In Arwen's Heart

“I love it when it rains,” Arwen whispered as she looked up out her window. While she watched the rainfall between the skyscrapers. She was bursting with excitement, which is no surprise given what day it is.

“Arwen, are you up? You don’t want to keep Benjamin waiting.”

“Mom! There is no way I would be late today,” Arwen’s excitement continued to build up inside her.

“I’m just making sure, are you leaving soon?”

“In a minute,” Arwen wanted to savior this day. She wanted to burn every detail in her mind so she could remember it for the rest of her life. As she looked out her window she thought about how special her life was going to become. Today was the day Benjamin and Arwen would get their response from the Guardians on their union and procreation application. Arwen then went to her bed and grabbed a small bag with a baby blue ribbon on top. Arwen wiped tears from her eyes as she walked into the kitchen.

Arwen’s mother looked up from her cup of coffee, “honey, you’re going to be late and I don’t want you running in this rain,” she then looked at the black band on her wrist and slowly stated, “PG!” bright blue LED rings began to show brightly on the black band, “send directions to Redline diner to Arwen.” “Mom, I do not need dire-” Arwen’s PG then projected a blue digital map in front of her and stated in its synthetic voice, “it will take Arwen fourteen minutes to arrive at, Redline diner.”

Arwen had grown extremely annoyed with how often her mother used her parental privilege to activate her PG. “Mom, why can’t you just let me do things on my own?” Arwen set her hand on the kitchen counter, her pale skin showing starkly against the black countertop.

“Arwen, I am just trying to help,” her mother’s voice echoing frustration.

“Well don’t I-”

“Beep,” Arwen and her mother’s PGs beeped a low pitch in unison as the blue rings on it lit up.

“I’m sorry,” Arwen and her mother said to each other at the same time. They both smiled and laughed.

“Honey, you’re are seriously going to be late. Even though I think you rush into some things, I am very proud of you.” Arwen’s mother smiled.

“Thanks, mom. I won’t be gone too long.”

Arwen blew her mother a kiss, grabbed her umbrella, and headed out the door. Arwen got to the bus stop outside her apartment complex right as the next bus arrived. She made sure to carefully step over a puddle before stepping onto the bus. Arwen found a seat next to an elderly man in a black suit. She closed her eyes and focused on the rumbling of the bus as it drove over the poorly paved street. She took a deep breath thinking of how she loved the smell of the rain. The bus drove over a large pothole causing quite a disturbance for riders.

“I had hoped for a smoother final ride,” the old man said.

Arwen turned to him. “Final ride? What do you mean?” Arwen was surprised she had responded to him. It had been quite some time since a stranger had said something to her.

The old man looked down, “I’m on my way to the Resting Place.”

“I haven’t thought about that in years,” Arwen said softly.

“Almost nobody does anymore. At least not until the time comes that you must go.”

“I’m sure you’re proud to have that honor, to have served the Guardians well your whole life, and to now have this honor,” Arwen smiled brightly.

“Do you think it is an honor?” The old man was squinting at Arwen now. His mouth had become small, the wrinkles on his face curving and twisting as if he was trying to hold something back.

“The Guardians protect us and keep us safe. We honor what they do for us by following the rules and they honor us by allowing us to go to the Resting Place.” Arwen was proud of her response.

The old man leaned back and looked to the back end of the bus before turning back to lock eyes with Arwen. “So I should feel honored that my death has been decided for me?”

The old man’s PG made a grinding beep. He looked down at it angrily as Arwen clutched her umbrella and shifted in her seat.

“Let us ignore him for a moment,” the old man said as his PG beeped again. “Does my life not belong to me?” The old man asked.

Then another beep but louder. Arwen did not know what to say or do, she had never seen someone ignore multiple warnings from a PG before.

“I-I do not know the answer,” Arwen muttered as her PG lit up.

“You do know the answer it is written on your heart.” The old man’s PG turned red. “You know that these are wrong,” the old man was pointing to his PG now as it continually beeped and stated, “warning, warning, warning, restrictive actions will be taken.”

Arwen was terrified, she has no idea what to say. She looks down at her PG hoping for help.

“Ignore the Personal Guardian, you must never forget that who you are lies locked within your heart and never let anyone take that from you.” The old man stated before he clutched his arm in pain and hunched over for a moment. He then slowly leaned back up while his hand clutched his throat, his eyes widen as his mouth moves agape.

“Restrictive action has been taken, ignore the propaganda that has spoken,” stated the old man’s PG. Tears began to run down the old man’s face. Arwen noticed that the few other passengers on the bus were all staring at the old man. Then the bus came to a halt, it was Arwen’s stop. She looked at the old man and then stepped off the train, she watched as the bus drove away, the old man never looking away from her.

“Arwen!” Her PG stated loudly.

“What?”

“You have experienced a traumatic event you should head to the nearest Guardian station. It is six minutes away.”

Arwen took a deep breath, “I am fine PG, nothing to worry about.”

Arwen quickly made her way to the Redline Diner. As she opened the door she heard the familiar ring of the bell attached to the door. Then she noticed Benjamin sitting at a table by himself, he was wearing his lab coat with blue scrubs underneath.

“Ben!” Arwen exclaimed.

“Arwen!” Benjamin replied.

They gripped hands tightly before sitting in their booth. They stared at each other for a few moments. Arwen set her small bag on the table as Benjamin set a tiny box on the table.

“What is that?” Benjamin asked with a smile beaming on his face.

“Something for the future, what is that?” Arwen asked with an equally large smile.

“Something for you,” Benjamin replied.

Arwen’s heart was feeling as if it would sprout wings and fly out of her mouth. She knew this was the man she would unify with. Benjamin felt the same way.

“Ben, do you think we could open what I brought?”

“I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves but I let’s do it,” Benjamin said.

Arwen untied the ribbon and pulled out a small baby blue bear.

“It will be for our son,” Ben stated as tears welled up in his eyes. The two gripped hands tightly again.

“Should we open yours now?” Arwen asked.

“I think it would be better to wait till after we read the good news,” Ben said. “So should we get it to it? I have to be at the lab soon.”

“Of course, I don’t want you to get in trouble. Especially considering that your job is probably why we won’t be denied.”

“We won’t be denied because even the Guardians know that we are a perfect fit,” Benjamin stated confidently. “PG, open my message from the Department of Unions and Procreation.”

Benjamin’s PG dinged as a projection of a letter appeared before him. Benjamin reads, “Greetings, Arwen Alistair and Benjamin Post. The Department of Unions and Procreation has rejected your application to be unified and thus has also denied your application for legal procreation.” Ben stopped as his voice began to tremble.

“Ben, something must be wrong!” Arwen exclaimed as her PG beeped. “Just keep reading and remain calm, we don’t want any warnings.”

Benjamin’s PG beeped and stated, “Benjamin, stress and negative thoughts will affect your well-being you must calm yourself.”

Benjamin leaned back and ran his hands over his face and through his brown hair. “Okay, I’ll keep reading there must be some sort of mistake,” his PG beeped again. “N-no not a mistake, the Guardians would never make a mistake, but I’ll keep reading.” Benjamin inhaled and lowered his shoulders but his voice did not stop trembling. “Your application has been denied on the grounds of disease and condition risk. The department has found from your DNA samples, that if you were to be unified and procreate that your offspring would have too high a risk of,” Benjamin paused.

“Ben, what is it?” Arwen asked while on the verge of tears, her PG double beeped.

“A high risk of disease or emotional distress, this is crap,” Ben was interrupted by another beep. “I am not reading any more of that nonsense,” another beep.

“That’s just a stupid test what could it know about us!” Arwen yelled as her PG beeped and turned red.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen!” Benjamin exclaimed as he jumped from the booth and sprinted out the door. He had left behind his gift for Arwen, which she grabbed as she ran after him through the rain. They both sprinted through the street as Arwen continually called after Benjamin to get him to stop. Benjamin falls and Arwen gets down beside him grabbing onto him as both of their PGs beeps continually.

“Guardians are on their way, remain calm and cooperate,” their PGs state loudly.

“Ben! Calm down if you don’t calm down the Guardians will separate us forever and I won’t get to see you ever again!” Arwen yelled at the top of her lungs.

“Why would it matter if we could still see each other? What is the point if we cannot be together?” Benjamin yelled back.

Benjamin’s words cut through Arwen’s heart. She couldn’t think of anything to say, she sobbed as the beeping continued.

“Arwen, there’s no point to any of this. We cannot have any of our thoughts, we can’t question the Guardians. We can’t even be slightly upset about anything and now we can’t even have each other, there is no point in living in this hell anymore.” Ben stated as he leaned in to hug Arwen.

“I have wanted to hug you for so long, I don’t care anymore I just want us to be together. I love you, Arwen,” Ben cried out in pain as his PG began to shock him.

“Punishment has been applied. Do not resist correction further,” The PG stated in its inhumanly synthetic voice.

“Ben, I love you too.” Arwen then began to scream as her PG shocked her as well.

“Arwen, I wish we had opened your gift,” Ben said as he began to pull on his PG.

“Ben! Wait! Stop!” Arwen cried. Ben pulled his PG out from his wrist. His head jolted back and he collapsed against the wet pavement.

“Ben! No, you can’t leave me alone!” Arwen clutched Ben’s lifeless body. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out Ben’s gift. She opened it to find a heart-shaped locket with a pendant inside that read, “Our love is true.” The blaring of sirens began to echo down the street as Arwen looked up into the rain.

“I hate the rain,” she said.

“Beep.”