https://everythingspeakstome.com/files/original/570ca48b071985db215169998406c95f.jpeg aadbb2903cd1969190da5ffcc090ad6d 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. For Robyn the best way to get through a Saturday is to stick to what she knows best. Growing up Saturdays were her family’s cleaning day. Her mother would wake her up with the melody of gospel flowing through the house. Everyone had a job to do and at the end of the day everything must be spick and span to her mothers likings. Though she does not have anyone going behind her making sure she gets things done, Robyn rises early in the morning and starts the day with her favorite jams. She does the kitchen, bathroom, living room, and her room all while dancing and humming lightly. All that is left now is for her to straighten up her office. The office is her favorite place that holds the things that are the most precious to her. Walking in there are old yearbooks, journals, pictures, and letters scattered everywhere. She goes through everything almost everyday, hoping to relive those moments for just a second. There is so much here that each time she comes into the office she discovers something new. Cleaning day was coming to an end when Robyn came across an old journal. Flipping through the pages she realized it was a personal journal that she had started when she was around 10 years old. It consisted of the regular things like old crushes, arguments she used to have with her siblings, and a list of her dreams and aspirations. She decided to continue writing in this journal, because one day she will no longer live on this earth and wanted to leave a piece of her behind so at least one person would know that, Robyn was here. Journal Entry 1: It has been a while since I have last written anything. The year is 2032 and I am now 39 years old. The world is extremely different compared to what it was when I was a child. Miami has been overtaken by water. We can no longer use cars and many houses are flooded, so people use boats as transportation and housing. There is talk of life in the sky, but of course you have to be rich in order to live there. Which leaves the poor to fend for themselves. Not only are the poor down here but the criminals, and freelancers. I have chosen to stay below. You could put me in the category of freelancer because I am neither poor nor a criminal. I wish to survive on my own and live out the rest of my days peacefully. I am fortunate enough to have a house that stands and enough life in me to carry on. I feel silly writing in this journal again at my age, but it is healthy to get things off your chest when you have no friends or family left around to talk to. Journal Entry 2: A favorite past time of mine has and will always be listening to the radio. Televisions are of no use now that the electrical systems are down. I have never been much of a TV watcher and the radio has everything I need. Podcast, politics, music, and etc. Today I happened to be listening to a conference the government was having on the plans for our future. I was not really paying that much attention until I heard the words, “no medicare." I know I chose to live down here but taking away our medicare was something I could not come to terms with. Not only was I upset because it was unfair but I have been living with a serious condition where I cannot go unmedicated. I began to pace back and forth, worried about the future of my health and what was to come of me. I let fear and anger take over as this announcement continued to taunt me in my head. All rational decisions went out the window, and I threw the radio to the ground. How could i have been so stupid? It could not be fixed. I tried several times, the broken pieces pricking at my fingers almost drawing blood. I knew it would be no use, but I thought it would make me feel better to be delusional in the moment and give myself false hope. What am I to do now? Journal Entry 3: The days feel as if they have began to mash together. I can no longer tell which day of the week it is, only when the sun rises and goes down. I never realized how much i depended on the radio for entertainment and a bit of my happiness. It made me forget how lonely I actually was. The loneliness drove me crazy, I thought I saw my mother today. I could feel the sun shining brightly through the curtains like it would everyday in our old pink house. The coolness of our wood floors and the light pitter patter from my little siblings running about. I heard my mother yell, “this house is not a playground.” Though I hated to hear that when I was younger, at this very moment it sounded like music to my ears. I thought I could smell the sweet aroma of freshly baked pound cake. My mother was a baker, and my siblings and I would be her little taste testers. I was awakened abruptly by the feeling of water tickling the soles of my feet, only to realize it was a daydream and my mother was long gone. The water was my next concern. I didn’t realize how serious the situation was until I looked down and saw my floor almost completely covered. Panic set in and I sprung into action. Trying to find the source of the problem, all while throwing down towels, shirts, and anything else I could find that would absorb the water. I had made a plan for emergencies like this, but all information seemed to have been forgotten and I was running around like a chicken who had its head cut off. I finally was able to get everything under control, at least that’s what I thought. In the midst of me running around I had unknowingly bumped into my coffee table and everything that was on it was knocked off. Doesn’t sound too bad, but I had placed my pills on that table earlier. Looking down all I found was an opened and emptied bottle. I would have fell to the ground picking up every little pill I had left and placed it back in the bottle, but they were nowhere to be found. I hate to cry because it solves nothing, but that was all I could think to do at the moment. An hour had passed and my tears had dried as I sat on the floor silently. I felt like my world was ending, but I couldn't go out like this because I knew i was stronger. Growing up in a Christian household I stood by the scripture, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That alone gave me enough encouragement to get up and I knew that in order to survive I would have to go out into the world. Journal Entry 4: Preparing for this trip has made me feel young again. I have been filled with joy, fear, and excitement. Things I have not felt for over a decade. I made a list of things I needed and set out a written plan because my memory isn’t as good as it used to be. You could call me saint nick because I was making a list and checking it twice. The more I checked it the more this situation became real to me. I began to realize the dangers I may come to face. I was putting my life on the line while trying to save it at the same time. I contemplated just staying inside and thought maybe it was just my time to go. They were all excuses. I gathered all the courage I had left in my fragile body and opened my front door for the first time in years. Journal Entry 5: I never realized how much a moment could fill you with such a range of emotions. After rowing in my boat aimlessly for a while, just enjoying being outside for a little I came across a small family. I was frozen immediately, and felt tears burst out like someone had just broken a dam. Seeing the little kids and their parents struck a nerve inside me. I have always wanted kids but I didn't know I was that sensitive towards things like that. I had tried before to have kids and after my husband died I knew having a baby would only be a thought in the back of my head. The day everything changed for me, I remember so vividly. I was watching the news and a flood warning popped on the screen. I didn’t think much of it because these warnings are pretty common and nothing ever happens. My heart dropped when I went on social media and saw videos of water rushing into the streets. I immediately called my husband, telling him what was going on and to come home as soon as possible. He told me he was on the way and that is the last words I ever heard from him. I waited and waited. Called over and over. Trying not to stress too much and just hope for the best. For days I sat watching the door, thinking to myself that at any moment my husband would walk through but he never did. I went through all the stages of grief. I cried, screamed, threw stuff around, I even cursed God. Asking how he could take away the one person I loved. The person I made lifelong plans with, to have kids with, to grow old together, and to die with. From that point on I knew I would live a lonely life with only the lingering want of a family. Journal Entry 6: Today was in no way, shape, or form a perfect day. I spent hours which felt like days, searching for a store or house that wasn’t run down and completely raided. I rationed all my food, but still ended up overeating. So I was hungry, tired, dirty, and the sun was beginning to go down and I still hadn’t found a safe place to sleep. I came to the conclusion that I would just have to sleep in my boat. I took a cover that I brought with me to cover myself fully. The blanket was thin but it felt like a protective barrier, from anything that could possibly hurt me. I prayed to God that when I woke up I'd be in the same spot and not some unknown place. The sounds of crickets and water brought me to sleep. Journal Entry 7: Luck was on my side and I was right on track with finding a house. It was nice, almost too nice which made me think someone might actually live here. Once I walked inside, my thoughts were proved to be right. The inside was clean and fully furnished. Pictures hung on all the walls and there was a rack full of shoes at the front door. I promise I'm not a thief and the guilt I had for what I was about to do was unreal, but I didn't come all this way just to give up on myself. Every step I took I felt a sunken feeling. Afraid that I would be caught and wanting to turn around and walk out all at the same time. I headed straight for the bathroom, looked through all the cabinets and took whatever medicine I found. I decided not to search anywhere else. I’m not sure if I did that for them or myself, so I wouldn’t feel too bad for stealing. These actions do not define who I am, but this world has now become survival of the fittest and I had all intentions of surviving. Journal Entry 8: The journey back home felt like the longest. I counted down every minute as I got closer to home. It’s as if I gained energy from out of nowhere, because I was rowing faster than I ever had before. Once I caught sight of my house I was filled with relief and was the happiest I could ever be, but that was short lived. I jumped out the boat, ran to my door, opened it and almost fainted. My excitement for being home made me overlook the fact that I did not have to unlock the door I knew I had locked before leaving. Everything I ever loved or cherished was gone. Was this karma for taking what did not belong to me. My life was turned upside down like a switch and I feel like I no longer have a reason to live. This life of mine is nothing but a nightmare and I contemplated suicide as tears fell and washed away the dirt upon my face. Walking around my house, I started to stagger and get dizzy. Completely in disbelief that this could be happening to me, but I guess the family I stole from could be feeling the same. I looked at all the pills in my bag and took them out one by one. With every bottle I pulled out, it became clear to me what I wanted to do. I took them all. Swallowing every last pill with no water to wash them down, because the pain of a dry pill did not compare to what I was feeling right now. If you’re reading this I'm sorry to disappoint you, but life is full of disappointments and I've had enough. The pills took their course and Robyn took everything with a smile on her face. Knowing that at least she’d be able to reunite with her family again. She put a welcome sign on her front door for those who needed shelter, and her journal on the welcome mat for those who wanted a good read. 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 Left Behind Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shayla Preston Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 04/20/2022