Nana's Locket

I watched my mother walk with tears streaming down her face to my brother, she whispered in his ear and gave him a deep hug. He melted into her. I watched this moment not understanding what was happening. Why is she crying? What is going on? Why is Matt crying, he never cries, he’s the strong one of our bunch? She stood up, looked him in the eyes, and she put something into his hands.

I didn’t understand, my eyes filled with tears and my breath got heavy. Our mother repeated this with all of us. From oldest to youngest until finally she reached me.

“I love you my sweet pea. Listen to your heart, it will tell you what to do. Mommy will see you soon I promise.” She put something smooth in my hand and hugged me. I didn’t want to let go, I knew something was wrong, and I just didn’t want to let go. She hesitated for a moment longer, giving me one last squeeze. It was then, with a deep breath, my mother stood up and turned around looking out the door at the man riding a black horse towards our home.

This is all wrong, confused I looked into my hand at the heart-shaped locket. She gave me Nana’s locket? Before I could ask her any questions, my mother had already stepped through the door, closing it behind her. The man on the black horse reached the gate at the same time my mother did. The black horse towered over my mother, who stood her ground as the black horse pounded its hooves into the musty dirt. The rider pulled out a set of scales, and with a flash, they were both gone.

That was the day the world disappeared.

“I love you my sweet pea. Listen to your heart, it will tell you what to do. Mommy will see you soon I promise.”

“Matt! Esther! David!” I shouted out into the darkness as I bolted up.

“It’s ok Baby Ruth, we are all here.”

“I’m not a baby, David.”

“No, you’re a candy bar,” laughed Matt.

“You keep saying that, but I don’t know what that is,” I snapped back at Matt as Esther came over and sat down next to me on the floor of our tiny cave. “It was something sweet just like you, my sweet pea,” asserted Esther as she hugged me. I grab my locket and put it to my ear. “That’s not a seashell, Baby Ruth.” “That’s enough David. Come my sweet pea, let’s go see if we can find some more raspberries by the stream down the way.” Esther stood up just like mom. My eyes teared up as I rubbed my thumb across the smooth locket. A perfect smooth round silver heart, my connection to mom, to Nana, and when I put it to my ear...

“Come my sweet pea, let’s get out of this stuffy cave. You need some fresh air.” Esther reached out her hand and took mine. The tears fell down my cheeks as I looked at my sister, who wiped them off my face. “You love getting out of the cave and you love raspberries, all I want to see is your little heart be delighted.” Esther is always right. I do love raspberries, and I smiled, “I love you, Esther.” “I love you too, my sweet pea.” “I love you three, Baby Ruth,” David said, laughing as I stuck my tongue out at him.

Matt was crouching at the opening of the cave by our fire pit staring off beyond the treetops at the desert below the mountain. I wonder what he is staring at, maybe he’s looking for mom or some sign of life. The basin looks barren, just bright white sand dunes stretching to the next mountain range. I was only three the year the world disappeared, so I don’t remember much. I know there were homes down there, where the white sands sparkle in the sunlight. When the world ended, we all followed Matt up the mountain and into the cave. It was peaceful in our tiny cave, and we lost track of the days as the sands covered up what was left of our old life. A life when mom was…

“Tag your it,” said Esther as she grabbed mom’s basket and ran out of our cave. “Esther, wait up,” I yelled back as she had already disappeared around the corner into the trees. Mom’s woven basket looks just like it did the day mom gave it to...

“Boo!” shouted Esther in my face.

“Aah, Esther don’t jump out at me,” and before I could finish she kissed me on my cheek. “First one down to the stream gets to eat the first raspberry,” and off Esther was disappearing beyond the bushes and the trees.

I love our tiny cave. It’s perfect in every way, I love being by the stream and eating the raspberries. I love the trees and the forest, and most of all I love...

“Shush,” whispered Esther as her arm stopped me out of nowhere. Then I see it. “Is that a,” I began saying? “Shush,” whispered Esther. “Yes, it's a deer.” “That’s what it looks like?” “Shush,” whispered Esther. “Yes, that’s what it looks like.” I’ve never seen a deer, I’ve only seen a part of its antler from the fire starter mom gave Matt.” “Shush,” whispered Esther. As we looked at this huge deer with huge antlers. I would have never guessed that was what a deer looked like. “I have to get Matt, he has to see this,” and I ran off back to our tiny cave. “Wait,” whispered Esther, but I was on a mission to get Matt and David.

“Matt!” I was shouting and running, and so excited. “Matt!” and I heard him rustling through the forest towards me with David following behind him. “Are you ok? Where’s Esther? Is she ok?” Matt was jumping down the hill and practically slid into me. “Matt, it's a deer! A REAL DEER! It’s HUGE, and IT’S ANTLERS!!!” Matt looked at me and stopped in his tracks. He pulled out the fire starter mom gave him that day. It was made out of a deer antler. I never saw a deer before the world disappeared, a real live deer.

“A real deer!” exclaimed David. “Follow me,” and I turned around running right into Esther.

“You guys, be quiet, it's still there, but be slow and quiet,” said Esther, putting one finger to her lips as her other hand was holding mom’s basket. We walked slowly down to the creek, and there was this giant deer with giant antlers. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen! It was so peaceful, eating the raspberries along the side of the stream just a little further down the stream than I’ve ever been. “I’m going to get closer,” I whispered to Esther. “No!” But it was too late, I took big giant steps towards him, and was already close enough to touch his...

Beep!

We all froze, the deer looked up at me and took off.

Beep! Beep!

“Where is that coming from?” asked David.

And I looked down at my left pocket.

Beep! Beep!

“Don’t move!” Shouted Matt.

Beep! Beep! Came this sound from my pocket that has Nana’s heart-shaped locket! I gasped and held the locket in my hand. Beep! Beep!

“Let me see it,” barked David as he snatched it out of my hand and ran up the hill. “HEY! GIVE ME NANA’S LOCKET BACK!” But the locket stopped beeping. “This thing isn’t beeping, it’s something else.” “GIVE ME MY LOCKET RIGHT NOW DAVID!” Matt walked over to David, who already had it ready to put in Matt’s hand, as David knew he went just a little too far. As Matt was walking back to me the locket beeped again, and we all froze.

Beep!

Everyone looked at the locket, stunned. I’ve never been able to get it opened, I just knew it was Nana’s locket. She gave it to mom, who gave it to me, and now it’s beeping in Matt’s hand.

Beep!

“I want my locket, please” almost in tears I ran up to Matt and clutched it out of his hands, and turned back down the stream in the direction of the deer.

Beep! Beep!

Beep! Beep!

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Beep! Beep! Beep!

It was the locket. It was making a sound!

“Listen to your heart, it will tell you what to do.”

“MOM! Matt, Esther, David, IT’S MOM!!! The locket, mom told me to listen to it!” I ran towards the beeps that were getting faster and louder and then I saw it and stopped.

“Matt, what is that?” I asked, puzzled at this weird shiny pattern in our forest.

“It’s a fence,” said Esther, hunching over catching her breath.

“What’s a fence,” as I turned towards her.

“It’s something created by people,” said Matt as he joined us on the edge of the mountainside.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

“IT’S MOM! I KNOW IT’S HER!!!” I yelled as I took off towards the fence.

“WAIT,” shouted Esther as she ran behind me with Matt and David.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

“What do we do next? Matt? Esther? David, what's wrong?” as I looked over and saw David gasp. “My key,” he said so quietly I could barely hear him. “What is he talking about?” I looked at Esther grabbing her hand.

“The gate has a keyhole, and mom gave David a key, my sweet pea.” We all stood there frozen. The tears, the heavy breath, the deer, this fence, and now David’s key. “It is a key to NOTHING! BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS GONE!!!” David yelled at us as tears of frustration poured down his face one afternoon as he pointed to the sparkling white sands down at the base of the...

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

“David, try your key,” stated Matt as he led David over to the fence.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

David put his key into the keyhole and turned it to the right, and Nana’s locket went silent. I gasped and the locket fell out of my hand onto the grass.

Brrrrrring…

Brrrrrring…

I jumped, “Matt, what is that?!”

“It’s coming from that box,” exclaimed Esther.

“It sounds like a phone, but how?” Matt said as he looked puzzled at Esther.

Brrrrrring…

Brrrrrring…

“IT’S MOM! MATT, IT’S MOM!!!” I tugged and tugged and tugged on his hand.

Matt walked over to the box and opened it. He put something to his ear and said hello, and he fell to the ground. I ran over to Matt and grabbed this weird thing and put it to my ear.

“MOM! MOM, IS IT YOU?” I shouted.

“I love you my sweet pea. Listen to your heart, it will tell you what to do. Mommy will see you soon I promise.”