Don’t Feed the Humans

By Julie Wornan

Characters : Martha, a mother.

Jess, Martha’s child (boy or girl). Note, Jess can be visible if this is possible, otherwise just a voice off, presumably coming from the house.

Angela and Angelo, angels.

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Scene 1: Martha’s back yard. Drought conditions — a few shrivelled shrubs in dried bare earth.

Martha, carrying a large flat basket, runs this way and that, waving the basket as though trying to catch something falling from the sky. Now and then some bits of something fall and she catches them.

Martha: Bread. Good! Oh oh, cake, chocolate cake! Jess will love that.

(Continues running and catching).

Oh but if only we could get something… more nourishing. Like, potatoes.

Oh, are those potatoes? (Runs and catches them).

Oh, eggs! Will they break? No, they’re boiled! Oh, this is a lucky day. We can almost have a meal.

Jess: Hey Mom, they’re really sending today! What did  you catch?

Martha: Jess, you won’t believe this, we can have a real meal today. Bread, potatoes, eggs… and a special surprise.

Jess: Oh wow! Can’t wait!

(Calling skyward): Thank you, Senders!

(Nothing more is falling. Martha carries the basket toward the house).

 Jess: Why can’t we grow stuff any more? We used to grow strawberries, tomatoes…

Martha: You know, darling. The world has changed. There’s no rain here any more. Plants need rain.

Jess: But can’t we go somewhere else?

Martha: The places where food can still grow are far away, and anyway the people who live there won’t let any more people come.

Jess: But who is sending us this food from the sky?

Martha: It’s called Manna, I think. 

Jess: Will it always come?

Martha: Maybe. If we say our prayers every day. Maybe.

Jess: And if it stops…?

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Scene 2: Heaven.

Angela is peering down between some clouds. She holds a basket from which she extracts things which she tosses down bit by bit.

Angela: They always like bread. But I think they need something more. I saw in some old videos, they eat things like boiled fat roots and the reproductive outputtings of some birds. Let’s try that. 

Oh, there’s my sweet mother, she’s catching the food. She’s going to bring it to her child in the house. 

Angelo (coming up behind her): Angela, what are you doing?

Angela (surprised) What? Oh, hello Angelo.

I’m feeding my humans. So many are dying, isn’t it terrible?

Do you see that young mother and her darling child?

I call them “mine” and I won’t let them die. I want them to live.

Angelo: What are you feeding them?

Angela: You won’t believe this, but I found a way to produce their food! Not much, but some. I’ve got an algorithm that makes copies of anything. I got hold of some different types of their food and I copy it. Clever, no?

Angel: But you’ve got to stop. Look. Read that.

(He turns her around and together they read a sign in cloud-writing.)

Angela and Angelo: If you love the humans, do not feed them.

Angela: Feeding makes them dependent.

Angelo: Feeding encourages unsustainable over-population.

Angela: Feeding unhealthy food can undermine their health.

Angelo: Feeding pollutes the environment.

Angela & Angelo: Feeding humans is forbidden.

Offenders will be severely reprimanded.

Signed, The Boss.

Angela: The Boss! Forgive me please, but who does He think He’s bossing around?

Angelo: Angela!

Angela: Okay, okay. But don’t you think that sign’s a bit dated? For example, “Feeding makes them dependent”. Don’t you think they are, already?

And, “Feeding encourages unsustainable over-population.” 

Did you see how few humans are left?

Angelo: I know, Angela. The humans have really made a mess of things. There’s not anything we can do. You can make one or two of your pets live a little longer, but what difference will that make, in the scale of things?

Angela: Oh it’s so sad…

Angelo: Leave off the feeding now, and come with me. I saw a beautiful planet with elephants, cats, squirrels, big and small birds … and no humans! Come, let’s look in on it, shall we? I think you’ll love it.

Angela: Okay, Angelo, lead me!  (They fly away).

Scene 3. Same as Scene 1.

Martha: Nothing. That’s the third day with no more food. Oh, how will we live?

Jess: As birds do, Mother. They live on what they find, and so will we.

MOTHER: Darling, where have you ever seen birds?

Jess: In my old picture book. They fly about and sing and they find food everywhere.

MOTHER: It’s been years since anyone has seen a bird.

But come, Jess, let’s walk down to the river. We’ll see what we can find.

About the Author

I'm a native New Yorker but my home is in France. After I retired as a computer programmer, I discovered the delight of writing for those irrational beings called People. I think of fantasy as a window into another reality. And, I like to write very short stories because Small is Beautiful. Some of my work has appeared on Bewildering Stories <http://www.bewilderingstories.com/> and AntipodeanSF <http://www.antisf.com/>.

If you like my stories, you can download my e-book titled "The Mutual Reverse See," from www.amazon.fr/The-Mutual-Reverse-See-ebook/dp/B007VDEHHQ

Photography is another hobby of mine. You can see some of my photo compositions on http://www.flickr.com/photos/julieeiluj/ .

I feel deep concern about the future of our one and only planet. (You do too, right?). So I wrote a graphic novel, "Saving Our Planet," to explain climate change to young people. It's available on amazon in 4 languages. And a song, "The Change of Climate", to the tune of "The Sound of Silence"; you can listen to it here: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY5MKPGr8RA>.