LOVE LOCKED

The throb of her Heart woke her up. That, and his lips on her body.

“Happy four months, baby.” He stopped to say with a smile.

“You’re very good at that.”

“Every artist needs a muse.”

“Oh, so you’re an artist?”

“You don’t agree?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen any art.”

“This is art.”

He moved up to kiss her on the mouth.

She sighed. Pink light pooled through the room, bathing the bed, washing over the walls. The timed blinds had been purposely dismantled for this effect.

“Well it certainly feels beautiful.”

She twisted her legs around his torso, and her arms around his neck. Ran her hands through his red hair. The Heart throbbed between their chests.

“Let’s get this out of the way,” he whispered. Reaching his hands behind her head, he unclasped the locket, and folded it away between the sheets.

Ezme stopped kissing Huck.

“Why are you doing that?”

“To remove temptation.”

“I told you I wasn’t going to check it.”

“Yeah, but I know you want to.”

She pulled away from him.

“I told you I wouldn’t.”

“Ezme, I know it’s tough for you. I’m just trying to be supportive!”

A beat.

“Don’t be mad… You know when you’re mad, it makes me mad.” He ran his thumb over her lips, coaxing them into a smile.

She relented: “Well, it is kinda nice to be mad about each other.”

“Isn’t it?”

She smiled and pulled away. “Now,” she said, rising from the bed, “don’t be mad, but... I have to get to work.”

Huck groaned. “Fuck work.”

Ezme grabbed her locket from beneath him and put it back on. She could feel his eyes on her as she did, but he stayed silent.

“Not everyone is as free as you.”

“They could be.”

“Not in this world.”

“What does that make me then?”

“You know exactly what it makes you,” she smiled. “Worthless.”

“Only in the eyes of The Best.”

Ezme slipped on her shoes. The morning announcements sounded from the speakers:

“Good morning, valued citizens! It is half past eight. It is now time for you to leave home for work. From everyone in Control, we wish you serenity, success, and Nothing But The Best! - today and every day.” The city anthem began to play.

“Ok, ok - just wait one sec.” Huck grabbed her hand. “Will you at least give this Worthless person one dance before you go?”

Ezme laughed. “Sure.”

He pulled her to her feet, and the two twirled to the music like fools - dancing like they had done, at 8:31, every morning, for the last four months.

* * *

The outside world, the Best world, was different from Ezme and Huck’s inside world of dancing and art. Movement was minimal. Things were always still and silent and sedate. Buildings stood in perfect parallel; car-lanes never crowded. Animals were kept outside the city and fed on Scraps - deposited monthly. The sky was a permanent, cloudless, pale, pink - calming and disarming at the same time.

Ezme looked out over it all from her office, fingers laced around her locket.

“Mr. Correlian is ready to see you.” her virtual assistant announced.

Absorbed in anxious thought, Ezme didn’t hear it at first. The throb of her Heart had been a source of stress all day. It was a painful pulse through her body, a pounding in her head.

“Mr. Correlian is ready to see you.” the assistant announced again, waiting for the appropriate response.

“Oh - uh - yes, Accepted.”

Ezme rose from her desk and straightened her suit. She checked her hair in the reflection in the wall-to-wall window. Looking at the sky outside, she took a deep breath. Huck liked to call it ‘placidifying pink’.

She walked to the transporter in the corner of her office.

“Mr. Correlian’s room.”

“Accepted.”

She stepped in, and zoomed up.

Ezme’s boss oozed dignity and discipline. Tall and fit, with pepper hair and an agreeable, wrinkle-free face, he was the model example of a Best Boss.

He rose to greet her.

“Ezme! Good to see you. How’s it going?”

“Going well. What can I do for you?”

“Nothing really - I just called you up here to talk about the position you applied for.”

She smiled. “I was hoping that was what this was about. Should I prepare myself for good news or bad?”

“Look, I’m going to be completely honest with you - full disclosure - I think you’d be great in that position. You’ve definitely proven you can handle it. You’re ambitious, you’re well respected. You know what you’re doing, and you’re good at it. But we don’t have clearance to assign that to anyone who isn’t Complete yet.”

“Oh.”

“I know, it’s unfortunate. But it’s necessary. For the Best.”

“Yeah, I can accept that…”

“It’s just a matter of time, really. How’s it going with that guy you’re seeing?”

“Ah, good. Great. Four months today, actually.”

“Oh wow. So today’s the day the locket lets you know -- that’s exciting. Have you checked yet?”

“Not yet.”

He smiled sympathetically, clutching his own locket, which was red. “It can be tough sometimes, I know. But remember, in the end, it’s all…

“...for The Best. Right. Haha. Gotta believe it.”

“Well,” he said, looking knowingly at her pink locket, “maybe you’ll have clearance soon.”

“Maybe.” She moved to leave, “Anyway, thanks for now.”

“Ezme, wait.” He paused. “While we’re on the subject - one more thing… There have been some rumors around the office, that he’s a -”

“He’s not.”

“Okay, good. Glad to hear it. Just checking. It would be a shame to see your potential wasted on someone Worthless.”

* * *

Locket still throbbing, Ezme arrived at The Electric Kettle for coffee with Anya. The two had met in the first grade and, after having spent countless detentions together for questioning their teachers, developed a long-lasting friendship. A weekly Wednesday chat over a cup of black coffee - and a shot of plasma - was scheduled into both their calendars. With Ezme’s locket anxiety increasing, she was relieved by the routine and her friend’s familiar face.

After the two had caught each other up on the usual subjects, the conversation faded into a certain silence. Ezme stared pensively at the sky.

“Something’s up with you today.”

“Well… you’re not wrong.”

“What is it?”

Ezme turned to look at Anya. “Do you remember when we used to ask in school about the sky? And no one was able to give us the answers we asked for?”

“Yeah.”

“They just told us its color changed, and that’s just how it is.” She paused. “Why did no one else want to know why?”

“Umm...” Anya wasn’t sure how to respond.

“I’ve been thinking about the sky a lot lately. The sky and…. well, and my locket. Today’s the day, Anya. Four months. It’s been throbbing like crazy and I know I’m supposed to check it, and I know I’m supposed to Accept what it says - like I know the sky is pink. But all I can think about is why is the sky fucking pink? And why the fuck do I need to check my locket? And why do I have to Accept either of those things?”

“Look, Ezme… I know this is a tough one for you. Huck wants you to reject Control to be with him, and you love him. But is he really worth the sacrifice? You have to make a decision.”

“Do I?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s how The Best works.”

“I hate this. If it’s The Best, then why do I have to make a choice I don’t want to make?”

“Because you don’t get to choose your choices.” Anya sighed exasperatedly.

“I told you this was going to happen, Ezme. I told you you were making things more difficult for yourself with Huck. You said it was just going to be a short fling.”

“I didn’t know it was going to become this, Anya! It wasn’t something I could control.”

“That’s exactly why you should have ended it. You know how the system works. Control is everything.”

Ezme pulled the locket from around her neck. Even its removal offered no respite from the throbbing. The pressure pent up in her chest pounded through her whole person.

“Are you happy with Juan?”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve never doubted he was Right?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Honestly? I know you’re going to hate this, but - Acceptance. Belief in it all being for The Best.”

“But how do you know that’s the truth?”

“There’s no such thing as the truth, Ezme; the truth is what the most people believe in. The truth is if you don’t believe in The Best, life is much worse.”

“Well, that is true.” Ezme groaned defeatedly. “Fuck the system.”

“You sound like Huck.”

“I know.” She pulled the locket from around her neck and looked at it with disgust.

“It’s like a collar being pedaled as a medal.”

“Yeah but giving it up means giving everything up. You lose the chance to live a comfortable life.”

“I feel like such a bitch.”

“They’ve made you into one.”

“You’re right.”

Ezme opened the locket. In little red letters, it spelled out “Wrong”.

* * *

Ezme walked into the restaurant, feeling the weight of the locket in her pocket with every step. Huck sat at the very back at a table for two - he always liked being as close to windows as he could get. Pink spheres of light hovered around him, lighting the tips of his hair aglow.

He saw her walking towards him and broke into a smile, lips sweet and red as a curved line of jam. Seeing that smile, Ezme realised how much she loved him. She loved him so much that it hurt. And it hurt so much that she flinched. He saw.

In a second, his smile disappeared. With just one look, he knew.

Huck’s face grew red. His eyes became dark. “How could you?” His lips had lost all sweetness.

“Huck…”

“We promised each other.”

“I can’t live like you. I -”

“You can’t live the truth?”

“The truth is what the most people believe in.”

“So if most people believed in jumping off a cliff, you’d jump off too?”

“Huck, don’t be like that. It’s -”

He wasn’t going to wait to let her continue. “Ezme, the truth is that we love each other. We’re mad about each other. Don’t tell me that’s not true. I thought you agreed this was worth the sacrifice. I thought you believed in passion, Ezme. Not some fucking system of control deciding which partner will suit you in a way that serves them most productively. Fuck that. Fuck this. You’re making the easy choice.”

“I don’t have very many choices to choose from.”

Huck rose to his feet, throwing his napkin onto the table. The people around them stared - astonished by this passionate outburst, unused to such extreme exhibitions of emotion. He grabbed Ezme by the shoulders. “Don’t do this.”

She pushed him away. “It’s over, Huck.”

He looked into her eyes and knew there was no changing her mind.

“Fine. Then I’ll tell you what you want to hear.” Huck let go.

“It’s all for The Best. Accepted.”

* * *

The throb of her Heart woke her up.

That, and his lips on her forehead.

“Happy four months, sweety.” He stopped to say with a smile.

“Happy four months.” She moved to kiss him.

The anthem began to play. Bob pulled away. “Wait one second, I want to listen.” Ezme waited.

When it was done, he looked over at her. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

They opened their lockets together. ‘Right’. ‘Right’. The Hearts turned red in unison.

Ezme felt her face force a smile. She kissed Bob quickly and put the locket back around her neck.

The first thought that had come to her head was of the promotion.

Her Heart had stopped throbbing.

Finis.