Heart-Shaped Box

Of all the things I could have remembered, there's just this one memory of her that plays on repeat in my dreams. I was looking up at her, and her pale blonde hair, streaked with mud, flowed out behind her as the wind blew. I remember her weathered boots with frayed laces, and the dusty, grey trench coat with splatters of blood on the sleeves; sleeves that were too long for her because it was our father's trench coat, our father's blood. Although she smiled at me, I could tell from the look in her eyes, that this would be the last time I saw her. Her friend and our charismatic leader, Myoko, rested a hand on her shoulder, and gave me a sad smile. "Treven, it's time. It's now or never." I jumped up and ran into Trevin's arms. "Don't go," I cried. "Who's going to play battle boats with me?" Myoko gave us a moment alone. "Teach Kai how to play. I bet she would love to play with you, and before you know it, we'll be together again." I squeezed her tighter. "I don't want to. She's annoying," I whined. "Hey, don't say that. Give her a chance. You, and Celeste are all she's got."

"She doesn't even talk though."

"She will. Listen, we've all had hard times. These are the hardest times we've ever had. Some of us go through it differently but I promise you, you'll be best friends. And me and Myoko are gonna kick some asses, and then we'll have the biggest celebration, with the biggest bonfire you've ever seen!"

"You promise?"

"Of course. I'll be back before you know it. I love you so much," she said and hugged me tightly before letting me sit in Celeste's lap. "Take care of her. She's all I got," she said, looking at Celeste. "Don't worry about a thing. Go, go, before they leave without you. Myoko is impatient, you know." She waved at Trevin as she turned and ran to Myoko. Her brown, wrinkled fingers curved slightly where arthritis had set in. She settled her arms around me. Tears pooled in my eyes, and flooded my cheeks. Celeste kissed the top of my head. "Don't cry little dove. It will all be okay," she said, more so to convince herself it seemed. Life had not been easy for our group of misfit nomads, and things would be harder still with more than half of us marching away. Makeshift warriors, and self-taught medics kicked up dust as they headed to make a final stand against a government that promised us opportunity and prosperity but only delivered stinking piles of poverty and broken dreams and shoved it down our throats. I watched as Trevin and the rest of the convoy faded in the distance, when suddenly I saw Trevin turn and start running back. I could hear Myoko calling out to her, but she kept coming. "What in the world?" Celeste said, as she squinted her eyes, her hand shielding her eyes from the sun and dust. Trevin was maybe sixty yards away. I tore out of Celeste's arms, and ran to Trevin. I jumped into her arms. She hugged me quickly, then pried me away from her. She kneeled in front of me. "Alyce, listen to me carefully. This is super important, okay? Give me your hand." I hesitated briefly before she snatched my hand from my side. She pushed something into my palm, and closed my fingers around it. "This is the most important thing you'll ever own. Protect it with your life. Do you understand?" I stared at her. She grabbed my shoulders. "Alyce! Tell me you understand! There's no time left!"

"Okay, yea! I understand. You're hurting me!" She let me go, and said, "This is the key to everything. It will change the world, but you can't tell anyone you have it, okay? Not even Celeste. It's that important. Keep it a secret, okay?"

"What am I supposed to do?"

"She got up, and said, "Someday, you'll know. It was mom's and now it's yours. I have to go. Run to Celeste."

"No, I'm coming with you!"

"No way. I'm not losing you too. Go! Now!" she yelled in that voice I hated. I turned on my heel and ran as fast as I could. I reached Celeste gasping for air. I breathed dry, desert air into my lungs and Trevin faded away, or at least, this is how the dream normally goes. This time was slightly different. Instead of Trevin fading away completely, she turned and faced us. She called my name. "Alyce! Alyce!" I tried to answer her, but nothing came out of my mouth. "Alyce! Alyce! Alyce!" I tried to run to her, but my body couldn't move. I heard my name a final time but it was as if someone whispered it in my ear.

My eyes snapped open, and focused on a pair of chocolate brown eyes peering down at me. Black, curly tendrils nearly touched my face. "Kai, what are you-"

"Shh. Do you hear that?" she whispered. She was sitting on her knees on the edge of my bed. She was looking over the edge, waiting. "Hear what?" I answered.

"Shhh!" She put her finger to her lips and gave me a look as if to say "shut up already". In a sudden movement, she reached down and plucked something from under my bed. Dangling from her fingers was a little reddish-brown scorpion.

"Ugh, gross. Throw it outside please." Kai giggled mischievously. "But he needs a friend and you need a pet," she said and started to bring the scorpion closer to me. "Don't," I growled at her. Kai giggled again. "I'm just kidding." She hopped off my bed and flung the little bastard out of my canvas tent. She untied the top part of the flap and flung the two sides open. A rush of dry, dusty air and sunshine filled my humble abode. I hissed playfully and covered my face with my pillow. "Mm er vim purr," I said from under the pillow. "Huh? I can't understand you," said Kai and she pushed the pillow off my face. "I said I'm a vampire." Kai rolled her eyes. "Come on lazy. We got things to do," she said, and stood at the open flap, and stretched her arms above her head. The sun gleamed off her golden bronze skin, and her dark curls shined, and swayed in the breeze. My sister made a lot of promises that never came true but one thing she was right about was Kai. Kai was a sad, silent little girl but you would never know that now. Kai barely ever shut up, she was the life of the party, and my best friend. Kai was my everything. I suddenly blushed and pushed the thought from my mind.

"Seriously, let's go. It's Ration Day! Hurry up, and meet me at Celeste's," she called back to me as she hurried away. Ration day was a lot like pay day. Once a month, per an agreement that was made between nomadic tribes and the government ten years ago, they promised to meet our basic needs, we promised not to be a pain in the ass. In addition, we were barred from major cities but they wouldn't raid us in the outskirts. Surprisingly, the tools kept their promise but just barely. Ration Day was the best day of the month. Our water tanks were refilled which meant everyone could shower for one half hour as opposed to a two to five minute shower as water dwindled at the end of the month. The food storage was replenished but most of us only ever got to eat once a day, twice if you found some lizards or edible cacti. It was better than nothing.

I kicked the sheet of my legs and sat up. I picked up my shorts, and pulled them on. I slipped my leather sandals on and crossed and tied the thin leather straps around my ankles. There was no need to wear boots today. Nobody worked on ration day except to collect their share, to shower, and help prepare the monthly bonfire and community meal. Sometimes, I hated sitting at the bonfire. People liked to bring up the past, and I just wanted to forget it. Our group used to be nomadic, moving on when food and water became scarce, but when our soldiers left, my sister and Myoko included, we stayed and waited. One month became six months, six months became a year. A few of us moved on to find other groups to join with, but most of us just stayed there, waiting. They never made it back. Not one of our people came back, but still we stayed. Ten years passed; tents became structures, and strangers became our neighbors. Before long, our nomadic tribe of fifty became a small settlement of two hundred on the outskirts of Omega, the largest, most technologically advanced city in North America and completely off limits to us. I walked over to my small, hand-made table. I reached under it and pulled a small leather bag from the under side. I opened it and put it's contents in the palm of my hand. It was a tarnished silver locket, but not a usual locket that held pictures. This locket was more like a small, heavy, heart-shaped box that seemingly couldn't open or at least, it had never opened for me. It looked as though it had been put together in pieces, a tiny silver puzzle on a chain. "Most important possession she said; it will change the world she said," I thought to myself. "But what has it ever changed?" I said aloud. I put the locket and chain away, and returned it to the under side of the table. Locket or no locket, the world was exactly the same. Just then, I heard screams outside and a terrible screeching sound in the distance.