A Different World

Part 3

Mia didn’t think when she got the Heart-shaped locket where it would lead her to.

“Let’s get to it Mia,” John remarked. “This has just become extremely intriguing”. “I’d like that John, I’m feeling somewhat nervous though”. According to what Granddad wrote we have to stand facing the heat so the only thing I can think of is the fireplace. And the red and white could mean blood cells or the dark red bricks and off white mortar, and the hearth is the bottom part of the fireplace”. What do you think John? Could that be it”?

“I think you’ve nailed it, Mia”. “Okay then let’s do this,” she said quite chirpy. They both went and stood on the hearth standing facing the fireplace. “Oh, John can you go and get Granddads journal, please? Just in case”. Mia said with urgency. “Sure”, he raced over grabbed the journal and returned to stand beside Mia again. “Thanks, John” she stared at John for a while thinking he is quite remarkable. “Are you alright Mia?” he asked. “Um yes, just lost in thought for a second”.

“Okay, let’s begin this thing”. Not knowing what would happen, Mia decided to interlock her right arm with Johns left arm. “Put your arm through John”. He eagerly obliged. She held the opened heart-shaped locket in both hands and began to press her thumbs on both sides. They stood there for a minute. “Nothing happened,” she said in regret. With their arms still locked together, John opens the journal on page 106 again to read through the entries once more. “I get it” he pointed to one of them and read it out loud. “Digits do tell, even on both sides be free, the journey begins that will lead you to me”. “Try it again Mia, make sure you use the sides of your thumbs with even pressure”. “Okay,” she said, “nothing to lose”. Mia tried it again then something started to happen.

A small blue pin light of energy began to emerge from within the fireplace and grew in length reaching towards the locket in Mia’s hands. She started to shake. “Keep still Mia,” he said in a soft soothing voice. “The last entry says, ‘The pin light will begin, BK will keep you within, do not let go”. “So whatever happens, don’t let go!”

Mia held on with even pressure and the blue pin light reached her locket. From around her thumbs, a swirling mist of blue translucent light began to grow. Mia said with a nervous voice, “ my thumbs are tingling John”. John replied, “don’t let go Mia”.

The light has now grown brighter and enveloped her whole hands. Then small blue-white particles began to emerge from the locket and spun around her hands in an elliptical way.

“O, M, G” is what she said. The strands of blue-white ellipses grew bigger and started to envelop her and John, lighting the area around them with the same iridescent colour that was inside the locket when it was first opened. Growing in size the room began to fill with the same blue mist and blue-white particles. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “Just like you,” remarked John. Mia looked at John and said, “What”? He followed up by saying, “The colours around you are beautiful. You are glowing!” So are you John,” It’s quite magical?”

Everything started spinning faster and faster with more intensity of colours and size. The room had filled with very bright and very intense shades of blue light. The colour then started to change to a green hue. “Oh, my gosh,” she remarked, “this is exhilarating”. Then all of a sudden all the light from within the room snapped back abruptly to the locket with such force that it knocked them both down. Mia fell to the left. John fell to the right and bumped his head on the mantel before he fell to the floor. In the blink of an eye, the room was back to normal.

Stunned with the power of what they both had witnessed they didn’t say a thing. They just gazed at each other. John was holding his head from the pain that he was experiencing. They sat there on the floor for a while, Mia started to smile, so did John. Then they both started laughing. John started to wince in pain. “Are you okay John?” she asked. “I’ll be okay, I think,” John replied.

“Look at this,” Mia said in a surprised tone, looking at the locket. “The colours on the inside turned from blue to green, now it’s green, that’s a good thing isn’t it John”. “I guess it is Mia”. He lifted his hand off his head to stand up when he noticed some blood on his hand. Mia asked, “What happened”? “I banged my head on the mantel. She stood up to take a look at his head. “Ooh, you have a nasty bump there. I'll get something to dress it”. She helped him to his feet and walks him to the lounge. “I won’t be a minute”. Mia returns with some first aid. She sits beside him and asks him to lay his head down on her lap and begins to disinfect the area and wraps his head with a bandage. “Thank you, Mia” You’re welcome John, that’s the least I could do. He sat up again and they both gazed into each other’s eyes. John lent forward towards Mia and kissed her on her lips. Mia pulled her head away suddenly. “Oh, I’m so sorry Mia”. “That’s okay John, you took me by surprise that’s all".

"Oh Lordy, look at the time, it’s 11:30 we have to get up early for the convention tomorrow, the limo will be here at 8 am. I hope your head feels better by the morning John”. “I’m sure it will be,” he replied. “Come on she said I’ll help you up the stairs to your room”. “Sure, thanks, Mia”.

The next morning Mia had her shower and made them both breakfast. She went to wake up John, he was taking a shower. “Hi John, how are you?” she asked. “I’m good thanks Mia, nearly finished in here”. Okay, great, I’ve made us both some breakfast. Just come down when you’re ready”. “Don’t forget your coat and bag”. She said as he turned the water off. “Okay, I won’t be long” A few minutes later he came down the stairs carrying his coat, bag and put them on the floor near the front door, walked over and sat down at the dining table where two glasses of juice were placed. Mia walked in with two plates of scrambled eggs, sausages and grilled tomatoes. “I hope this is okay for you John, how’s your head”? “Still a bit sore, what a night that was. If it wasn’t for this bump on my head, I would have thought it was all a dream”. Chuckling, Mia replied, “It wasn’t a dream”. John remarked, “this smells delicious”!

They finished their breakfast cleaned the plates and glasses and Mia decided they should wait for the limo outside. John agreed. They walked over to the entrance. Mia picked up her coat put it on, John did the same and they picked up their bags with their conference notes, laptops and they headed towards the front door. “We should be back by about seven tonight Boris”, said Mia. Boris didn’t reply as he usually did. “That’s strange,” she said. “Boris must be updating, when he does that his vocals get turned off.” “That makes sense,” remarked John. He opened the front door and they walked outside right on time at 8 am.

John turned towards Mia and asked, “Do you have your locket and grandfathers journal, Mia”? “Yes, I’m wearing my locket and have the journal in my bag”. “Is the colour still green”? He asked. “Yes, it is” She replied.

“That’s weird” Mia started looking around, “why does everything appear different?” “I have no idea. said John, "what looks different?” He turned around to look in the same direction. Mia said, “everything does”. “Is it because it’s snowing,” he asked. “No, It’s too quiet. No one is around, no cars or anything”. She said.

“Could it be that it’s Sunday perhaps”? “No silly, that was yesterday”. “Today is Monday”. She remarked. “Oh, yes, it has to be Monday then”. Where would everyone be?” he asked. “I, literally have no idea”. She said. “I’ll check my phone, have you got yours, John?” “It’s in my bag”. As Mia was getting her phone out of her coat pocket she heard the sound of a message received. Then a message sound came from Johns phone. They both looked at their phones in disbelief and utter shock.

The message read as.

Marshal Law has now been Implemented. Stay home and keep off the streets. Anyone moving about without a permit will be shot or arrested.

John spoke first, “What the fu..”. What do you think it means Mia”. “ I have no idea John, none at all. It must be some kind of a joke”. They both lifted their eyes and looked at each other. “I bet it’s from someone at the convention”. She said. John asked her, “Do you know anyone at the convention?” “No, I don’t, Elizabeth Tate was going there. You know, our colleague from England but she sent me an email the other day and told me she’s expecting any day so she wouldn’t be going”. “Come to think of things looking weird around here look at all the windows”. "They are all boarded up Mia”. “I’m sure they weren’t like that yesterday John when we walked to the Bar & Grill and back from there”. “You know, you are right Mia. I remember seeing lights from windows, and people were walking about and cars were all around”. “Today it’s all different”, she said. “And what’s with the barbed wire on top of the houses and buildings around here”?

Unconsciously they start to hear in the distance a kind of rumbling sound.

John looks at his phone again and asks her another question. “Mia, what is the time and date on your phone”? She has another look at her phone. “What the hell, 8:30 am Monday 2056, this is so freaky, what’s going on”? They both look at each other again and John says, Last night with your locket, I think it did more than we first thought. Perhaps it transported us into the future somehow”. They both looked at each other in stunned silence.

The rumbling sound grew louder now and was almost on top of them. “What is, that, noise?. He asked while looking down the road. “John,” she yelled, It’s coming from that end of the road”. John turned around to see a convoy of army vehicles and soldiers running on both sides of them. One soldier stopped and opened fire on a pedestrian, an old lady that was walking very slowly. “Oh, My God” Mia yelled and started to cry. “Shhh, come on Mia let’s get back inside”. Mia slid her thumb on the touchpad to open the front door. “It’s not working John and they are getting closer”. She tried it, again and again, the door just didn’t open. John decided to try using the doorknob it turned and the door swung inwards. They both scrambled inside dragging their bags.

“What the hell is going on”? She cried. “Calm down Mia”, John said. “There has to be an explanation for all of this. Mia yelled at John, “I just witnessed a lady executed John, and you’re telling me to calm down”. He grabbed her and held her in his arms. “You forget Mia, I’ve seen this happen in my home country many times. I’ve told you about it before”. “Yes you’re right John, I’m sorry for yelling at you”. “That’s quite alright Mia”. “I’m sorry too, that you had to witness that”.