm, you were right. They respectfully declined your application.” “Honestly, I don’t really care. I’ve come to realize I’m gonna hate what I do anyway.” “I see. I can’t say I agree but at least you’re at peace, I guess” “Thanks, Derek. I am.” I thought about it. If there is a peace, a clarity, and there is. A week later I was at work when I saw it. A flower. A beautiful pink, fully bloomed flower. A flower growing a wire fence. The beauty is there, in the gray, in the cold steel. Surrounded by a background of darkness and industry, sits the bright summer colors of life. Hidden but never lost. Masked but never destroyed. In the machine, in the droning and sloshing of the day to day. The vibrant South Florida spirit still rings true. Her dark brown eyes and her curly hair. Her preppy leather loafers and white ruffled socks. Olivia, Olivia, Olivia, Olivia For days she’s been on my mind. As soon as I got off, I rushed home to groom myself. I considered grabbing my blazer but that’s not me, that’s the guy that goes to the job interviews. I left as I was and went right to the white obelisk of doom in its sea of concrete. I parked as close to the building as I could. I stepped up the door and swung it open with ease, the wind blowing my hair from the force. There she was, her nose down in a book. The same or another one I’m not sure. After a couple seconds she glanced up and smiled when her eyes met mine. I waltzed across the smooth tile floor right up to her. She opened her mouth to let out her typical, how can I help you, but I didn’t let her. “Would you like to get coffee with me sometime?” “Yes… yes I would.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Darkness Glowing Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ryan Merino Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/fb72cd8c96f5c54855748d46ca97cdec.png 69511af24d9c1413713e96eeac9ed264 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. Bubbles rise up all around me. Racing to the surface to escape the dark depths of the deep blue waters. I try to rise to the surface, but my arms feel like blocks of cement. I freeze in fear, and just accept that I’m going to die. Maybe this is a good thing? Maybe I will finally be with her? My eyes start to close, but the last thing I see is a blurry figure reaching out to me. 7 hours earlier Something pulls me out of my deep state of sleep. I yawn, and stretch as I sit up in my bed. I glance to the right and see a bird. I smile at it, as it chirps its morning song. Why is there a bird? You may be wondering. Well, to simply put it, I live in a crappy, dangerous, shack. This shack has no glass windows, and is almost on the brink of collapsing. I like to call it our little island of hell. I climb out of bed, and make my way to the bathroom. I face the mirror, and almost scream as I face the disaster of my morning appearance. After brushing my teeth, and taking my shower, I make my way outside my room to the kitchen. “Good morning, Pria. How was your night?” My mothers asks warmly, as she pulls out two slices of bread, buttering them up. I smile and go hug her. “It was good, yours?” I reply, stealing a tiny strawberry away from the plate behind her. She chuckles, “I think you need to get going, now. Isn’t it almost time for school?” Oh no, I’m going to be late! “You’re right, I have to go. Bye!” I brush past her and pick my bag up from the floor. Once I open the wooden door, a blast of the scent of salt water greets me. It stings my face, as I walk to the small dock behind our shack of our home. I absolutely, without any doubt, hate this particular part of the day. It reminds me of… never mind. I push those memories out of my head and let them fall into the dark waters, hoping they never emerge again. I exhale a shaker breath, and carefully step into the tiny boat. One leg at a time. The boat rocks side to side, and I gasp and cling tightly to the wooden pole next to it. My eyes screw shut. I exhale another deep breath, then very slowly sit down. I untie the ropes from the dock cleat, and push away the boat from the dock. I reach down, and retrieve a paddle to row. I row away to School, yay. Ten minutes into my journey, I’m already tired. If that tells you I don’t work out a lot, I don’t know what does. I throw the paddle down, bending to get a sip of water. Dawn gives way to the orange sun creeping over the horizon. It hypnotizes me in all its beauty. The oranges, and yellows, the contrast of its warmth with the dark waters that cover what we used to know in life. All those stories told from generations upon generations of Miami before the Rising. The connection of it all, is something not only I strive to get a taste of, but so many others. To be able to paint this would be incredible, but we have no art supplies. I wish I could have been alive before this. To see the fields of green grass, flowers, people walking past you in the streets. I store the thoughts away in my mind, and pick up the paddle again. “Ughhhh.” I continue rowing again. Finally, I have made it to my school. I row to the dock, and quickly attach the rope to one of the dock cleats. I climb out of the boat, and retrieve my bag. I climb up the green hill the school resides on, yanking the doors open. Everyone glances at me, whispering to their friends who knows what. There are rumors that I drowned my little sister, and everyone thinks I’m deranged and don’t deserve to be here, even though I still passed the induction exam before coming here. Sometimes it’s hard to believe some of these people passed that exam. I trudge towards my locker, to retrieve my needed books of the day. A little, folded, note fell to the ground, and I furrowed my eyebrows. “What the?” I say my thoughts aloud. I pick it up, and see my name scrawled across the top in intricate penmanship. I unfold the little piece of paper. Dear Pria, I know that these times are rough for you, but just know that I will always be here for you. No matter what. I want my friend back, even in all her craziness, I need her. ———Jack I shove the piece of paper away into the back of my locker. Shutting it hard. “Someone is having a rough morning,” Laughs Cindy to my right. I glare at her, and walk away to my first class. During lunch period, my favorite period, I make my way outside with a tray of food. But someone blocks my path to the table. That someone being Cindy, wonderful. “You have some nerve to be here, when you know you don’t belong. Never have, and never will. They shouldn’t let the dirty, poor, likes of you into a school this nice.” She snarls, and scrunches her nose in disgust. “Your mother shouldn’t have birthed a demon from hell, but here you are!” I fire back. She gasps, and looks offended. “Doesn’t feel so nice when others give you back what you give, does it?” I raise my eyebrows at her, waiting for her reply. It all happens so fast, I don’t see it coming. Cindy reaches out, and shoves me into the vast waters. Fear locks me in place, like a cage. Unwanted memories fill my mind up to the brink. Flashes of brown curls, and brown doe eyes. A giggle of pure innocence, before the screams of terror. Present Bubbles rise up all around me. Racing to the surface to escape the dark depths of the deep blue waters. I try to rise up to the surface, but my arms feel like blocks of cement. I freeze in fear, and just accept that I’m going to die. Maybe this is a good thing? Maybe I will finally be with her? My eyes start to close, but the last thing I see is a blurry figure reaching out to me. Darkness is all I see. Am I dead? Suddenly, light greets me again. I cough out the salt that burns my throat, gasping for air. I blink up at the figure above me. My vision clears to see a familiar face, that brings back memories. Jack. Mixed emotions fill me up at once. He still has those floppy blond curls of his, those apple green eyes. He looks concerned. Oh right, I almost died. “Are you alright?” He questioned. “Yep, almost drowned there,” I chuckle, cringing at myself. He sheepishly smiles down at me, and reaches his arm forward. He helps me up into a sitting position, before helping me rise to my feet. “Thank God, you’re okay. You almost gave me a heart attack there.” I fumble with my drenched shirt, looking anywhere but at him. “Thank you for saving me.” I say, looking up at him. “Of course I would.” He replies. Suddenly, anger contorts his face when he looks behind me. He marches past me, and I turn to see him walking towards Cindy. She stops laughing when she sees him, looking shocked. “What were you thinking? You could have killed her?” He points back at me. “She deserved it, especially since she drowned her sister!” Cindy said defensively. Jack raises his brows in shock. “Really? You’re that stupid to believe she drowned her own sister? Have you ever even met her sister before she died?” She scoffs and turns, walking away. Jack shakes his head, and walks back to me. “That one needs some growing up.” He says. “I couldn’t agree more.” “Come on, let’s take you home.” He places his arm around me, and guides me to his boat. I leave his arms, “No, it’s fine! I have a boat,” I point to it. Jack looks at the boat, then turns back to me with a blank expression on his face. “I’m not taking no for an answer, it will be safer on mine. Also, there will be a storm soon.” He says. I look up at the sky. Grey clouds roll in, and to top it off, a flash of lightning splits the sky, before the sound of thunder roars. “Fine, but only this once.” He looks satisfied with that, and then guides me to his luxurious boat. There are cushioned seats inside, an awning for shade, and even a snack bar. Wow. I climb down the steps, and take a seat. “Alright, let’s go.” He drives his boat away from the dock, and we’re out at sea. “You remember where my house is?” I ask. “Yeah.” Is all he replies. Fifteen minutes later, we made it into my neighborhood. I feel embarrassed at the state of the shack-like homes. This is Jack, I tell myself. You used to play when you were little. He would never judge you, because you live in a shithole, and he lives in a mansion on a tall green hill. When we stop in front of my door, it bursts open. Mom comes rushing out, frantic. “Oh my gosh! What happened to you?” She cries out. I climb out of the boat. “I’m fine mom, it’s okay.” I hugged her. Behind her, I see Jack climbing out of the boat. My eyes widened. “No” I silently mouth the word to him. If she sees him, she’s going to keep him here for hours, talking his ears off. He looks confused. “What are you looking at?” Mom turns, and sees Jack. There goes his afternoon. “So Jack, how’s everything going?” Mom asks, as she makes him a cup of her famous “berry crazy” juice. “Everything’s going great, actually. Dad just sold another part of the land in the Canals.” He replies, stuffing his mouth with one of mom’s delicious cookies. The Canals is a trading center that is known for all its prosperity in commerce. “That’s nice to hear dear.” She pulls out the cutting board and knife, chopping some fruits up. “Why don’t you two head outside? Get some fresh air while I batch up some of my goodies?Come on, get some fresh air!” As if we don’t already without glass panels, and cracks in the foundations of the walls. “Come on,”I pull Jack outside with me and take a seat on the plastic chair. He settles down next to me, sighing. We both look out at the horizon. The sun melts away, leaving its rays of purple, and pink hues. “You know, I miss her a lot.” I say, still looking at the sunset. In my peripheral vision, I see Jack look at me. “Me too.” He solemnly says. “Imagine if she had lived? Where would she be today? She shouldn’t have died, especially at such a young age. She had a long life ahead of her.” I say, brushing tears off my cheeks with the back of my hand. “She would be proud of the person you are today.” He says, turning towards me again. “Even with all the hardships of life, you push through, never backing down.” “Look at you being all mushy,” I chuckle, still brushing tears away. “Do you still paint?” Jack asks me. “That was when we were little. Things have changed Jack.” I say gesturing around us. He sighs, “you’re right.” But then he gasps, it seems he has an idea. “My dad has an art gallery in one of his plazas.” Maybe you can showcase some of your work there.” I look at him in disbelief. “You think they’ll accept the likes of me to showcase art in a gallery? Come on, Jack. That's not realistic.” I shake my head. “They haven’t seen your talent yet, though. All that you paint on a canvas to reach an audience, and capture their attention.” I think about it for a second, would they really like my work? “You know what, just sleep on it.” Jack says, getting up. He brushes off his clothes. “Fine, but don't be disappointed if I decide not to do it.” I stand up, too. We both walk back inside. “I have your berry crazy juices made! Here’s one for you, and you.” Mom exclaims, handing both of us our drinks. “Thanks, mom,” I smile while taking a sip. “Thank you miss Sanchez.” Jack raises his glass and takes a sip. “Of course!” Mom replies. Jack then leaves a few minutes later. Taking the goodies mom made for him with him. We both wave bye at him, as he leaves the dock. It’s night time now, and after taking a shower, I crawl onto my small bed. There’s a heavy feeling in my gut. I don’t know why, but I just have it. I sigh, exhausted from the day. I reach out to my right nightstand to read my family journal. I open it up and start reading. This part of the book really catches my attention. It discusses the city of Miami before it was ruined by this rise of sea water. There were restaurants all lined up on the streets, parks, beaches. People could watch movies at the theater, there was more to do. I wish I could have lived in that type of environment, but I unfortunately do not. The next day, I’m sitting in my chair eating breakfast when I hear a knock on my door. I push back my chair, and stand up. I walk to the door, open it. “Hi, Jack. You’re back so soon.” I say, gesturing for him to come inside. “I couldn’t wait any longer to hear your decision.” He smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ok, first, do you want something to eat or drink?” I ask. “I’ve already eaten.” He shoots back. “So, what’s your decision?” He asks me. I thought about it for a while last night, contemplating. But then that chapter of the book really inspired me. “Yes, I’ll do it.” I replied. He punches the air in excitement. “You won’t be disappointed, this is an amazing opportunity!” He then wraps his arms around me. I awkwardly pat his back. We’ve known each other since we were young children, but haven’t talked to each other in a while. He pulls back, and cups my face, smiling down at me. “Sorry,” he pulls back, and clears his throat looking anywhere else but at me with a bit of a red hue to his cheeks. What was that? Two hours later, we arrived at our destination. The Canals trading center. It is full of life, bustling with people. I see a stand where there are two people trading items, one of them being a loaf of bread, and the other a roll of rope. Jack pulls me into a small hole in the wall type shop. It is tiny, but cozy. There is pottery of all kinds of sea creatures littered along the shelves. A tiny corner that has a small library, and an armchair. Something then captures my eyes. Tubes of paint, all colors of the rainbow and different shades. I gasp, and beeline for them leaving Jack’s side. I pick up one of the tubes, and rub my fingers against the smooth feel of it. “Haven’t seen those in a while, hmm?” Jack says. An image comes to mind. Me sitting outside on a patio, with my little sister in my lap, painting messily on the canvas. “What do you think of my bird, Pria?” Lizzy asked. “Hmm, I don’t know. It looks more like a dog.” She gasps in offense, well yours looks like… like.. actually it is pretty good.”she stares in amazement at my painting of the seagull. I smile down at her “Thank you, Lizzy. And I was just joking. Yours is so well detailed, are those feathers that I see?” She beams up at me, nodding her head up and down. “Yes, you noticed!” She exclaimed. “You know, you’re going to be the best artist in the world someday.” “Pria?” I’m pulled out of the memory by the sound of Jack’s voice. “You okay, there?” I look up at him, he looks down at me. “Yeah,” is all I reply with. He looks unsure about my answer, but then sighs. “Ok, if you say so.” He then retrieves a long box of the shelf next to the tubes of paint. “Look at what I found.” He hands me the box, and I open it up to see at least a dozen different sized paint brushes. My mouth drops open in shock. “We have to get you these.” He says, taking the box of paint brushes, and paint tubes. I rush up to him when he walks towards the cashier. “No, no, don’t worry Jack! I’ll find a way to get them.” I hurry to explain. “Nonsense, what time would be better than now for you to have the supplies an artist needs.” I open my mouth to say something else, when he gives me the look. The one where he has no more room for nonsense. I shut my mouth. “Thank you for getting me those supplies, even though you didn’t have to.” I say to him as we walk in the direction to the art gallery. “Those art supplies deserve to be used by someone with such a talent of yours. I couldn’t let you walk out of there empty handed.” Warmth fills my cheeks at his compliment. He holds the door open for me to the gallery, waiting for me to come in. I thank him, taking in my surroundings once I walk inside. It is open space, with tall white walls. Natural light illuminates the art pieces that have their own spots in the room. “It’s so beautiful.” I exhale in awe. “I agree with you, dear.” I jump, and turn to see a man in a sharp suit. Eyeglasses are perched on the high bridge of his nose. “My name is Gabriel, I’m the gallerist of this gallery and who may you be?” He inquired. “Oh, my name is Pria, sir. I’m one of the applicants that would like to showcase some of her art.” I reach out, ready to shake his hand. He looks down at it like it's dirty, taking in my appearance. I feel like a fish being dissected. He then reluctantly shakes my hand. “Pria, did you see the painting of the woman crying?” Jack’s voice grows louder as he walks towards the room Gabriel and I are in. “It looked like her tears were actually rolling down her face—oh.” He freezes in the doorway. “Hello,” he says. Gabriel looks astonished to see Jack. “You’re Mr. Willton’s son.” Jack looks uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “Yes, I am.” Gabriel leaves his spot in front of me, to go shake Jack’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you sir. I can’t thank your father enough for letting me buy this gallery!” Jack smiles awkwardly. A couple of hours later, I’m back inside my home. Gabriel thankfully accepted me to showcase some of my art. Even if he did it just because I’m friends with Jack. What matters is I get to paint. I rush into my room, and immediately get started. I open the top, and squirt some paint on a little plate. Red, orange, yellow, black. I pick up one of the brushes and dip it into the black glob of paint. The strokes of the brush against the canvas calm something in me. I paint what I imagine to be a street. In the book, it said that there would be cars on these streets. I paint what I imagine cars to look like. After finishing this painting, I work on another. I get lost in time, immersed in the world of beauty. The next day, Jack stops by to pick up my art piece collection. I’m full of nerves, and anticipation, as we make our way to the gallery in Jack’s boat. After arriving in the center, we walked towards the grand entrance of the art gallery. Everyone inside is dressed in beautiful dresses and suits. The dress I’m wearing is in plain black, and doesn’t have any of the details most of these do. Cut that out. It doesn’t matter if I'm in a clown costume for goodness sake. I reprimanded myself. I see the labeled stands for my pieces, and place them on top of each one. I walk around the art gallery with Jack, taking in other pieces. In my peripheral vision, I see some people stand in front of my pieces. They freeze, and stare at it. I feel my nerves emerging again. “Jack, can we go to the other room, please?” He looks at me. A questioning look in his eyes, until he sees the people in front of my pieces. Understanding why now, we both walk outside. “I don’t know Jack. I’m not so sure the guests enjoyed my art.” I quietly say. “Don’t put those negative thoughts into your head. Let’s just wait until Gabriel comes back with the results.” Jack replies. “Ahem,” a throat clearing makes me glance at the person in the doorway. It’s Gabriel. “Ms. Sanchez, the majority of the guests tonight, have stated that they would like to see more of your work.” My eyes widened. This can’t be true. Is this a dream? “Pinch me,” I tell Jack. “What?” Jack scoffs. “Pinch me.” I say again. “Pria, this is real. There is no need to pinch you.” Jack proudly says. “The people that looked at your art heard you. They could see your vision.” He says. “Some of the guests liked how each painting of yours showcased life before the sea level rising. In particular, the one with the street full of vehicles, and flashing lights caught the most attention.” Gabriel explained. My eyes start to water, I never imagined that I would be in this position, but here I am. Without the encouragement, and love of my little sister, I wouldn’t have been able to have done this. Lizzie, your big sister is an artist. The End Bubbles rise up all around me. Racing to the surface to escape the dark depths of the deep blue waters. I try to rise to the surface, but my arms feel like blocks of cement. I freeze in fear, and just accept that I’m going to die. Maybe this is a good thing? Maybe I will finally be with her? My eyes start to close, but the last thing I see is a blurry figure reaching out to me. 7 hours earlier Something pulls me out of my deep state of sleep. I yawn, and stretch as I sit up in my bed. I glance to the right and see a bird. I smile at it, as it chirps its morning song. Why is there a bird? You may be wondering. Well, to simply put it, I live in a crappy, dangerous, shack. This shack has no glass windows, and is almost on the brink of collapsing. I like to call it our little island of hell. I climb out of bed, and make my way to the bathroom. I face the mirror, and almost scream as I face the disaster of my morning appearance. After brushing my teeth, and taking my shower, I make my way outside my room to the kitchen. “Good morning, Pria. How was your night?” My mothers asks warmly, as she pulls out two slices of bread, buttering them up. I smile and go hug her. “It was good, yours?” I reply, stealing a tiny strawberry away from the plate behind her. She chuckles, “I think you need to get going, now. Isn’t it almost time for school?” Oh no, I’m going to be late! “You’re right, I have to go. Bye!” I brush past her and pick my bag up from the floor. Once I open the wooden door, a blast of the scent of salt water greets me. It stings my face, as I walk to the small dock behind our shack of our home. I absolutely, without any doubt, hate this particular part of the day. It reminds me of… never mind. I push those memories out of my head and let them fall into the dark waters, hoping they never emerge again. I exhale a shaker breath, and carefully step into the tiny boat. One leg at a time. The boat rocks side to side, and I gasp and cling tightly to the wooden pole next to it. My eyes screw shut. I exhale another deep breath, then very slowly sit down. I untie the ropes from the dock cleat, and push away the boat from the dock. I reach down, and retrieve a paddle to row. I row away to School, yay. Ten minutes into my journey, I’m already tired. If that tells you I don’t work out a lot, I don’t know what does. I throw the paddle down, bending to get a sip of water. Dawn gives way to the orange sun creeping over the horizon. It hypnotizes me in all its beauty. The oranges, and yellows, the contrast of its warmth with the dark waters that cover what we used to know in life. All those stories told from generations upon generations of Miami before the Rising. The connection of it all, is something not only I strive to get a taste of, but so many others. To be able to paint this would be incredible, but we have no art supplies. I wish I could have been alive before this. To see the fields of green grass, flowers, people walking past you in the streets. I store the thoughts away in my mind, and pick up the paddle again. “Ughhhh.” I continue rowing again. Finally, I have made it to my school. I row to the dock, and quickly attach the rope to one of the dock cleats. I climb out of the boat, and retrieve my bag. I climb up the green hill the school resides on, yanking the doors open. Everyone glances at me, whispering to their friends who knows what. There are rumors that I drowned my little sister, and everyone thinks I’m deranged and don’t deserve to be here, even though I still passed the induction exam before coming here. Sometimes it’s hard to believe some of these people passed that exam. I trudge towards my locker, to retrieve my needed books of the day. A little, folded, note fell to the ground, and I furrowed my eyebrows. “What the?” I say my thoughts aloud. I pick it up, and see my name scrawled across the top in intricate penmanship. I unfold the little piece of paper. Dear Pria, I know that these times are rough for you, but just know that I will always be here for you. No matter what. I want my friend back, even in all her craziness, I need her. ———Jack I shove the piece of paper away into the back of my locker. Shutting it hard. “Someone is having a rough morning,” Laughs Cindy to my right. I glare at her, and walk away to my first class. During lunch period, my favorite period, I make my way outside with a tray of food. But someone blocks my path to the table. That someone being Cindy, wonderful. “You have some nerve to be here, when you know you don’t belong. Never have, and never will. They shouldn’t let the dirty, poor, likes of you into a school this nice.” She snarls, and scrunches her nose in disgust. “Your mother shouldn’t have birthed a demon from hell, but here you are!” I fire back. She gasps, and looks offended. “Doesn’t feel so nice when others give you back what you give, does it?” I raise my eyebrows at her, waiting for her reply. It all happens so fast, I don’t see it coming. Cindy reaches out, and shoves me into the vast waters. Fear locks me in place, like a cage. Unwanted memories fill my mind up to the brink. Flashes of brown curls, and brown doe eyes. A giggle of pure innocence, before the screams of terror. Present Bubbles rise up all around me. Racing to the surface to escape the dark depths of the deep blue waters. I try to rise up to the surface, but my arms feel like blocks of cement. I freeze in fear, and just accept that I’m going to die. Maybe this is a good thing? Maybe I will finally be with her? My eyes start to close, but the last thing I see is a blurry figure reaching out to me. Darkness is all I see. Am I dead? Suddenly, light greets me again. I cough out the salt that burns my throat, gasping for air. I blink up at the figure above me. My vision clears to see a familiar face, that brings back memories. Jack. Mixed emotions fill me up at once. He still has those floppy blond curls of his, those apple green eyes. He looks concerned. Oh right, I almost died. “Are you alright?” He questioned. “Yep, almost drowned there,” I chuckle, cringing at myself. He sheepishly smiles down at me, and reaches his arm forward. He helps me up into a sitting position, before helping me rise to my feet. “Thank God, you’re okay. You almost gave me a heart attack there.” I fumble with my drenched shirt, looking anywhere but at him. “Thank you for saving me.” I say, looking up at him. “Of course I would.” He replies. Suddenly, anger contorts his face when he looks behind me. He marches past me, and I turn to see him walking towards Cindy. She stops laughing when she sees him, looking shocked. “What were you thinking? You could have killed her?” He points back at me. “She deserved it, especially since she drowned her sister!” Cindy said defensively. Jack raises his brows in shock. “Really? You’re that stupid to believe she drowned her own sister? Have you ever even met her sister before she died?” She scoffs and turns, walking away. Jack shakes his head, and walks back to me. “That one needs some growing up.” He says. “I couldn’t agree more.” “Come on, let’s take you home.” He places his arm around me, and guides me to his boat. I leave his arms, “No, it’s fine! I have a boat,” I point to it. Jack looks at the boat, then turns back to me with a blank expression on his face. “I’m not taking no for an answer, it will be safer on mine. Also, there will be a storm soon.” He says. I look up at the sky. Grey clouds roll in, and to top it off, a flash of lightning splits the sky, before the sound of thunder roars. “Fine, but only this once.” He looks satisfied with that, and then guides me to his luxurious boat. There are cushioned seats inside, an awning for shade, and even a snack bar. Wow. I climb down the steps, and take a seat. “Alright, let’s go.” He drives his boat away from the dock, and we’re out at sea. “You remember where my house is?” I ask. “Yeah.” Is all he replies. Fifteen minutes later, we made it into my neighborhood. I feel embarrassed at the state of the shack-like homes. This is Jack, I tell myself. You used to play when you were little. He would never judge you, because you live in a shithole, and he lives in a mansion on a tall green hill. When we stop in front of my door, it bursts open. Mom comes rushing out, frantic. “Oh my gosh! What happened to you?” She cries out. I climb out of the boat. “I’m fine mom, it’s okay.” I hugged her. Behind her, I see Jack climbing out of the boat. My eyes widened. “No” I silently mouth the word to him. If she sees him, she’s going to keep him here for hours, talking his ears off. He looks confused. “What are you looking at?” Mom turns, and sees Jack. There goes his afternoon. “So Jack, how’s everything going?” Mom asks, as she makes him a cup of her famous “berry crazy” juice. “Everything’s going great, actually. Dad just sold another part of the land in the Canals.” He replies, stuffing his mouth with one of mom’s delicious cookies. The Canals is a trading center that is known for all its prosperity in commerce. “That’s nice to hear dear.” She pulls out the cutting board and knife, chopping some fruits up. “Why don’t you two head outside? Get some fresh air while I batch up some of my goodies?Come on, get some fresh air!” As if we don’t already without glass panels, and cracks in the foundations of the walls. “Come on,”I pull Jack outside with me and take a seat on the plastic chair. He settles down next to me, sighing. We both look out at the horizon. The sun melts away, leaving its rays of purple, and pink hues. “You know, I miss her a lot.” I say, still looking at the sunset. In my peripheral vision, I see Jack look at me. “Me too.” He solemnly says. “Imagine if she had lived? Where would she be today? She shouldn’t have died, especially at such a young age. She had a long life ahead of her.” I say, brushing tears off my cheeks with the back of my hand. “She would be proud of the person you are today.” He says, turning towards me again. “Even with all the hardships of life, you push through, never backing down.” “Look at you being all mushy,” I chuckle, still brushing tears away. “Do you still paint?” Jack asks me. “That was when we were little. Things have changed Jack.” I say gesturing around us. He sighs, “you’re right.” But then he gasps, it seems he has an idea. “My dad has an art gallery in one of his plazas.” Maybe you can showcase some of your work there.” I look at him in disbelief. “You think they’ll accept the likes of me to showcase art in a gallery? Come on, Jack. That's not realistic.” I shake my head. “They haven’t seen your talent yet, though. All that you paint on a canvas to reach an audience, and capture their attention.” I think about it for a second, would they really like my work? “You know what, just sleep on it.” Jack says, getting up. He brushes off his clothes. “Fine, but don't be disappointed if I decide not to do it.” I stand up, too. We both walk back inside. “I have your berry crazy juices made! Here’s one for you, and you.” Mom exclaims, handing both of us our drinks. “Thanks, mom,” I smile while taking a sip. “Thank you miss Sanchez.” Jack raises his glass and takes a sip. “Of course!” Mom replies. Jack then leaves a few minutes later. Taking the goodies mom made for him with him. We both wave bye at him, as he leaves the dock. It’s night time now, and after taking a shower, I crawl onto my small bed. There’s a heavy feeling in my gut. I don’t know why, but I just have it. I sigh, exhausted from the day. I reach out to my right nightstand to read my family journal. I open it up and start reading. This part of the book really catches my attention. It discusses the city of Miami before it was ruined by this rise of sea water. There were restaurants all lined up on the streets, parks, beaches. People could watch movies at the theater, there was more to do. I wish I could have lived in that type of environment, but I unfortunately do not. The next day, I’m sitting in my chair eating breakfast when I hear a knock on my door. I push back my chair, and stand up. I walk to the door, open it. “Hi, Jack. You’re back so soon.” I say, gesturing for him to come inside. “I couldn’t wait any longer to hear your decision.” He smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ok, first, do you want something to eat or drink?” I ask. “I’ve already eaten.” He shoots back. “So, what’s your decision?” He asks me. I thought about it for a while last night, contemplating. But then that chapter of the book really inspired me. “Yes, I’ll do it.” I replied. He punches the air in excitement. “You won’t be disappointed, this is an amazing opportunity!” He then wraps his arms around me. I awkwardly pat his back. We’ve known each other since we were young children, but haven’t talked to each other in a while. He pulls back, and cups my face, smiling down at me. “Sorry,” he pulls back, and clears his throat looking anywhere else but at me with a bit of a red hue to his cheeks. What was that? Two hours later, we arrived at our destination. The Canals trading center. It is full of life, bustling with people. I see a stand where there are two people trading items, one of them being a loaf of bread, and the other a roll of rope. Jack pulls me into a small hole in the wall type shop. It is tiny, but cozy. There is pottery of all kinds of sea creatures littered along the shelves. A tiny corner that has a small library, and an armchair. Something then captures my eyes. Tubes of paint, all colors of the rainbow and different shades. I gasp, and beeline for them leaving Jack’s side. I pick up one of the tubes, and rub my fingers against the smooth feel of it. “Haven’t seen those in a while, hmm?” Jack says. An image comes to mind. Me sitting outside on a patio, with my little sister in my lap, painting messily on the canvas. “What do you think of my bird, Pria?” Lizzy asked. “Hmm, I don’t know. It looks more like a dog.” She gasps in offense, well yours looks like… like.. actually it is pretty good.”she stares in amazement at my painting of the seagull. I smile down at her “Thank you, Lizzy. And I was just joking. Yours is so well detailed, are those feathers that I see?” She beams up at me, nodding her head up and down. “Yes, you noticed!” She exclaimed. “You know, you’re going to be the best artist in the world someday.” “Pria?” I’m pulled out of the memory by the sound of Jack’s voice. “You okay, there?” I look up at him, he looks down at me. “Yeah,” is all I reply with. He looks unsure about my answer, but then sighs. “Ok, if you say so.” He then retrieves a long box of the shelf next to the tubes of paint. “Look at what I found.” He hands me the box, and I open it up to see at least a dozen different sized paint brushes. My mouth drops open in shock. “We have to get you these.” He says, taking the box of paint brushes, and paint tubes. I rush up to him when he walks towards the cashier. “No, no, don’t worry Jack! I’ll find a way to get them.” I hurry to explain. “Nonsense, what time would be better than now for you to have the supplies an artist needs.” I open my mouth to say something else, when he gives me the look. The one where he has no more room for nonsense. I shut my mouth. “Thank you for getting me those supplies, even though you didn’t have to.” I say to him as we walk in the direction to the art gallery. “Those art supplies deserve to be used by someone with such a talent of yours. I couldn’t let you walk out of there empty handed.” Warmth fills my cheeks at his compliment. He holds the door open for me to the gallery, waiting for me to come in. I thank him, taking in my surroundings once I walk inside. It is open space, with tall white walls. Natural light illuminates the art pieces that have their own spots in the room. “It’s so beautiful.” I exhale in awe. “I agree with you, dear.” I jump, and turn to see a man in a sharp suit. Eyeglasses are perched on the high bridge of his nose. “My name is Gabriel, I’m the gallerist of this gallery and who may you be?” He inquired. “Oh, my name is Pria, sir. I’m one of the applicants that would like to showcase some of her art.” I reach out, ready to shake his hand. He looks down at it like it's dirty, taking in my appearance. I feel like a fish being dissected. He then reluctantly shakes my hand. “Pria, did you see the painting of the woman crying?” Jack’s voice grows louder as he walks towards the room Gabriel and I are in. “It looked like her tears were actually rolling down her face—oh.” He freezes in the doorway. “Hello,” he says. Gabriel looks astonished to see Jack. “You’re Mr. Willton’s son.” Jack looks uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “Yes, I am.” Gabriel leaves his spot in front of me, to go shake Jack’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you sir. I can’t thank your father enough for letting me buy this gallery!” Jack smiles awkwardly. A couple of hours later, I’m back inside my home. Gabriel thankfully accepted me to showcase some of my art. Even if he did it just because I’m friends with Jack. What matters is I get to paint. I rush into my room, and immediately get started. I open the top, and squirt some paint on a little plate. Red, orange, yellow, black. I pick up one of the brushes and dip it into the black glob of paint. The strokes of the brush against the canvas calm something in me. I paint what I imagine to be a street. In the book, it said that there would be cars on these streets. I paint what I imagine cars to look like. After finishing this painting, I work on another. I get lost in time, immersed in the world of beauty. The next day, Jack stops by to pick up my art piece collection. I’m full of nerves, and anticipation, as we make our way to the gallery in Jack’s boat. After arriving in the center, we walked towards the grand entrance of the art gallery. Everyone inside is dressed in beautiful dresses and suits. The dress I’m wearing is in plain black, and doesn’t have any of the details most of these do. Cut that out. It doesn’t matter if I'm in a clown costume for goodness sake. I reprimanded myself. I see the labeled stands for my pieces, and place them on top of each one. I walk around the art gallery with Jack, taking in other pieces. In my peripheral vision, I see some people stand in front of my pieces. They freeze, and stare at it. I feel my nerves emerging again. “Jack, can we go to the other room, please?” He looks at me. A questioning look in his eyes, until he sees the people in front of my pieces. Understanding why now, we both walk outside. “I don’t know Jack. I’m not so sure the guests enjoyed my art.” I quietly say. “Don’t put those negative thoughts into your head. Let’s just wait until Gabriel comes back with the results.” Jack replies. “Ahem,” a throat clearing makes me glance at the person in the doorway. It’s Gabriel. “Ms. Sanchez, the majority of the guests tonight, have stated that they would like to see more of your work.” My eyes widened. This can’t be true. Is this a dream? “Pinch me,” I tell Jack. “What?” Jack scoffs. “Pinch me.” I say again. “Pria, this is real. There is no need to pinch you.” Jack proudly says. “The people that looked at your art heard you. They could see your vision.” He says. “Some of the guests liked how each painting of yours showcased life before the sea level rising. In particular, the one with the street full of vehicles, and flashing lights caught the most attention.” Gabriel explained. My eyes start to water, I never imagined that I would be in this position, but here I am. Without the encouragement, and love of my little sister, I wouldn’t have been able to have done this. Lizzie, your big sister is an artist. The End Bubbles rise up all around me. Racing to the surface to escape the dark depths of the deep blue waters. I try to rise to the surface, but my arms feel like blocks of cement. I freeze in fear, and just accept that I’m going to die. Maybe this is a good thing? Maybe I will finally be with her? My eyes start to close, but the last thing I see is a blurry figure reaching out to me. 7 hours earlier Something pulls me out of my deep state of sleep. I yawn, and stretch as I sit up in my bed. I glance to the right and see a bird. I smile at it, as it chirps its morning song. Why is there a bird? You may be wondering. Well, to simply put it, I live in a crappy, dangerous, shack. This shack has no glass windows, and is almost on the brink of collapsing. I like to call it our little island of hell. I climb out of bed, and make my way to the bathroom. I face the mirror, and almost scream as I face the disaster of my morning appearance. After brushing my teeth, and taking my shower, I make my way outside my room to the kitchen. “Good morning, Pria. How was your night?” My mothers asks warmly, as she pulls out two slices of bread, buttering them up. I smile and go hug her. “It was good, yours?” I reply, stealing a tiny strawberry away from the plate behind her. She chuckles, “I think you need to get going, now. Isn’t it almost time for school?” Oh no, I’m going to be late! “You’re right, I have to go. Bye!” I brush past her and pick my bag up from the floor. Once I open the wooden door, a blast of the scent of salt water greets me. It stings my face, as I walk to the small dock behind our shack of our home. I absolutely, without any doubt, hate this particular part of the day. It reminds me of… never mind. I push those memories out of my head and let them fall into the dark waters, hoping they never emerge again. I exhale a shaker breath, and carefully step into the tiny boat. One leg at a time. The boat rocks side to side, and I gasp and cling tightly to the wooden pole next to it. My eyes screw shut. I exhale another deep breath, then very slowly sit down. I untie the ropes from the dock cleat, and push away the boat from the dock. I reach down, and retrieve a paddle to row. I row away to School, yay. Ten minutes into my journey, I’m already tired. If that tells you I don’t work out a lot, I don’t know what does. I throw the paddle down, bending to get a sip of water. Dawn gives way to the orange sun creeping over the horizon. It hypnotizes me in all its beauty. The oranges, and yellows, the contrast of its warmth with the dark waters that cover what we used to know in life. All those stories told from generations upon generations of Miami before the Rising. The connection of it all, is something not only I strive to get a taste of, but so many others. To be able to paint this would be incredible, but we have no art supplies. I wish I could have been alive before this. To see the fields of green grass, flowers, people walking past you in the streets. I store the thoughts away in my mind, and pick up the paddle again. “Ughhhh.” I continue rowing again. Finally, I have made it to my school. I row to the dock, and quickly attach the rope to one of the dock cleats. I climb out of the boat, and retrieve my bag. I climb up the green hill the school resides on, yanking the doors open. Everyone glances at me, whispering to their friends who knows what. There are rumors that I drowned my little sister, and everyone thinks I’m deranged and don’t deserve to be here, even though I still passed the induction exam before coming here. Sometimes it’s hard to believe some of these people passed that exam. I trudge towards my locker, to retrieve my needed books of the day. A little, folded, note fell to the ground, and I furrowed my eyebrows. “What the?” I say my thoughts aloud. I pick it up, and see my name scrawled across the top in intricate penmanship. I unfold the little piece of paper. Dear Pria, I know that these times are rough for you, but just know that I will always be here for you. No matter what. I want my friend back, even in all her craziness, I need her. ———Jack I shove the piece of paper away into the back of my locker. Shutting it hard. “Someone is having a rough morning,” Laughs Cindy to my right. I glare at her, and walk away to my first class. During lunch period, my favorite period, I make my way outside with a tray of food. But someone blocks my path to the table. That someone being Cindy, wonderful. “You have some nerve to be here, when you know you don’t belong. Never have, and never will. They shouldn’t let the dirty, poor, likes of you into a school this nice.” She snarls, and scrunches her nose in disgust. “Your mother shouldn’t have birthed a demon from hell, but here you are!” I fire back. She gasps, and looks offended. “Doesn’t feel so nice when others give you back what you give, does it?” I raise my eyebrows at her, waiting for her reply. It all happens so fast, I don’t see it coming. Cindy reaches out, and shoves me into the vast waters. Fear locks me in place, like a cage. Unwanted memories fill my mind up to the brink. Flashes of brown curls, and brown doe eyes. A giggle of pure innocence, before the screams of terror. Present Bubbles rise up all around me. Racing to the surface to escape the dark depths of the deep blue waters. I try to rise up to the surface, but my arms feel like blocks of cement. I freeze in fear, and just accept that I’m going to die. Maybe this is a good thing? Maybe I will finally be with her? My eyes start to close, but the last thing I see is a blurry figure reaching out to me. Darkness is all I see. Am I dead? Suddenly, light greets me again. I cough out the salt that burns my throat, gasping for air. I blink up at the figure above me. My vision clears to see a familiar face, that brings back memories. Jack. Mixed emotions fill me up at once. He still has those floppy blond curls of his, those apple green eyes. He looks concerned. Oh right, I almost died. “Are you alright?” He questioned. “Yep, almost drowned there,” I chuckle, cringing at myself. He sheepishly smiles down at me, and reaches his arm forward. He helps me up into a sitting position, before helping me rise to my feet. “Thank God, you’re okay. You almost gave me a heart attack there.” I fumble with my drenched shirt, looking anywhere but at him. “Thank you for saving me.” I say, looking up at him. “Of course I would.” He replies. Suddenly, anger contorts his face when he looks behind me. He marches past me, and I turn to see him walking towards Cindy. She stops laughing when she sees him, looking shocked. “What were you thinking? You could have killed her?” He points back at me. “She deserved it, especially since she drowned her sister!” Cindy said defensively. Jack raises his brows in shock. “Really? You’re that stupid to believe she drowned her own sister? Have you ever even met her sister before she died?” She scoffs and turns, walking away. Jack shakes his head, and walks back to me. “That one needs some growing up.” He says. “I couldn’t agree more.” “Come on, let’s take you home.” He places his arm around me, and guides me to his boat. I leave his arms, “No, it’s fine! I have a boat,” I point to it. Jack looks at the boat, then turns back to me with a blank expression on his face. “I’m not taking no for an answer, it will be safer on mine. Also, there will be a storm soon.” He says. I look up at the sky. Grey clouds roll in, and to top it off, a flash of lightning splits the sky, before the sound of thunder roars. “Fine, but only this once.” He looks satisfied with that, and then guides me to his luxurious boat. There are cushioned seats inside, an awning for shade, and even a snack bar. Wow. I climb down the steps, and take a seat. “Alright, let’s go.” He drives his boat away from the dock, and we’re out at sea. “You remember where my house is?” I ask. “Yeah.” Is all he replies. Fifteen minutes later, we made it into my neighborhood. I feel embarrassed at the state of the shack-like homes. This is Jack, I tell myself. You used to play when you were little. He would never judge you, because you live in a shithole, and he lives in a mansion on a tall green hill. When we stop in front of my door, it bursts open. Mom comes rushing out, frantic. “Oh my gosh! What happened to you?” She cries out. I climb out of the boat. “I’m fine mom, it’s okay.” I hugged her. Behind her, I see Jack climbing out of the boat. My eyes widened. “No” I silently mouth the word to him. If she sees him, she’s going to keep him here for hours, talking his ears off. He looks confused. “What are you looking at?” Mom turns, and sees Jack. There goes his afternoon. “So Jack, how’s everything going?” Mom asks, as she makes him a cup of her famous “berry crazy” juice. “Everything’s going great, actually. Dad just sold another part of the land in the Canals.” He replies, stuffing his mouth with one of mom’s delicious cookies. The Canals is a trading center that is known for all its prosperity in commerce. “That’s nice to hear dear.” She pulls out the cutting board and knife, chopping some fruits up. “Why don’t you two head outside? Get some fresh air while I batch up some of my goodies?Come on, get some fresh air!” As if we don’t already without glass panels, and cracks in the foundations of the walls. “Come on,”I pull Jack outside with me and take a seat on the plastic chair. He settles down next to me, sighing. We both look out at the horizon. The sun melts away, leaving its rays of purple, and pink hues. “You know, I miss her a lot.” I say, still looking at the sunset. In my peripheral vision, I see Jack look at me. “Me too.” He solemnly says. “Imagine if she had lived? Where would she be today? She shouldn’t have died, especially at such a young age. She had a long life ahead of her.” I say, brushing tears off my cheeks with the back of my hand. “She would be proud of the person you are today.” He says, turning towards me again. “Even with all the hardships of life, you push through, never backing down.” “Look at you being all mushy,” I chuckle, still brushing tears away. “Do you still paint?” Jack asks me. “That was when we were little. Things have changed Jack.” I say gesturing around us. He sighs, “you’re right.” But then he gasps, it seems he has an idea. “My dad has an art gallery in one of his plazas.” Maybe you can showcase some of your work there.” I look at him in disbelief. “You think they’ll accept the likes of me to showcase art in a gallery? Come on, Jack. That's not realistic.” I shake my head. “They haven’t seen your talent yet, though. All that you paint on a canvas to reach an audience, and capture their attention.” I think about it for a second, would they really like my work? “You know what, just sleep on it.” Jack says, getting up. He brushes off his clothes. “Fine, but don't be disappointed if I decide not to do it.” I stand up, too. We both walk back inside. “I have your berry crazy juices made! Here’s one for you, and you.” Mom exclaims, handing both of us our drinks. “Thanks, mom,” I smile while taking a sip. “Thank you miss Sanchez.” Jack raises his glass and takes a sip. “Of course!” Mom replies. Jack then leaves a few minutes later. Taking the goodies mom made for him with him. We both wave bye at him, as he leaves the dock. It’s night time now, and after taking a shower, I crawl onto my small bed. There’s a heavy feeling in my gut. I don’t know why, but I just have it. I sigh, exhausted from the day. I reach out to my right nightstand to read my family journal. I open it up and start reading. This part of the book really catches my attention. It discusses the city of Miami before it was ruined by this rise of sea water. There were restaurants all lined up on the streets, parks, beaches. People could watch movies at the theater, there was more to do. I wish I could have lived in that type of environment, but I unfortunately do not. The next day, I’m sitting in my chair eating breakfast when I hear a knock on my door. I push back my chair, and stand up. I walk to the door, open it. “Hi, Jack. You’re back so soon.” I say, gesturing for him to come inside. “I couldn’t wait any longer to hear your decision.” He smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Ok, first, do you want something to eat or drink?” I ask. “I’ve already eaten.” He shoots back. “So, what’s your decision?” He asks me. I thought about it for a while last night, contemplating. But then that chapter of the book really inspired me. “Yes, I’ll do it.” I replied. He punches the air in excitement. “You won’t be disappointed, this is an amazing opportunity!” He then wraps his arms around me. I awkwardly pat his back. We’ve known each other since we were young children, but haven’t talked to each other in a while. He pulls back, and cups my face, smiling down at me. “Sorry,” he pulls back, and clears his throat looking anywhere else but at me with a bit of a red hue to his cheeks. What was that? Two hours later, we arrived at our destination. The Canals trading center. It is full of life, bustling with people. I see a stand where there are two people trading items, one of them being a loaf of bread, and the other a roll of rope. Jack pulls me into a small hole in the wall type shop. It is tiny, but cozy. There is pottery of all kinds of sea creatures littered along the shelves. A tiny corner that has a small library, and an armchair. Something then captures my eyes. Tubes of paint, all colors of the rainbow and different shades. I gasp, and beeline for them leaving Jack’s side. I pick up one of the tubes, and rub my fingers against the smooth feel of it. “Haven’t seen those in a while, hmm?” Jack says. An image comes to mind. Me sitting outside on a patio, with my little sister in my lap, painting messily on the canvas. “What do you think of my bird, Pria?” Lizzy asked. “Hmm, I don’t know. It looks more like a dog.” She gasps in offense, well yours looks like… like.. actually it is pretty good.”she stares in amazement at my painting of the seagull. I smile down at her “Thank you, Lizzy. And I was just joking. Yours is so well detailed, are those feathers that I see?” She beams up at me, nodding her head up and down. “Yes, you noticed!” She exclaimed. “You know, you’re going to be the best artist in the world someday.” “Pria?” I’m pulled out of the memory by the sound of Jack’s voice. “You okay, there?” I look up at him, he looks down at me. “Yeah,” is all I reply with. He looks unsure about my answer, but then sighs. “Ok, if you say so.” He then retrieves a long box of the shelf next to the tubes of paint. “Look at what I found.” He hands me the box, and I open it up to see at least a dozen different sized paint brushes. My mouth drops open in shock. “We have to get you these.” He says, taking the box of paint brushes, and paint tubes. I rush up to him when he walks towards the cashier. “No, no, don’t worry Jack! I’ll find a way to get them.” I hurry to explain. “Nonsense, what time would be better than now for you to have the supplies an artist needs.” I open my mouth to say something else, when he gives me the look. The one where he has no more room for nonsense. I shut my mouth. “Thank you for getting me those supplies, even though you didn’t have to.” I say to him as we walk in the direction to the art gallery. “Those art supplies deserve to be used by someone with such a talent of yours. I couldn’t let you walk out of there empty handed.” Warmth fills my cheeks at his compliment. He holds the door open for me to the gallery, waiting for me to come in. I thank him, taking in my surroundings once I walk inside. It is open space, with tall white walls. Natural light illuminates the art pieces that have their own spots in the room. “It’s so beautiful.” I exhale in awe. “I agree with you, dear.” I jump, and turn to see a man in a sharp suit. Eyeglasses are perched on the high bridge of his nose. “My name is Gabriel, I’m the gallerist of this gallery and who may you be?” He inquired. “Oh, my name is Pria, sir. I’m one of the applicants that would like to showcase some of her art.” I reach out, ready to shake his hand. He looks down at it like it's dirty, taking in my appearance. I feel like a fish being dissected. He then reluctantly shakes my hand. “Pria, did you see the painting of the woman crying?” Jack’s voice grows louder as he walks towards the room Gabriel and I are in. “It looked like her tears were actually rolling down her face—oh.” He freezes in the doorway. “Hello,” he says. Gabriel looks astonished to see Jack. “You’re Mr. Willton’s son.” Jack looks uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “Yes, I am.” Gabriel leaves his spot in front of me, to go shake Jack’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you sir. I can’t thank your father enough for letting me buy this gallery!” Jack smiles awkwardly. A couple of hours later, I’m back inside my home. Gabriel thankfully accepted me to showcase some of my art. Even if he did it just because I’m friends with Jack. What matters is I get to paint. I rush into my room, and immediately get started. I open the top, and squirt some paint on a little plate. Red, orange, yellow, black. I pick up one of the brushes and dip it into the black glob of paint. The strokes of the brush against the canvas calm something in me. I paint what I imagine to be a street. In the book, it said that there would be cars on these streets. I paint what I imagine cars to look like. After finishing this painting, I work on another. I get lost in time, immersed in the world of beauty. The next day, Jack stops by to pick up my art piece collection. I’m full of nerves, and anticipation, as we make our way to the gallery in Jack’s boat. After arriving in the center, we walked towards the grand entrance of the art gallery. Everyone inside is dressed in beautiful dresses and suits. The dress I’m wearing is in plain black, and doesn’t have any of the details most of these do. Cut that out. It doesn’t matter if I'm in a clown costume for goodness sake. I reprimanded myself. I see the labeled stands for my pieces, and place them on top of each one. I walk around the art gallery with Jack, taking in other pieces. In my peripheral vision, I see some people stand in front of my pieces. They freeze, and stare at it. I feel my nerves emerging again. “Jack, can we go to the other room, please?” He looks at me. A questioning look in his eyes, until he sees the people in front of my pieces. Understanding why now, we both walk outside. “I don’t know Jack. I’m not so sure the guests enjoyed my art.” I quietly say. “Don’t put those negative thoughts into your head. Let’s just wait until Gabriel comes back with the results.” Jack replies. “Ahem,” a throat clearing makes me glance at the person in the doorway. It’s Gabriel. “Ms. Sanchez, the majority of the guests tonight, have stated that they would like to see more of your work.” My eyes widened. This can’t be true. Is this a dream? “Pinch me,” I tell Jack. “What?” Jack scoffs. “Pinch me.” I say again. “Pria, this is real. There is no need to pinch you.” Jack proudly says. “The people that looked at your art heard you. They could see your vision.” He says. “Some of the guests liked how each painting of yours showcased life before the sea level rising. In particular, the one with the street full of vehicles, and flashing lights caught the most attention.” Gabriel explained. My eyes start to water, I never imagined that I would be in this position, but here I am. Without the encouragement, and love of my little sister, I wouldn’t have been able to have done this. Lizzie, your big sister is an artist. The End Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Fluid Changes of Life Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Isabella Sabdul Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/a16a777c2258a10b8030af85d2a789dd.jpg 23ecea894cdb76bbbdf5f75b954df60f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. The Tier Towers in the distance swayed like they were unsure whether they belonged to the sky or the sea anymore. I stood still. Watching the water rise from a window on Level 5. And I thought, “I always wondered what the view from up here looked like.” “Level 2, the tide is rising. Please, stay clear of the edge.” The alerts rang throughout the canals as they usually do. It echoed through the metal poles and created ripples in the water. Everyone going about their business. The blaring sound blending into the morning bustle. No one seemed to stop and listen though, which honestly makes sense. There was too much to do to care about some water rising. That was just how we lived. Down here on Level 2, warnings didn't interrupt life. They were life. I tightened the last bolt on the scrap pillar, leaning against it to see if it would hold against my weight. The metal groaned a long, low sound but it didn't budge. Seemed good enough to me. It seems I'm always having to fix something around here ever more often. I wonder if mom is holding off okay at the shop. I hopped off my ladder onto the wet, rotting wooden planks. Below my boots, water pressed through the seams of the platform. It slipped between the planks slowly, spreading in thin, reflective lines that caught the early light. But it wasn’t flooding just yet. Hopefully, we have some time to sell before closing. The platform is always busy with people. Some rolling out wagons with collected metal scraps from the shore or filled with spoiled stock from the day before. The stench filled the air as I walked along. However, I always try to hold my breath so as not to take it all in. It seemed the docks were rather slow though. I guess there wasn’t a good catch. It was always hard when the men arrived with almost empty nets and barrels. At least that means I won't have to restock the coolers this morning! I kept making my way towards the shop, lending a hand on the way if anyone needed. The platform always needs patching up anyway. Perhaps a metal slab over there, and some new wooden planks over here. It seemed Pedro and Luis were already working away. Luis was on the roof patching up some hole, while Pedro was pulling at a makeshift pulley system they had created. You know, for easier lifting. Nearing the shop, I caught a glimpse of Ms.Etta on her rocking chair. She is always up to something, even at her old age. She always tells me how much she enjoys walking out to her front door and knit away with her special, homemade yarn. Her secret is seaweed. But I can’t tell if she was joking or not. If she’s not doing that, then she’s at the shop eating and telling stories very extravagantly. She is such a strong, joyfully spirited woman. Although her stories do seem outerworldly sometimes. Like she speaks about some wheel that spun over the water and you could see from the top, the horizon over the ocean. She might just be delirious. The doorbell rang as I walked through the door. The smell of the fresh fish and scallops hitting me in the face and the cool air sending shivers through my body. The shop seemed a little empty today. ”Hi, mom!” I exclaimed as I removed my tool belt from my waist and wiped the oil off my hands onto my shorts. ”Araceli! ¡Te estás ensuciando toda la ropa!” She was not happy. “It’s ok mom, don’t worry. They weren’t very clean to begin with,” I let out with a small nervous laugh. “You are always a mess. Go out to the back and wash up. I need your help with cleaning the fish before putting them out.” I walked to the back quickly, turned the handle, and…there was no water. No water coming out of the pipe. “¡Mamá! No sale agua!” I shouted. “Hay dios. The payment must have not gone through yesterday.” My mom’s face scrunched between her brows, a worried look forming. “It’s ok mom. I’ll just go next door and ask for a bucket.” ”Okay hija, be careful. It doesn’t look too safe out there.” I made my way back out. The wind had picked up a little, and the water that was slowly and quietly seeping through the planks were now fighting through. Avoiding the scaffolding, trying not to bump my head, I made it next door to Juanito’s. This was a rather popular food spot in town. It was small, but they made the best pastelitos. All the workers stopped here for breakfast at day break and then in the evening they would purchase some yuca and cods at our shop for dinner. “Hello!” I said, busting through the door. “I was wondering if I could go out back and fill myself with a bucket of water. I need it for my shop next door to wash the fish.” ”¡Hola mi niña! Por supuesto, busca todo el agua que necesites.” Señor Juan exclaimed. He has known me since I was little so I figured he wouldn’t be too troubled. Señor Juan is practically my uncle. He is quite flamboyant. Loud, extravagant, and always slicking back his hair. We also can’t forget that mustache of his, it’s pretty much his staple. I went back to the shop with my bucket full of water and helped my mother for the day. Suddenly, the lights, AC, and coolers stopped running. “I think that’s our sign to close for today mom.” I said tiredly. We finished sweeping and discarding the remaining products from the day's work. As we opened the door, a gust of salty ocean air filled the shop. The wind was so strong we could hardly close the door back to lock it. The sun was setting by now, but there was still some daylight at least. The platform gets dangerous at night. You can’t see where you’re stepping, or if there’s scaffolding waiting to hit you in the head. The most light you'll get is from the lanterns outside people’s homes or sometimes hung by rope along the planks. Ms.Etta was at home cooking and watching over my brother. I poured a bowl of Ms.Etta’s soup and walked into my parents’ bedroom where my father laid. “Hola papá! How are you feeling today?” I asked him while handing him the bowl. ”Much better. Thank you, Hija. I am so sorry I wasn't able to go to the shop today either. You shouldn’t have to work so hard. You should be in school.” He said sadly. ”Don’t worry, dad. I read plenty and you teach me all about math! I don’t need to go to school, when there are far more important things to do right now. Now, finish up and get your rest.” I scolded him. I went up to my room. Some people may see it as messy. But I see it as a genius’ lair. It’s not very pretty or aesthetic but it's my space. You see, I collect antique radios. Sometimes I like to tinker with them, to see if I can make them work again. The Gulls banned radios decades ago. They discovered that radio signals caused disruption in the air and water, causing fluctuating currents that disturbed sea life. Even so, my grandfather used to talk about listening to music as a kid through his car’s radio. I’m not sure what a car is but it must’ve been pretty great if it had a radio. My fascination with them is all their little parts and how perfectly they fit together to create a system that functions cohesively. They all work together to produce something so amazing. I wish we were more like that; more cohesive. My bedroom walls started to rattle. The metal noise grew as the room swayed. My window was shaking as if it were to break. I got into bed, playing with a small hand radio that I had found washed up in a bush. It seemed to be in better condition than my previous finds. I turned the nobs a few times, exposing the signal wire for it to dry. I also went out of my way last week searching for anyone who had batteries, and luckily I found some. As I laid in bed facing the roof, playing with my radio, hearing it crackle and buzz, my eyes felt heavy and I fell asleep. Click. Click, click. Click. Click. Click, click. Click I opened my eyes, turned to my clock, and it was 4:00am. I thought I heard something. Click. Click, click. Click. Click. Click, click. Click “What is that noise?” I whispered. It sounded once more before I realized it was coming from the radio. But how could it be picking up any signal? “It’s probably just broken”, or so I thought. I turned it off and went back to bed. Besides, I had to wake up soon, and see what needed fixing tomorrow. The clicks didn't stop though. I couldn’t fall back asleep. They didn’t grow any louder or any softer than the creaking of my walls. It was consistent. Persistent. I turned the knob a bit to the left, a bit to the right. But the sound kept going. Eventually, it was time to get up and go to the shop. The platform was of course a mess. There was washed up seaweed, fish, and trash. A whole lot of it. Some of the homes had shifted. Changing as the tides changed too. The radio in my pocket kept clicking. I made my way to the shop to help my mother, following the same routine. Suddenly, around evening, the clicking sound stopped. The silence was followed by static and then… “Level 2, the tide is rising. Please, stay clear of the edge.” The alert went off. “That’s impeccable timing,” I thought. At home, the radio went quiet and I heard nothing but static whenever I turned it back on. A few weeks had passed and nothing had changed. I followed the same routine as always but the silence of my radio only grew louder in the back of my mind. The repairs I made have been holding nicely around town and the docks were bringing in more fish this time. However, because of last month’s tide, many weren’t able to pay the Tide Tax. The tide sweeps away whatever fish is brought in, and as it lowers, the fishing grounds decrease, causing the fish to leave and seek deeper waters. No fish means there’s nothing to sell, which leads to unpaid dues. ”I am bored out of my mind, Noris!” I shout, lazily laid over the freezer standing between us. “Maybe, you shouldn’t complain too much. Your mom might get mad if she sees you with your frown downside up.” She says, trying to distract me from my neverending boredom. ”The saying is ‘turn your frown upside down,’ and you’re right. I shouldn't really complain when things are going good lately.” I responded and sighed. Noris is my childhood best friend. We went to the same pre-school and elementary school way back when. She lives a completely different life than me though. Her family is well-off. They have a home up on Level 3, so they rarely get any tides or water damages up there. They also don’t pay as high a Tide Tax. There’s no need to if there’s nothing for The Gulls to reconstruct. Her father is currently running for mayor up there and her mom campaigns for lower level neighborhoods all the time. I think they’re good people. “How’s the view up there, Noris? Up on level 3.” I asked her jokingly. ”Come on now, you know it’s not much different. We just don’t flood.” Noris said in a “matter-of-factly” tone. “As much as you want to think that Noris, your walls probably don’t creak in your sleep, leaving you with these horrid and dark eye bags!” I jokingly exclaimed, pulling at my face in annoyance to my tired complexion. Noris lets out a laugh and so do I. It always amazes me how in sync we can be, despite our different realities. I wish the world could laugh together, instead of judgement and segregating each other because of our differences. But we all know I can’t say that out loud. Click. Click, click. Click. Click. Click, click. Click. Noris looks at me confused and intrigued at what the noise was. I looked down in surprise. The radio went off again! That’s strange. It hadn’t worked all this time since then. “Level 2, the tide is rising. Please, stay clear of the edge.” My ears picked up on the blaring sound of alerts. My mind starts to turn and tinker. I look up at Noris with a shocked look on my face. “Noris, I have to tell you something.” I said nervously. “A month ago, while I was playing around with one of my radios…it actually started to work and it picked up a signal, or at least I think it picked up a signal and now I'm thinking it may or may not just be coincidence but the signal goes off right before Tide Alerts.” I rambled so fast I don’t think she caught everything I was saying. ”Wait! You have a radio!? And it works?!!” Noris shouted with a dumbfounded expression. ”Don’t just yell it out loud! You don’t know who is listening!” I scolded her. “Look, I have an idea that these signals that are picked up are somehow connected to the alert system. The last time we had a tide was weeks ago, and my radio hasn’t made a peep since then. Now all of sudden it wants to work? And right before the alert went off?” Something was amiss and I wanted to find out what exactly was causing these signals. ”Hold on Araceli, I’m still stuck on the fact you have a radio on you that works. You know you can’t have this! What if someone finds out and, and I know that you have it now! This can put my father at risk Ara! How could you be so careless as to carry around a working radio!?” A conflicting and angry tone escaping her tightened throat. ”I know! I know! But I can’t help but think this is important. I just feel it. Noris, I need your help on this and you can’t tell anybody. No one can know.” I could tell we were both now freaking out. Noris is Currentier. Her job allows her to travel through levels as a licensed and authorised messenger of sorts. She mostly works for Level 6 or Level 7 folk who own smaller businesses in the lower levels. But I can’t. It’s against the law. Put in place to keep social order. The only way of moving up levels is by paying an unbelievable transcourse fee and purchasing a home in the desired level, as proof of status and belonging. “Ok, Araceli. I have a friend on Level 6, his name is Dario. He might know how to help you with your new found curiosity, but I’m warning you…be careful who you speak to about this. You’re my best friend, and I would hate for something to happen to you.” Noris’ tone never sounded so serious before. Of course I understood the dangers, being that it was against the law to carry a working radio and everything, but I can’t lie that Noris’ behavior wasn’t alarming. ”Well…I can trust you, right?” My voice came out shakingly and worrisome. “Right. Just leave it to me.” Noris said with a confident demeanor. Noris took the radio and hid it deep within her Currentier bag. We walked outside and gave each other a long lasting hug. The salty air swirling around us. Her grip tightening on me as our last minutes together slipped away. She let go of me, with her long black hair a mess in the roaring breeze. Some strands came in front to cover her face as her eyes swelled up in tears. I myself felt a tinge in my heart. I know that I have brought her into a dangerous and unfair situation. If she gets caught with the radio, this could ruin her family. They might even get stripped of their home and sent to Level 1. Noris made her way to the center. This is where the Levitation Platforms were located. This was the only way of reaching the other Levels. Highly guarded, multitude of security screenings, and very very rude personnel, I must say. Of course, it wouldn’t be much trouble for Noris. All she has to do is get her Currentier ID code scanned, which is imprinted on the back of her neck. This was an extra level of security measure put in place by The Gulls. This way, nobody could just hand over their Currentier ID to the “unauthorized” population, us. I had heard the upper levels were nothing like down here. To start, their buildings are made of mirrored glass and have 24/7 electricity from solar and hydropowered energy. They also have vertical gardens that can grow all sorts of crops. Lettuce, carrots, and who knows what else. They also don’t use boats or rafts to get from one place to another. They have Self-Mobiles. They are these specially curated capsules that take you to different zones on the upper levels. Everyone has their personal capsule. All of their discarded, broken down, or useless crap are thrown down the water systems. Of course, that means that the final destination for these thrown away items are our shores and our own water systems. We don't nearly have the same accessibility to better living than they do, but we always seem to make it work anyway. The platform at the center always felt colder than the rest. Not because of the wind, but because of what it represented. Control. Noris stepped onto the Levitation Platform with her Currentier bag held tight against her side. The scanner above hummed as she approached, a low mechanical sound that vibrated through her teeth. Then the light flashed green. “Approved.” A monotone female voice spoke out. She didn’t look back. I stood at the edge of the planks watching her disappear upward, swallowed by the mist and machinery that separated our worlds. The wind tugged at my sleeves like it wanted to pull me after her. “Be careful,” I whispered, even though she was already gone. Noris adjusted her collar as she stepped into Level 6. The air here didn’t smell like salt and rust. It smelled… filtered. Too clean. Like nothing had ever been allowed to decay. She moved quickly, following Dario’s signal: a small blinking tag on her wrist device. The corridors were glass-lined, reflecting her back at herself from every angle. Everyone here walked like they belonged to something important. Dario was waiting near a service junction. “You got it?” he asked immediately. Noris nodded once. “She’s real. The radio works.” Before he could respond, voices echoed from the room behind him. Noris froze. Through the half-open door, she saw her father seated across from a man she didn’t recognize. The stranger wore a pale uniform without insignia, just a thin silver line running down his sleeve. Blueprints were spread across the table. A diagram of the ocean. Of the lower levels. Of us. “The failure with The Hermit was predictable,” the man said calmly. “Too unstable. Too emotional. The tide response was inconsistent.” Noris’ father leaned forward. “And Levels 1 and 2?” “Redundant,” the man replied. “We initiate controlled seismic output. The wave system will self-annihilate after activation. Clean displacement. The lower tiers collapse into unusable terrain, and reconstruction begins within the cycle.” The man said with his rich, low voice. Trying to persuade Noris’ father of the plans in mind. “Reconstruction?” her father asked. The man smiled slightly. “Vacation housing. Private coastline expansion. No remnants. Once the unusable is cleared of their so called ‘tenants’, then we can begin phase 2.” Noris felt her stomach drop. “The Tide Tax already softened them,” the man continued. “They’ve been conditioned to accept loss as routine. If you want to be mayor of your precious Level 3, then you’d be wise not to interfere. Let things run its course, or else you and your family can forget about all these riches and go back to the rags from which I saved you from.” She couldn’t let her family suffer consequences that they had no part in. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her bag. Inside it: the radio. Proof. Dario turned slowly toward her. “Noris…” But she was already backing away. Already running. The map was half-decayed, edges softened by saltwater burns and ink bleed. Araceli traced the lines with her finger under a dim lantern glow. “Old Miami…” I muttered. Noris nodded. “Dario sent the coordinates. Said the readings match your signal patterns.” We didn’t speak after that. We just moved. The Edge groaned as we descended into the darker layers beneath Level 2, past where the scaffolding stopped being maintained and started becoming forgotten. The water thickened. Heavier. Like it remembered everything we were trying not to. The radio in my pocket clicked once. Then stopped. It appeared slowly at first, like a shape forming out of memory. A structure anchored to the seabed. Metal ribs extending outward like a cage around something massive. And there it was. A machine. It pulsed faintly with a low rhythmic vibration that traveled through the water and into my bones. On its side, the symbol. A gull in mid-flight, carved cleanly into polished metal. My breath stopped. “The Gulls…” I thought. Noris drifted beside me, her light shaking slightly. “They built it…” Not just built it. Controlled it. The tide. The warnings. The cycles. The Tax. All of it. The machine hummed again, deeper this time. Like it was aware we were there. The warning came without rhythm. No calm alert this time. Just screaming systems. “Level 2, the tide is rising. Please, stay clear of the edge.” But the wind was already strong. It wasn’t rising. It was surging. The ocean pushed upward in violent sheets, slamming into the lower platforms with a force that bent metal supports and snapped wooden planks like dry bone. Eighty-mile winds tore through the canals.The water didn’t seep anymore. It climbed. People shouted. Lights flickered. Entire walkways tilted as if the ocean itself had decided to stand up. We tried to pull it apart. We really did. Dario’s schematic had been right, the control core sat exposed beneath the outer shell,but every time we got close, the machine reacted. A pulse. A violent push through the water. It threw us back to the surface like we weighed nothing. Noris grabbed my arm as I tried to dive in again, catching my breath desperately. “It’s protected. Araceli, stop!” “It’s controlling everything!” I snapped. “Don’t you see it?” But the machine didn’t care what we saw. Only that it kept working. Behind us, the storm above grew louder. The platform was already collapsing in sections. People were climbing upward, abandoning lower walkways as the ocean swallowed them whole. We swam rushing to the shore. Fighting our best through the brutish waves, slamming us against each other and pulling us apart again. The wind kept blowing. We made it to the coastline, wet and cold. The wind roared as we made our way back to the Edge. The planks rattled and snapped, pieces flying away in the wind. The pillar I had fixed was now long gone. “I can broadcast it,” I said, breathless. “The radio. If we amplify it through the Central line…” Noris didn’t answer. She just stared at the radio in her grasp. Like it was dangerous. Like it was alive. Click. Click, click. Click. Then silence. Then nothing. Noris raised it slowly. Nervously and worried. Her face deformed in frustration. Almost like she was going to cry. “No,” she whimpered in a whisper. And then she slammed it down. The crack echoed louder than the storm outside. The radio hit the floor. All the little pieces flying out like a spark. My chest went cold. My eyes widened in terror and despair. It was almost in slow motion. I reacted as fast as I could, throwing myself toward the ground in hopes that I would catch it. “That was the only proof we had!” I yelled in agony. My body now laid on the grown, hands in a fist. I kept staring down, watching as the waves swelled beneath the cracks of the planks rising higher. “I know,” she replied. But she didn’t sound like she knew anything anymore. She sounded afraid. Afraid of what she had already lost. Afraid of what her family might become if the Levels collapsed. Afraid of the truth. Dario had come looking for us. Soaked, shaking, eyes wide like he had been through war. “I told everyone what has been happening. I had recorded the signals and uploaded them to the system. They’re activating the self-annihilation early now,” he said out of breath. “Your father…he’s not waiting. They’re initiating phase 1.” Dario looked at Noris. He looked at the broken radio. Then at me.Then again at Noris. He understood what had happened. My mind felt unsteady. I was confused as to what they were talking about. Suddenly, something massive shifted. It shook the ground with an ominous tremble. The Central Tower groaned. Noris, Dario, and myself started to move. No matter how angry I was right now, I knew that if I was dead, nothing was going to change. Shit, even if I lived, what difference would I make… Level 4 shook as we started to move past it. Level 3 was already partially submerged. People were climbing anything they could find. Ropes, pipes, collapsed scaffolds, anything that led away from water. The Tier Towers in the distance swayed like they were unsure whether they belonged to the sky or the sea anymore. Noris ran beside me, her face pale. “I’m sorry,” she kept saying. “Sorry isn’t good enough. I trusted you and you have no idea what you have done! Everyone on Level 1 and 2 has nothing. I have nothing. We work day in and day out trying to provide and escape this never-ending cycle of ‘Live to work’. And all you have to say is ‘I’m sorry?!” ”I wasn’t thinking. I just...” Noris tried to defend herself. ”Yeah, well I don’t want to hear it.” I was too angry to listen to her excuses. We had to find higher ground. “Everyone knows now anyway. So it doesn’t matter. We will be free now, we just have to wait for the storm to pass and everyone will make things work for the better. No more Tide Tax.” I said, a little more calm. Until…one of the Tier Towers cracked at its base. It fell. Slowly at first. Like it was thinking about it. Then all at once. It collapsed into the ocean with a sound that swallowed the storm for a single, terrible second. I stood still. Watching the water rise from a window on Level 5. I watched as The Shop was swallowed whole. Etta’s chair was adrift through the waves. Behind me, my mother, father, and brother were embracing each other. My father held my mom in her arms as she cried and yelled. My brother pulled at her now dirty white, woven skirt. Everything was gone. And all I thought was, “I always wondered what the view from here looked like.” The horizon stretched out in violent motion. Maybe we broke something. Or maybe we only reached the part where it was always meant to break. And I couldn’t tell anymore if we had climbed toward freedom… or simply into a different kind of control. Besides, our future is still in their hands anyway. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Tide Tax Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mercedes Pelayes Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/ec6f035815061b8f10ed99c5d90f8baa.png 252d8c378b6ce8351c63900d0ce30221 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. Miami in 2087 is an archipelago. The remains of the city have long been covered in water, or barely hovering above it, due to sea level slowly rising over the years. People were forced to adapt—to change their modes of living. Roofs became gardens. Boats replaced cars. Communities turned smaller, more dependent on each other and less trusting of those outside. As sea level rose, Palmetto Bay slowly split into two areas: North Palm, the drier, unimpacted land. South Palm, ridden with water. Mariana Reyes guides her skiff between two submerged stop signs in South Palm, the vibrant red barely visible under the green color of the water. Her lithe body leans forward slightly, brown eyes scanning the water for any movement. Behind her, Diego holds onto a crate, knuckles white. “You ever think about how weird this is?” he asks. She doesn’t turn. “Every day.” “No, like… you probably saw this as what it was. A road, right?” “Are you calling me old?” She peers over her shoulder, a brow lifting at him. His expression pales. “No—no, I’m not! I just, um, I was—” “I’m kidding,” Mariana cuts in before he can panic, an almost imperceptible smile crossing her face. “I remember. And in a way, it’s still a road. A very watery one.” Diego huffs a laugh. The tension in his shoulders eases, and when his eyes move, he quickly calls, “Left.” She guides the boat around a drifting panel of wood, feeling the boat scrape something lightly. Mariana doesn’t stop to look; she could easily assume she’d scraped over something, like a mailbox. “You think it’s him again?” he asks after a long moment of rotors cutting water. She didn’t have to ask to know who he meant: Mr. Alvarez. Keeping her eyes forward, she replies, “That’s what his wife said.” “He’s been wandering, right?” “Yes.” “At night?” “And during the day.” Diego shifts uneasily. “That’s not just, like, stress or something.” “No,” she confirms, “it’s not.” The Alvarez home stands slightly above the water on stilts like a water bungalow. Nearby, there’s a floating dock tied down with thick ropes and a boat parked near it. Already waiting there is a black-haired girl, and Diego’s entire face seems to light up at the sight of her crouched low, tying a knot. “Lena!” He waves like a madman. Her expression is flat. “You’re late again, Di.” “Uhh… water traffic. Duh,” he replies quickly. She rolls her eyes and doesn’t entertain it. Only when Mariana steps off the boat and approaches her does the girl stand, making eye-contact. “How is he?” “Not good,” Lena says. “He was outside earlier. Just standing there. Didn’t respond when I called him.” Mariana’s chest tightens. “Did he recognize you?” “No.” That’s new. Very much new. When they enter the house, the air is thick with humidity and salt that stings the eyes. Diego blinks furiously to try to relieve it. Mrs. Alvarez sits at the kitchen table, hands wrapped around a mug. “He didn’t sleep,” she mumbles tiredly. “The entire night. He was… he was just staring out the window.” “Did he say anything, Mrs. Alvarez?” Mariana asks gently. A shake of her head. “Just one thing.” “What was it?” “He said… the water is watching him.” Diego shifts behind her uncomfortably, looking at Lena with a wincing expression. She smacks his shoulder. “Where is he now?” The nurse coaxes. Mrs. Alvarez doesn’t reply. She just uses her chin to gesture over to a half-open door. With one final look, Mariana is the first to walk over, steadying a hand on the knob and slowly opening it with a loud creak. He’s standing in a corner. Not pacing, not sitting, not laying in bed. Just standing with his back to the door, head tilted. “Mr. Alvarez?” No response. She steps closer. “Rafael?” A pause. Then, a slow turn, his eyes locking onto her immediately. The whites have turned a harsh pink, the pupils themselves engulfing the color of his blue irises. It’s a black pit. “Water,” he finally speaks, voice sounding scraped raw. “There’s water everywhere, sir,” Mariana keeps her gentle tone. But her heart feels like it’s being wrapped and clenched by a snake, beats faltering. Something is off. She feels uneasy. Her palms are clammy. He shakes his head, faster this time. “No. Not that water.” Diego frowns. “What does that even—” Mariana raises a hand to shut him up. “Can you tell me what you mean?” Mr. Alvarez takes a step forward. Then another. His hands jerk at his sides. “They’re in it,” he replies. “Who?” An unsettling smile forms on his lips. “Everyone.” And then he lunges for her, hand outstretched. On pure instinct, Diego grabs him first, something nearby hitting the ground with a dull crash as he struggles to hold the older man down. “Mariana!” She moves immediately, grabbing her medical bag. She doesn’t rummage; her hands quickly land on the sedative kit. Mr. Alvarez thrashes in his grip with surprising strength, movements jerky. “They’re in the water!” A strangled shout, voice cracking. “They’re inside it! Inside all of it!” The needle sinks in. Slowly, his body slackens, and Diego finally lets go. He stands, looking down to see his eyes open. Watching. “Ew, what the fu—” Lena smacks him on the back of the head. Eventually, they all made it to the clinic that sat on a higher block, its foundation having been lifted when water levels slowly shifted and floods became more frequent. It used to be an urgent care center. Now, it was a spot for everything in the community. A clinic, a meeting point, a supply hub. Mariana spread her notes across the table. Diego hovered nearby, shuddering when he thinks back on the open eyes and the weird jerky movements. He breaks the silence. “That wasn’t normal. Like at all.” “It wasn’t.” A nod from Mariana. “He was strong. Like, awfully strong for a sixty-something year old man.” “Adrenaline,” she supplies automatically, eying her notes. But Diego shakes his head. “No. That wasn’t adrenaline, it couldn’t have been.” She doesn’t argue. Instead, she taps her pen on the paper. “Confusion. Paranoia. Fixation on water,” a murmur, as if she’s thinking aloud to herself. “That’s three cases now.” “Four, actually,” Lena says from the doorway, looking grim. Both of them look up. “South Palm reported one this morning. Same symptoms, same… weirdness about the water.” “Something’s going on.” Mariana frowns, gripping the edge of the table. The clock is a ticking time bomb. Mariana made her calls, Lena helped with anything, and Diego sat there scribbling notes and doodles onto a sheet of paper. Eventually it’s almost sunset, a rudder sounds outside before cutting off abruptly. Diego’s head peeks outside and spots Dr. Patrick Moore instantly. He’s barely tying off his boat on the dock before speeding over to the front clinic, the younger kid having already retreated inside to safety. “Tell me everything,” his sharp voice carries into the room, fingers adjusting his flimsy glasses before stepping inside the little room the rest are in. The white sterile lights flicker overhead. Mariana does. She walks him through each case, each symptom, each detail that doesn’t really fit. Patrick paces as he listens, expressions tightening with every new piece of information. He only stops when she’s finished. “It’s the water,” he finally says. Dramatic. Diego blinks. “That’s a big assumption.” ”It’s not an assumption,” he snaps. “It’s a pattern.” ”Then explain it.” Lena crosses her arms. Patrick exhales sharply, forcing his thoughts to calm to something normal. To something he can formulate into a response. “Harmful algal blooms have been getting worse by the decade. Warmer temperatures, still water, nutrients—Miami is perfect for it now.” ”Not to be rude, but we all know about red tide.” Diego deadpans. ”It’s not just red tide,” a huff. “This is something more… present. It’s almost concentrated.” Mariana frowns. “That doesn’t explain the behavior. So what if algae blooms worsen? It shouldn’t make people go delirious.” The look that crosses the chemist’s face is almost solemn. “Because I don’t think it’s just algae anymore.” Silence. So loud, you can hear the light fixtures buzzing. The hum of the small refridgerator tucked into the corner. The drip of the old faucet. “What?” Lena is the first to break the bubble. “Algae blooms are toxins. Algal toxins. They interact with this bacteria, maybe with viral agents that adapt to these conditions.” Diego stares. And stares. And stares some more. “You’re saying…” he pauses to raise a brow, “the environment made a new disease?” ”I’m saying it was made possible.” ”And we’ve been eating from the water. Drinking.” Lena’s voice is almost hushed, the revelation and its meaning terrifying. This changes the way they function. The way they adapt. Too many variables would have to change, too many things would have to be done. And where could they get food that wasn’t from their waters? They needed meat. Not just produce. Days passed. More cases rose. Those people slowly disappeared and diminished. Mariana was on her boat again, Diego steering, as she looked at the water. They’d received another alert of a familiar case popping up, Ms. Delfox, an intelligent, resourceful lady in her mid-thirties. Mariana held up a hand. “Hold. I see something weird.” She leans in more. And when her eyes sharpen, her entire face shifts: horror. Mouth agape, brows lifted, and eyes widened. Diego stills. “What?” He’s already moving. “Mariana, what is it—“ He peers over her shoulder and stops talking. There, floating along the water on his back, is Mr. Alvarez… or what remained of him. His blood-red eyes are wide open, mouth agape to reveal yellowing teeth and black gums. And his body… the torso was swelled up like a human-sized marshmallow, skin colored a sick green-purple hue. Diego gags. He steps back, hand shooting up over his mouth, turning. “What the fuck,” he mumbles, eyes glaring holes at the floor of the boat. “What the actual fuck.” “…Contact Dr. Patrick. We need to go back to the clinic, and now.” Her voice is firm despite the horrifying sight. “This is… this is worse than we thought.” And within twenty minutes, the pair got off the boat with shaky legs, Mariana reaching down to tie it to the wooden dock. Patrick was waiting there, looking concerned. She marches right up to him, telling him to follow with a sharp jerk of her head. He doesn’t hesitate to oblige. “We have to tell our community. Before it all escalates.” A firm nod. ”Dr. Moore… Mr. Alvarez was…” She runs a hand through her straight brown locks. “He was in the water. Facing up, eyes opened, swollen beyond belief. He looked like he’d rupture at any given moment. He was rotting like a dead person left in water too long.” He stills. “…That bad?” ”Yeah. That bad.” Diego’s just standing by, listening with a terse expression on his face. Their talk stretched on for hours into the night, discussing everything as best they could. The perceived virus, the safety of the community, resources, living, cases, and most importantly: alerting everyone. Panic wouldn’t help at all in this case. It might cause a divide. But without telling anyone, it’d only lead to an increase in cases due to the lack of knowledge. That’s how they found themselves standing on the largest rooftop in the neighborhood. Lanterns flickered in the humid air, casting yellow lights and deep shadows on the tense faces of those who came. The water below reflected everything back as if taunting the situation. Mariana stands at the edge, staring out into the murky, dark surface. Her expression is unreadable. When Patrick comes over, her head tilts the slightest bit in his direction. “You need to tell them,” he murmurs. She doesn’t bother making eye contact with him. “The truth. I know.” ”So why haven’t you?” ”What if they panic, Patrick?” She finally turns, eyeing him with a line between her brows. ”What happens if you don’t tell them, then? More cases? More deaths?” ”That’s…” A sigh. She doesn’t bother because she knows he’s right. What not telling them meant. Mariana turns to face everyone gathered there, stepping forward, steady voice carrying into the night. “There’s something happening,” she begins, other voices quieting. “We’ve… we’ve seen plenty of cases with unusual symptoms. Confusion, aggression, disorientation, and… fixture to water.” Silence. She continues, “We are still investigating. But we believe it may be linked to…” Mariana eyes Patrick. He nods. She looks back at the sea of uneasy faces. “…to environmental exposure.” ”Exposure to what, Mari?” Someone calls. She hesitates. Then: “The water.” Voices rise. Questions are shot out. People try to move toward her, fear already spreading fast like she expected. But it was needed. They all needed to be on the same page if they wanted to move forward. To do something. That very same night, a storm hit. It slammed hard into the neighborhood with violent winds and heavy rain, pulling the tide higher with a flood. The skies were tucked behind big, monstrous clouds, gray in color and thick. People lost power within minutes. Backup systems in the clinic flickered before failing, and the panic only worsened from there. A patient was already screaming their throat dry. Inhuman, high, neverending. “They’re in the water!” Her voice carries. “They’re inside it! All of it!” ”Mariana!” Diego warns, trying his best to hold down the screaming woman. A hand swipes at him and he barely manages to pull his head back. “Jesus—“ She rushes over and fumbles with her bag. But Patrick is already there, plunging the syringe into the woman’s arm. Within seconds, the screaming stops, and she eventually slumps. Mariana breathes heavily. Diego lets her go, laying her gently onto the floor. The morning light, riddled with remnants of thick gray clouds, illuminated the mess left behind by the massive storm. The clinic was flooded. Other homes in the neighborhood were too. Docks had missing planks, some boats having drifted further thanks to rope that had loosened in the night. That was contamination. Everyone healthy—uninfected—moved up the clinic to the rooftop, all thanks to Lena’s “kind” demand to move up because of the water entering buildings. That rooftop quickly became their new temporary center. Small, few tents stretched across the surface. Tarps flapped in the wind. Beds were made of folded bedsheets for pillows and whatever cover one had. It wasn’t nice in the slightest, but it’s what they had to deal with for the timebeing. It worked. Patrick had long left to his lab to test water samples relentlessly, hands shaking with exhaustion but refusing to stop. Bags were thick beneath his eyes, glasses askew, but he continued out of concern and obsession. He’d never seen anything like this in the plenty of years in his speciality. Mariana was too busy to check on him, managing things at the rooftop. But Lena? ”You look like hell.” Patrick doesn’t look up. “Thanks,” comes his dry remark, his head tilting to look up at a dish stained green in the light. ”Have you slept?” ”I’ve been trying to figure out how the—“ ”Patrick,” she cuts him off. “Have you slept?” He sets it down gently. Looks up. Adjusts his glasses. “No.” ”Mariana would kill you.” ”I know.” ”I could tell her,” she threatens, stepping to observe his workbench. Open notebooks, scribbled notes, sharpies, glass vials and petri dishes. “I know.” He looks at the green dish again. “Please don’t.” Lena smirks at that. “I’ll see. Any progress?” Her hand gestures to the sprawl of materials. ”Yes. I tried this filtration method and some heat. It’s… the only thing that’s worked, even if it’s not very effective.” ”It’s a start.” She nods, a small piece of hope blossoming in her chest. “I’ll leave you to it. And no, I won’t tell Mari, as long as you get us something good soon.” ”Thanks.” He gets back to work. She leans against the door. ”And Patrick?” A hum. ”Sleep. We don’t want you turning delirious, too.” She hears a faint snort as she closes the door behind her and makes her way back to the clinic rooftop to continue helping with rationing supplies and managing all exchanges and items. It’d been days of trying to ration scarce produce, make meals, and distribute other small items. Lena was exhausted at the effort, especially running on such low energy. Diego tried to help with small candies. The effort was very much appreciated. But candy didn’t fix everything. What helped was when Patrick, looking like an absolute unkempt mad scientist, came running onto the rooftop through the twin doors, bursting through. “I’ve got something!” He whisper-shouts when he finally sees Mariana. ”What?” She turns, eyes wide. “You do? What is it?” Her body leans in closer to eye the small vial in his hand, both of them tucked away into a little corner by a big tent. “This,” he starts, “is me enhancing filtration methods and combining extreme heat into the mixture to help manage the toxins. Maybe even reducing them plenty.” ”Are you sure? This is…” She gestures vaguely at his vial. He doesn’t care. ”It’s not perfect. But it helps, I’ve tested it three times and it’s passed all tests.” Another flicker of hope. As long as it was somewhat effective, they could do this. From here, they could develop a more permanent solution, and then figure out the body of water itself. It’s a start. A reassuring one. WORKS CITED Akter, Sabiha, et al. “Synergistic Effect of Nitrate Exposure and Heatwaves on the Growth, and Metabolic Activity of Microalgae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata.” Scientific Reports, vol. 14, 2024, Article 2764. Nature, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53198-7 Liu, JM., Zhao, HY., Emmanuel, C. et al. “Interdisciplinary strategies for the management of harmful algal blooms: prospects & comprehensive review.” Discov Environ 3, 93 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44274-025-00304-9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Salt Fever Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jotherlene Cabrera Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/c813e52ccc54c2f6f53c537cc1b0ada6.jpeg a5dfcdc34f05bab312ed6e1e32db40d1 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. Tomorrow is my first day of senior year. It’s crazy how the time flies and in the blink of an eye I’m already going to college next year. I can still remember grandpa Jorge telling me, “Don’t take this time for granted Pete. It will be the best years of your life and you will learn more than what they teach you in the classrooms..” He would always tell me all of the crazy stories of when he was a senior in high school. I mean at that point in time who knows there were probably still people that drove their own cars. He even mentioned how he used to play on his play station 5. The play station 40 is coming out soon. What’s crazy is that we are both still waiting for GTA6 to come out. All of his stories involve him and his friends doing something crazy, but my favorite story from him is about his senior skip day. Me, Si, and Johan were all chilling in my room and grandpa Jorge started to tell us how the beach was so packed there were cops surrounding the entire beach. The craziest thing was when he was telling me about the helicopter flying above them recording it for the news. He said every single high school in the entire Miami-Dade and even Broward county was there. “Even kids that weren't seniors were there just to not miss out on one of the craziest days of the year,” says grandpa. After hearing grandpa's story we were dedicated to making our own senior skip day. I needed to live through one of these crazy experiences for myself. Plus, I bet every other senior also wanted to have a senior skip day as well. It is now time to plan out “Project S.” Project X has nothing on us. It will be hard with how the beach conditions right now. Due to the crazy sea level rise. All that's left is the pier and even then, people are told to stay away due to how the tides could be extremely strong. I hope the tides weren’t as bad as they are now, but hopefully that day we get lucky and it happens to be low tide. Even though it can go from as sunny as 100 degrees to pouring rain with lightning within seconds. All we can do is pray that the day isn’t horrible. But there's no way that I will not have a chance to experience what grandpa Jorge was telling me. I then told Si and Johan about an idea that honestly sounds crazy, but anything is possible. Especially when we're in Miami, the city of partying and larping(acting like you're rich trying to show off on social media). The hardest thing will be to actually get a lot of people to show up. Yes, people will skip school without even thinking about it, but with how the news has been about the beach recently many parents will not approve. Even then kids probably will not even believe that the idea is real. We will start with the origin of senior skip day and figure out the day that Ihop has its free pancakes. That is the day we will begin to promote Project S. Johan went to a different school in his first two years of highschool, so we will be able to spread the news to different areas that me and Si don’t know as well as he does. Si is famous on Tiktok and could promote it on her live streams, stories, and even post about it too. My job was to create the posts and flyers and make them as interesting and lit as possible. Okay so now that we have the promoting part down we need to figure out if my parents will even let me go. Si and Johan already mentioned it to their parents and they were completely cool about it. The next morning I asked my parents and received the fastest “NO” I think I’ve ever heard. Even after I showed them I have straight A’s and how I have not missed a single day of school the entire year. Honestly, I feel like they would’ve been more comfortable with me asking them to rob a bank. I already planned out how to get everyone there and if everyone shows up and I am not able to go then my life might be over. I wouldn’t be able to ever show my face again. I went straight to grandpa Jorge’s house to let him know about the whole plan and how we already have it planned all out. He thought we were just kidding when we first spoke about it, but after hearing our plan he took us seriously. He thinks it’s an amazing plan because he feels as if senior skip day is something everyone should experience. He then said he would help me by talking to my parents and trying to convince them to let me go. Si and Johan were even clowning me because it was all originally my plan and I was the one having issues with going. The next day I received possibly the best text message I have before saying, “Fine you can go, but make sure you are safe with all of the issues that have been going on.” I jumped out of my bed and walked into school with the biggest smile on my face. Having a math class at 7 a.m. and still being happy speaks for itself. During lunch there were already people coming up to me asking me if the senior skip day plan was real and not just a huge prank. We then went around talking to other seniors promoting the idea in person so that people would know its true. We even opened up our own Instagram account and began telling people to repost the account. Eventually we had over one thousand followers in less than 2 days. The big day was coming up quicker than I thought. Grandpa Jorge even called me and was telling me how the word was spreading so much that even the police station was getting news about it. Him being a cop for Miami Beach, he was able to get inside information and all he said was to be careful with bringing anything I shouldn’t have at my age. I now had to see how we were going to sneak in alcohol to the beach. The cops are going to be checking coolers and bags to make sure nothing illegal is going on. Grandpa suggested an idea that he used to do back in his day and it was to get gatorade bottles and lemonade bottles and fill them up with liquor instead of the actual juice. We now had to start planning this all out from now. Si was able to get her hands on a fake ID and get us the alcohol. How did she get it? Honestly, I rather not know or ask how because at the end of the day we have the goods. Johan was in charge of getting the gatorade which was easy, but cost way more than what we thought it would. We were now complete with the alcohol and all we needed to do was hide it from everyone until the day came. We decided to hide all of it in my room under my bed. Two days before Project S and my mom decided to do a full deep cleanse of my room and clean it all. I ended up convincing her that I would do it all due to how I was already grown and wanted to start taking more care of myself. Now I would never have said that because I love not having to clean my own room, but it’s better than getting whooped and not being able to go to the beach. All we have left to do is empty all of the gatorade and lemonade to fill up all of the bottles with the liquor. Me, Johan, and Si met up after school because it was the only time we had when my parents weren’t home. It took up about two hours to fully have everything set up. Johan said he would be the one to pick us up because he had the biggest car and he had the cooler. Si just had to make sure to get some ice before showing up to my house and we were gucci. My parents finally got home and we just told them that we were doing homework together for a class we all have. The morning came and we all had to be up by 6 a.m. to make it on time and not have to look for parking for 30 minutes. Johan showed up to my house first and we started to load the cooler slowly. Once Si finally showed up we were able to finish putting all of the drinks with the ice in the cooler. The car ride there was exciting with all the windows down, the sunrise in front of us, and our white girl music playing in the background. The closer we got the more nervous I was. There were too many things going on in my head. What if the police stop us and check our cooler? What if nobody shows up? What if the police lock down the beach and do not let anyone in? Too much was going on in my head, so we decided to take a little pre game shot. The shot helped me calm down a little until we got there. Once we finally found some parking and had to pay a ridiculous price because why not over charge things at the beach right. Well we finally were starting to walk to the beach to where we planned to set up our tent and make sure we secure a safe place on the beach. I look up past the hill and do not see a single person in sight. I thought I just went through all of this for no reason. The only person I saw was some random old guy that was going for what it looks like his daily morning walk. I was so disappointed and the day was looking like getting drunk and letting the sun take over type of day. Next thing I know, all I hear is music starting to get closer and closer. People were starting to show up. They set up their tent next to us and at least we had some people to be with so it was not a complete turn down. About an hour later I was already feeling tipsy and the sun was beaming. Next thing I know there are more than 100 people around us. Slowly people were starting to show up. Eventually, there were easily over 500 people at the beach all with their own coolers, footballs, volleyballs, spike ball set ups, tents, speakers, and towels all over the place. I managed to host the last and final senior skip day successfully. I knew I made it when cops began to show up. More and more people kept hearing about what was going on and it just kept getting more full. People started hosting boxing tournaments and even playing football with no pads. It was crazy, but that is what I was aiming for. Thank god Si and Johan know the people they know and got the word out a lot as well because if not it would’ve just been us three and the guy taking his morning walk. The cherry on top was when the helicopter showed up. I faced grandpa Jorge and he was surprised that the plan worked and everyone showed up. My parents even began to text me to show me that we were all over the news. The news titled it “The Beach Takeover,” but they then found the instagram page and it blew up even more. I somehow made it on the news for hosting the craziest beach takeover Miami has ever seen. The head title was “Project S.” Project X has nothing on me and my friends. Hopefully in the future there will be some type of space similar available for future seniors. Maybe another kid just like me will host his own and make it even bigger than mine. The real goal was to have this experience not only for myself, but for the generation that was born into this messed up version of Miami. Well after this insane takeover and all of the shots I took I think it’s time to go and take a nap, we have school tomorrow morning. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Project S Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Julian Rodriguez Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026 https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/15049cd7186d0c173dfeba179f3b3112.png 4567ec31c630d1467524af3ec117804b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource After The Rise ... Description An account of the resource Using elevations and water level projected on EyesOnTheRise.com, these speculative fictions explore the world that was Miami after sea levels rise 6 or more feet. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Administrator Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Please post your written submission in this field. The images you would like to include should be posted as attachments below. The Vizcaya Garden in Miami was home to a community of fairies. The rulers of the garden were King Ramon and Queen Reina. Fairies have lived in this garden for centuries. For years, the garden had been peaceful. The fairies lived a comfortable and happy life. Everything they needed was in the garden. They never had to worry about any danger or harm. This all changed in the year 2065. Storms were becoming a weekly occurrence. The fairies barely had any time to recover for the next one. It wasn’t long before there was an announcement that a strong hurricane was coming their way. They had already gone through so much. They gathered emergency supplies and tied their homes with vines to ensure they wouldn’t fly away. Little did they know, this preparation was not going to be enough. Once the storm started, the fairies realized that it was much worse than they thought. The sky got darker, wind got stronger, and the ocean also began to rise. Before they knew it, homes were already starting to get flooded. Ramon and Reina knew they were in deep trouble. In the middle of the garden sat a special gem. This special gem kept all their powers alive, but was close to being flooded. They came up with a plan to evacuate the community of fairies to the tallest and sturdiest tree in the garden. They had to work fast. The water was rising quickly. They made an announcement to the garden for everyone to prepare to leave their homes. The group of fairies that was closest to the water was evacuated first. Ramon and Reina did the best they could guiding fairies to the tree. They eventually cleared out all the fairy gardens. When Ramon and Reina came back to the tree, their son Marco was there waiting for them. By this point, the water had already covered almost the entire garden. As Marco extended his hand to “help” his parents get onto the tree, he pushed them both back into the water. “No, Marco!” They both yelled as they disappeared into the strong current of water. They were never seen again. Marco thought nobody saw him. As he turned around, he saw his lifelong friend Sam with his face in shock. Sam began backing up, scared of Marco. As Sam was about to run to tell the other fairies what had just happened, Marco grabbed him forcefully by the hand. He made a deal with Sam. “I am the new king now,” Marco said. “You see that strong current of water? I will just throw you right in, just like I did to my parents.” Sam froze. He didn’t know what to do or say. Marco gave him a choice. Sam could either become Marco’s servant and survive, or Marco would kill him. Sam was hesitant at first but knew he didn’t want to die, so, he agreed. Marco told Sam that they would both go back to the other fairies and tell them a sob story of how Ramon and Reina didn’t make it. That they didn’t have enough time to make it to the tree. The water took them away. After this, the community really started to fall apart. The storm passed, but the garden remained flooded. Marco declared himself the king. The fairies could no longer call him Marco, only King Marco. King Marco changed all of the rules. The tree they now lived in had many different branches. The lower branches were closer to the water and were fragile. The higher branches were safer and sturdier. He created a list of all the fairies he liked and didn’t like. Those on his like list lived on the higher branches. These were the fairies that were richer and praised King Marco. The fairies on his dislike list lived on the bottom. These were the fairies that were poor and didn’t agree with King Marco’s new rules. Among the fairies from the lower branches lived Marianne. Marianne knew something wasn’t right. She always questioned King Marco’s authority. King Marco hated Marianne. To the point where, whenever he was bothered by her, he would shake the tree to try and knock her off the branches in hopes that she would disintegrate in the water. But Marianne never fell. Every time he shook the tree, she would hold on so tight, blisters would form on her hands. The loud and violent rush of water reminded her of what waited below. She pushed through every single time. Every day she survived would make her stronger. Every day she survived made King Marco even more infuriated. The other fairies noticed what was occurring. However, since they were all too afraid to speak up against Marco, so they just stayed silent. But they slowly became more hopeful of a better future with Marianne in charge. She was their only hope for living again. One night, after there had been another tree shaking, the lower branch fairies secretly gathered. “It’s getting worse,” one of the fairies whispered. “We can’t keep living like this,” another fairy said with a concerned look on her face. They all nodded in agreement. The fairies felt trapped in their own world. They couldn’t fly. They couldn’t leave. They couldn’t live. If they tried to climb to higher branches for safety, King Marco would notice. The fairies sat in silence, not knowing what to do. Marianne looked around at all the devastated expressions on the fairies’ faces. “Well, sitting here won’t make anything change. There will be no change unless we do something about it,” she said in an encouraging tone. One of the fairies looked at her and said, “What are we supposed to do? He controls everything and he can kill us at any moment.” “He is only powerful because we let him be,” Marianne said. The others were not impressed. Suddenly, a loud rustling noise came from the top of the tree. Everyone froze. “He’s coming,” one of the fairies whispered. Everyone began to panic. All the fairies quickly ran back to their places as if nothing had ever happened. King Marco appeared from above. He was the only one who could fly because he had a special ring. This ring had a piece of the garden gem in it. Whoever wears it, has access to all the powers. He didn’t have to worry about falling. He landed on one of the branches and glanced through all the lower branches. Marianne looked calm, but on the inside, she was panicking. She knew she was a target for King Marco. King Marco made his way toward Marianne, stomping forcefully on the branches without a care in the world. He stood in front of Marianne. For a moment, neither of them spoke. King Marco smiled. “Still here?” he said in a snarky tone. Marianne ignored him. He grabbed the branch and shook it violently. The fairies started screaming as they struggled to stay on the tree. Marianne held on tight but tried not to look scared. When he finally stopped, Marianne said, “You will pay for this one day.” The entire fairy community went quiet. Everyone was scared King Marco was going to push her off, but instead he remained calm. “Careful. Remember, you are a nobody,” he said and then flew back up to the higher branches. Marianne was relieved, but she knew she had just made a huge mistake. As the days passed, everyone became more and more miserable. The water grew higher and so did King Marco’s ego. The fairies noticed he wouldn’t really check on them anymore, which was a good thing, but they grew suspicious. Little did the fairies know, King Marco was searching through what remained of the garden. He was looking for anything that might make him more powerful. At the beginning, all he found was trash and others’ soaked belongings. One day, as he was searching through the flooded garden, he saw something sitting on the roof of what was left of his old house. It was a book. He quickly flew to the roof and opened the book. He frantically started flipping through the pages of the book, not knowing what it was. Nothing was captivating his attention. Until one of the pages was titled “Wishing Seaweed”. Marco was intrigued. According to the book, deep below the flooded garden, sat the rarest kind of seaweed known to mankind; the wishing seaweed. In that place grew this type of seaweed that was able to grant any wish desired. Marco’s face lit up. “Any wish huh?” he said with a smirk on his face. This is just what King Marco was looking for, more power. He wasted no time and called for his servant Sam. Sam quickly went to King Marco. “Yes, King, how can I serve you?” Sam said in a shaky voice. Marco pointed to the illustrations of the book and said, “You will find this.” Sam looked at him with a worried face. “But look at the current. It’s too strong. No one survives down there.” Sam said. Marco’s face turned serious as he said, “You will. Or else you can join my parents. Go on now.” Sam knew what King Marco was referring to. He was threatening to throw him in the current just like he did to his parents. Sam finally agreed. Marco was able to obtain a submarine, and that night, Sam prepared for his long and dangerous journey. The submarine was in poor conditions, but it was going to have to work for Sam. It was finally time for Sam to leave. He looked around one more time at the tree, fairies, and the world, not knowing if he would see them again. Days passed, and King Marco grew impatient. He wasn’t worried about Sam; he just wanted his wishes to be granted. The fairies noticed that Sam was nowhere to be seen. Marianne knew something wasn’t right. She knew King Marco was up to no good. On day fifteen, a dark figure appeared to be rising from the water. It was the submarine. It was in even worse conditions than when it had left. Sam stepped out of the submarine barely able to keep his balance. He was weak and unable to speak. A glowing light came from his hands. He was holding the wishing seaweed. He had found it. Marco immediately went to Sam and snatched the seaweed right out of his hands. Sam tried to warn King Marco. “You must know that with every wish, there is a cost. You will become weaker with every wish you make.” Marco replied with attitude, “I don’t need any of your warnings.” Sam tried to warn him again, but before he could let out another word, King Marco pushed him into the current. All of the fairies let out a huge gasp. The entire area went silent. King Marco was unbothered. He continued with his day as if nothing had happened. Later that day, Marco made his first wish. “I wish to have the power to compel any fairy in this tree,” he said excitedly. The seaweed shined so bright it almost blinded him. But everything seemed to be the same. He decided to test out his power. He called out to a fairy, “Hey you! Go jump off that branch into the water.” The fairy walked toward the edge of the tree. Other fairies tried to stop this, but before they knew it, it was too late. Without hesitation, the fairy jumped into the water. King Marco smiled. “Yes! It works,” he said in an evil voice. The entire fairy community grew even more scared of him. They spent the rest of the week hiding from him. King Marco also spent the rest of his week making more wishes. All of the fairies obeyed him. The lower branch fairies stopped gathering to discuss the issues because their thoughts put them at risk. They all felt defeated. All except Marianne. One day, King Marco wanted to test his powers on her. “Come here,” King Marco ordered. But Marianne didn’t move. He tried a second time. “Marianne. I said come here.” But she stayed where she was. All of the fairies were in shock. Marco felt embarrassed. His powers worked on all the fairies except Marianne. “I’m not following any of your orders,” she said confidently. Marco’s face turned red as he screamed, “Everyone obeys me! What is wrong with you?” “Nothing is wrong with me, but everything is wrong with you,” she replied. So then, King Marco made another wish. “I wish to have more physical strength.” His wish was granted, and he proceeded to shake the branch where Marianne was on. This was normal behavior from him, however this time it was harder to hang on. All the other fairies left that branch, all except for Marianne. She stood her ground. King Marco couldn’t believe she was still on the branch. So he made another wish. “I wish…,” but before he could finish his sentence, he fell onto the branch. “Ow,” he screamed in agonizing pain. He suddenly became weak. All those wishes he granted, finally caught up to him. “No! This can’t be happening,” he screamed. Marianne stood next to him. “You were warned. Your time is up.” King Marco let out one last breath, and he was gone. The fairies stared in silence. Confused and in shock of what had just happened. Were they really free? The fairies were finally themselves again. King Marco was no longer controlling them. The next day, Marianne gathered all the fairies together. She stood beside them, not as a ruler, but as a fair leader. She got rid of the branches that determined which level the fairies lived on, and everyone had a safe place to live. They might not have their original garden back, but at least they were living without fear. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Flooded Garden Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Liany Caimares Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/23/2026