Whoops, My Bad

I blew up the Earth.

Whoops.

My bad.

Sorry everyone.

I mean, I didn’t mean to do it. It just sort of…Happened.

It was a harmless little game of catch. We just grabbed some matter and formed it into a ball to toss back and forth. The fun thing about playing catch in space is that the further you throw it the faster it goes. Well Tarnadin wanted me to throw far because he wanted to prove how fast he could go. I threw too long. I shouldn’t have, but I did. I thought that I could prove him wrong and come out on top. The ball of matter slammed into the Earth, basically making it explode.

Again, whoops.

Usually my mom doesn’t mind us blowing up the occasional planet. We’re kids. It happens. When it comes to inhabited planets though...Well, let’s just say that I’m grounded for a while. My uncle’s mad too because he was in charge of that little blue and green planet. Now he has to process all of those dead souls, and those billions of humans demand to know why they’re dead. Humans complain too much if you ask me.

I’m pretty sure that they all expect me to step up and apologize. Or at least tell them that they’re all dead because of a silly little mistake.

Like that’s going to happen. I don’t need an entire planet haunting me, thank you very much. So I’m just going to pretend that it didn’t happen. Besides, how annoying would it be to find out that you’re dead because of a stupid mistake?

“Diyalis, we need to talk about what happened.”

My mom begins. She looks weak and tired. I’m sure it would be a big relief for her if I stepped up and took responsibility, but we both know that’s not going to happen for a while.

“Can’t mom, I promised Tarnadin I’d help him calibrate a black hole for school.”

I’ve been dodging everything that my mom has thrown at me for the last while. To be more specific, ever since I blew up Earth. See, she’s really ticked off too. Not just because her daughter blew up an inhabited planet, but because she has to build a whole new planet. The higher ups decided that since I’m still a kid, my mom has to take the job of making a planet to replace Earth. All of the adults say that it’s hard trying to balance everything and make it work. Too much or too little of something means disaster. I’ve run the simulations at school though, and I think it’s fun. Never mind that though. I port through space and meet up with Tarnadin. He hovers by the black hole and floats over when I appear.

“Family still not letting up?”

“Not a chance. Don’t know why though because Earth wasn’t doing so well anyways.”

“That doesn’t mean you can blow it up.”

“It was an accident!”

I still refuse to admit that I overshot. As far as I’m concerned the Earth just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Perhaps I should stop obsessing over a blown up planet and explain what we are. Our physical appearance is basically a cloud of coloured dust. We can mold the shape of the cloud to our liking. We’re the ones in charge of the universe. We take care of planets, stars, and everything in between. Everyone chooses what they want to do with their little portion of the universe. There are rules though. Despite all our power there are a lot of things we can’t prevent or even predict. My blowing up the Earth for example. Technically speaking we’re all inbred to a certain extent. There were only so many of us to begin with, so it was bound to happen. Luckily this hasn’t been a problem so far. As more of us are born and grown, the universe grows. You humans think you know everything.

Wait, you might actually know everything now.

Because you’re all dead.

Whoops!

Anyway, Tarnadin is somehow related to me but we’re all too lazy to figure out how. I had a few older brothers and sisters, but they’re all off and married now. I haven’t seen them since then, but it doesn’t really bother me. It’s already decided that Tarnadin and I will get married, so when we get older and that happens we’ll leave home. Maybe by then they’ll have let up on the whole Earth thing. Maybe we can make our own planet. If we do, then I really hope I don’t blow that one up as well. Just in case, I’ll make sure that any sentient beings are okay with death. Still, that’s a long ways away.

“You know you’re famous?”

“Yeah, for blowing stuff up.”

I grumble. Tarnadin thinks about this for a moment.

“I guess so, but it was still pretty cool.”

I don’t answer and avert my eyes. Tarnadin is wonderful. He can tell that I don’t want to talk about it.

“We better get started on this black hole. Your mom will want to see copies of the calibrations.”

I blink in momentary confusion.

“Grounded, remember? She wants proof of what you’ve been up to.”

“Right.”

We get to work on the black hole. Sometimes they break down and it’s too risky to leave them unchecked. Usually these are handed out as projects to the kids. If we mess up then, whoops. One of the mentors will come and sort it out and that unlucky kid will have to do make-up work for a while. The black hole is easy work and we get through it with ease. Tarnadin winds up the calibration formulas into a small ball of information which he then copies for me to show to my mom. This little orb of information shimmers with a pale light.

“Hey…Diyalis?”

Tarnadin begins.

“Yeah?”

“Was it your fault?”

“Yes.”

It was a straight up question and for some reason it was easy admitting it to him.

“You wanted to know how fast you could go. I guess I was too willing to prove that you aren’t as fast as you think you are. I threw too long and well…Boom.”

It feels good to admit it to someone, especially when that someone isn’t myself. It feels good to admit my mistake, as stupid and near accidental as it may be.

“I think you should explain to them.”

Soothing energy emits from him, our version of a smile.

“You think they’ll be mad?”

The energy intensifies, filling me with a feeling of mirth and happiness.

“Probably, but then again can they do anything about it?”

Together we port back to my parents’ part of the galaxy, otherwise known as my home.

“Diyalis.”

My mom greets, slightly startled. Tarnadin comes up and offers me his courage.

“I…I’m ready to tell them all what happened.”

She gives me only a small sign of acknowledgment and together the three of us open the rift between life and death. We take on human forms when we drift through to the other side. It feels weird having limbs all of a sudden. My uncle in his own human form greets us with relief.

“Diyalis! Finally! Are you here to tell them what happened? I’m up to my ears in dead people!”

I can’t help but laugh. My uncle is always forgiving and full of mirth. I love him dearly.

“I’m sorry, uncle.”

He doesn’t berate my mistake and he doesn’t praise my choice. All he does is smile and leads me to the front of the cave of dead. Not all foyers to the world of the dead look like this. Humans just seem to have a very grim idea of death, therefore the grim foyer. We show them what they expect to see. Otherwise they just freak out and have mental break downs, clogging the system. I stand up in front of all of them, which is quite overwhelming I might add, and begin.

“My name is Diyalis, and it’s my fault that you’re all here.”

They begin to protest and shout even though I’ve barely begun. My uncle silences them with a wave of his hand.

“It’s a neat trick you pick up when you handle the dead.”

He explains with a shrug.

“Okay then. I’ll try again. My name is Diyalis. I am one of the beings that hold this universe together. I’m just a kid though, as you can see, so I play games. My friend and I were playing catch and…”

I sigh.

“I made a mistake. I overshot the ball and it hit the Earth. You know the rest. That is all.”

I step away and they all stare at me, speechless. Oh yeah, my uncle hasn’t given them their speech back yet.

“Did I do the right thing?”

I ask. I want to know if admitting my mistake will do anything. I want to know if it really made a difference. My mom smiles and I know the answer.

“Yes, yes you did.”

These people understand what happened to them now. There will be no more wondering and no more confusion. They’ll be able to move on, and so will I.