EARTHLINGS (780 words)

By Greg Acuna

    Early every morning, Shelly walks her cat Einstein around the block. She skips along, 
enjoying the quiet of the new day.
    Einstein jumps onto a newspaper box. The big black letters of the newspaper headline 
scream out at Shelly, "WAR!"
    Shelly dashes home and stomps into her living room. "There's a war, Dad!"
    "Sweetheart, I'm trying to watch the news," says her father.
    "I saw the news. People are going to kill each other. Isn't that wrong?"
    "Yes, but.it's complicated."
    "It's not right, Dad. Why do they do it?"
    "I wish I knew. That's just the way the world is, sweetie. You'll understand when you get 
older."
    During recess, Shelly discusses the war with her teacher.
    "Mr. P, why can't they just talk it out, or play hopscotch or handball and see who wins?
    Mr. P shakes his head. "Shelly, the differences between people can run very deep."
    "You and I are different, Mr. P. You were born in another country and speak with a 
different accent."
    "Shelly, we're friends. We're neighbors."
    "It only takes a day to fly anywhere in the world, Mr. P. We're all neighbors. We could be 
friends too."
    "That would be nice, but it doesn't work that way. You'll understand when you get older."
    Shelly just can't understand. How many times had she heard that fighting never solves 
anything? How could the grownups forget?
    "Time for bed, sleepy head," her mother chirps. "Change into your pajamas."
    "Nope. I'm protesting. I'll change when the war's over."
    "It could take a long time," warns her mother. "Maybe you should change your clothes 
now."
    Shelly shakes her head.
    "Well, we'll see in the morning. Try not to worry, honey. You'll understand when you get 
older."
    Shelly is restless. Einstein snuggles closer to her and purrs; content to be scratched behind 
the ears.
    Finally, Shelly drifts off to sleep, tossing and turning, turning and tossing.
    Suddenly, Shelly is flying high over the world with Einstein in her arms! Looking down, 
she doesn't see any countries. There aren't any borders. It doesn't look anything like the map in 
her classroom. She decides she has to go down and investigate.
    Shelly lands in a Rainbow City and starts to explore. She's never seen so many kinds of 
homes and buildings. So many ways of talking and dressing. So many different foods and ways of 
eating.
    Maybe her parents and Mr. P were right. "People are different," she thinks.
    Someone taps her on the shoulder. A girl about her age smiles.
    "Greetings, I'm Ashtee. You want to play?"
    Riding a lion, Shelly races around the savannah with her new friends. Looking closely she 
sees that no two animals are exactly the same. Each zebra's stripes and giraffe's spots are different, just like all the other animals. Still, a zebra's a zebra and a giraffe is a giraffe.
    In a dazzling jungle, colorful butterflies circle all around them. Shelly is astonished at how 
every butterfly is unique, but still the same.
    Everywhere she goes people are also different, but they too are the same. Earthlings, one 
and all.
    Shelly marvels at the power of the ocean. How can something so soft be so strong? She 
remembers her father telling her that water can wear down the hardest stone. So what's really 
stronger, the fighter or the friend?
    Shelly and her friends zoom around the world visiting their favorite places. They climb the 
Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge. They slide down the Sydney Opera House and ride the 
Sphinx. At each stop they sing out, "What a cool planet!"
    Shelly follows a rainbow over the clouds, and sees a gentle rain falling down onto the 
mountains below. The water runs down a river to the ocean where a mist rises forming clouds.   She understands that everything is connected.
    It's time to go home.
    "Shelly, what are you doing up so early?" asks her mother. "Oh, good. You've changed 
your clothes."
    "Yep! I'm finished with that silliness. I'm starting a real protest.
    "What?!" her parents both cry out.
    "That's a pretty big project, pumpkin," says her mother.
    "It's worth trying. One planet, one people. A new world."
    "A new world?" questions her father. "Sometimes I just don't get you, kiddo."
    "That's okay. You'll understand when you get younger."
    At the playground, Shelly and her friends hand out buttons as they shout, "Send war out the 
door!" More kids join in. "Send war out the door." Teachers and people from the neighborhood 
gather around to watch.
    Shelly thrusts her fist in the air and exclaims, "Earthlings Unite!" And everyone begins to 
chant, "One planet! One people! One people! One planet!"