THE VICTIM'S REVENGE

Do you believe in ghosts?

Me neither!

Yet, when the Great Disasters started in the late 2020s shortly after the war in the Pacific, my father's ghost would always appear as if to remind me of the original purpose of my birth and the sacrifice of his whole life: survive.

The Great Disasters, as we call them, first started in developing countries. African and South Asian countries in particular were hit very badly. Events escalated and multiplied each month, ravaging everything and everyone in their path. I remember the first big disaster. Ousmane was barely one year-old.

I had left the house with Ousmane in my arms to take him to his grandmother. Absorbed in my thoughts, I stared at my car in front of me.

"Borys, look up!" My dad's voice came in Polish in front of me.

I jumped, looking for his silhouette around me before looking up at the sky. A calm and blue sky in appearance. Further behind, a powerful grey wind was forming like mankind's anger. I stood for a long time gazing at the sky, not knowing how to interpret the message it seemed to have written for me.

"Don't just stand there!" My father's voice shouted. "It's the planet," he added in alarm. "The planet has finally decided to take its revenge on men."

My thoughts immediately stopped, giving way to the nothingness inside my mind. I spun around to go back into the house holding Ousmane tight against me.

"Fatou!" I cried at the entrance.

"Why is Ousmane still here?" She asked, poking her head out of the kitchen.

Without answering, I walked to the kitchen to grab her hand and led her into the room farthest from the front door: Fatou's sewing workshop.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" She said, letting me drag her along behind me.

I didn't answer, my mind still empty; inside nothingness was giving me very clear instructions. I put Ousmane in Fatou's arms then I went to take the baby sling to wrap Ousmane in it to my stomach. I started rummaging through all the drawers to pull out the strongest cords before tying Fatou to me. She didn't ask or say anything anymore, allowing me to handle her like a mannequin. At the same time, we heard a loud whistle coming from the front door. I immediately pushed us into a corner of the room, leaning Fatou against the wall, holding her and Ousmane very tight against me, my body blocking their way.

"Look down and keep your eyes closed," I said, closing mine.

The very first revenge of the planet spat in our faces without warning. Its breath was as cold and putrid as death, tossing us through the air like sheets of paper. The eardrum-piercing metallic shrill cry seemed to scream to mankind all over the surface of Earth:

"What did you do to me?!"