The Locket

Raven exhaustedly hobbled over to the abandoned rustic vehicle; nearly tripping over her feet. Her run in with the Rebels most dangerous one yet; nearly costing her life. Even with all the survival skills she picked up over the last few years, Raven knew she couldn’t possibly survive that fight. The whole forest was overran with them. Their camps were so well hidden, no one even knew they were there until it was too late. They had swiftly surrounded Raven, pointing their weapons at her. Overpowering her like a lion with it’s prey. Her only defense were her wits and a bow. Terrified, sweat dripping from her brow, she looked at each and every one of them in the eye; waiting to see who would make the first move.

 BANG! someone shot off their gun and she jumped down into the near by river; hitting boulders as she frightenly swam towards the river bank.

Crashing down to the ground, Raven rested her head against the door. The coolness of the metal felt incredible, welcoming a sense of relief. The moon was peaceful tonight. Full and bright with a slight ring glowing around it. It reminded her of when she would lay in the soft grass with her parents and watch the nighttime sky until she fell asleep. She missed her parents very much and that’s why she needed to find them.

Gradually, Raven slid her pack off her shoulders and back, placing it next to her. Closing her eyes, she could feel the cool night hit across her muddy face; taking a deep breath. “Ahhh”, she winced at the sudden pain from her chest. Steadily, Raven lifted up her jacket and shirt to get a better look at the wound on her right side. Swollen and bruised, she gently pressed her fingers against her ribcage. “Damn it”, she sharply cursed. “That’s all I fucking need. Broken ribs.”

 Raven pulled her pack closer to her, unzipped it and rummaged through for the bandages she scavenged at a rundown hospital in Athens. She couldn’t believe how much the overgrowth had taken over one of the most beautiful cities in Greece in the short amount of years. Raven was hoping, since her arrival, she would find more information about what happened to her parents; especially after the smallpox virus had mutated and killed more than half the population of the human race. See what Raven had come to learn was that her parents were conspiracy theorists. They believed that with every single major event in history, the government executed some plan behind them, to try to bring balance to the world, including the mutation of the smallpox. That was until her 16th birthday, when the Homeland security came raiding their house.



“Raven, look at me. You must take this and do not lose it. It holds the key to everything” Her mother handed her a heart-shaped locket and started to push Raven out the secret door.

“MOM! What is going on? What is this?

“I will tell you when we meet again. Until then DO NOT lose this and stay out of sight. Do not talk to anyone and for the love of God, do not tell anyone your name. I love you sweetheart. NOW GO!!”

Raven looked at her mom one last time, kissed her goodbye and hurriedly escaped through the passage. She didn’t know where it was going to lead her but what she did know was that she was in danger. The look of terror behind her mom's eyes, haunted her, in her dreams and in her every waking thought.

SNAP! Raven blinked at the sound and quickly reached for her bow. Crouched down lower to the ground, she slowly crawled to the end of the vehicle. Cautiously, she peeked around the hood to see where the noise was coming from. SNAP! Raven pulled back quickly, closing her eyes to try to steady her pace. Heart pounding deep in her chest, Raven took a deep breath and peered around the hood again.

Suddenly, Raven hears a whistle from behind her. Startled, she turned to see and then... Everything goes black.

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