Lived Earth

The alarm screamed, dragging him out of his deep slumber. With a groan he reached out to it, fumbling to switch it off, and knocking it to the floor in the process. It lapsed into silence. He closed his eyes.
His head was still pounding from last night's party when he opened his eyes again. The clock showed 10.30. F*ck, he cursed softly. Late again. The light from the tube-light blinded him as he sat up. Something flashed across his computer screen, off to his right. Someone had pinged him on gtalk, U der?. He ignored it, no time for that.
The tv was on in the living room. The words 'Live Earth' flashed across it. S.O.S. Answer the call of the Earth. Conserve water, switch off electrical devices when not in use. A packet of chips lay on the floor. He picked it up, dumped the remaining contents into his mouth and dropped the packet back onto the floor.
He splashed water from the tap in the bathroom onto his face. It was cold but he was used to it. The tap ran as he brushed his teeth and shaved. Pulling a bucket under it, he let it fill and went back into the living room. The Live Earth concert was still running on tv. Solemn music drifted from it, with pictures of animals being slaughtered, and forests being cut down. There was a cow locked up in a cage, and a man outside with a scalding hot brand. The animal screamed in agony at its touch. The scene moved on to show the man assaulting it from behind with large pliers. He cut at its testicles, brutally savaging it, while the animal struggled with debilitating pain inside its confines.
He pulled out a beer can from the fridge and sat down in front of the tv. A joint lay on the table, a lighter conveniently placed next to him. Drugs and beer, and live music. He sat back in peace, eyes closed, letting his head spin. Pale smoke billowed from his mouth. Tossing the beer can and stub aside, when he was done, he went back to the bathroom. Water was flowing from the bucket, large amounts running down the drain. A glance at the clock told him it was already 11. Too late for a bath. He could always come back and have one. He tossed the cold water down the drain and switched the heater on. He went back to his room, sprayed copious amounts of deo on him, pulled a shirt over him and left.
It was cloudy outside. Clouds of vapor filled the sky, and clouds of smoke filled whatever was between the sky and the roads. To his right stood a towering building, a few blocks away. Work, he sighed, damn internship. What work has a kid got in a huge building like that. It seemed a nice day to walk, no sun in the sky, a cool breeze blowing across. He looked at his watch, and then at the car parked near the gate.
Live Earth was running on the radio. He blared his horn and then sat back. A gust of smoke billowing into his car made him wind up the windows and switch on the a/c. The road outside was packed with cars. He saw a man on the side walk. Old and decayed, he lay across it. Flies covered his face and naked body, forming a moving carpet over him. The man rolled over to his side, but the flies hung on, delving into his wrinkled skin, entering his ears and nose. A sharp knock on his window caused him to start. He turned to it with an irritated expression. A woman stood outside, holding a crying child against her. One of her arms ended abruptly in a stump, and the other was held out towards him, the palm cupped, in askance for money. The child had no clothes, and was screaming, clutching its mother. Her eyes widened with expectation as his hand reached into his pocket. With a mocking grin, he pulled out a cigarette from it, lit it and drove off. His hands worked busily at the keyboard. Everytime someone important walked by, he quickly minimized the gtalk windows. He glanced impatiently at the clock every five minutes. Three minutes to one o clock. Two minutes. Aah, screw it. He walked to the office canteen, dumped a bunch of chicken pieces onto his plate and sat down at an empty table. His phone beeped. The message read - Hey man. Chung's. Comin? He replied - sure gimme 5 mins. Dumping the plate in the wastebin, he left the building.
They sat back, completely sated. Bowls of noodles and rice still remained on the table, but their bulging bellies couldn't take more. It was almost 4 by then. He looked around at his friends with an impish grin. They all knew what it meant. They grinned back.
All four windows were open, wind whipping their hair, Live Earth blaring from the stereo, as he sped down the road. An old man was walking slowly on the side, off to his right. He slowed down, just enough for someone to lob an egg from behind, out of the car and onto the man's bald head. He accelerated after that, all of them roaring with laughter.
It was 7 when they stopped by at 'stones'. The pub was playing heavy metal. Drugs filled the air, along with the smell of chicken and beer. They sat down on sofas, taking in the atmosphere and reveling in it. Rounds of drinks came and went, and their mind flew on clouds off smoke and liquor.
It was past midnight when he got back home. The tv was still alive. The light in his room was on, and gtalk messages kept coming in. Head spinning, he dropped onto his bed and drifted off into sleep, lips curled in a smile. Earth was a fun place to be in.