I am alone

One stares at the heart shaped locket. She marvels at the cool metallic feeling on her hand. With a click, she presses a button and opens the locket. Inside was a picture of an older woman, probably in her late 40’s. A caramel shine to her skin, a smile line around cocoa colored lips, and a bushel of long curly ebony hair. A stray wisp of hair dangles above almond chocolate eyes staring back at One.

One tilts her head sideways, staring right back into the woman’s eyes. Her goggles were slightly dusty from the sandstorm earlier, but she couldn't deny that this woman looked alot like her. Not exactly like her, but pretty close. A mouth that’s smiling, although One has trouble smiling from time to time. 2 eyes, at least in the same spot anyways. A nose that is straighter than One’s broken nose. It's been nearly 12 years since One’s seen what another human looks like. She barely gets a look at her own self amidst this barren land. For 12 years she's been alone. Talking to desert creatures who could not understand her. Protecting herself from the harsh environment. One’s rugged and calloused hands gripped the locket harder until it burrow deeper into her skin. She wanted to make sure it wasn't just a trick from her own mind. A hallucination from the sweltering heat. She sighed feeling it dug into her hands. She has no idea who this woman is and yet she strangely comforted One.

One got up from her knees and looked beyond the sandy dunes. Even though the sun was still high in the sky behind her, the moon was peeking from beyond the hills. There wouldn’t be much time before the night critter will begin to ascend above. Still clinging on to the locket, One made a decision, she would not kill herself. At least not today.

She held the locket close to her as she soars through the sky on her homemade motor. Funny considering engineering was never her strong skill. Which also explains why it left a trail of black smoke behind her. In the distance she saw her house, empty and barren just like the world is right now. She remembers it like it was just yesterday when the strange light in the sky took everything from her.

It was almost like a rip in the sky. It started in the middle of the night and One was just 7 at the time. A bright light filled the air almost like someone turned the lights on. She remembered feeling groggy, still too tired so she pulled the sheets over her head. Thinking morning had crept up on her without her knowing, she drifted back to bed. When she woke up,everyone was gone. She didn’t understand why she was the only one left. There must’ve been someone out there who fell asleep through the light, right? However after 12 years of searching for someone, anyone she had gotten tired. What was the point of her existence at this point?

One opened the door to the place she calls home. It was a tiny cluttered shack. It was covered with junk she found throughout her search for any others out there. She has been working on a radio to call for others, but alas engineering was not her strong skill. She places the heart-shaped locket next to her bulletin board. “I used to have a name you know,” One mutters to the locket. She removes her dust stain goggles and tosses it to the table. “If I remember correctly it was Ema.” She took a glance at the locket, like it was magically going to respond. She furrowed her eyes, “Don’t give me that look. Who am I going to tell my name to?” One grabs the screwdriver and sits down rummaging through her bag for spare parts to add to the radio.”I go by One now, at least I’ll remember that.” She tinkers around for a second with the radio before leaning back in the chair staring into the eyes of the woman again. “Am I really the only one left out here?”

Krrrchhh. One nearly knocked over the table at the sound of the radio roaring to life. She stares at the radio as it keeps spitting out static. “Oh my god I did it!” For the first time in a long while One felt hope. She grabs the dial and begins turning it hoping to catch a voice. For a long while it was just the sound of static and the feeling that One had felt earlier begins to dissipate. That was until she heard something, but it wasn’t coming from the radio.