Asteroid Vs Peggy

It looked like someone left a slice of potato hanging in the sky. It was peering inside the atmosphere as if to snoop on Earth's inhabitants.

Aptly named Apophis, after the ancient demon God of chaos, the planet-killer was on Earth's doorsteps, knocking.

Well, It was the end of the world.

NASA and everyone with a nuclear missile started emptying out their ammunitions on the uninvited foe. Earth shook with the explosions and the blinding light looked like another sun. They tormented the God of chaos, but to no avail. He stood right where he was like an animated cartoon character.

They barely scratched the surface. And what’s worse? Now there were many smaller potato-asteroids, tiny Apophislings plunging towards the earth along with the mama asteroid.

A warm sultry summer pervaded throughout Newbury. Rows of red-brown brick houses with chimneys, a tall medieval clock tower with a weathered brown spire, and a stone pavement adorned the street. The marketplace square was empty. It was a quiet town except for siren noises from time to time. People have given up hope. Most of them were partying and spending time with their families.

The unusual summer worsened every minute. Grey specks sprinkling like dirty rain. Ash coated the lovely brown houses and the roads. Glimmering tar-like particles streaked across the vermillion-colored sky. Twitching tiny pairs of legs and colorful wings spewed everywhere on the stone pavement. Sparrows, crows, and all winged creatures were falling like dizzied flies.

Even God was so scared and bewildered that he hid away in a puff of cotton candy clouds. He was sticking his head out like a turtle with his eyes glued to a pair of binoculars. He had a keen stare observing how humans responded to his total reset plan.

He was tired of humans cutting all his trees and dumping oil and infinite plastic stuff into the seas. And human wars perplexed him.

He wanted to get rid of humans before they destroyed his beloved blue-green planet.

God was dressed in heavenly-white attire with numerous, numerous pockets! And each pocket was beeping with many pagers. Each popped messages in different languages, the prayers that people were sending him. He ignored them all.

As he stared through his binoculars, he noticed something strange. A kid with a floating red balloon was playing in one of his chapels. The church was empty except for this little kid. Perhaps she wanted to give one last try to save the world. God was curious.

Peggy, as she was called, was jumping up and down the weather-worn, mossy stone staircases pretending to be a pony. She trot-trotted her way, galloping across the Church floor.

God was intrigued. And when Peggy reached the altar and said “God, can I ask you something?” he was so thrilled.

He rubbed his hands together and picked up the receiver on one of the antique telephone sets.

“Tell me, dear, what is it that ye’ fear?”.

“Can you trade this balloon for a time machine, God? I call him Poseidon. He can fly without wings!”

God smiled. He liked Peggy and her Poseidon. He also wanted to give humanity another chance to fix everything, one last try before the apocalypse.

God thought for a minute. He looked at the burning atmosphere and all the screaming people on Earth. He scratched his glistening fluffy beard and finally said…

“Fair deal, my child! We shall.”

"Humanity needs one last chance after all"

A brief pause ensued…

“Where would you like to go, my child? I am beyond time. I can zip you across the millennia where ye want to”

Peggy was looking at the marble statues, the delicate paintings hanging on the walls, and the mosaic art on the high ceiling.

“1665, Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire”

“Well, that... that’s oddly specific, dear. I hope ye have a plan. May the holy heavens be with ye”

God wished her the best and chanted a few magic words...

Oozy white fog seeped into the church floor from nowhere and slowly engulfed the whole place. When the fog vanished, Peggy was also missing.

The mist lander her in a green meadow. She fell and rolled with the mud and grasshoppers and the morning dew. A green tree frog was croaking upon her head. She had to shoo it off.

It felt like heaven indeed. There were no tall chimneys or fancy cars to cough out thick black smog, she could barely see any humans. It was so calm. She then admired the clear sky. Apophis was missing. God had indeed given her a chance to change everything!

“Forbear! Yonder goes whom?”

Peggy was startled. A farmer with a raised pitchfork came running and yelled at her. It looked like he had planted his corn in patches across the green meadows.

“Thou canst not walk hither”

The man looks like a scarecrow with his straw hat.

She was wondering what she would trade to buy some cookies. That seemed to worry her more. The Queen hadn't been born yet and the money in her pocket might not work, she thought. She also felt that perhaps she could dress up like him for the next Halloween.

"Ay! Off!" the man came running.

Beyond the clouds and hills, God was watching all this drama unfold. He was so tense he started chipping at the edge of his nails. Time was running out for the future.

Peggy darted across the field. She ran beyond the corn farms and into a fruit orchid. She was looking under each tree as if searching for someone.

She searched many fruit trees until she found that one particular tree she was looking for.

"Malus Domestica" she whispered.

She sneaked around the tree slowly and stood there was a second. And leaped! She caught something mid-air and stumbled on a white-haired fellow.

They were under a large apple tree. The guy looked almost like a girl in that long flowing white hair. He was shocked. His books scattered everywhere.

“What doth thee bethink of thyself miss?” He shouted with a contorted face.

Peggy stood up with proud beaming on her face.

She held an apple high up in her hand and claimed…

“I thereby cancel GRAVITY! Earth is now SAFE”

God was shellshocked. He froze with his mouth wide open.