Story of an Oxygen Atom

Light fell on me and it encouraged me to break free of my bonds pushing past the hydrogen and oxygen, I was finally free and no longer a part of Hydrogen Peroxide. Now, I am oxygen atom, alone to enjoy the adventures of life.

There is a tube fixed to the flask, but I am tired of staying in this room. It’s time to go out. I crept out through the tiny space. Solitude at last.

“Where are you going?” chirped a voice behind me.

Oh no! another Oxygen atom was coming towards me. Got to run away fast. But then I notice that I am not the only one seeking freedom.

Many Oxygen atoms are around me. Got to stay away from them all. But destiny didn’t plan solitude for me aa I am joined by another Oxygen atom.

“I asked you where were you going? Why didn’t you reply?” whined my partner. Well, that’s the ‘fun part’ of being an oxygen atom, you can’t be alone forever.

Putting a deaf ear to my partner’s queries, I veered across the clean white room, avoiding the people wearing white lab coats and masks. Exiting through the door, I find a little space in the window I exit out. After so many attempts, I am finally free to explore the world outside those white lab walls.

“Wow! The sunlight feels awesome.”

I sigh, guess I have to talk to my Co-oxygen atom, “I am not happy to partner up with you but as I can’t exist alone so we both have to move together. But I am going to explore and you have to follow me”

My partner gleamed, “Sure I would love to explore.” “Okay, so let’s go.”, I replied.

Well, this was easy my last partner refused me and pulled me back inside the tube.

We strengthen our bond and we moved forward.

“What’s that?” asked my partner towards a red gleaming thing rolling on four balls. It uses my first time out in world I have always been in lab but as the leader of our team I had to take some initiative. So, I said, “Let’s check it out.”

We both got in front of it and were instantly sucked inside the darkness. “It is stuffy in here; I miss the light.’ Whined my partner. ‘It’s alright we will get out.’ I tried pacifying him where as I clearly had no idea where to head on to.

“Are you kids lost?” a nasty voice spoke up. It was totally black and the stuffiness was tiring me out. I shouted, “Who are you?”

The nasty voice replied, “Your helper and guide, let me take you out of here. And before I could even reply someone yanked my hands free from my partner and held me as they took us both out of hell.

Back in the sunlight I look at our saviour. It was Carbon atom. It was smiling eerily. It slurred, “It is always good to find new friends, I was tried out being alone in car for so long.”

My partner spoke meekly, “Okay, you’re out now, so you can leave.’ Carbon atom grinned- ‘No I don’t think I will leave. We bond perfectly and hence we all should stay together.

Staying with a carbon atom is not good. Oxygen atom tends to end up feeling weird in their company. I too didn’t want to spend another second with him but his hold was strong. I had no idea how to get rid of him. My partner started to weep and plead but the carbon atom just laughed.

I looked around and my eyes fell on the greenery below us and then it hit me. Once in the lab a group of children came in and one of them was holding a book, with similar looking green things. On that book Oxygen atoms can get rid of carbon atom in those things that’s where we need to go.

Would I be able to fool him? I have got to try so I spoke, “Have you ever been there?” Carbon atom replied, “Hmm, no, I like spending time in cars, I never went to the green things. but it would be worth a trip.”

I sighed in relief as he pulled us along those green things. We were pulled inside them.

It was a beautiful place there where many CO2 in there, soon the carbon atom was separated from us. He shouted, “Wait, what is happening, you can’t do this to me.”

Exhaling a sigh of relief, I held my partners hands and we both exited that place. My partner spoke up, “This was an amazing idea to take him inside a plant.”

I smiled and replied, “Well, now that we are free let’s have a look around.” My partner questioned, “Do you know what’s up there?”, he was pointing at the light source.

I was no wiser than him but I said, “Let’s go and check it.” We plunged upwards, veering past other molecules. There were N2, CO2, O2, H2O and many other compounds, I recognised a few from lab yet many were new.

We were very high up now. Less molecules were present here. The light seemed brighter, even harsher. I urged my partner and we continued forward. The higher we went weaker our bond grew.

Finally, we both separated.

“How did this happen!” exclaimed my partner.

“It happened because you entered the stratosphere. Here the UV rays cause oxygen atoms to split up.” answered another O-Atom.

“How do you know this.” I asked.

“I have stayed up out in this world for a long time.”, he replied wisely.

My partner asked, “So, now we both are independent.”

 “No, we all are going to bond together.” As soon as he said this, we all were pulled together.

I asked in awe, “What are we now?”

“We are ozone”, he replied.

“What do we do now?”, chimed in my ex-partner.

“We stop these harmful rays from coming down.” He answered. I smiled and my ex-partner voiced my thoughts, “So, that makes us a kind of hero.”

The O-atom nodded. I smiled bigger it felt good being the guardian of all the humans, their labs, cars and green plants and I decided to stay up here and fight these rays and be an important ingredient for survival.