https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/fcd9a39c0f59552953a9052ff6d8a13b.jpg 211757c10640dd619b85c7a754301af1 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. I woke up and looked out my window to find a storm flooding our streets. It was about to be the three-week mark since the last time I stepped foot outside the confines of my home. I had class during the day, so at least I had something to distract me from my endless boredom. My parents seemed to be perfectly fine though, waking up excited for another day of working from home, and then laying around the house watching TV. But all I could do was watch videos of people who travel around the world and aren’t forced to sit at home for days on end. I dreamt that one day that would be me. As I was making my breakfast in the dim lighting of my kitchen, since the window didn’t have any sunshine to add to the room. This was only adding to the depressing feeling of having to repeat the same day over and over for the past 3 weeks. Then, my mom came in. “How did you sleep darling?” she asked, “I slept alright; it has been harder to wake up than to fall asleep, since I know that it likely to be another day wasted at home.” Frustrated, she replied “One day you have to learn to appreciate what we have, instead of complaining every day about the same thing.” “You will never understand will you. I don’t get how you’re just ok with pausing your whole life. It’s been years since the world has been underwater, but you refuse to live life as it is. All because you didn’t grow up with these conditions, and you refuse to accept the change. At some point you must see how it is affecting me.” “Do we need to have this conversation everyday Amber?” “Probably, because I will never be ok with being stuck at home almost every day of my life. Anyway, I looked at the weather app and the storm is supposed to end at noon, I want to go spend the day outside once it ends.” I hoped they would just let me be, and not argue about this again. “Amber, it’s going to be a mess out there after the storm, are you insane!”, exclaimed my mom. “Please mom, it’s been almost 2 weeks since you have let me leave this house.” “I do things to protect you, the conditions aren’t safe. But I am tired of having this conversation repeatedly. Go if you want to, but you must be home before 9 pm, and make sure to answer my phone whenever I call. Do not leave South Miami Park, stay in our community. And do not go to the areas that are flooding.” “Thank you!” I went into my room, and impatiently waited till the time came for the storm to end. Time like it stood still as I got through my classes for the day. Every time I would look at the clock after waiting what felt like 10 minutes, only 2 minutes had gone by. It was driving me insane. But, finally, I heard the storm slow down, and I finished my last class of the day. The slightly flooded streets began to clear, and I saw the sun peaking through my bedroom window once again. At 12 in the afternoon, I was finally ready to go and spend my day out in the sun. I said bye to my parents, as they hesitated to let me go, but I couldn’t spend one more second trapped. The breath of fresh air felt like it revived my soul. I saw families outside walking their dogs, and birds chirping as they flew from tree to tree. I walked through my neighborhood, making my way to the center of our community, where there was a small but peaceful park that I love to sit in to draw and read whenever I can go outside. I passed the elevated houses mostly protected by metal with parked boats and kayaks in front for emergencies. Seeing the elevated platforms for houses who had cars, and some houses even had Car-Boats, which meant they had money. I always dreamed of having one, that way I could go anywhere I wanted, without any hesitation. I also made my way through the commercial area, where you can see the large warehouses that used to have different businesses before they were turned into grocery stores, supply stores, and all other necessary commercial areas for people to live comfortably. These areas made it so we don’t have to leave our safe community to get the things we need to live. But I think it just made people too comfortable, now they refuse to experience anything else, like if life outside of South Miami Park is doomed. Then, there are also people like my parents, that don’t even leave their homes most times, only when direly necessary. Eventually, I made it to the park and found a comfortable bench under the shade of a beautiful tree to sit in. I pulled out a book, which stopped being a common hobby for most people as they prefer to use iPad or computers to do everything and read for a while. All I could hear for a while was the sound of the birds chirping, the leaves moving with the wind, and the laughter of children playing farther down the park. Then, I heard a voice come closer toward me, which I didn’t think much of until it spoke to me. “Are you actually reading a book?” said the stranger. Flustered, I replied “Um, yes, my parents have a big collection of books at home, and I the feeling of flipping through the pages instead of scrolling. Who are you?” “Oh sorry, I should have introduced myself before interrupting your reading time. My name is Luka, what’s yours?” “I’m Amber, have you lived in South Miami Park for a long time?” “No, I actually don’t live here, I live farther down, in Westchester, but my neighborhood is underwater, so I like to explore to places that aren’t.” “You get around Miami even though most of is underwater? Isn’t that dangerous?” “People like you always seem to think that, but it just takes some getting used to before it becomes your new normal. I enjoy taking my little boat places around the city, and I don’t let it stop me from living my life”, said Luka as if he was reciting a script he seems to repeat often. “I wish I could live my life that way, but my parents have trapped me in this bubble, and I don’t know how to convince them that life can be normal even if things aren’t like they used to be when they grew up.” “If you want, I could show how it is outside of this place, my boat is docked nearby.” I had to really think about this because I had never defied my parents. But all I wanted to do was say yes, even if it came with repercussions. If I didn’t take this chance, I would not be able to sleep at night thinking of the adventure I could have had, which I had been craving so deeply. “Ok, I’ll go with you, but we must make sure to return before 8:30 pm. Let’s go!” On our way to his boat Luka told me a bit more about himself. He lived in a small home, with his father and brother because his mother passed away a few years before from cancer. It was a heartbreaking story, but it helped me understand why he seemed so outgoing and appreciative of life as we talked. Shortly after we made it to his boat. It was a small white boat, with a motor on the back of it, which he seemed to have rebuilt himself to make it more efficient. He decorated the outside too, painting the boat’s name, “The Odyssey”, on the side in bright blue. The inside had two rows of seats, to which he added some extra cushions to make it more comfortable, and it seemed to be well-kept. I sat in the front row while he stayed in the back close to the motor. “This is amazing! Your work on this boat is impressive,” I said to Luka. “Thanks, I spend a lot of time on it, so I make sure to take good care of it. I do most of the work myself.” He started up the motor, and we went on our way. First, he wanted to show me the areas near my community. We passed by many abandoned buildings that couldn’t be elevated and renovated to withstand the conditions. These areas were seemingly empty, but other areas had big, elevated buildings that seemed to be grocery stores and other commercial benders, and many boats were docked in front of it. A few minutes later we got to where Luka really wanted to take me, and I was amazed at the sight. There were multiple boats docked in an area which they called “The Sea Mall”, because there were boats selling food, clothing, art, plants, and all kinds of goods. There were even some restaurants and bars that were renovated to withstand the water, and they were filled with lively people enjoying times with family and friends. It was fascinating to encounter. There was a world out here that wasn’t afraid to change their lifestyles due to the circumstances. If it wasn’t for Luka, I might have never gotten to see what the real world looks like. The more time I spent with Luka, the freer I felt, and the deeper my connection grew to him. I had never felt this feeling before, and I wasn’t sure what it meant. I felt a sense of comfort being with him, which to me didn’t make sense since I had just met him. As we roamed around in “The Odyssey” together, we talked for hours, learning about each other’s life, our fears, our dreams, our goals. We could have talked forever, but once I checked my phone, our bubble of enchantment was harshly burst. It was already 8:15 pm, and we were almost half an hour away from my home. There were also 10 notifications of phone calls and texts from my parents who were worried I hadn’t answered all day. I knew once I got home it was going to be a nightmare for me. In a panic, I told Luka that we needed to get back to my house as fast as possible. He was confused at my sudden change in mood, but he didn’t question it. We turned the boat around and went as fast as we could through the flooded streets of Miami. For the first time in hours there was silence between us, because I couldn’t seem to get a word out. Reality had suddenly awakened me, and I once again felt trapped in my own life. But it was worse this time. Because this time I got a taste of what life could be like for me if my parents weren’t forcing me to conform to their expectations. We finally arrived at South Miami Park. It was almost 9:00 pm by then. Though Luka and I had just met each other that day, saying goodbye felt difficult. He had felt more like home than my own home had felt in years. “So, I guess this is goodbye for now. I hope everything turns out ok for you”, said Luka with a hint of disappointment in his voice. “Thanks… Could I have your number? I’m not sure if this is too forward, I’ve never done it before, but I would love to stay in contact” I asked him terrified of the response, and slightly flustered. “Of course! Today was the most fun day I’ve had in a while thanks to you.” We exchanged information and went our separate ways. But we both knew that it wasn’t going to be the last time we would see each other. I opened the door of my home to find my mom in the living room sitting in disappointment as she waited for me to get home. I had replied to her texts before making my way back to South Miami Park, which I knew would calm her, but her lack of response back said more than words could. She saw me come in and remained quiet. “Hi mom. I’m sorry. I got distracted and lost track of time, I should have called back but my phone was silent. I know that’s no excuse, but that’s what happened” I said to break the ice. “You scared me half to death Amber. What were you thinking? We give you what you want, and this is what you do. Where even were you? We went out looking for you, asking everyone we saw, and I must hear from someone in the park that you went off with some guy. What were you thinking?” “He was a nice guy; I was not in danger. He doesn’t live in South Miami Park, he is from Westchester, which is underwater, so he has a small boat he uses to get around. We went exploring in his boat, and he showed me what it is like outside this community. It was amazing mom, life outside of here is not as miserable and scary as you believe.” “Are you crazy! You could have gotten hurt. You don’t know this boy and you go on his boat, alone, to God knows where. Do you know how many people drown because of their little, crappy boats? We don’t live the way we do for no reason Amber. I am protecting you. How am I supposed to ever trust you again. But all I know right now is that you are grounded. You will not be leaving this house without us, and you for sure will not be going off with that boy”, said my mother firmly. I knew nothing could change her mind. “You can’t keep me trapped here forever” I exclaimed as I walked away to my room. “Well, as long as you are living under my roof, that is how it has to be.” I sat in my room crying huddled up between my sheets. I couldn’t accept that I would not be able to leave my home once again, especially after getting a glimpse of the real world. For the next few days all that could make me smile were Luka’s texts. We talked most of the day and often hours into the night. We both fantasized about the next time we could see each other once again. As the days passed by, the more I began to realize that I couldn’t live my life this way anymore. I knew deep inside that I had to leave. I love my parents, but they were trapping me in a life that I don’t want. So, that night I decided I needed to make a change. I wrote my parents a long letter, explaining why I was so unhappy with my current life. I told them how much they meant to me, and how grateful I was for their guidance all these years. But I explained that they were holding me back from the life I truly wanted. That I couldn’t continue spending my days sitting at the desk in my room staring at a screen hoping for time to pass by faster. I told them I needed to go, and that I was going to find my own way. I placed the letter on the living room coffee table, and quietly left home at midnight, with only a backpack and a duffle bag over my shoulder. Luka was waiting for me one block down from my house. The moment we saw each other we ran towards each other like people do in the movies. We hugged each other passionately, and it felt like breathing fresh air for the first time. Then, he looked deep into my eyes, and I felt a wave of relief, because in that moment I knew that I had made the right decision. I knew I was going to be alright. 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 Odyssey Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/17/23