Follow Where The Heart Tells You

Year 2088

Dong. Dong. Dong. 9AM as the bell from The Big Ben echoes through the city of London as the thick, murky brown fog covers the whole city. However, the chimes wasn’t enough to cover the car horns from the traffic on the street while lots of people in suits and gas masks are walking in unison, looking like they are marching. Within a dark alley, watching people walking by him is a little boy in a grey hoodie with his hood up, baggy jeans, similar gas mask and a heart shape necklace around his neck. With people marching in front of him he feels a little intimidated by the scene but he slowly steps out of the alley and stays on the edge of the street. He looks around and can’t help but be saddened by the sight. Buildings look abandoned, people marching like they don’t have a mind of their own and an unnatural fog surrounding the city, caused by pollution. The world never used to look like this, he remembered it being colourful, the streets were full of life with people in different styles of clothing and smiling, shops and market stores everywhere selling different things and the sun always shining in a clear blue sky. Then, ever since the new Prime Minister won the election, the prices rise, the rent rise, shops are going out of business, people going homeless, people constantly overworked and any parks or places to hang out has either been turned into building offices or factories.

“My dear citizens,” the boy look up to see a giant screen above the Big Ben to see the Prime Minister himself. He has a greasy, black comb over with a podgy red face and an outfit that makes him look like it is from Georgian times, but what makes his appearance even worst is the smug look on his face.

“Me and my entire party has heard your complaints about the fog that has befallen on our great country, believing it to be caused by the pollution. However, that is completely not true. We talked to our experts about this predicament and they said it is just a natural fog that will be gone in a few days, so just keep your gas masks on until then. On another note…”

The boy just turns away, trying to block out his voice when he heard a violent cough next to him. He sees an old man in layers of rags and a long dirty beard, still coughing violently into an old piece of cloth. The boy notices a sign in front of him saying ‘Money For Gas Mask’. The boy kneels down next to him,

“Are you alright, sir?” the old man looks up at him with red, sunken eyes.

“Of course not! Do I look alright!?” he shouts while continuing to cough on to the cloth.

“Damn fog. You don’t believe the rubbish that twat said, do you? When I was a young boy the fog was fecking grey! Not brown! I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t know the colour of the fecking weather!” he shouts more while coughing becomes more violent than before.

“I don’t have money sir but would you like my gas mask, sir?”

“No!” the man immediately shouted making the boy to stand back from the outburst.

“Do not waste your pity on me! I either get the gas mask myself or die trying! But thank you dear boy,” he said softly at the end.

“It’s rare to find kindness nowadays.” The boy sits down next to him, thinking he might want some company.

“Bah. What they call you boy?”

“Kurt, sir.”

“Arthur.” they sat in silent, watching people walk by.

“So what’s your story kid? Family? A life changing journey?”

“No family sir. Just surviving.” Kurt said softly.

“Hmph. Aren’t we all? What happened kid?” Kurt fidgets with something around his neck, not sure whether to answer the question.

“I had a mother who was sick. Starting with a cough like you, except she was coughing blood thanks to the pollution. It look like life was draining from her. She died a month ago, sir.” Arthur nodded.

“I am sorry to hear that boy. It’s not easy losing a parent, no matter what age you are, but your memory of her still lives on.”

Kurt nods his head with a small smile, “Thank you sir. I got this to keep her memory sir.” he holds up a golden heart shaped necklace with a grey jewel in the middle to Arthur.

“She had given this to me in her deathbed. The strange thing is when mum had it, the jewel was shining green but the minute I touched it, it turned grey. It looks so dull.” he looks sadly at the necklace as he reflects back to his last memory of his mum,

“It’s a magical necklace my dear Kurt. The jewel is grey because it sensed you don’t believe in yourself. Believe in yourself my dear and this necklace will take you somewhere where your wish will come true and find true happiness.” Kurt starts to become tearful,

“I fear I may have disappointed my mother. How can I believe in myself in a world like this?” Arthur gives him an unreadable expression and looks down at the necklace. Looking closely he notices something about it.

“That’s a locket.” Kurt looks up,

“Huh?”

Arthur answered, “That’s a locket. There is a latch at the back on the left side.” This gave Kurt some hope. He looks back down at the locket and sees a small latch on the left. He pushed it down but nothing happened. He tried it again and again and still the locket won’t open, causing Kurt to groan in frustration.

“Listen, I don’t believe in this mushy bullcrap but, I have faith in you kid.” Kurt looks up in confusion.

“You are the first person to ask me how I am sat with me and even offered me your gas mask. That probably means nothing to you but to a man like me, that means everything. That gives me faith in humanity and plus, you don’t seem the kind of person who wants to disappoint their mother.”

Kurt shakes his head,

“No, sir.”

The Big Ben chimes causing both of them to look up and see it’s 10AM. They look up and down the street and see it is deserted. No person or car in sight.

“Well, time for me to find another crowded street and see if I can get some money. Good luck kid.” He reaches his hand out to Kurt who gratefully accepts. Arthur pulls him up and shakes his hand,

“Just keep surviving and I hope you find what you are looking for.” Arthur picked up his sign and mug and walks off with a limp. Kurt watches him walk away then he turns around and slowly walk in an opposite direction. As he walks blindly down the street, he recalls what Arthur said. About how he has faith in him because he was just being kind to him. Kurt can’t help but be touched by his words when suddenly, he sees a blue light flashing through his shirt. He pulls out a locket to see that it is the jewel flashing in a blue colour this time. He doesn’t know but he feels like he might be able to open the locket. He tried the latch again and he heard the click where it pop open. His eyes sparkle and slowly open it. He had never seen anything so beautiful. Inside it is a compass with N, E, S and W in silver with a beautiful cursive font along with a needle that constantly moving in clockwise. The background looks like the night sky with stars twinkling him. Then he noticed the needle stopped at N. He can’t help but be drawn to it and slowly begins to walk where the compass tells, hopefully it will take him that will make his wish come true. To make this world a better place.