Falling In Love In 2130

Falling In Love In 2130

Johana Dominguez

04/23/2026

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.