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Heart

The Cure

By Colleen MarlettPublished 3 years ago 10 min read
1
Don't lose heart!

Heart

The wind was blowing so hard against their bodies it felt as if they were pushing against a freight train. “Wait, is this wind? Maybe it is a freight train headed towards us...how would we know the difference?” Dalla’s mind wandered even with the monumental task at hand. She grabbed the rope around her waist and looked back at her partners in crime, to make sure they were still in tow. They were, but they looked no more happy about the situation they were in than Dalla was. What had they gotten themselves into?

It had been 15 years since the world had died. 15 years since Dalla, Arwen and Shepard had been born underground. 15 years since whoever had survived the virus took to the underground to live, not even knowing if their community was the only one. There were 50 children born since the virus, ranging in age from 1 to 15, there were a couple dozen others who were now young adults and then of course those older...the one’s in charge. They had forged survival underground, but for Dalla and her friends, all the stories of the earth above had proven to be a strong pull. The virus had not only killed humans but made the earth uninhabitable for any living thing, or so the stories went. No one had set foot on the earth's soil from their community since going underground and all but a periscope was what they had to keep tabs on the surface.

The landscape was grey, harsh with dead trees bending in the wind, or absolute stillness with days of scorching sun. Nothing in between. The rule was that the hatch never be opened or the virus would seep in. They were sure the virus must still live or the earth would have healed. But Dalla was willing to take her chances and so was Arwen and Shepard, if there was any possibility there was something out there that could save the earth...save them all from life under a low ceiling, artificial light and recycled air. They’d rather die from the virus, than never have tried to live like those before them. Besides, things underground had become a little unstable, chaotic at times. Something was brewing with those in charge. More secrets were all around the young and they somehow knew it was now or never.

The three stopped to gather their bearings, unrolling a large tarp they had stolen from the supply cave. Huddling underneath the tarps protection, the three were grateful for a small bit of calm. As they caught their breath Dalla thought she had to say it out loud; “do you want to go back?” There was a second of silence before Arwen and Shepard spoke simultaneously, “There's no going back”. “Ok then, we’ve been out 4 hours. The old Farm house is said to be 4 miles due North of the hatch. The compass says we are right on track. All we can do is keep moving. We could be there before the sun goes down.” They all shook their heads in agreement. It was true this trek was taking much longer than it should under regular circumstances, but the environment was unfriendly, almost as if it were fighting them on purpose. Besides by now everyone knew they were missing, and everyone knew that unless they came back with what they sought, they were never going back down the hatch again. Either way these kids were resigned to this fact as none of the three ever wanted to go back.

As they struggled ahead, Dalla kept rolling over in her mind all the stories she had heard about the virus. How one woman, Fidelia, had lived long enough to supposedly concoct an antidote that would allow the earth to heal and living things to become immune from the world destroying toxin. But she had been 85 when she came down. She said she hadn’t had the time needed to retrieve her remedy, a remedy most of those in charge didn’t believe existed. Fidelia’s mind had started to fail her and she lived only a short time underground. Her conversations became one of a mad woman’s rantings. She had once been one of the world's leading virologists, but if she had the cure, why hadn’t it been important enough to make sure she had it with her? Why didn’t she use it instead of going underground? Those were the questions and the answers were never given. Dalla had the impression, from the whispers she had overheard as a child and more recently, that some might know a little more than they were letting on. It seemed as if a few believed the remedy was in Fidelia’s house. She had hidden the last bit of what she could save amidst the madness of the end, inside a heart shaped locket. But why do that with something so important? While still alive but not all there, she spoke of the locket time and time again. However, no one really believed her and no one in charge was ever going to risk their lives or the lives of others to find out. They were content with the civilization they had built and in no hurry to be exposed to a virus they themselves almost didn’t survive. The fact that some, although a few, did believe the talk and the others didn’t, seemed to be causing a rift. Dalla, Shepard and Arwen, the three oldest of the generation born underground, felt it was time. Time to find out what was true and what wasn’t. Even if it meant finding out it was all an old woman’s fantasy, that none of it was true, this trio had made up their minds. Life above ground or no life at all.

The three had trekked on for another four hours when they decided to stop again. This time they hit the jackpot. Off in the distance Shepard spotted the house. It sat all alone and had to be Fidelia’s house. They headed inside for the first time all day. Standing silently in the middle of the room, they looked all around. What they were looking for, no one really knew, but none of them had ever seen an actual house before. They began to assess themselves. No fevers, no rash…..their breathing was fine. “How long did they say after being infected would we start to show symptoms?” Dalla asked….no one knew. It was dark in the house now too. No electricity of course but moonlight shown throughout the windows and gave them enough light to start their search.

They started downstairs, meticulously looking through drawers, under cushions, beneath the rugs, behind furniture, but they did not find the necklace. They headed up the stairs. The rooms were three so they each chose one and entered. Before they started they gave each other one last hug; this had to be it. They had made a pack they’d never go back under the hatch, but deep down, they hoped it was only because they found the cure and never had to. They had to find the locket.

As Dalla entered the room she had chosen to search, she noticed the moon light strewn across the floor. She followed its dusty trail to the end as it landed on a box next to the door. Something was tugging at her insides. She walked to the box and opened it. Inside was the heart-shaped locket Fidelia had told everyone about. She called out for the boys who came running. She held the locket in her hand, “We’ve found it. If Fidelia was telling the truth, this locket holds the cure to healing the earth....To life above ground and safe from the virus. We did it.” Dalla said. The others swallowed hard as they waited for Dalla to make her next move. “Open it” Arwen said. “ And then what? We aren’t equipped to deal with a vaccine, or antidote or whatever might be in there” Shepard said. “What were we thinking?” he finished, sounding a little panicked. “Then why did we come here, risk our lives, if it wasn’t for answers?” They were all in agreement. They would open it.

Dalla opened the locket and a small piece of folded paper fell out onto the floor. There was nothing else inside. They all looked confused. Shepard reached for the paper and handed it to Dalla. “Open it. Maybe the answer is inside?” Dalla held her breath, then started to read out loud the words written on the paper. It was a letter from Fidelia which read;

“If you are reading this, I am long gone and most likely so is civilization and the world. If you found this it must be because someone remembered the lunatic rantings of an old woman. Someone still had a little hope left that what I was saying must be true and went to find my locket for a cure. And I am equally sure that the someone who ventured out to find this cure was exactly the person, or people who are needed to exact the healing. I know you're probably confused and had expected to find some sort of chemical concoction. But, unfortunately that cure, I was unable to come up with in time to save the planet from what you now must be living with. However, the cure does lie within this locket to heal the earth and forge a world above ground. I must say that I think it all a little absurd that anyone actually thought a medicinal approach to healing the world would be viable after all this time, especially when only kept inside a piece of jewelry. But nonetheless happy that someone had enough “heart” within them, to try to seek it out. I was counting on that. Because “heart” is what it will take to heal this world. That's it. That’s the answer. That's all there is to it. You see before the virus took it all, we had already lost our hearts as humans. We didn’t care about the planet, we didn’t care about the well being of our neighbors, all we cared about was ourselves. Finding that heart within humanity will be what saves it. That's not an easy task. Those left that lived in that heartless world and survived underground, won’t be very willing to believe this, because the truth is, that generation didn’t even realize when it was happening and there was still time to turn things around. As stewards of this planet and all living things it was they who let it all die. Just know they won't come to this understanding easily. I suspect it will be that generation who were young when they went underground and especially the generation born and never had set foot above, who will be the ones to find this locket, because they will have not lost heart and will harbor great hope for what could be. They will be the pioneers of this new world, wanting something better for themselves and those to come. The virus is dead as it has no host to live off of. But starting over, you will deal with these things again. You will have hard work ahead of you, However I believe it can be done. You will need to learn new technology. You will need ways to harness the old to rebuild, but you will need to learn from the past and not make the same mistakes. I know this can be done and I promise you with your heart leading you is how.

That’s all I have left to say. I don’t know how long it will be before this is read, but I want to say thank you to whomever does find this. Thank you for your faith, your gumption and the “heart” it took to go and find the answers. Here’s to a new chapter!

Yours, Fidelia "

Short Story
1

About the Creator

Colleen Marlett

I'm a writer by nature and I love to BBQ...Santa Maria Style, that is. I am also the survivor of a rare and aggressive gynecological cancer (SCCC/LCCC) and advocate. Mother, Wife, Caterer, restaurateur, Owner of www.filthyfillys.com

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