Petrichor

When I was little I heard stories about a world different of my own. A world of cerulean blue skies, and cumulus white clouds. The “Earth”, as they called my planet, was covered in green grass and trees. The velvet night skies were decorated with stars. But that was then, before the evasion.

As technology kept growing, the world started deteriorating. When scientists found out about the Earth’s condition, they packed all the wealthy families into a space craft and inhabited a new planet, leaving those who couldn’t afford a ticket behind. We called that day “The evasion.”

All my life, these stories were just stories. The skies were always grey, and the grass was never green. They were stories that grown ups would tell kids to give them a sliver of hope, and a palette of imagination.

The fantasies of a better world vanished when my parents did, leaving me with nothing but a locket, in the unlivable planet.

“Are you thinking about the island again?” My neighbor Lilian asks. She places a can of fruits in front of me. I pick up the can, looking under it. ‘Best by Dec.21.2056’

“It’s not real. I mean, how can it be? It’s nothing but a fable, a fantasy. How can I believe in something my generation never knew?” I push the can away from me. “This is also expired. I’m not hungry.”

“It’s best you eat, there aren’t many provisions left.” She opened the can, placing it in front of me again. I took a few bites before she spoke.

“Of course it’s real. I heard that the Navigators have half of the map. They’re looking for the other half. The only clue they’re investigating is that riddle. ‘You will find me in the sanctuary of emotions, in a place that never lies, and where memories run free.’ I believe this weekend they’re going to do another sweep. They have the idea the other half was hidden somewhere and won’t rest until they find the missing piece.”

“I better not run into them or they’ll run into the fury of Monserrat!” I huff.

“They might not be as terrible as you picture them. They’re fighting for their future as well. You know, my parents taught me that humans were at fault for the situation we’re in now.” She says.

“Yeah. I remember when I was little my parents would take me near the ocean. My dad would tell me the ocean was once as blue as my eyes, my mom would tell me stories about the world I never knew, and how when she was little her parents wanted her to play in the open air with her friends but she only wanted to stay indoors on social media and playing video games. Yet, that day she listened and she played outside with her friends. She said it was one of the best days of her childhood. My dad told me that uniting with others will be the only thing that helps us survive in the end. They always told me to follow my heart.” I look down at my hands. “Okay, okay I’m going to do my daily training. I don’t want to talk about the past anymore.” I stand up looking at her. “In the end, stories are just stories. They abandoned me leaving me nothing but a necklace to remember them by.” I push the necklace back into my shirt and start heading out.

“But Monserrat you didn’t finish your fruits.”

“Sorry Lilian, I’m not hungry.”

A while after my training, I began heading back home when a kid ran passed me shoving me in the process. “Tch.” If people know the situation around us is getting worse, why do they continue to reproduce?

I was stopped a second time when I see people running inside forming some sort of commotion. More kids running around and people gathering outside with- buckets? My head snaps to the sky.

A single drop lands on my cheek. Rain… It’s been a year since it rained. Soon more drops of water fell from the sky.. “It’s raining!” I hear multiple voices cry. People are cheering and dancing as they collected water running inside to pour it somewhere and running back inside again.

All of them grinning, in a state of euphoria. How can they be so happy about this? Don’t they understand that this will only attract mosquitos?

I push my way through a crowd, finally reaching home. I heard a sound a few feet away. “Lilian? Is that you?” I asked closing the door.

I felt movement behind me, whoever it was, had knocked me down in attempts to run. A wave of anger flooded through me. They were trying to rob this house. I grab the closest thing to me and begin to throw them towards the dark shadow. “Who are you?” I scream lunging towards the intruder.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” That voice. I know that voice, but where from is beyond me. I could hear them dropping things in the process of trying to escape and it was beginning to frustrate me. I stay the door blocking off the exit.

“Yeah I would like to know. I blocked off the only exit so you’re trapped in here with me.”

“Yeah… Someone once told me. If a door doesn’t open for me-.” The sound of glass shattering made me flinch. “I should go through the window instead.” My eyes widen and I bolt to the window on the other side of the room to see a pair of mischievous black eyes staring back at me.

Jason.

I let out a choked scream rubbing my neck. “He’s gone.” I kick the wall. It was Jason, that no good-. My eyes widen. My necklace. It’s gone. He took my necklace. “No. No. He isn’t getting away with this.” I bolt through the door chasing his silhouette in the dead of night.

What I thought would be a matter of minutes took an hour until finally I caught up to him tackling him in the process.

“Give me back what’s mine Jason.” My eyes scan his body for any gold or heart shaped object.

“Why did you follow me?” He was startled. Good.

“Give it back.”

What exactly are you asking for?” He replies trying to shove me off.

“My necklace! It’s all I have left of my family. I want it back.” I struggle to keep my grip.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I keep searching until my eyes see a line of gold on his neck.

“Please!” I cry, my voice breaking in the process. I grab onto the necklace pulling it away from him.

“It’s mine now not yours.”

“Why? Why do you need this so bad?” I ask getting up.

“Money.” I look at him. His black hair beginning to press against his face from the sweat he built up from running. His eyes cold, yet they had a soft demeanor to them. “Give it back.”

I hold the necklace closer to me. He grabs the chain and pulls it away. I tug it back. We keep drawing it back and forth, not realizing the damage it’s causing the necklace until it breaks. Time stops for me, and the heart steadily plunges towards the ground, opening for the first time ever.

My eyes widen as I see a folded piece of parchment topple out of the locket. I kneel to lift it towards me. I open it and a gasp escapes my lips. The parchment revealing half of a map.

“Jason.” His gaze is fixed on my hands. “Look.” I hand the broken parchment to him. It’s real.

“Monserrat- this is-.” His eyes snap to mine. “Why do you have this? Why did you never turn it in?” I can see the anger in his eyes. The emotions rolling off of him.

“I- I didn’t know that was in there. My parents- they- they left it for me. I was so angry at them, that I never opened it.” I rub the area on my chest where my necklace previously sat.

“You’re telling me, your parents disappeared and you didn’t even try to see what was inside?” He began raising his voice.

“I was mad at them! They left me! Here! Alone! I didn’t want to see what was inside!” My eyes start watering as I felt unresolved feelings breaking surface. He turns the map around and a small grin replaces his frown.

“I don’t think they meant to leave you behind.” He pushes the map towards me and I read the writing on the back.

“To our beloved daughter Monserrat, by the time you read this, we will be on our way to the new Earth. We aren’t leaving on our own decision. The family we work for are forcing us to come along. We love you, so we took half of the map to Petrichor Island. Don’t let them leave without you. We love you so much, please find a way to forgive us.”

I was in tears by the time I finished reading, I didn’t even notice the rain pelting on my back. “So the island has a name.” It was hard to process this overwhelming information. They were forced to leave? How am I supposed to feel about that? “I guess it makes sense, the heart is the sanctuary of emotions, a place that never lies, and where memories run free indeed. Who would’ve thought it was in my locket this whole time?”

“As much as I’d love to hear your thoughts right now, we need to find shelter before the ink on the map bleeds.” I hate to admit he has a point.

We both take off running seeking shelter in an abandoned house on the edge of the ocean.

“Here.” I hand him the map. “I don’t want it. Take it to the navigators, go find your own little island and leave me behind as well.” I snap.

“Wow, you really have issues don’t you?” He is unbelievable! How dare he? Who does he think he is!

“I’ll have you know, I don’t need you to poke at my brain like a friend would do!” His grin only frustrating me further. “And who do you think you are, trying to charm me with that smile?”

“You think I have a charming smile?” His grin only extending.

“What- that’s not what I said!”

“I’m taking you with me, like it or not.” His hand extended towards me. “Trust me, just this once.” The other hand holding out the locket.

“Okay.” I slump on a wall sighing in defeat. “ I’ll trust you.”

Maybe there is hope, a hope for a better future, and maybe stories aren’t just stories.