The blue green planet

“Icome from a far off place called Earth. It is the most beautiful place you can imagine. It is the third planet from the Sun and unlike this planet I'm standing on, it is much cooler."
"Don't call our home ,Jupiter 'this planet'," hissed one of the aliens in his robotic voice, "tell us more about this Earth you talk about!"

     "Well, I don't want any more interruptions," I said dreamily. They silently nodded their heads. "It is, like I said, very beautiful. I have travelled all over Earth. I have been to most of its continents.. Asia, North America, South America, Australia, Europe and Africa. The only continent I have left to visit is Antarctica. One thing I really love about Earth is the water we drink. I also love the sunset."

     "The water, when in water bodies, amazes me. One day it can be a murky green, the next day a lovely turquoise blue. It can be crystal-clear and it can shine. It can be absolutely still or it can have small ripples disturbing its surface. It is an amazing thing, essential for us humans."

     "The sunset. I can watch it every day but it will never cease to amaze me. One moment, i can see the Sun making Earth look bright, the next, its sinking below the horizon, making the sky look as though it's a paint palette. It is such a pretty feat. The sky, once light blue, is now filled with shades of red, orange, yellow, blue and purple. The way these colours merge into one-another is breath-taking. Each time the Sun sinks lower, the darker our world gets and the more we can see the winking stars and the shiny moon."

    "Nature. That is indescribable. The hills, the mountains, the streams, the flowers, the trees, the grass, the fruits, everything is brilliant. The rolling hills can be small or big, grassy or rocky. The mountains may be snow-capped or muddy, either way it's magnificent.

The babbling brooks, the squabbling streams or the crystal-clear creeks are a boon to thirsty animals everywhere. The flowers are simply phenomenal. Each petal is unique.
The trees, the ones that are responsible for the oxygen we breathe are so old and so wise. Endless tales have been told to children about the wisdom of these trees. The juicy fruits are absolutely delicious. We savour each bite, which is refreshing and healthy."
     "I could go on and on about my world but i don't have much time here." I said, my throat a little sore. "You should tell me about Jupiter!" "Alright," they rasped, "Jupiter is quite the opposite of Earth. It is unique in its own way." As  I listened to them speak together as one voice, I started nodding off to sleep. Something in their voice had a hint of a lullaby tune. I didn't know how long i had been asleep but when I woke up, I was in a different place. It was a gigantic room and so complex that it made me dizzy.
I tried to get up but an invisible force pushed me down. I looked at the gauge on my wrist which told me how much oxygen I had left. I had barely two minutes left.  The thought of that made me even dizzier and I slipped into an uncomfortable unconsciousness.....The last comforting thoughts in my mind  were of my blue green planet where I would have unlimited oxygen...

Shivangi Kajaria,
MAIS, Std 8 , Age:13