OUR LAST DAY ON EARTH

‎ ‎*Episode 1* ‎ ‎The alarm screamed at 6:30 AM. ‎ ‎Lumi Okoye groaned and smacked it with the precision of someone who’d been doing it for 10 years. The sound died. Silence rushed back in. ‎ ‎“One more minute,” she mumbled to the ceiling. “Just sixty seconds. That’s a full business deal.” ‎ ‎Her phone buzzed on the nightstand anyway. A notification: _“Rise and shine, future Pulitzer winner!”_ — her own reminder. She was nothing if not aggressively optimistic before coffee. ‎ ‎She rolled out of bed and immediately stepped on something soft and judgmental. ‎ ‎“Rico!” ‎ ‎Her cat, Rico, a fat orange menace with zero respect for personal space, stared up at her from the floor. He blinked slowly, like, _you did this to yourself_. ‎ ‎“Good morning to you too, your majesty,” Lumi said, scooping him up. Rico purred like a broken engine and tried to bite her elbow. Affection. ‎ ‎The bathroom light flickered on. Lumi squinted at herself in the mirror. Hair in 12 directions. One sock on. Dark circles that could qualify as luggage. ‎ ‎“Today we look like a professional,” she told her reflection. “Today we pretend.” ‎ ‎She brushed her teeth with dramatic opera noises because Rico liked it. She took a shower that was 90% singing off-key and 10% actual washing. By the time she got out, the mirror was fogged and she’d written “SEND HELP” in the steam. Just for vibes. ‎ ‎Kitchen time. ‎ ‎She made toast. Burned it. Scraped the black off and called it “charcoal artisan.” Poured cereal. Realized she was out of milk. Poured orange juice on it instead. ‎ ‎“Protein,” she said firmly, crunching. “And vitamin C. I’m basically a nutritionist.” ‎ ‎She fed Rico next. He turned his nose up at the expensive cat food, walked to her plate, and stole a piece of her “artisan” toast. ‎ ‎“Traitor,” Lumi accused, pointing a spoon at him. “I pay your rent.” ‎ ‎Rico responded by sitting directly on her camera bag. ‎ ‎Her camera. Her lifeline. A beat-up Canon with duct tape on the side and a lens that had seen more sunrises than most people. She was a photographer for the city paper. “Lumi Okoye: Capturing Joy in a Tired World.” That was the bio she wrote and immediately regretted. ‎ ‎She slung the camera over her shoulder, grabbed her keys, and was halfway out the door when her phone rang. ‎ ‎*MOM* ‎ ‎Lumi grinned and answered on speaker so she could put her shoes on. ‎ ‎“Lumi, baby!” Her mom’s voice burst through like sunshine and too much energy. “Are you awake? Are you eating? Did you remember your jacket? It’s supposed to rain.” ‎ ‎“Good morning to you too, Chief,” Lumi laughed. “Yes, I’m awake. No, I’m not eating. Yes, I’m wearing a jacket. Also I had cereal with orange juice. Don’t judge me.” ‎ ‎There was a horrified pause. “Orange... juice? On cereal?” ‎“It’s fusion cuisine, Ma. Very expensive. You wouldn’t understand.” ‎“I understand that you’re going to give yourself a stomachache. Eat a real breakfast.” ‎“I did. Rico and I split a piece of toast. He got the better half.” ‎ ‎Her mom laughed, that warm, loud laugh Lumi had grown up with. It made the small apartment feel less quiet. ‎ ‎“How’s work?” her mom asked. “Any good pictures today?” ‎“Just the usual. City council meeting, a dog adoption event, and some guy trying to sell ‘miracle’ energy drinks outside the hotel.” Lumi paused. “I might take a picture of the sunrise from the roof after. It’s been pretty lately.” ‎“You and your sunrises,” her mom said fondly. “Always looking for light.” ‎“Someone has to,” Lumi joked. “The world’s a mess. Might as well get a good photo of it.” ‎ ‎Another pause. Softer this time. ‎ ‎“You’re doing good, baby. I’m proud of you. Working hard, chasing that dream.” ‎Lumi stopped tying her shoe. Something in her chest got tight in a good way. ‎ ‎“Thanks, Ma.” ‎“And don’t work too late, okay? Come home. I made jollof. Your favorite.” ‎Lumi smiled so wide it hurt. “Bribery. I see you.” ‎“It’s not bribery if it’s love and rice.” ‎“Fair point. I’ll try to make it.” ‎ ‎They talked for five more minutes. About Rico’s attitude. About the neighbor’s new baby. About nothing and everything. When Lumi hung up, the apartment felt warmer. ‎ ‎She looked at Rico. He was asleep on her camera bag again. ‎ ‎“Alright, team,” she said, grabbing her keys and her camera. “Let’s go capture some light.” ‎ ‎--- ‎ ‎Lumi stepped out into the city and immediately regretted everything. ‎ ‎The train station was already packed. ‎People pressed shoulder to shoulder, coffee in one hand, phones in the other, all of them moving like they were late to save the world. ‎ ‎“Excuse me, sorry, pardon me,” Lumi muttered, wedging herself into a train that was definitely not built for this many humans. The doors dinged shut right on the edge of her jacket. ‎ ‎“Filled up,” she sighed to no one. “As usual.” ‎ ‎The ride was 20 minutes of elbows, announcements, and someone’s podcast playing too loud. Lumi just held her camera bag close and people-watched. That was her job, after all. ‎ ‎When she got off, the street was alive. ‎ ‎Outside the station, a line of beggars sat along the wall. Old men, young mothers, a guy with a dog. Lumi slowed. She didn’t have much, but she had a few coins from yesterday’s tips. ‎ ‎She crouched down and dropped some into a chipped cup. “For coffee,” she said to the old woman with tired eyes. ‎The woman smiled and touched Lumi’s hand. “God bless you, dear.” ‎ ‎Lumi smiled back and stood up. “You too.” ‎ ‎Two blocks later, she passed a big electronics store. The wall of TVs was on, all of them playing the same news channel. ‎ ‎A reporter in a suit was talking fast, with a ticker scrolling underneath: *BREAKING: SCIENTISTS ANNOUNCE MAJOR ENERGY PROJECT* ‎ ‎Lumi stopped. ‎ ‎“...in a press conference this morning, lead scientists revealed plans to begin testing a new energy resource next month,” the anchor said. “The project, called _Helios_, is designed to provide unlimited clean energy to cities worldwide. Officials say it could end blackouts, lower costs, and change the way we live. Testing will begin in a secure facility outside the city. No risks to the public have been reported.” ‎ ‎A scientist appeared on screen, smiling. “This is the future,” he said. “Safe, clean, and limitless.” ‎ ‎Lumi tilted her head. “Limitless energy, huh?” she said to Rico, even though Rico was at home. “Sounds expensive.” ‎ ‎She kept walking. ‎ ‎Her stomach growled. She ducked into a corner fruit stand and bought a banana. Two dollars. She peeled it as she walked, eating in quick bites because she was already late for the city council meeting. ‎ ‎She passed one of the famous hotels downtown. Glass doors, gold trim, valet guys in red jackets. It was the kind of place people took engagement photos in. ‎ ‎Lumi stopped. Pulled out her camera. ‎ ‎The morning light hit the building just right. The sky was still gray, but there was a break in the clouds over the rooftop. The fountain out front was throwing up water that caught the light. ‎ ‎“Okay, okay, I see you,” Lumi whispered, already framing shots. “Elegant. Timeless. Very rich-people-energy.” ‎ ‎Click. Click. Click. ‎ ‎She got a shot of the doors. A shot of the flowers. A shot of a businessman tripping over his own briefcase and pretending he meant to do that. ‎ ‎She was laughing to herself when the banana slipped from her hand. ‎ ‎It hit the pavement with a sad little splat. ‎ ‎Lumi stared at it. “No. Not like this.” She looked around. No trash can close. The meeting started in 10. ‎ ‎“RIP, banana,” she said solemnly, and left it there for the pigeons. ‎ ‎She tucked her camera away and passed through the hotel gates, already thinking about captions. ‎ ‎