LOCKET

Locket

by Patrick Wade

I sat on the bridge dangling my feet over the railing. The clock above the bridge read 2:01 but the sun was beginning to set. This time of night, everyone with good intentions was headed in. I faced the city: while a complete deathtrap, it looked very pretty from this distance, the tallest buildings had neon lights, you could see smoke from something caught on fire, all sorts of things were burned in the city.

It was dirty, but very colorful. I took out a smoke from my bag and watched the sun fall over the water. It was pretty, but it was lonely: all alone. Dakota is usually here by now.

We usually watch the sunset together, at the end of the day. I finished my smoke and tossed it off the bridge, I watched as it disappeared in the distance between me and the ocean. I could feel in my chest where my lungs began to harden.

She said 6:00, It was 6:14. Dakota was never late….just a few more minutes...right? She's most likely late leaving...huh? 6:30 came and went.

I saw another car explosion in the city. I might need to go looking. I got on my motorcycle and booted up the circuits, the dash computer came on with an electric whirring. Before the crash, I didn't know how to ride a motorcycle. Dakota and I found our bikes together in a garage downtown. We learned how to ride together. Whoever built the bikes had a wild mind. They were practically jet engines on wheels, both bikes had an onboard computer. The screen turned on with the manufacturing insignia: a blue smiley face. I popped the clutch, and sped down toward the city.

Usually, Dakota and I would race home to the other island, where we lived. I clenched my locket that held her picture, she had one just the same. She said she would be near Yono today. I rode as fast as I could , the more I thought about her, the more the wind blew in my face: the faster I rode, as fast as it would carry me, everything became a blur as I approached Yono.

Until I saw them: a group of scavengers stripping a car for parts. Generally, other people were no good in the apocalypse, but Dakota. I stopped my bike about 30 feet away. I had a bad feeling.

I shouted at the group of scavengers: “ Hey, have you seen a girl on a bike like this one?” for a moment everything was silent, just the sound of the wind could be heard.

They turned to face me. They wore grey hoods that covered their faces. One of the scavengers spoke,“Oh yes”, he began to cough violently, he arched over coughing repeatedly. He coughed something into his hand: it was hair.

“ I seen a bike like that” , he said. “Where was it headed?” I asked, he pointed toward the mountain. “She dropped this,” he said: he held up her locket in his hand. Is this your picture in it? '' he asked. That's when I noticed the other scavengers on the rooftop, first, four, then two more from the restaurant , they began climbing down from the rooftops, I was completely surrounded.

“That's a nice bike” , he said with a laugh,

I reached into my sack and took out my rations for the day. I had half a loaf of bread and an apple juice. I could see in his eyes that he was hungry.

“How about we trade? I got a loaf of bread and an apple juice” I shouted, He came back at me, '' How about fuel? You got fuel ?”

I couldn't give away my fuel. I stuffed the food in a paper bag and tossed it over. He looked at me, at the food, and then at the locket with my picture in it . He took a moment, then he threw it to me. “Toward the mountains,” he said. He began chewing on the bread. “I'd say you'd better hurry, the mountains aren't supposed to be a nice place” he said, when I popped the clutch, he began stuffing the bread into his mouth, then his men began jumping from the rooftops to get a slice.

I hit the gas. What was going on? Where was she going? The mountains aren't far, just twenty minutes.

It started raining, I flipped the switch to give my tires more traction, it got really slippery, when it first began to rain because the dirt and the water were just beginning to mix. I drove into the tree to avoid being spotted.

Under the trees, I hid my bike.

The entrance to the cave was not far, I removed my bike's spark plugs. Personal possessions were often stolen in the apocalypse. It would be safer to wait until night, but I couldn't wait : Dakota could be in danger. I grabbed my blaster , and checked my ammo, I was empty, I would have to make it work.

The blaster was mostly for show, it was clear that I couldn't do much damage, even with one shot , it may save me from one guy, but then all his friends would just jump me.

At the foot of the mountain, you could see caves. I couldn’t see any guards. Which entrance? The caves looked like massive pores in your skin, I slunk through the field that was on the far side of the caves. No guards, which one led to Dakota? I picked a hole and went inside.

It was completely dark for a moment...then more stunning than anything I had ever seen. The walls and ceilings of the caves were studded with luminescent purple crystals. I snuck down the large cavern, as I got further the massive cave walls began to shrink, I soon found myself walking down a tight hallway: it seemed to go on for miles. At a certain point I looked back to see where I had come from, but I could no longer see the light from outside, just dark purple.

I heard voices approaching from the abyss, I was walking and two people emerged. They wore gray clocks around their necks. My heart nearly stopped, they seemed to see me but for some reason, I was of no concern to them. “We do not have enough supplies to feed all these people.” One of them said, “What am I supposed to tell the mother of my children?” he snarled back, 'Tell them nothing, '' the other replied, “We only have enough to feed the chancellor.” They passed me without looking in my direction. I was very shocked, I put my blaster away in its holster.

I walked a little further, I saw an opening to the vast caverns, it was massive. In the walls of the caves, they had cut out enclosures, like little apartments, with yellow lights, illuminated from small square windows. Then I saw it. It was so much more than I could have ever imagined, an entire city made of gold with industry and commerce under the mountain.

I went deeper, down a staircase into a garden. That's when I saw Dakota, she was wearing a red gown and walking with a man wearing a large golden headcovering. I yelled at her, DAKOTA! I'm here to save you! She could not hear me. I ran to meet her, but two cave people the size of Rhinoceroses holding large sticks charged me, grabbing me by my arms and legs and removing me from the ground . I screamed “ Dakota!” The Rhinocerose men said in the calmest voices, “you are not permitted to see the Chancellor or the Queen.”

I screamed and screamed, “Let go of me! DAKOTA it's me ! ” The man with the golden head covering led her into an elevator and began ascending. I swear it was Dakota, it had to be her. What was going on? I went crazy wiggling, I broke free and ran to the wall of the cave. I began climbing the walls of the cave after her elevator. Each level had a balcony, and you could find grooves just big enough to climb up. I began climbing. This sent everyone into complete panic, I looked down and saw at least twenty Rhinoceros men climbing up after me.

I climbed to the fourth floor , and climbed through a window in the cave wall. I walked through several interconnected bedrooms, before I found myself in a large atrium. There I found her with the man in the golden headcovering. I walked up to the throne where she sat, and grabbed her hand “hey I'm here to rescue you” I said, I looked into her eyes, they were pale and glazed over, she was different now. “Everything old must become new, ” she said “They have a society , I have joined, you must join Adam.” She was ghostly. That's when the doors opened and dozens of guards swarmed in. I took one last look at the man with the golden head covering, then at Dakota.

I had no choice, I ran for it, back the way I came through the hallway, I found the ledge that I climbed up and climbed back down toward the entrance of the cave. Back through the purple, I began to cry when I saw the light of the cave.

I found my bike and rode back across the bridge. What? What was going on? It was like she didn't even know me. I stopped the bike on the bridge. I took the lockets out. I had both of them now. Nothing would ever be the same for me. That's when I threw the lockets off the bridge.

I turned to leave, then I jumped in after the lockets. When I hit the water it was dark and cold, I searched for them, but I could only feel one of the lockets. I swam back to shore. Holding the locket in my hand. I opened it, it was the one with her picture.