Follow Heart

Human silence, maybe a tiny squeak here and there, but mostly silence was all that remained of the once lively and loud world. Sun rays started to cut through the thickness of the day as the air attempted to clear and unfold what was left from the latest aftershocks or attempts to move rubble around. A few years after the destruction of a broken nation, who would have thought this would be the next test. Those that were left became pretty familiar with DIY explosives and the like.

Rocio exits the underground bunker and covers her lower face, tucks in her heart locket and cross from her mother, and starts on her journey again towards some sense of normalcy. She didn't understand why she had to stay behind. A US Navy reject, middle-class citizen, and even lesser training on the art of colonization didn't seem like the prime candidate to find other survivors and hopefully build back what they all lost. Nevertheless, here she was. She walked across roads covered in pieces of the surrounding buildings, dirt, and gravel—little critters and wild animals that freely shared the space scavenged daily for food.

How did no one see it coming? All the technology in the world and not a soul flinched. Maybe the human race was just made numb from all the movies, stories, and songs about the end of the world. And yet, some were forced to stay behind and try to make something of what was left. She frequently pondered the thought as she made her rounds looking for clues, signs, anything to help reach the next destination. The whole world couldn't be this needy, and Rocio was determined to find all that would remain.

Everything looked the same; no street signs or landmarks to use as a way of finding one's direction. Although she didn't make it in the United States Navy, the little bit that she could remember helped her understand which way was north, and that would be enough for now. Rocio stopped to wipe the sweat off her forehead and check her surroundings. The sun grazed her face and showed the silver linings in her iris. She recovered her face and continued to her search.

Finally, she reached a building very familiar to her by way of scent. She moved past the unattended cars and walked into what seemed like an old warehouse. All the tall shelving have been knocked over and formed triangular shapes going into one another. The smell of Acetophenone continued to become stronger as she made her way towards the back of the building. She spotted some herbicides and collected a few bottles into her sac. She picked up a few nail packets and rope that were also spilled on the floor and continued her search.

Suddenly she stopped and crouched down. The silence was no more as she heard whispers and crackling like a campfire. She took a small step forward and unintentionally made a crack noise. In a matter of seconds, something pinned Rocio to the ground with liquid sprayed into her eyes. She attempted to wrestle her way out of the grasp of the alleged intruder by kicking and punching to get free. Her right hook landed, and she heard a hmph and a thud to the ground. She quickly wiped her eyes to regain her sight before being grabbed from behind and tossed toward a wall. Before she could react, she had a knife to her neck and faced three mildly built males, one keeled over and the other standing scared with a stake trying to catch his breath.

"What the hell" Rocio exclaimed as her eyesight adjusted, steadying her breathing as not to have her throat punctured but the pocket knife against her throat. She slowly raises her hands as a sign of retreat.

"Shut up! Who are you? Why are you in here?" yelled the man, clearly trying not to showcase any nervousness as he asserted his authority.

"I'm nobody, just looking for food and supplies."

"Yeah, we've heard that before. Check here." The authoritarian points to one of the tired flunkies to pat Rocio down. They both look at one another, and eventually, the one with the stake retreats and begins the search. They all looked tired. Not at all malnourished but exhausted beyond reprieve. He finishes searching and grabs the sack with supplies, and notices the heart locket around her neck.

"Hey, look at this," he comments as he rips the chain from her neck. Mortified, she yells for the return of the only thing she has of her mothers. He hands it over to the guy with the knife.

"Give it back; it's not like you can pawn it."

"Oh yeah, but it might come as a pretty price for the trade."

"Good, that will do ya. You can't trade it".

"Hell, I can't!"

"You don't want to trade that. It's our ticket out of this dump."

"What do you mean?"

"Put down the knife, and I'll show you."

"Naw, you can just tell me."

She couldn't bear it, but she also didn't want to be another corpse on the ground. She sighed and told motioned to her assailant to flip it over. Suspiciously he turns the locket and crosses over, and sees a serial number engraving; One on the back of the heart and the other on the cross.

"So what is this like special edition jewelry. What are you some trust fund, baby?"

Rolling her eyes, "Seriously, put them together, brainiac." He looks back at the locket and cross and lowers his knife as he aligns the numbers, and it reads 36.4091N25.4304E.

Rocio seeing the confusion on their faces lowers her hands and side-eyes them before explaining. "It looks like coordinates. It's the last thing my mother gave me before all this chaos happened. "She starts to point towards the sky and surrounding area to express their current situation.

Man with a knife snickers. "Okay, great, where does it say to go?" Scratching her head, she whispers, "Not sure."

"Come again?" He says, slowly bringing up the knife again.

"I don't know all right! I'm trying to figure that out."

All three of them start laughing and, in some sense, let their guard down—the man with the knife motions for her to follow down a shallow aisle and over some debris. The reek scent reaches a peak, and the shorter of the three men points a water bottle in Rocio's face.

"Here, it helps with the sting."

Reluctantly, Rocio takes the bottles and skirts the liquid in her eyes, relieving her of the discomfort. "Why are you even burning that?"

"Keep out crawling critters and passersby. Hard to get to the hideout if you can't stand the stench."

They make their way past the burning fumes. Soon they are in front of an ajar garage cabinet that stood in the middle of a massive pile of product but surprisingly held its ground. The doors were almost unrecognizable among the debris and rust had it not been for the open door. The back was cut out and led to a cove-like seating area where the three men finally took their rest on throw blankets on top of old batt packets. The man with the knife twirled the locket in his hand as he spoke.

"So, what's your name, precious?"

"Not precious," Rocio asserted. "Rocio, and you are?"

"Names Erick, slowpoke there is Dan, and the one you were beating up earlier is Oliver." Rocio takes a seat on an abandoned pile across from Erik. She looks at the other two as they strain from closing their eyes due to the burning or sleep. They all have silver in their eyes as well.

"Can I have my locket back now?" Rocio knew it wouldn't be without a price but considering their tiredness, it didn't hurt to ask rather than take it.

"One condition, we go with you?" Erik says, still starring at the locket.

"Fat chance, and besides, I still don't know where I'm going."

"So, can't be any fun or safe for that matter alone. We go, or you go without the locket."

"You guys just tried to slice my throat; how can I trust you?"

"You're still alive, and besides, we were just protecting our territory. Same that you were going to attempt to do, I presume had you gotten out of here with our supplies".

Check, Rocio thought, had she made it back to base, she would have set up the liquids and nails as a booby trap for any intruders. She didn't want to admit it, but she didn't feel prepared enough to make it alone, maybe even a little scared. But taking three able bodies with her might prove to be helpful and lessen the fearful factor. Plus, she could take at least two of them, she thought. Rocio took another second before responding.

"Earth to Rox… so what do you say?" Erik finally took his eyes off the locket and was looking straight at Rocio now

"Okay, but I hold the locket, and I do the talking if we run into people. I don't need you throwing your knife left and right. And it's Rocio", She muttered as she walked over and grabbed her locket back. Surprisingly Erick let it go without hesitation.

"Sure thing, sweet cakes. Hungry? We can whip up a can of beans. After that, get some shut-eye. We leave first thing break of dawn."

Rocio ate with the three of them. They traded stories and cracked some jokes, and were sound asleep in a matter of hours. Rocio waited until she heard deep sleep noises from all three and made her escaped from the broken window on the left. She climbed down and jumped on a dirt pile. Rocio looked around at her surroundings again and pinpointed her north point. She walked across the glade-like parking lot and made it to what used to be a highway. Walking at a fast pace but staying as quietly as possible, Rocio made it down about a mile before hearing a crack. She crouched behind a Nissan bumper and grabbed a lead pipe that was under the car. She then heard steps coming towards her and jumped out the lead pipe in full swing. The swing caught in the callous hands of Erik; he smirked at her and removed the tube from her grasp.

"Going somewhere?"

"Just for a walk," Rocio said nervously.

"What happened to our deal?"

"I'm an early riser, and I don't wait for people."

"Clearly, but we said we'd do this together, plus you have no idea where you are going, princess."

"Seriously? Call me princess one more time" Rocio had enough and picked up a rock, ready to throw it directly at Erick's forehead. He put up his hands and pointed to the sign behind her.

Rocio hesitated, looked back and, saw the sign with most of the letters gone except "Cisco" point in the opposite direction.

"Look, I get it you want to be miss independent and get to the final destination. But how about you accept some help along the way? We will get you to the water, and then you can decide if you take us with you, deal?"

Rocio frustratedly responded, "Fine."

"Excellent, now unless you want to walk the long way, I suggest we take this route," Erik pointed back towards the sign. He started to walk and turned around to wait.

"Coming?"

Rocio wanted to make it to the coordinates on the locket. She knew she could do it alone but knew some help would lessen the burden. She held on to her locket and said a quick prayer before she turned and walked alongside Erick, jumping over car pile-ups as they made their way in the opposite direction towards some sense of normalcy, towards hope.