Cape Cod Crisis: 3rd Place, Speculative Memoir
By Nicole Childs
Nicole Childs is the third-place winner of the Climate Change Memoir Contest in the category Speculative Memoir. This story depicts Nicole and a friend trying to have a nice day at a Cape Cod beach, when a storm begins, a direct result of climate change.
“What a beautiful day, Nicole,” exclaimed Jaden as he and I rambled the rocky trail to South Cape Beach, followed by our bulldog, Brody. A narrow, ever-lasting beach with doughy sand, pure, breezy air, and seaweed-filled shores stretched out in front of us. It was the meeting point for many of the teens, kids, and just about every local of Cape Cod. You could always tell who a true Cape Coder was when you saw them; they knew the waters were like glass after that brown and red sea forest. I always found enjoyment glaring over the old-beaten bridge and well-crafted wooden walkways.
“We’re almost there!” I said with a grin,“I wonder what today’s weather will be like.”
*Fhhmmfff* sniffed Brody, as he smelled the beginning of the sandy, wooden path leading up to the beach.
“We’re here!” I exclaimed. As we all ran down to the water, I could hear the wind rushing past my ears, sounding like a muffled microphone. The tall grass lining our racetrack was like a crowd at a track meet.
We arrived out of breath at the run-down bridge to see a crystal stream filled with blue crabs dancing side to side. Looking over the bridge, we saw the water inhale and exhale on the shore. The water was a blanket, and the sky was a light blue set of sheets and held cloudy pillows. I could feel the sun kissing my cheeks and shoulders with its fiery touch. The birds cackled at us, waiting for one of our lunch boxes to drop. We continued walking. “I wonder why no one’s here today. It’s absolutely beautiful!” shouted Jaden from the water. As he swam, Brody and I spread by the water and soaked up the sun.
It was almost noon and the breeze felt stronger than normal. I decided to take a dip into the water because, surprisingly, the surface of the water felt extremely warm. I hear indistinct yelling coming from the parking lot, causing me to pop my head out of the water. It seemed as if a man was yelling at us… and then I realized he was.
“A hurricane is coming! A hurricane is coming!” yelled a bloke from the bridge.
How can that be? It was beautiful this morning.
Jaden and I swam quickly to shore, grabbed Brody, and followed the man to his beach house just up the sandhill.
“I’m Dr. Phelan, but you can call me Ethan,” he said, “I do research in climatology. Today was the perfect day for a heat hurricane. What were you three doing out there? You haven’t heard the reports?” I had heard some of them, but once I saw the weather this morning, I didn’t think there was a chance of it still hitting.
“I haven’t heard anything sir.” I nodded in agreement. “Oh, and I’m Jaden.”
“Ocean levels and temperatures are rising by the minute. Days like these with moist air, warm water, and high winds are a perfect combination for disaster,” Ethan explained.
“So, what can we do about this?” I asked.
“We’re just going to have to wait for this storm to roll over,” he answered.
A day that started so beautifully turned into a stormy mess. The beach house shook. Through the window, we could see mounds of sand fill the air due to the high winds, and the grass that once was a barrier between me and the world was torn up. The water was running towards, covering the ground we walked on. “Why is this happening?!” I shouted to Dr. Phelan.
“Global warming, kid! Hurricanes form when warm ocean water and moist air rises and mixes with the cold air. This creates a cycle which causes the storm clouds and wind speeds to increase,” He explained, “The only thing we can do now is to wait. They can last over a week.”
I don’t know if it’s more fascinating or disturbing to view something so beautiful change completely overnight. What used to be a field of sand and a pool of water was now a hill of sand leading into a body of broken glass. Unfixable glass, it felt like. The bridges I used to stand on are now buried underground like a casket. But our setting was like its people. There’s always been a time when they’ve been better. But beauty was built deep within them; you just have to to find it.
Edited by Silver Lindberg