Delivery

Morgan sat in his dimly lit room, the walls adorned with posters from a time of blue skies and thriving forests, shimmering with hope and possibility. Outside, the sky was a dull gray, smothered by a thick blanket of smog and the distant echoes of sirens.

He sighed, staring at his phone, his heart heavy with the weight of a life that felt increasingly suffocating. The decision to leave had been brewing for months, ever since the last green park in the city became a concrete plaza.

With trembling fingers, Morgan dialed the delivery helpline.

“Good afternoon, delivery helpline; how may I assist you?” a cheerful voice chimed.

“I’d like to book a delivery, please.”

“For yourself or someone else?”

“It’s for me,” he replied, attempting to steady his voice. The sensation of entrapment had become too intense to ignore.

“Have you used our service before?”

“Yes.”

“And when would you like your delivery to arrive?”

“Within the next hour, please.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes,” he said, urgency bubbling to the surface.

“Please hold while I check the availability of your driver.”

As he waited, Morgan gazed at the world he felt alienated from. The air was thick with pollution, a constant reminder of the disregard for the planet. His chest tightened, and he longed for a place to breathe freely and live without the persistent shadow of decay.

After several minutes, the operator returned. “Good news! Your driver is available and will arrive at ten past eight. Please ensure you have the correct payment. We no longer accept American Express.”

“Thank you,” he replied, a wave of relief washing over him.

At ten past eight, a soft chime signaled his driver’s arrival. Morgan opened the door to find a woman standing there, her smile warm and disarmingly familiar.

“Hello, Morgan, I’m Clara, your driver. You might not remember me, but I was the one who brought you into this world. Mine was the first face you saw, and my hands were the first to hold you.”

He blinked in surprise, a memory surfacing from the depths of his mind. “Hello, Clara. It’s nice to meet you again.”

“My goodness, you certainly made your presence known when I delivered you! You screamed the hospital down. Had enough of this place already?”

“Yes,” he admitted, the words carrying the heaviness of his heart. “It’s hard to breathe here. They’re destroying this planet. It’s time for me to move on.”

Clara nodded, her expression softening with understanding. “I understand. We’ve all felt that way at some point. But where would you like to go?”

“Somewhere far away, where the air is clean and the skies are blue. Please take me to my next destination. I hope your hands are warm this time.”