heart shaped locket

The building towered a thousand stories high. When the fire struck, it started incinerating in what felt like minutes, but could have been hours. I could feel blood slowly oozing from the sleek cut on my forehead. Regardless, a big smile was strewn across my face. Months of fighting, plan coordinating and death. Finally the tower is gone. I take a deep breath and turn to my friend Arra, she clutches her injured arm, curiosity clinging to her face.

“Do you really think it's over?” her voice rasps, layered with concern. All around us bodies are littered, most with eyes still open, glassy and hollow.

“What else is there we can do? Nothing” I answer. We met each other in the tower, both taken from our homes. We were told being a part of these experiments would help insure humanity's survival. In reality, humanity was destined from the start. We are foul creatures.

“What do we do now?” Arra’s eyes glow with excitement.

My answer is a curt nod. I lock eyes with her, tapping my hand against my leg nervously. Everything seemed too easy. Arra, oblivious, doesn't notice my slight panicking. We are surrounded by an aura of death. My knees feel weak. “Let's get out of here” the tower is still burning, red hot flames swallowing it whole. Walls of tapestry falling miles down. So many screams. The higher you are, the farther you fall.

We run down an abandoned alleyway. My feet hit the ground hard, pain shooting up at me. Subconsciously I let the fact register that we are free. Arra can finally live all the dreams she's told me about.

“Let's stop for a minute” sweat streaks Arra’s pale skin. She grits her teeth slowly as if trying to make it seem like she's not in pain.

“Let me see your arm,” I move towards her realizing I completely forgot about her wound, drunk on a feeling of freedom. The skin around the wound is a dark yellow. We had nothing to sterilize with so it's almost definitely infected. “Just hang on a little longer. Once everything dies down we will be able to do something about it.” I give her a warm smile and turn back to the long stretch ahead of us.

“Did you hear something?” Arra’s voice is low and unsure. I wonder if the severity of her wound might be messing with her head when I feel a grip on my shoulder. My fight or flight seems to take over but whoever is behind me is too quick, my arms are wretched behind my back. “Azazel” I hear Arra utter, barely a whisper.

“You destroy everything you touch, both of you. The tower was humanity's future, we are left with nothing, can't you see?” Azazel's voice rings through my ears, this can't be real. He was in the tower and he should be dead.

“There is no future for humanity. We die here, why can't you see that?” Arra’s voice echoes off the walls of the steep alleyway. Azazel looks at her for a split second, my hands are still bound behind my back. He lets me go with a swing of his sharp fist sending me flying to the ground. His hand immediately reaches into his pocket pulling out a jet black gun as he turns off safety. My heart pounds in my chest so loudly I'm sure I'll die of a heart attack before he reaches me. His feet make large imprints on the dirt beneath us as he clomps my way.

Arra, with only one available hand, runs from behind and jumps onto his back. Realistically a distraction for me to get away. Yet I find myself glued to the ground just watching the unbelievable truth unfold in front of my eyes. Arra’s fist connects with his cheek so hard she nearly tumbles off his back. Dark blood pours slowly as the bruise forms. It inscribed in me that I have a dagger strapped into the back of my leg. While Arra fought for our lives I remained on the ground thoughtless and brainwashed.

Recollecting my thoughts, I get a running start. I rip the dagger from its holding place and run towards the two of them, still beating each other senseless. I feel like molten lava as the next few seconds unfold, hardly able to process the following events.

Unexpectedly I drive the dagger into Azazel's chest. He coughs, blood spitting out of his mouth, his lips turn a ugly shade of blue. He first falls to his knees, then his back, blood cascading out his chest wound. I turn hoping to face Arra. The man of both our nightmares is dead, for sure this time. I notice she isn't around me. I take a couple questionable steps until I see her,

On the ground. Within seconds I notice the blood profusely flowing out of her abdomen. She was shot before I took Azazel down. I dart to her side, taking her frigid hand into mine. She breathes slowly and unsurely.

“Arra..” I'm unable to find words to express my feelings, my gratitude towards her. Everything we have been through. She cant die, I won't be able to go on. Her hand goes completely limp in mine, tears trickle down my face. I shakily put my fingertips on her eyelids, bringing them down slowly, her eyes foggy and unaware. I know without checking that she has no pulse.

The blood has stopped rippling out of her, her skin is pasty white. I stare at her searching for something, anything to prove that maybe I am having another one of my nightmares. Around her neck is a heart shaped locket. I lift her head up and leisurely take it off. More tears streak my cheeks, I lean down and hug her so fiercely, as if I could bring her back to life with just hope. Arra never talked about her family, I assume that it may be them inside the locket. It's rustic and molding around the sides, it takes me a minute to crack open. When I do, a blemished letter falls out. There are no pictures inside. Just a piece of paper. A thought in the back of my mind tells me maybe I shouldn't read it. Yet I'm clinging to whatever is left of Arra that I can find. So I open the letter.

Stacia,

I'm writing this in 2115. It's just me and you now. Our friends passed along the way. I had high hopes of new beginnings together. Although it has brought the two of us closer together, I can't help but wonder who may be next. Who else will need to die for us to be free. I've had this empty locket around my neck for as long as I can remember. Tomorrow you and I are going to set fire to the tower. In case the plan goes repugnant and I die, I want something for you to have. I can't imagine either of us dying and leaving the other alone. What would be the point of living if it's alone? Humans need each other to survive, it's normal like the air we breathe. You'd have to find someone else. If I do die tomorrow, or any other day, I need you to promise me you will live, not just survive, but live. For me and all the other people we lost along the way. There's so much more to life than sadness and despair, you can't waste a single second of it.

Yours, Arra.

With tears of salt burning my cheeks through and through, I fold the letter back up. Tying the locket around my neck. Within a few steps, I can see the end of the alleyway, I can see the future.

I promise that somehow, somewhere. I'll live. Because life is about way more than just surviving.