Zahid and Ahmed were walking home from school, and Zahid had thrown the wrapper of his Snickers bar on the side of the road.

"Oh please, it’s just a little wrapper."

"It’s a little wrapper today, but you need to think about the future. One little wrapper here and there becomes a lot during your lifetime."

"You’re going overboard man. One person doesn’t make that much of a difference," said Zahid, rolling his eyes.

"That’s what everyone thinks! If we don’t stop doing this, it’ll all pile up. We’re gonna end up in a world full of trash!"

"Whatever dude. You’re totally overreacting," said Zahid, unaffected by his friend’s words. "I’ll see you tomorrow." Zahid had reached his street. He walked down the clean wide sidewalk that led to his house. What is Ahmed talking about? He thought. Everything’s so clean here.

Once home, Zahid went upstairs to his room and yawned as he dropped his backpack in the corner. He flopped down on his soft, clean-smelling bed. Cozy and comfortable in the dimly lit room, he smiled as he drifted into a deep sleep.

When Zahid awoke, he immediately smelt an unbearable stench in the air. "Is it garbage day?" he thought as his nose crinkled in disgust. Throwing his legs over the side of the bed he stood up. He could smell something rotting. He walked to the window and pulled the blinds open.

What he saw made his jaw drop. The streets were covered in piles and piles of trash. Crumbled bags of chips, candy bars, and cookies were spread out on the street, as well as all sorts of old food and brown stuff which he dared not think what it could be. Above all the mess was a dark humming cloud.

Zahid couldn’t believe it! He raced downstairs. As he flung open the front door, the smell of garbage almost made him throw up. It was a mixture of rotting food, used diapers, and odors he couldn’t recognize. The piles of trash were so high they reached the roofs of people’s houses. He realized that the cloud he had seen from his bedroom window was actually a thick layer of flies that were feasting on the trash.

Just then Zahid spotted his friend Ahmed standing on piles of old junk on the street corner. "What’s going on, man?" Ahmed cried out. "How did everything get so dirty and smelly?"

"Like I said, no one bothered to throw trash away. Everyone seems to think one little wrapper or one little bag doesn’t make a difference, but every bit counts, and every person counts. This is what happens when we’re not responsible," Ahmed said.

Ahmed’s word hit Zahid like a punch in the stomach. A slight breeze blew something in his face and, disgusted, he immediately put his hand up to remove it. He looked at it what it was and realized it was a Snickers bar wrapper, covered with some other rotting food. His guilt deepened. He immediately threw it on the floor and wanted to run away.

Just then a much larger wind came and swirled the piles of trash in the street into a snarling mini-cyclone. As it picked up speed, it seemed to be heading straight for Zahid.

"Nooooooooooooooo," he screamed in terror and ran up the stairs without bothering to close the door. He could sense the stench of the mini-storm right behind him and he knew it would get him. "Stopppppp itttttttttttttt!" he yelled, hoping that someone would hear him.

"Honey, wake up, wake up."

Zahid blinked and rubbed his eyes. He was covered in sweat, but the house no longer smelled like garbage. It smelled like clean laundry. He was back in his warm, comfortable bed.

"Wake up," his mom was saying as she sat on the side of his bed, stroking his hair.

"Mom? What happened to the trash?" Zahid asked, confused.

"What trash, sweetie? It’s not garbage day."

Zahid rushed to the window. He braced himself as he opened the blinds. He saw his clean green neighborhood with kids bicycling on the road and playing in their front yards. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Zahid turned around and looked at his mother. "Mom, I just had the craziest dream." He described to his mom the dream that was more like a nightmare. "You know what?" he said. "Maybe it’s not that crazy after all. I’m thinking, just in case it could happen, I’m gonna start throwing trash away in the trash can, and not on the streets."

From then on, Zahid not only stopped littering, but he also encouraged his friends and family to do the same.