A cold wind howled through the skeletal remains of what was once Denver. Dust swirled through the cracked pavement, whispering through abandoned cars and buildings long stripped of their purpose. The world had changed in just a few short decades, transformed by droughts, storms, and an unforgiving sun.
Logan Carter adjusted his scarf, shielding his face from the biting air. He and his younger sister, Ava, had been traveling west for weeks, searching for what some called “The Last Refuge”—a sanctuary untouched by the environmental collapse that had left much of the country uninhabitable. It was a desperate hope, but hope was all they had. Every town they passed was emptier than the last, its residents either dead or long gone.
“How much farther?” Ava asked, her voice muffled by the cloth wrapped around her face.
Logan checked the battered map in his hands, tracing the faded lines with his gloved finger. “If the rumors are true, we should reach it in a couple of days.”
They walked past the husks of homes, the skeletal frames of trees standing like sentinels over the ruined cityscape. Water was scarce, the air thick with the scent of decay. The world hadn’t ended with fire or war—it had been slower, crueler. Droughts, driven by the extreme climate change, had dried up the rivers, storms had torn apart coastal cities, and the heat had driven millions from their homes. Most of the survivors had turned inward, wary of strangers, hoarding whatever they could find. Logan had seen firsthand how desperation made monsters of men.
Night fell quickly, and they set up camp in the hollowed-out remains of an old grocery store. The shelves were empty, but Logan found a few unopened cans in a back storeroom. He handed one to Ava, who opened it eagerly, eating the cold beans as if they were a feast.
“Do you think it’s real?” she asked between bites. “The Refuge?”
Logan hesitated. “I have to believe it is. We don’t have another choice.”
Sleep was uneasy, as it always was. They took turns keeping watch, listening for distant footsteps or the rustle of something unnatural in the shadows. Once, Logan thought he heard a voice whispering from the alley, but when he peered out, there was nothing—just the endless dark.
By midday, they reached the outskirts of what had once been Salt Lake City. The city was a husk of its former self, its great temple spires now towers of ruin. The roads were littered with the remnants of humanity—a rusted bicycle, a child’s toy, a collapsed street sign pointing to a place that no longer existed.
A lone figure appeared in the distance, waving a tattered flag.
Logan tensed, gripping his knife, but as they drew closer, he saw the symbol—a green leaf enclosed in a circle. The same symbol people had whispered about in the ruined towns they had passed through.
“You’re looking for the Refuge?” the figure called.
Logan nodded warily. “Is it real?”
The stranger smiled, eyes bright with something Logan had seen little of in recent years: certainty. “It’s real. And you’re closer than you think.”
For the first time in years, Logan allowed himself to breathe a little easier. Maybe, just maybe, there was still a future worth fighting for.
As they followed the stranger, the landscape began to change. Patches of green broke through the wasteland, small streams ran with clear water, and the air smelled fresher. Soon, they saw it—a valley, sheltered and alive, with people working together to rebuild, to heal.
Ava gasped, eyes wide with wonder. “It’s beautiful.”
Logan felt something stir within him—something he had nearly forgotten. Hope.
The world had been cruel, but here was proof that resilience could thrive. Maybe, just maybe, they had found not just survival, but a place to truly live.
PS: Here is an article I wrote on 101 Climate Change Impacts You Should Know.
