CRESSIDA'S LAST SUN

Warmth, light, beauty, that's what our sun used to be. Never in my dreams did I ever imagine this would happen. The biggest most beautiful star in the sky is dying. I never believed the sun could die. The sun is strong and powerful. Our scientists believed this would happen.

Long before I was born Cressida's most celebrated scientist predicated the sun's death. Most believed it. Others did not. Those who did began preparing like my family. Our government and its citizens began looking for a new home and began building ships.

To save the entire population of Cressida, engineers began building generation ships. My parents were part of the building process. They build and build for 25 years.

Since I can remember I've looked up at the sky and saw the sun. I wondered why something as beautiful and powerful as the sun can just die. My mother once told me "Life is precious. Even the strong leave us."

Life is indeed precious. I see it all around me. I've seen it since the day I learned to understand what was happening around me. Everyone rushing to save those we love. My parents rushing to save me, my sister and brother.

For 25 years Cressida has been counting down the years, months, weeks and days until the sun takes its last breath, shines its last light, gives its last warm energy. The day is getting near. I'm scared. We are all scared.

Every day I look up at the sky trying to memorize the last beauty of the sun. The sun is still shining brightly but it's no longer yellow. Slowly over the years the sun has been turning red. Not a good sign. Everything on Cressida is dying.

Food is becoming scarce. Water and medicine as well. The government is rationing the last remaining supplies. Cressida is becoming a world I don't recognize anymore. Many of our citizens that are not heeding the warning are staying on Cressida.

I can't imagine why. Our sun is dying. Our home is dying. Cressida is ceasing to exist, yet they are staying. These people are the religious zealots of Cressida. They believe venturing to the stars will doom us all. Staying on Cressida will doom us all.

Two months is all we have left. Two months to say goodbye to Cressida. Two months to get all our belongings on board the ships. Two months to live our most beautiful, cherished memories.

I have so many memories. My fondest memory is the vacations me and my family took to the mountains. Cressida has the most spectacular mountains. At the height of the summer months the mountains shine beautifully under the bright lights of the sun.

Cressida, a once beautiful planet with the most beautiful rivers and oceans once flow beautifully with the sun glistening off of the water. Now the rivers and oceans are drying.

All over Cressida marine life is dying. Plant life is dying. Animals are dying. We are trying to save what we can but as the days go by it's becoming harder and harder.

I loved swimming in the rivers and oceans. I loved seeing the beautiful marine life. Now all I see is a barren land. Without the sun without the light everything is dying. A tiny speck of water is all that's left. How sad is that?

Beyond the mountains lies our savior, the ships that will take us, the population of Cressida into the stars and to our new home. The new home is beyond our solar system. Our scientists once told us many years ago that our solar system is going to be inhabitable when the sun dies.

Everything is going to die not just Cressida but the entire solar system. The latest report from our observation towers is the sun is already having a major effect on the planets surrounding Cressida.

One month left until we leave the only home we have ever known. What will happen to us? How will we survive the upcoming journey? We never believed we would venture into the stars, least of all in my life-time. Now here we are ready to leave.

I'm scared, terrified really. I can't imagine what our life will be like one year from today. Two years from today or even five years from today. What will we say to the future generations who will never know Cressida? None of us know how long it will take to get to the new home.

I look all around me, everywhere I go people are scrambling to get everything in order. People are hurrying to pack their belongings. Scientist and engineers are making the last preparations to the ships.

I finished packing long ago. I'm taking my time saying goodbye to Cressida. I'm going to all my favorite places. The river, ocean, and zoo. The zoo once filled with the most beautiful animals is no more. What animals we could save are on board the ships. The rest have sadly died.

I will miss everything Cressida gave us and everything we gave to Cressida. I will miss all the birthdays I celebrated. My parent's birthdays. My sister and brother's birthday. The holidays that were celebrated. The fireworks display during the folders day celebration.

I will miss the friends I made. I will miss going to the movies with my friends. I will miss riding my bike through the lush green forest. I will miss the nature walks with my sister. I will miss looking up at Cressida's night sky.

I will miss my last year of university. I was studying botany. I love everything about flowers and plants. Another thing I will miss is planting flowers with my mother. During the spring season me and my mother would plant all kinds of flowers. It was our special thing.

The rainy season on Cressida is so magical. I loved it. Every last day of the week, I would go to the forest and just walk taking pictures of all things, birds and insects. Cressida was a dream. Tears are coming down my face at what I'm losing.

It's almost time to leave. My parents are gathering the last of our most treasured belongings. Pictures of me, my sister and brother. My brothers wedding pictures and so much more. My home, the place where I grew up is empty.

The day I've been dreading is finally upon us. The day we leave Cressida once and for all. I take one last look at my home. With tears in my eyes, I close the door and join my family. We get into our car and join the long procession to the ships.

The sun is a deep red color. All of Cressida is red. We are passing the tree me and my family planted long ago. As with everything else its dead. I love that tree. Goodbye tree. The flowers that lined the streets are dead. I can believe everything is dead.

We finally made it to the ships. Wow, they are so big. I along with my family join the people boarding the ships. I'm nervous. Me and my sister hold each other's hand. We finally board the 3rd ship. Inside the ship looks beautiful.

Our room is beautiful. I look out the window getting my last view of Cressida. I will miss you. Several hours later the four ships take off. The first ship goes up. Then the second and now my ship. Up, up, up, up into the stars we go. All the ships are above Cressida.

Me, my family and many others go to the observation deck. I see my beloved Cressida and what used to be the most beautiful source of light in the solar system. Goodbye Cressida. Goodbye sun. Rest In Peace.