It all began with a walk. Demi had reached the edge of the city. The landscape changed dramatically from buildings, vehicles and people to green as far as the eye could see. Clumps of wildflowers dotted the green, the wind gently brushed their nodding heads. She took the off ramp and stopped by the side of the road to take a further look.
Her family thought that she was crazy to leave the clean, contemporary urban space for who knows what? Adventure? You can get more adventure on the net than in the wild and yet, since the agrarian crisis of ’77 no one had ventured this far. She was curious to see what she might find.
Here and there, the fence line on the roadside was broken by fallen palings and twisted wire. Tall grasses of varying species waved. Trees that she did not recognise, threw their arms wide in a sky- embrace. Birds of different sizes and colours darted across the land. A small skink crawled out from under a paling to peer at her, its’ head cocking to the side to take in her visage. Using her eye-camera, Demi zoomed in on the curious beast, took several photos, reviewed them in her mind’s eye and rejected all but one which she saved and sent to her friends.
Looking behind her, she saw the city: an enormous cluster of tall, grey buildings piercing the clouds. These were surrounded by the ten-level ring roads that entered end exited the city. Flying vehicles criss-crossed an invisible skyway. Trains glided softly on upper level monorails. The city gleamed in the slanting, afternoon sun.
Demi was filming a live feed to her sister, Mel when Mel interrupted, “What’s that?”
“Where?”
“I think it went behind you.”
She about-faced, “Where, exactly?”
“Up there!”
With a broad wingspan, eyes fixed on a point in the grass only meters away, the raptor hovered, its sharp talons poised. Seconds later, it dove into the grass and emerged with a small, fluffy animal in its’ mighty claws. The bird took off effortlessly, the wriggling animal clasped tightly.
Mel squealed, “Did you see that?”
“Yes, yes. I was filming. Of course I did.”
“It was magnificent!”
Mom and Dad interrupted, “What was that, Hon?”
“I think it was an eagle.” She replied.
“A real, live eagle?”
“No other.”
“I didn’t think they existed. What was it carrying?”
“Dinner...”
“No, what kind of animal?”
“A rabbit.”
“That’s amazing!”
“I know.”
Mel said, “Go a bit further, sis. ”
“Where?”
“Um, take a left.”
Demi headed towards a break in the fence, stepped over the fallen post and entered the wild and waded through waist high grass, pausing now and again to observe insects and plants. The landscape rose and fell. Nature had reclaimed what man had deserted. It was now a balanced eco system, a garden as nature had intended.
Tree branches laden with fruit hung enticingly. An abundance of which lay on the surrounding ground. She picked over some, noted flies and ants and sent photos to her friends. Due to her social media-savvy sister, the footage featuring the smallest detail in a plant’s leaf, and complex insect eyes and wings was going viral. The audience was growing with each minute.
Her mother and father said, “Tell us what you’re looking at.”
Demi began to describe everything in the vicinity, “This is an old variety of apple.” She picked one on a lower hanging branch, showed the apple’s skin, then bit into the crisp flesh. The eyes of the city were on her, “Oh! My word!” She said with a mouth full of apple, ”This is unbelievably delicious!” Demi gathered some samples and put them in her backpack.
Wandering down to a creek, she saw fish and frogs in the shallows. Dragon flies darted over reeds. As the light began to fade, she returned to the city.
Her venture outside caused such a furore that city dwellers were keen to see the ‘wilderness’ for themselves. Governors, fearing that the garden would be ruined, permitted visitation rights in a lottery. A passion for organic small holdings produced the best food the century had seen. A new city-wide appreciation of nature was rekindled, and all this change began with a walk.
