Fiction: Krypton

KRYPTON

It all started the day I wished upon a star. You know, like in the stories?

I was sick and tired of everything. Of my mom making me stuff my breakfast down my throat; of my dad telling me if I don’t hurry up, I’ll be late for school; of my little brother being the average annoying little brother; of my alarm clock, set on snooze, ringing every five minutes; of everything. I wanted; no, I needed some peace and quiet. So I wished upon a star that I could get out of this chaotic place.

I think I wished too soon because, to be exact, I wished away planet earth. Yup, you read right, I WISHED AWAY PLANET EARTH. How do I know, you ask? Well, what else would you think it you found yourself on a huge sphere of rock, having no signs of life whatsoever? This place had E-M-P-T-Y written all over it.
So here I was on a ‘sphere of rock’ all because foolish me wished upon a star. A star! Whose wish upon a star is actually granted?

As I was pondering over this trivial question, I discover a boy of about my age doing some sort of experiment. The big head, even bigger hair and the know-it-all expression on his face; this had to be Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius. And I was right.
I’m saved!!
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi, what are you doing?”
“Oh me?” he replies, “I was out on Jupiter collecting rock samples and when I return, this is what I find of Earth. I don’t understand what could have happened.”
“Ahem, that would be my fault,” I say, “I wished the earth away.”
“Right. And I’m Frankenstein’s mother,” Jimmy mused.
I could see he really looked down on me, even though I was at least half a foot taller than him. Now I can’t complain, because this super brain was my only ticket out of my former home. I told him my story. Though he thought I was an escaped lunatic or something, I convinced him to find a way to get us out.

So we walked a bit and reached at the base of a hyper-galacto-whatsitsname-thingamajig (I think.... I’m just going to call it ‘the rocket’ for now.). Jimmy Neutron (Boy Genius) and I (totally brain-dead compared to him) blasted off on our search for new earths. It was a good thing I had taken time to read up on my National Geographic or I would have lost it in there with Smart-Ass-Neutron.
Anyway, there we were, traveling at twice the speed of light and after about an hour, we located a planet, with the perfect conditions for habitation, according to one of Jimmy’s gadgets. I secretly name our new discovery ‘planet Krypton’ after the place from which Superman hails.
Yes! Finally I can get away from this big-head hogging all the space! I thought as we broke into the atmosphere. (OK maybe I should have been thankful, but this guy was driving me nuts) In two minutes, we were there; thanks to Jimmy’s twice-the-speed-of-light-rocket.

Somehow today seems to be a day of surprises; first with the earth disappearing, then Jimmy Neutron and his rocket and now this. Jimmy is not helping at all. He’s too obsessed with rock samples.

Before me I see exactly what I wanted to get away from: Earth, with all its chaos.
Hold on, let’s rewind back. Earth? This isn’t earth! This is supposed to be Planet Krypton!
“Jimmy what did you do?”
“Nothing,” he replies and off he goes with his rock examiner.
Where’s the big-head when I need him?
After a few minutes, I realize that Jimmy has landed us a few streets away from our neighborhood. I was analyzing my chances of finding Jimmy again and getting some sense out of the situation when he rapped on my shoulder.
“Hey”
Speak of the devil…
“Yeah? What is it?” I ask
“Well, after a bit of research, I’ve found that every 7 blue moons (I later learnt that one blue moon is 96 years) someone’s wish to make the world disappear comes true. And unimaginable force beyond comprehension transports all the things on Earth and its near vicinity to another planet with equal resources for life. Only the ‘wisher’ remains on earth.”
OK, that was a little bit too much for me to understand
“Run that by me again?”
With enthusiasm, Jimmy continues, “you see, when there are two planets to use, although no one realizes it, the depletion of resources is reduced by 50%. That’s why the Earth; or technically earths aren’t destroyed by now.”
“So basically, there are two earths and once in a while, we switch between them?” I give him my simplified version.
“If you put it that way, yes,” says Jimmy, not at all impressed with my analysis, “well, see you around!”
“Um… you too.” I reply though not really meaning it.

Well, I got my life of yelling parents, annoying brother and alarming alarm clock back.

So much for Krypton.