The Family Locket

“ I don’t know what you’re saying...What? Mom! Dad!” I punch and scream. Kicking at a translucent wall. They’re so calm. Pointing and mouthing words to me but I can’t hear them. “I need you! Please! I’m scared!” It all goes black. I don’t see them. I hear screams. Now I’m shaking crying under a tree. It feels so real. I feel so alone. I’m so cold my teeth chatter myself awake. Awake. Damn! I pinch myself. Hard. Yup, still here. Hell on Earth. Huffing and puffing I shove my pillow over my face to block the sun peeking through the window. I stretch and squirm both preparing for the day, as well as dreading my feet hitting the floor. It’s hard to do, but maybe if I squint my eyes hard enough I can fall back into it. I Used to be able to do that. Fall back into a dream. Sad the only thing I look forward to anymore is sleep. Even if it’s a nightmare. I’ve always been a furvent dreamer. Lately they feel more and more real.

The last day with my family was as normal as you could imagine. I had gotten home from my afternoon shift at Sonic. Mom was in the kitchen making dinner. Dad watching tv. Seth playing with his legos on the floor. “Dinner will be ready in 20!!” Mom sang in an upbeat acapella voice. “Be right there, just gonna get cleaned up.” As I walked to the the bathroom, I took off my necklace as I always did, and turned on the shower. I held the heart shaped pendant in my hand and my mind went straight to my 16th birthday. “You don’t know this, but you’re great grandma gifted this to my mom on her first wedding anniversary to your grandpa. The left side has a picture of them on their wedding day.” Mom explained as she got up to put it around my neck. “My mom handed it down to me on my 16th birthday. I filled it in with me and dad on the right.” She pointed to herself in the photo. “You know, you’re in this picture too right?” She smiled and kissed my forehead as she closed the locket. “A precious heirloom passed down three generations. Take good care of it baby girl. And it will take care of you.”

As I was getting into the shower the power went out. “Ugh, this day sucks.” My angsty teenage-self complained. I quickly shoved my jeans and T-shirt back on. Im not sure why, but I shoved my necklace into my pocket as I walked out into the hallway. It suddenly got eerily silent. I made eye contact with my dad. I’ve never seen him look so scared ever in my 16 years of life. I tried to take another step forward, but I couldn’t. There was this strong invisible force keeping my feet planted. Our front door flung open. That’s when we saw it. The darkest dismal grey sky you could ever imagine. In seconds every neighbor on our street were outside on their lawns looking up. It was like a dream. Panic and fear took over my whole body. All at once they swarmed us. In perfect synchronization. No news. No warning. Colossal silver disc’s as big as football fields everywhere. All of us frozen in our yards unable to move. All we saw was a great white light. I squeezed my eyes closed and thought of my family. I felt peace. And For that second I thought, “This is it.”

“Mom! Dad?!” Were the first words I remember yelling. In a snap I went from standing barefoot on my front lawn to standing in the middle of a corn field. I felt disoriented and confused. Looking around at my surroundings I saw people, but no farmiliar faces. I shakily walked a few yards not knowing where I was going. No one did. I felt like I was walking in circles when I heard crying. I would know that cry anywhere. “Seth! Seth! Buddy is that you? Please be you.” And that’s when I found him. My petrified little brother. Lying under a tree in the fetal position. Wide eyed, holding his legs shaking and crying. I’ve never hugged someone so hard in my life. The further we walked the more people we saw. Walking all over from different directions. Looking frazzled and confused. We walked for ages until we stumbled upon a barn. Didn’t take long to realize we were on a farm. Farm no name I call it. The first night Seth and I held each other as we cried. I somehow managed to fall asleep that night. Exhausted from the walk most likely. I dreamt I was riding a bike through a neighborhood. Little perfect mobile homes all white and the same. Rows and rows of them that went on infinitely in the middle of nowhere. I remember knowing this was a dream. Also, I somehow knew exactly where I was going. I turn up and down the pavements going left then right until I park my bike. This place felt so farmiliar to me. Once inside, I find my grandma standing in the kitchen. She Smiled and looked at me inquisitively. “Something bad has happened grandma. Seth and I, we are all alone. I don’t know what to do.” I cried. She held my chin in her palm not saying anything. All she did was smile and touched my heart. It wasn’t until the following day, as we explored our surroundings, I felt it. As I put my hand into my Jean pocket. I knew instantly what I had touched. My locket.

“Morning.” Seth whispers rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Ready to face the day?” I asked as I do every morning here. He nods as he yawns. “Same dream again?” He asks. “Was I tossing that bad?” I furrowed my brow. “Yup, and talking too.” He shrugged as he pulled on his overalls. I mess his hair and kiss his head like mom did. I never realized til looking at him today. He doesn’t look like a baby anymore. My strength stems from protecting him. I can’t lose him.

I know they’re studying us. Doing experiments most likely. No one knows when they’re next or why. The wind whips up. You can feel the vibration in the ground. Like a train off in the distance. Then comes the giant disc. Silence and bright light. Eventually you realize who is missing. They’re never seen again. Over time someone thought to gather flowers and throw pedals into the lake. Closest to a funeral we could do for the ones taken. They take turns saying something nice about the person. I never say anything. I try to find the words but can’t. All I can do is think a million times a day, “Where are they?” It consumes me. I yearn for my family.

Pretty fitting that Seth and I were assigned to work in the kitchen. My mom and grandma would be proud I guess. They’ve taught us everything we needed to know about cooking. Whether we liked to or not. I could bake a homemade pie by the time I was Seth’s age. We leave our barracks and start up the path to the coop to gather the eggs for breakfast. We then walk the path to the slaughter house to collect the meat. Once in the kitchen, I light the gas stoves and get the pans nice and hot. A memory floods in. “You know how I get your grandpa’s attention? Fry some bacon. Works like a charm.” Grandma would snicker. Cigarette hanging from the side of her mouth. Sure enough, into the kitchen grandpa would walk. “Agh! Damn bacon grease.” I snap out of it rubbing my arm. I push the thought away. It kills me that I don’t know where they are. “Bacon reminds me of grandma too.” Seth sighs.

We were all assigned jobs once we were placed here. Once the shock wore off, everyone agreed on who and whom would do what. The predators did communicate with us through the old radio with instructions when we arrived. It was the third day. A robotic monotone voice explained that we are to live out our days working and maintaining the farm. We are the last of human kind. The population will die with us. We are simply here for them to study. Around 200 of us were dropped onto this farm. It was was hard at first. Everyone scatter brained and argumentative. So many wanted to lead. But you can’t lead nothing. About twenty of us said we would take shifts in the kitchen cooking. In the 2 years we’ve been here, there’s a third of us left. No one really talks to one another anymore. We did at first. I even recall a few people coupling up. Befriended one another. But after being picked off one by one, you tend to stick to yourself. Keep your head down. Try to get through it. All the while always on high alert wondering when your time is up.

As night approaches, I grab a lantern for our walk back. “Let’s go bud. Time for sleep.” I say reaching for his hand. “You don’t have to hold my hand anymore. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not so little anymore.” He said as he crossed his arms. “You know, I have realized that.” I said smiling. “I think that’s the first time you smiled since being here.” He grinned. Now can I go to the bathroom? Alone? I’ll be so quick.” He begged folding his hands. “Ok, ok but stay close.” I preach. For once, I took the moment. Stretched my neck from side to side. Hung up my apron. I realized for the first time in a long time I was by myself. I took a second and looked around. Another first since being here, I pulled the necklace from my pocket and opened it. The pictures just as I remembered. “I love you.” I whisper touching the pictures. “I miss you every second.” Suddenly I feel it. The vibration. I hear it off in the distance. “Seth!” I yell, “Seth!” I run. Faster than I have in my life, “Sarah!” Seth screams out for me. I see it ping from the field, then again towards the barn. I run towards Seth. I grab hold of his hand. “Run!” We take off towards the road. Going as fast as our bodies could go. In a millisecond I realized we were running in place. “It’s too late. We’re not going anywhere. This is it isn’t it? He cried out. Then we saw it. The light. We felt the pull trying to lift us off the ground. But we weren’t going anywhere. The more intense the pull got, the harder our feet stayed planted to the earth. “Sarah, look.” Seth says in astonishment. The locket had interlaced through our fingers. “The light,” he said. “It’s not coming from the ship. It’s us.” I turn to face my brother and he turns to me. “Close your eyes and think of them.” I tell him. And I do the same. In that moment we both felt hope. Happiness. Love.

“Open your eyes.” A familiar voice whispers. “Mom?” Seth says. As I blink my eyes open I see them. My family. Behind them white mobile homes. Rows and rows. “Where do we go now? Seth asks.

“Home.” Grandma smiles as she takes my hand.