Newdale

They just left, the government of Howl community that is, after installing this heart-shaped locket around my neck. They pinned the closure under my skin and boy was that painful. My locket can’t be removed and it’s similar to the one my mom has on. The only difference is mine has a clear stone and hers is rose colored. My dad had no say so about it, he stood to the side with his arms folded. We all knew this day would come, they have been preparing me for it since I was ten. This is the traditional 18th birthday gift of the Howl community. Once you turn eighteen you’re able to move freely around town. Up until today I have not been able to go out of our home without my parents. I’m so excited to finally roam this town alone with no parental supervision. Here you need no license to drive because your locket is your way of transportation. I've seen my mom do this thing where she rubbed her stone and it would magnificently take us to the farmers market and everywhere else in town she desired us to go. As far as I can remember it’s always been the three of us and a few familiar faces when we run errands. Is this how it’s going to always be? There has to be more to it.

I ask my mom to show me exactly how to use my new granted treasure. Moments after learning everything my mom was willing to teach me the doorbell rang. My dad stood and made his way to the front door to open it. Stepping to the side a group of girls who looked to be my same age wearing tiaras stepped inside. I looked at them and down at myself. Each girl has on a dress like mines. Here I’am thinking I was special when my mom woke me and told me to get dressed this morning. She never mentioned I would be having any company. One girl after another stepped forward stating their name and age. Surprisingly to me each of us share the same birthday and it’s all of our eighteenth. I turn around to see what my mom thinks of this and she places my tiara on my head. Pushing me out the front door, not telling me anything just shutting it behind us. Once the door shuts, like a rocket we take off and end up at the front door of another house. “That’s what happens when all of our lockets get together,” one girl stated. The front door slangs open by a man whom just like my father stepped to the side and let us in. Another girl dressed in a dress like ours stood looking at us with the same shock we all shared not too long ago. We introduced ourselves and after her tiara was placed on her head, she too was pushed out the door and we repeated the cycle twice more.

Standing on the porch anticipating our next destination nothing happened immediately like all the other times. Then boom like that we’ve landed in a new town. Looking around men are busy putting the finishing touches on a fence that by the looks of it we won’t be getting out of.  We’ve been transported to our own community. All the men at once stopped hammering, shoveling, carrying cast iron posts and all came over to introduce themselves to us. This is not at all what any of us wanted for our birthday but it’s what we’ve been dealt.

 No one ever noticed a fella walking up out of nowhere until he spoke loudly. We all jumped turning to face him. “Listen up” he said, “these men have been here preparing the place for your arrival. This community,  which we will call Newdale, has been in the making for a few years now. Look around you, this is your new home. Turning in circles looking at everything there is to see. The place is beautiful but you can tell we still have a ways to go. “Ladies look at your lockets and find the lady that has the same color charm in her locket as you.” We do as we are told and stand next to our matching lady friend. He started back talking once we all did our switcheroos, “though those lockets look identical, they are not exactly the same. Each locket has a picture on the inside, open them up.” My mom didn’t bother to show me that part. I wonder why she left this out, probably because she knew I would be asking questions about this strangers face that I now see inside of it. The man spoke again, “the lady beside you is now your new sibling, your old family no longer exist.” I look beside me and drop my head, tears have started to fall, my dad, my mom. I look back up and the gentleman whom picture is inside of my locket is now staring back at me. I no longer hear anything the man speaking is saying because my heartbeat is louder than his voice in my ears. I get it now each group of people on their 18th birthday has to leave home to start something new and this is how we will populate this new community and when our children turn 18 they will do the same.

“I’m sorry we had to pull each of you from the only family you’ve known your whole life but after the nuclear war of 3021 when we lost more people than any war we’ve ever had, we had to come up with a way to repopulate the earth. Our government put together this plan and if we don’t conform to it, they have other ways of getting it done. No one wants to be treated like animals, caged up and inseminated without a choice so this is what they came up with. Your mate has been chosen for you to get things done, you on the other hand will prepare meals and take care of home. Anything and everything you need is at the touch of your heart-shaped locket, get busy.”

This is what my mom was preparing me for the whole time, teaching me how to cook, clean and take care of myself. She knew she only had a short period of time to have me ready for this day. There is no truth to me being able to travel around town alone after turning 18, that was only to distract my mind and keep me excited about leaving home on this day because she knew if I knew that when I walked out of that door, I would never see them again, I would’ve put up a fight and the government would’ve taken me away without a choice.