The Silver Heart

Samantha was running down the tunnel, her hair dark as new obsidian flowed behind her caught up in windless current, water could be heard periodically dripping in the distance, between the sounds of her heavy breathing her pale skin shifting with every movement over her taunt muscles from pumping her legs and arms as fast as she could, echoes of her footfalls reverberating around her; Every dozen or so paces there was a burn less fire on the ceiling. To see so many burn less fires at once would be incredible if the situations wasn’t so dire. Samantha didn’t understand why they were there the intersection wasn’t for a couple hundred more steps, and the pin pricks of light was just enough to ruin anyone’s vision to adjust to the darkness. This could have been the reason she tripped on grate that was askew skinning her hands and knees before getting scrambling back up. Clutching the silver heart shaped locket to her chest to make sure it still hung around on necklace made of her own hair. After taking a deep breath, she continued her mad dash. Inside the locket was a they key, “the key of being Human” her father would say, until he was taken.

As she ran, she remembered the day her father gave her the locket, though the memory was a haze, more emotions than distinct actions. The only possession they owned or as far as she knew anyone beside the union owned. As the clothes on their back was the Unions, the food they ate, Union’s, the home that was dug out for them, the Union’s. But this locket hidden from everyone was hers. Her father was so nervous trusting the locket to her knowing the dangers it would it would attract. The union owned all things and sought all things especially metal to be melted down to keep their world running. But the locket itself is a trifle of what the Key is. “it is the key of being Human,” her father said where wind was not just exhaust, but blew in all directions, and heat came from the sky not from the ground. There would be colour no just the browns, greys and reds from life under eternal darkness. To reach this fictional paradise she though was better than dying in the real one.

Her life was not all bad, actually it was better than most as she worked at Union Capital most of her life as her father’s before her, as far back she could remember her family always worked as caretakers in the Capitol. Some days were boring when she had to prepare meals for the Union Members or remove the film and grim of everyday life left over from the Miners an impossible task of keeping its grey coarse walls spotless. But then there were special days when she was able to actually use the set of tools set aside for the caretakers. Fixing a broken piece equipment by hammering it into shape, rearrange its insides to compensate a missing part, or trying figure out new ways to repurpose old gears and parts. Back then she didn’t know the Union members knew another world existed and that they held to the key to a better world. They would rather rule over this existence then be in paradise.

It was in the decision room where she saw a picture covering a whole wall, showing most of the union area. The capitol a square building were all tunnels led too, in the middle the liviSamantha was running down the dark tunnel, it was quiet except from the sound of her heavy breathing and echoing footsteps. The next intersection was in another couple hundred steps. Out of nowhere she tripped, catching her foot on a grate that was askew, scrapping her hands and knees before coming to a stop. Scrambling back up, she clutched the silver heart shaped locket that hung around her neck, making sure it was still there. She took a deep breath to calm herself and continued down the corridor. Inside the locket was the key, “the key freedom” her father said.

It is the only possession they ever owned, or as far as she knew the only possession not controlled by the Union. The clothes on their back were the Union’s, the food they ate, Union’s, the home that was dug out for them, the Union’s. But this locket hidden from everyone was hers. Her father was so nervous trusting the locket to her, knowing what it was and the dangers it could attract. The union owned all and sought all especially metal to be melted down to keep their world running. But the locket itself is a trifle of what the Key is. “It is the key to being free,” her father would say to her. Growing up telling her stories passed down through the generations of a time before the Union, where wind was not just exhaust, but blew in all directions, and heat came from the above not below. There would be colour beyond imagination, not just the browns, greys and reds from life in the Union’s underground, only to be broken up by cook fires or the rare burn-less lights. If only there were words left to describe the old world, but they were lost, or turned to ash like the books that carried them

Her life was not bad compared to most, she didnt work on the Farming level or worse a digger. She worked at Union Capital. As far back as she could remember her family have always worked in the capitol as caretakers. Though unlike them her days were spent preparing meals for the Union Members; or making grease and oil candles.

Samantha wanted to do what her father did, fixing old machines or making new ones, he was well respected in the union as he was one of the few to keep things running. Though with all his respect he was never allowed in the Decision room reserved for the Union Members and those who looked after them. The decision room was one of the last places in the whole Union where memories of the old world still existed. The big table was scratched and stained and some of the surrounding chairs still had padding. It was in the decision room where all union laws were passed, voted on by the Union Members.

It’s in this place where she saw the picture covering a whole wall, showing most of the Union’s area. The capitol, a square rectangle in the center where all lines led too captured the eye first. Under it was the living area where homes were cut straight out of the original shafts formed by their predecessors. Under the dwelling area was the entrance to the growing floors where fungus, rodents and large insects were farmed to sustain them. Oddly the mines were not part of the picture though if it was it would have to have been drawn on the floor. She did notice that there were multiple lines leading up from the Capitol, But all the ends were scraped off and faded into the greyness of the wall. Those areas were closed off anyway as everyone knows they have the highest amount of cave ins and potential gas pockets.

Her running had reduced into a jog which in turn slowed to a walk. She wasn’t used to traveling such distances and was breathing heavily from her flight from the Miners. Hopefully they would be slowed down from the heavy door and debris left behind her. At the next intersection she looked at the map she copied to her forearm; the reason she was being chased from the Miners in the first place.

When her Father gave her the locket and told her of the Key and how it opened the portal to the other world and how to reach it, “she must climb to the highest point in the union” His voice echoed in her mind. She knew the only way to do that is follow the picture in the Decision room. For all the times she has been in there it was never enough to mesmerize the entire image with hundreds of lines and unknown symbols. Using some charcoal, she meticulously copied the major sections of the to her arms.

Writing had almost been forgotten in the Union, there was no paper or ink, any kind of material capable of doing so was used for clothing or materials to repair the machines. Some words were left on the Capitol floors and walls though only to show directions and exits.

She had almost finished her map when one of the Union Members walked in holding a candle in the already lit room, it was her own fault that she was noticed, as the extravagance of the extra light made her huff with disappointment. This small noise caught the attention of the Union Member and she saw how wide his eyes went in the glow of his candle when he saw that she was copying the strange picture. She knew that she was in danger instantly and ran from the man, hearing shouting behind her.

Using a lifetime's worth of skills of moving in-near absolute darkness she arrived at one of the sections leading to the forbidden area. She stood there looking at a heavy metal door, the same type of door that was located throughout the Capitol. it was a couple of hands taller than her and rounded on the top and bottom with rivets on the out edges. She contemplated if this was the right thing to do, until she heard shouts in the distance. Hearing the Minors approach she made up her mind and opened the door, or tried to. Its hinges were rusted; she readjusted her footing and pushed the door again barely moving it. The small movement made the door screeched like some tortured animal. Again, she pushed, both hands against the door, a gap a finger breath wide opened. she pushed again her cry of anguish mi mixing with the squeal of rusted hinges; the door opening a little further. She could now hear the hard boots of the Miners marching toward her. With all the strength she could bear she shoved, the door slid open enough for her to slip through. Once on the other side she slammed the heavy door shut. The cracked ceiling above started to rain debris forcing her farther down the tunnel. Small pebbles turned into rocks and boulders as the tunnel caved in. It didn't last long, just enough so the piler reached halfway up the door.

She arrived at the next intersection and looked at her map. If she took this left, she would then need to go forward, or was it upwards? the charcoal had started to run as her sweat started to mix with the black painted lines, and her fall earlier ruined the right half of her image. Panicked overcame her, no food no, water and her map was ruined. She would starve in these tunnels, lost and alone never getting to the portal. She would never feel the softness of plants, Fresh clean air, or even just to be able to leave the darkness. Samantha began to weep uncontrollably. Tears flowed down her face now as her wails echoed around her.when she finally collected herself her sense of time was as lost as she was, It could have been a candle e or ten candles of time, She did not know. Samantha slowly took control back from her grieving. After a long walk down the new corridor she reached a wall that had two metal slabs meeting together with symbols above it and a panel next to it with little arrows. There was a door on her right, the same door she knew all her life, the rounded tops and bottoms with rivets around the edge. Trusting the door more she pushed and with surprising little effort, it opened into a mine shaft. Well, the cleanest and best cut mine shaft she ever saw. The stairs were all uniform and spiraled around the square tunnel. and the lights. She never seen so many burnless lights slowly turning on with the farthest twinkling into the distance above her. Taking her time and adjusting to the brightness, she started to climb the seemingly endless stair. Around every very few hundred steps she would look lean over the railing and look up and down to help track her progress though the last couple of times she couldn’t tell the difference. Exhausted, she laid down on top of the hard stairs, her lips parched and stomach rumbling. She rested her head against the cool steps and slowly closed her eyes.

Samantha awoke from a soft muffle from far below. Pushing past her fatigue and the gnawing pain in her stomach she climbed to her feet and restarted her journey up the stairs. This time she did not check her progress but kept her head down pushing herself to take another step saying that should take a break after a few more, but instead would find some inner strength and moved on. To Samantha, this perpetual lie seemed to go on for uncountable candle lengths until she reached a door. A door that she knew all her life and was throughout the Capitol. Metal with a rounded top and bottom and riveted on the edges. The only difference was a small rectangle to the side. Trembling from exhaustion, dehydration, and hunger, she lifted her silver heart shaped locket from over her head and opened it. Inside there was a gold flake with a plastic edge. She carefully picked up the small flake and tapped it against the small panel, for a few heartbeats nothing happened. She could now hear the footfalls below getting closer with each step. Then somewhere deep in the wall she heard a hard *glunk* and the door slowly swung forward in front of her. Drawn to the unknown she stepped through the door. taking a few steps through the Waist high vegetation and felt a cool breeze on her face.

That’s Where the Miners found her; kneeling, head tilted back with her eyes to the heaven’s tears shining in the moonlight and soft smile from ear to ear. Her fish closed around the locket and they heard her exhale in barely a whisper “this is what freedom is.”