It happened all at once. It happened gradually. When the rains came with the winds of unease, they stood tall, freeing themselves from the burden of want or care. When they stormed her shores charging full-speed ahead, they waved stolen feathers from a peace dove. When they sang a mantra of liberty and good will, they quietly punctured the core of her foundation. Little by little and in one giant swoop, they, the advocates for hope and change, stripped her bare, cut off her hair and polluted her air. When she refused to beg for mercy, they brought death, silencing her despair.
Nothing was the same since The Council took over. Most people went along to get along until the change happened. The change affected everyone. They conquered in increments, a loss of freedom here, a silenced voice there, until the layers of rules and restrictions sparked an explosion of anger and discontent, but by then it was too late. One crisis led to the next and the need for food and water and gas took precedent over things like individual rights and free will. The Council came to the rescue. They shared their wealth for the good of humanity and accepted the reigns of control with reluctance and humility. They knew what to do. They knew how to fix things and ensured a prosperous future. The Council knew how to save the world, but when the oceans turned red and the honeybees faced extinction, they blamed the people. Something else had to be done to save the dying earth and The Council had a plan, but so did Time. Time had a way of dealing with these kinds of things, and with the birth pangs of the twenty-first century laid to rest, the future was anyone’s guess.
The Apple and the birdcage 