For Keepsake

“Such a nice day, isn’t it?” I opened my eyes, still blurry, trying to focus on the person in front of me.

‘What was that?” I responded. I was able to now see a short woman whose face was smudged with dirt, smiling at me. “I said it’s such a nice day today!” She says again with a now disturbed voice. “Yes. Yes, it is. Have a good day.” I said to her, to avoid further conversation. She skipped off and disappeared down the hill. I looked up into the sky and said to myself, “The day is not so nice. Not at all.” I looked around and saw the empty wine bottles I had drowned myself in last night. I felt out of place since I had fell asleep outside from the abandoned building that was now occupied with others who escaped from the dangers of our new world. I sat up and adjusted myself and looked up into the sky, where once I saw clear blue skies, but now the sky was dark and filled with smoke and smog. Almost everything around us was turned to ash. I felt the warmth of the tears as they fell from my eyes to my cheeks. “Breathe Lisa. Breathe.” I said while I felt myself hyperventilating. I then grabbed my necklace and held it tightly while I took deep breathes and calmed myself down. I took off my necklace and opened it, and saw the picture of my grandmother. I heard her words telling me “I’ll see you in a sec.” I smiled as I stood up to walk inside.

“Everyone who is going on the mission, do you have your weapons?” Warren spoke out to everyone. Warren was in the military, one of the best too. When our world crashed, he was part of a team that was here to help us get to safety, and board the only train out of Peoria, IL. When most of his team died in battle, some ran off cowardly and boarded the train, saving themselves. Warren stayed behind to help. Now, with the help of others, he guides through the city, helping a small amount each time to board the train that still comes and goes, but only once every two months. “I want everyone to stay behind me! On our way back, we will find more food to bring back here. If we do not return within 4 hours, relocated to Safe Haven 7. Under no circumstances, you stay behind!” Warren spoke with a very firm voice, giving us the next move for our safety. I started to walk towards Warren but was stopped in my tracks by Allison. “Were you going to speak to Warren about going on this mission?” She asked with concern and urgency. “I was ju-” She immediately grabbed my arm and pulled me to side, causing me not finish my sentence. “You shouldn’t go! You know those people will kill you, especially when they realize that necklace.” She said to me while grabbing my necklace. I snatched it back from her hand and tucked it in my shirt. “I am well aware of the risks, but I cannot just sit here while my people, OUR people, need help. So, excuse me, Allison.” I said to her as I walked away. She wasn’t wrong though; my necklace was made out of pure gold, passed down from generation to generation. The people who have taken over our world would be looking for gold, and feels that anyone who has gold possess some type of power, and they would kill whoever to retrieve that power.

“How long do we have before we go?” I asked Warren. He looked me up and down, and then turned his head. “I smell wine on your breath, and clothes, and you ask me to go on this mission? Come to me when you’re sober Lisa.” He said to me while loading his pockets and vest with weapons. I stood there frustrated, upset that he was turning me away. “I am more than capable of going on this mission! You will not turn me away!” I shouted. Warrant grabbed my hand and put it behind my back as a result from me grabbing him by the arm. “Get out of this! If you are ready for what's to come when going on this mission, defend yourself! "He screamed at me, yet, waiting to see if I could get myself out of his restraint. I tried with all my might, but didn’t have enough energy to keep going. He let me go. “To go on any mission, you have to not only be able to defend yourself, but also the people you are getting to safety. How can you do that when you can't protect yourself??” He says in my face before walking off. Everyone was staring at me, in shock that I brought Warren out of his calm ways. I stormed off in shame. He was right, I couldn’t help others if I couldn’t help myself.

I grabbed an apple and headed to my room. Angry at myself, I threw it against the wall, knocking off a picture of my dad I had tacked to it. I picked the picture up off the floor and began to cry. “I am such a failure dad.” I said quietly. “You are not a failure, just lost.” Warren said. He had been standing in the doorway quietly. I turned around quickly, recognizing his presence. “I am. I can’t even hold it together long enough to protect anyone, let alone myself.” I said as pinned my father’s picture back on the wall. Warren looked at me as if there was something he was holding back. He then took a seat in a chair that was in the corner of my room. “What’s wrong?” I asked. He looked up to me and motioned for me to pull up a chair. “Your necklace, did your father tell you why he gave it to you?” He asked. “That my grandmother wanted me to have it. He sa-” I stopped in the middle of sentence, and looked at Warren with shock. “How do I know about your father huh?” He said with a smile. I shook my head yes in concern. “Your father was my brother.” he said with no hesitation. My eyes gotten big, filled with suspense. “We weren’t always close Lisa. But when you were born, I wanted to meet you. Wanted to be there for you as an uncle should. But I was not always the man that you see before you. Because of that, I was told to stay away.” as he explained this to me, I was still in shock. I was able to form my lips to speak up and ask why after all this time. “When this world was on its final leg, your father came to me. He said when you feel that she is ready, unleash her magic.” He said to me. “What does that even mean? I have no magic!” I said to him. He grabbed my necklace. “Your great grandmother, Sarah, this was her necklace. She defeated an evil, like today, with a great power. Now no one knows what this power is, but she contained it in this necklace. It was passed down to your grandmother, who was responsible for giving it to you.” He said to me as he let go of my necklace. “Only you can discover the truth of what's inside.” He said to me as he stood up. He walked towards the door and stopped. “I hope you figure it out. We leave at dawn.” He spoke. I raised my head up still in shock about the what was just told to me. I got up and shut the door. I laid down, wondering if all that he said was true.

As I laid there, in the dark, a light appeared. I looked down and saw the light was coming from my necklace. As I opened the heart-shaped lock, a forceful light pushed the door on my locket all the opened, and opened up something that looked like a doorway to the sky. I was so scared I backed up into a corner. All of a sudden, someone came from that doorway, as if they were floating on air. Her hair flowed as if she was in water, but her skin was so beautiful, and glowed with a golden shimmer. Something made me feel as if I could trust her. I walked towards her as she held her hand out. “Take my hand dear.” She said to me. When I grabbed her hand, I noticed that I was no longer on the ground. “Oh my god!” I screamed. “You have been chosen, to save your world.” She said to me. “How can I save something that is already destroyed?!?!” I asked her in frustration. “You have the power to change things back to its rightful ways. All you have to say is you’re ready.” She said to me. Nervously I look around. “I’m ready!” I screamed. Not knowing what I was ready for. She then smiled at me. “I’ll see you in a sec.” She speaks. My eyes looked deeper into hers. No, it can’t be. “Grandmother!?!” I said while looking at her. Before I knew it, I was back in the corner of my room. My locket was laying in the middle of the floor. I grabbed it and put it back on my neck. No longer afraid, but ready to take on anything.

“Is everyone ready?” Warren asked people that had formed a line. I walked out and towards Warren. He stared at me with suspense. “I’m ready.” I said, extremely confident. He smiled while he handed me my gun and vest. “Stay close everyone.” He said as we walked out. We headed out, two people in front, two people on each side, and 3 people in the back, protecting the small group in the middle. All of a sudden, we hear a loud crash from something ahead of us. “Look out!!” One of the men said who was in front. Huge boulders were being thrown at us! The men who were throwing these boulders shouted “Kill them! Kill them all!” Some of the men ran into the crowd full of smoke, fighting the men, and I watched them get thrown back like they were light as a feather. “Get her! Her necklace!” One of the men shouted, as another ran towards me and grabbed my arm. He was so tall, and the muscles on his arms were the size of my head. “You are coming with me!” He said with a deep laugh. “Unleash your power, Lisa.” I heard my grandmother’s voice as if she was right next to me, whispering in my ear. I then felt this rush come over my body. My hands and feet started to glow, as I started to float in the air, towards the sky. I stretched my arms and legs as my eyes started to glow. Then, like the sun, a light beamed from my necklace. It shined over the whole sky. Everyone that was fighting had stopped, and looked above. “She’s doing it!” Warren yelled out in excitement. Then a loud thunder came across the sky, and lost conscious.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, hearing people talking. I got scared and panicked. It's been two years since we’ve had a hospital. I felt a hand grab me. “Calm down Lisa!” Warren’s voice said to me. I immediately calmed down. “What happened Warren??” I said to him. He grabbed my face, with tears in his eyes and smiled. “You did young one. You happened.” He said as he grabbed my hand and walked me towards the window. I cried as I saw birds, trees, people, and a clear blue sky. I smiled and looked at my necklace and said, “Thank you.”