The Key to My Heart

It all started out under the cover of darkness or so I thought. My eyelids opened to reveal some semblance of light. Blinding - but as my vision began to clear, for moment, I had wished I was blind. This feeling came with realization - I was alone.

A desolate abyss of destruction were all my eyes could see. Not an iota of those once towering metal structures left in sight. Vivacious greens of a nearby park turned to desiccated browns. Decrepit street signs and rusted swing sets. The vastness of this emptiness tore at my chest. I reached up to clench at the place where my unfragmented heart used to reside.

My sudden grasping alerted my touch to a cool and hard sensation where my hand came to rest. I looked down to notice a small metal piece hanging from a gold chain around my neck. I lifted the ornate piece to closely inspect it. It’s made out of the same gold material as the chain adorning it. Heart shaped and cool against my fingertips. A locket.

I ran my fingers over and over its intricate detailing, attempting to find a way to pry it open with my bare hands, but to no avail. As I continued my fidgeting, I gasped as what seemed to be a vague and distant memory clouded my senses, filling my thoughts with visions. Pieces serrated the very depths of my mind as broken images of the locket and an searing inferno overcame me.

An explosion. “Of what?” I wondered. “The world?” If the wreck and rubble of the surrounding landscape was anything to go by, then I would assume I was on the right track.

I resolved to find out the truth behind the current state of the city I had once inhabited. Whatever I had gone through before waking up to this barren terrain was wary in my mind.

As I walked through the ruins, the flashes continued. A picture of someone running ahead of me, holding my hand as I struggle to keep up. “What are we running from?” My breathing becomes labored as I continue to hold their hand, running as fast as I could. I feel myself yell to whoever this blurred image of a person was, spurring me forward. But with all of the might in my lungs, no words could form.

I am abruptly stirred from my thoughts when the scream I had struggled to form came into fruition in the distance. I looked out into the horizon for any sign of life. Something that I hadn’t witnessed since coming to in this dystopian soil.

As I trek further through the wasteland and the wreckage, I come across something astounding. In the midst of this lifeless city, stood a large door. It’s wooden framework surrounded by stone-carved pillars barely holding on, yet towering over the debris from which it stood.

In complete awe, I stood contemplating its existence, wondering why, amongst all the vast towers that had existed in this town, this door had withstood the onslaught of apocalypse.

I approach cautiously, wary of what may lie on the other side, all the while, giving in to my utter curiosity. Once in close proximity, I inspect the door carefully and upon careful review, I realize that there is a heart-shaped keyhole.

Decidedly, I slip the locket up over my head and with unwavering resolve, insert the heart into place. Fitting into the slot like a perfect puzzle piece, the locket opens up, much to my astonishment.

As I begin to peer into the open locket, I notice a small photograph with a seemingly familiar face. As I move in closer to get a better glimpse of the person depicted, I hear a large creak of the door. It begins to slowly open inward. I hold my breath as it opens, the full weight of the door taking its time to unfurl.

As soon as it had started, the sound of the creaking large door and its wood grinding on the surface of the remains on the floor beneath it dissipate. Nothing is left but eerie silence and dust from the contact with the ruins.

As soon as the dust settles, I can see the door’s entrance opened fully and take a shuddering breath before I walk through. That is when I hear the sound all over again, The sound of the door closing this time behind me as soon as I step in through its frame. The scream that was once a distant noise, now sounding much closer than anticipated, a sense of dread surrounding me, as I begin my descent further into the unknown.