One Moment

“Lexi, you are the one for me. You are the only one for me in this lifetime and the next.”

Dax struggled to open a tiny, lavender, heart-shaped box that his hand seemed to swallow. Tiny droplets of sweat glistened his palms and transferred little reminders of his nervousness onto the box as he fumbled to open this gift of several lifetimes.

Lexi threw her arms around him and embraced him with a kiss. "I love you more than any words can express. I love you this lifetime and the next.” She murmured in his ear.

All the nerves racing through his body all connected at once and put a jolt of electricity through his heart. At that moment, as if by some magical force, the box bloomed like a flower ready to display its beauty to the world.

The Locked Heart became a trend after historians unearthed two preserved skeletons that had pure gold necklaces with heart-shaped pendants around their necks during an excavation of what used to be called Texas. Once opened, there it was, the perfect moment in time captured and preserved. It was an image of a young woman with her hair in a curly poof gently kissing the cheek of her adoring lover. They found many things, but this perplexed them the most. It became scientifically proven that the pseudo science of reincarnated lives was, in fact, a proven theory. From one lifetime to the next Cupid plays a cruel joke of the worst game of hide-and-seek ever invented. Everyone is living a life waiting for that moment. People are dying slowly while looking for soulful love. “Locket this moment in time with your soul mate for this lifetime and the next” was the catchphrase that made all lovers flock to stores to capture the moment and locket in their love.

The locket captures that feeling and preserves it. Any reincarnate and the soul is automatically connected as long as their partner has their locket next to the last beat of their heart. The lockets have an internal GPS connected to the soul and it finds its way back to the heart every lifetime. At least that is what the advertisement says.

Lexi and Dax began walking towards their pods which forked at the end of the park. Everyone stays in a single pod until finding their other pea. “I can’t wait for us to share our pod and the rest of our lives together.” Lexi paused thinking of the life she was about to leave behind. She worked so hard, it was difficult to grasp that she would be an Official’s locket. The necklaces they both adorned danced with the sun.

Dax’s dewy hands enveloped hers. “Lex, I can’t tell The General just yet.” He pulled his hand away from hers and hid his locket under the agreeable gray smock that demonstrates he is the son of an official. The fork in the road was nearing and others would see them as they moved closer to their homes.

“What do you mean, Dax?”

Shouldn’t this discussion have already happened with the General? She thought to herself. "Are you saying your family doesn’t know?” She stopped dead in her tracks with the newly renovated skyline of pods in front of her. The decrepit pods were to her back, but they felt like an anchor keeping her in her place. “You are willing to spend several lifetimes with me, but this lifetime you are too afraid to tell them you love me?”

“These things take time, Lex. That doesn’t take away the way I feel about us.”

Tensions began to grow between the top one percent and the bottom ninety-nine which led to de facto laws of staying within each lot.” When the Officials raised taxes, the working class could no longer support their families. Many lives ended trying to even the playing field.

To fall in love during these times was an act of courage because it meant ridicule from both sides. Anyone not adhering to these unspoken laws lives in great danger.

She moved in closer, so close he could smell the subtle hint of lemon on her breath and coconut in her hair. “Until you say something to them, this will not only be hidden. It won’t be worn.”

The next moment was so quick, but so lasting. Lex ripped the locket from her neck and threw it in Dax’s barren hand.

“Lex…”

Despite many attempts to reach Lexi over the next several days at University, at her job, by her pod, there was no sign of Lexi.

On his way to University a week later, Dax noticed a large crowd of teals gathered at the pond in the park. “Please no! Not my baby.” A sharp, painful wailing filled the entire dome. Dax moved his way closer and noticed the woman crying and being consoled by onlookers.

His heart beat faster and louder than anyone should ever experience. He made his way closer and overheard a woman in a dark gray smock yell out, “Time of death 15:30 30 June 2050.”

“She jumped in to save Alexander who was drowning,” an onlooker said. A small kid with a bowl haircut sat on a body monitoring chair. His guardians looked more concerned about all the tests being run which would lead to more debt.

“It looked like someone or something was pulling her under the water.” A concerned woman in a teal smock added.

“Official cause of death,” the official continued, cutting off any further discussions, “natural drowning.”

Dax moved closer, but the body was covered and he couldn’t see who drowned, but there went his heart again. “I’m the son of an official. Let me through.” He moved in closer and saw that beautiful, petite hand. The hand that was just gripping his hand this time last week. He saw the face of the woman crying and it appeared to be a mature version of his locket.

He immediately reached into his smock as tears flowed freely down his face. He clenched the locket in his hand and ran home to his pod. Dax was filled with rage and ran immediately to the General’s pod. His last moment with Lexi was fighting over whether he loved her enough to fight for her.

“Hello, Son. What’s wrong?” The General stepped towards Dax who moved away swiftly.

“She’s gone. My Lexi, my locket is gone.”

“Son, there will be other lockets. I don’t understand you young folks today. Love isn’t meant to last a lifetime, much less multiple lifetimes.” He put his hand on Dax’s back as a way to console him. “Trust me. Someone more your speed will come along.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Dax saw his father’s smock blowing in the wind. He turned and saw the wet footprints on the matte black floors.

The next moment in his life changed this lifetime forever. It was all a whirlwind, but here in the pod he will spend the rest of his life in he grips the locket, closes his eyes, and remembers that one perfect moment in time and counts down the days until his next lifetime