A Christmas Coral.

 

It was Christmas eve on the coral reef, and Pete the crab was in high spirits for the big day to arrive. Although he spent most of his time alone, he had a rather great talent for never letting anything bring him down. Everyone knew this on the reef; it was common knowledge.

The few weeks heading towards Christmas day would be spent each year the same. Pete would organise the get to together of a few volunteers, and as a group they would start at one side of the reef, and clean up and throw back on the local beach all the plastic bottles, plastic bags and car parts that were discarded by the land people.

It wasn’t the best job going, but Pete felt proud that he tried to help.

“So Pete” said Sid the squid, “Job well done I think!”

“Very well done!” replied Pete. “A total clear up yet again.”

“So I guess we won’t see you tomorrow then?”

“No” said Pete happily, “I’ll be fine.”

Sid and the other volunteers left Pete to go back to their families, each having a sense of pride inside their hearts. As Pete shut the front door of his shell, rubbing his tired eyes and stretching his tired arms from the long day’s work, he failed to notice the apparition of a foggy Butterfly Fish in the corner of his room.

“Pete” the ghostly fish moaned. As expected, Pete jumped, holding his claws to his face. “Pete. You will come with me.”

“Why?” stuttered Pete worriedly.

“You will come with me” the ghostly fish said. And just like that, a wave of bubbles swirled around the room, before Pete knew it, he was standing in front of his younger self. His parents were both there, yet none of them could see or hear Pete as he tried to call out to them.

The water was so clear, almost invisible to him. The reef so free of litter and junk. Pete had forgotten completely what his house used to look like. The reef and everything around as far as the eye could see used to be so alive, exploding with colour. However, there was no time to stop and appreciate the sight, as a second rush of bubbles tore past Pete, dissipating seconds after revealing the reef once more. To Pete’s shock, he could no longer see any beauty or amazement at all.

“What have you done?!” Pete questioned sharply. “Where’s everyone gone?”

The Butterfly Fish swam to Pete’s side and pointed outwards towards the mass collection of rubbish and scrap; an underwater mountain of trash and filth had covered the reef in its entirety.

“Understand this, Pete. Each year you will strive and aspire for a clean and healthy ocean, yet, to our disappointment, it is all for not.”

Pete began to feel anger grow inside his gut, “What have they done?”

“This is a mere ten years in the future” the Butterfly Fish said, “And although you try and make a difference, the only way we can ever live peacefully, and clean of poison, is if the land people choose to save us.”