Fallible Innocence

The statue suddenly appeared overnight, like a Banksy. Nobody seen, nothing heard, no evidence caught on camera either, despite the very prominent position in the centre of the main square. No notice, no reason; and no artist.

No one wanted to claim ownership of the locket. The style was unlike anything ever seen before, making it impossible to compare it to other sculptors works. Intricate and alluring, people flocked to see it in droves. Absurd amounts of money were offered by private clients and collectors to purchase it, to remove it. Despite no artist coming forward to claim the work, the city refused the money, it had never seen so much tourism.

Others tried to make replicas of the heart shaped locket, to capitalise on its popularity. Some got close, near perfectly mimicking the shapes and lines. 3D scans and prints were even made, but they all lacked the raw enchantment that the original possessed.

Astoundingly, no one ever touched it. They’d get right in close, taking their selfies, their noses almost pressed to the bronze surface in awe trying to follow the swirling designs. Everyone knew; this one was simply special. No birds would ever land on it. Something that should have been a sign of things to come.

As per usual though, things like that never last. A little boy, probably no older than the age of 6, was not enraptured by the locket, and quite simply, opened the latch. The crowd froze immediately into a stunned silence, for who would ever have thought that the locket could open?

Everyone gathered right in close, stumbling into each other to see what was inside. Craning to get the first peak, cameras and phones at the ready. A thick, almost gelatinous, purple fog started slowly oozing out of the opening, pushing the locket open wider. The first unfortunate person to come in contact with the Fog quickly became one with it, instantly absorbed.

That's when the screaming started, the mass confusion. The raw allure of the Fog amplified with the locket open, drawing those closest into it's tendrils. Those further away tried to escape, trampling each other in their fear. With each person absorbed, the Fog expanded exponentially, until it covered the whole square. It didn't take much longer for it to take over the whole continent, no life was spared, not even the animals. Consumed to join the whole.

Eventually it settled, The Fog generally staying 50m deep, making us glad for the city growing up instead of sprawling out. On the hottest days however, it would turn into a writhing fire, reaching out towards the sky, as if angry at our defiance.

We're still unsure why those of us that remain are immune to its pull. We've managed to live in the upper levels of skyscrapers. It's taken us a couple of years, but we've been able to construct a small network of bridges, a couple of gardens too. Put together by the meagre pickings of apartment terraces.

Occasionally, when the nights are bitter cold, we're able to go lower. The Fog almost dormant, like it was asleep, laying lower to the ground in an effort to retain heat. We're able to go to the lower levels in an attempt to try to find more supplies, but we're quickly running out of buildings left to search. The delicate balance of scavenging luck and fuel for light is a debate often had. Those days are also getting fewer and further in between every year it seems. Despite the sudden population decrease, the world is still getting hotter. We don't know how much longer we have before it gets hot enough for the Fog to reach us.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see what wins first. The starvation, or the Fog, but all we know is, we're going to keep fighting until the bitter end.