life in a locket

The year was 1954 summer was just around the corner. Cassy was 13 years old, they lived on a farm just outside Hazelmore West Virginia population 750 souls. Nothing too exciting ever happened, everybody knew everybody and everything.

There was a large government facility 20 miles to the south of Hazelmore, which is where cassy's dad Benjiman Miller worked. He had worked there for close to 15 years. The strange thing was no one was entirely sure what everyone did out there. It was a very secure facility! All her dad would say is that it was a disease control facility working for cures on various diseases.

Benjiman never spoke much about his work but he was a great father, who always was there for cassy! Cassy,s mom died 4 years earlier from lessingers disease. It slowly took her mother away from her. It caused her brain to deterioriate , her memory faded ans she eventually lapsed into a catatonic state. She stayed like that for 5 months before passing away.

One day shortly after her mother passed her father presented her with a beautiful locket with a ruby in it to remind her of her mom.It was so beautiful! She put it on immediatly. Her father said to wear it always and under no circumstances take it off! Cassy agreed and hugged her father.

As summer approached cassy and her friends spent many days at the swimming hole, and if she wasn't there she was at the farm. She managed to help her dad keep the farm going after her mother died. Mid august approached it was a day like any other, when cassy heard the air siren go off it was coming from the facility where her dad worked. This had never happened before! Cassy began to feel anxious and aprehensive, her dad was still at work and she was all alone! 20 minutes went by the siren still radiated through the air. She grew more agitated and wished her dad would hurry home. Just then the phone rang it was her dad, benjiman told cassy to go to the bomb shelter he had built, that every provision she would need would be down there. She was to lock the doors and not come out!!

He told cassy that one of the viruses had mutitated and traveled through the ventalation system , no one would survive. Yes this meant that beniman would not be coming home. Cassy began to cry shaking uncontrolably this cant be real, this cant be real! Was this a nightmare was she imageing the siren continued in the back ground which brought cassy back to her senses. Her father also told her 1 more important thing, Once she was locked in the bomb shelter and was safe to open the locket but not a minute before!! He made her promise.

She wiped away her tears caught her breath, promising her dad not a minute before. Her fathers voice cracked as he said I love you for the last time. I will always be with you cassy!! Then the line went dead. Cassy stood there for a moment in disbelief , she knew what she had to do, she had to do exactly what her dad said she had to keep her promise. She gathered some personal things some books snacks and of course her mothers picture from the nightstand! She made her way outside towards the bomb shelter. She unlocked the hatch and entered the shelter, closing and locking the hatch behind her. Once she was in the shelter she found a note on the table from her dad. She opened it it said dearest daughter if you are reading this then the unimaginable has happened! A virus has mutated it was leaked into the ventilation system it will cause death withen 18 hrs there is no cure if you are exposed. If you are still hearing the sirens it has been released into the atmosphere and would soon engulf the worlds population! I know I should have told you or gave some kind of warning so that you would be more prepared, but i couldn't it was a need to know basis. I signed a contract to not disclose any matters inside the facility.

When i started working here there was a chance to find a cure for lessingers disease, and others like it. I knew the risks. If i could help 1 person not go through what we had with your mother it would all be worth it. I knew the risks. I am sorry to leave you behind like this cassy, this is your only chance to live and rebuild. The virus will only live for 4 days without a host it will eventually disapate, but you still will not be 100 percent safe. Before you go outside you must open your locket, inside there is a little yellow pill you must take this cassy!!! Because you were never infected and have been quarenteed this yellow pill ensure total immunity to you. Wait 3 months upon leaving the bomb shelter take the yellow pill this will be your only chance at life! It is too late for me but you can start over, you wont be alone there are dozens of other facilitys whose familys have taken these measures to ensure life will go on! I dont know for sure how many yellow pills are out there. You are strong cassy I am sorry I have left you alone! I will always be with you!! love your dad!

P.S

You can do this!