The Heart of O'Henry

The End

Stella was standing beside Elise, stroking her hand softly. ‘Mama, I love you. Just rest, you will be okay.’ But as soon as the words came out of her mouth, Stella knew she wouldn’t be. Life as I know it is over. Stella thought to herself. Shaking her head, Stella took out her journal and began to write.

June 25, 2022

The world is falling apart. The President collapsed in the middle of a press conference today. The Vice-President is still in the hospital as far as the press is saying, after a collapse 2 weeks ago. They made a grand gesture of getting their vaccines for this latest virus, live on television, 3 weeks ago.

Half of Congress is sick. Our economy is collapsing after the latest pandemic shutdown protocol.

I don’t understand, the world leaders gathered together to plan for social justice, over-population, disaster and epidemics just like this last year. But now even those world leaders are dying.

Mama has never believed in vaccines. She taught me to grow herbs & other nutritious plants and create our own food and medicine from that.

Her job required her to get this vaccine. Jobs and money are so scarce after this latest shutdown. With much deliberation, she finally agreed to take the new vaccine; so she could keep her job.

Four days ago, Mama had a bad reaction to the vaccine and she had to be hospitalized. I could no longer care for her. I failed her. All the years of study in energy healing, herbs, and apothecary remedies, I just couldn’t counteract the effects of the Nano-technology in the vaccine. She’s dying and all I can do is stand by and watch.

We have lost so many people in this small Colorado town already. The funeral home can’t keep up with the amount of people being brought to them. Most of the people we were close to are gone; and I don’t have any idea what I am supposed to do if Mama dies too.

Elise stirred and opened her eyes for the first time in 4 days, almost as if she could read Stella’s thoughts. ‘Stella, come close,' she said as she struggled to sit up. Taking Stella’s hand, Elise said, ‘I love you dear girl. I won’t make it through the night. Hush now, I need you to be strong and do exactly as I say. Promise me.’

Stella nodded with uncontrollable tears spilling out of her eyes. ‘I promise, Mama.’

Elise continued, ‘After I am gone, they will take you to a center for survivors. You have to leave now. I want you to go straight to the car, if anyone tries to stop you, just tell them you are going to the car to get your homework.’

‘Drive to the house, there is a bag already packed with the supplies you will need in the back of my closet. In the front zipper of the bag is a gold heart locket & a GPS, take it out and remove the picture. Behind the picture you will find coordinates etched into the locket. Enter those in the GPS, replace the picture and put the necklace on. Then gather a bag of clothes and anything else you want to take with you quickly.

'Leave your cell phone on the table, there is a burner phone in the bag if you need one. But only use it to locate gas or something like that. Don’t use it to call anyone we know or they will be able to trace it and track you down. These are crazy times and things will get worse before they are better. Load it all in the car and head toward those coordinates. You will be met there by family.

‘I know you won’t remember them but you can trust them. You have to be quick, you won’t have much time after I am gone. They will send someone to find you. Promise me, when you leave here, you will walk out like nothing is wrong and you will do exactly as I say. I love you so much my beautiful girl. Give Grandma Estelle my eternal love. Kiss me goodbye and go now.’

Stella, leaned down and kissed her mama for the last time whispering,’ Mama, I love you so much.’ She took a deep breath and slowly and deliberately walked down the hall. When Stella got to the front door, she saw the hospital security guard, Jonathan. She took another deep breath, chiding herself, just act normal Stella, and greeted him, ‘Hey Jonathon, how are you today?’

Jonathan looked up from his book, ‘Hi Stella, how is your mom today? You don’t look well, are you feeling okay?’

Stella forced a smile,’ Yes, I am just tired. Mama seems to be doing better, she did wake up for the first time in four days; so maybe she is turning the corner. She woke up and told me to go home and get my homework. I guess that is a good sign.’

Jonathan laughed, ‘That sounds like a very good sign. I guess you better do what she says.’

Stella shook her head as she walked out the door. Once in the car, she started shaking, but she took another deep breath and held herself together. I have to honor mama’s last request, even if I don’t understand it.

Stella drove home, went straight to Mama’s closet, she found the heart shaped gold locket and GPS in the bag. She removed the picture, entered the coordinates, replaced the picture and went to her room to pack her things.

It didn’t take long, she grabbed some clothes, her bag of dried herbs, her herbal books, some apothecary supplies, and toiletries. She packed an ice chest with food and water, loaded it all in the car and was out on the road in 30 minutes. She had no idea where she was going; but thankfully the car was filled up so she didn’t have to stop for gas.

Interesting, Stella remembered, when the ambulance took mama to the hospital, she told me to stop at the gas station on the way and fill it up. Then to take the debit card and pull all the money out of the bank a little at a time over the next couple days from the hospital ATM. Stella realized Elise had been preparing this for a while now.

Stella drove until she couldn’t see through the tears that refused to be contained. She was on a forest road in the middle of nowhere. She turned down a small dirt road just a little ways so as not to be seen from the road. She turned the car off, put her head in her hands and let the tears flow.

She was exhausted from sitting up at the hospital with her mama and from fear and grief. She cried herself to sleep, then shortly awoke with a start and a crick in her neck. It was dark. She turned the car on, grabbed a snack and a water from the ice chest to try and keep herself awake and drove on.

The Key

The coordinates led her to a dimly lit parking lot off a hiking trail. There was only one other vehicle there. Stella pulled up and got out of the car.

A dark-haired girl got out of the truck and walked toward her. ‘I’ve been expecting you, what took you so long?’

‘Who are you and how were you expecting me? I didn’t even know I was coming until a few hours ago.’

‘My apologies, I’m Raven, Estelle received word from Elise that you were on your way. You are Stella, correct? Do you have the key?’ When Stella didn’t move, Raven asked, ‘the key that Elise gave you?’

Confused, Stella reached into her blouse and lifted out the locket. ‘This is all she gave me, I don’t have a key, unless there is one in the bag. ‘

Raven then revealed her own locket. ‘That is the key. The Heart of O’Henry. It is the symbol of our Celtic ancestry. We should go. Load your things into the truck we will leave your car here. Leave the ice chest; it will look like you went hiking. When they come looking for you; they will lose your trail here.’ The girls loaded Stella’s supplies into the truck.

As she turned back on the road, Raven continued, ‘We have a cloaked community. No one is admitted without the key. It is passed down from one to another in our families on our 18th birthday. But since you won’t be 18 until next month and you had to leave in a hurry without Elise, I’m sure you may be a bit confused. The community is kept secret until adulthood, when you are given the choice to join the community or live in the land. Estelle will explain it all to you when we get back.

‘With the events going on in the land right now, there are many who are returning to the community. Estelle had hoped Elise would bring you back when things turned bad in the land, but Elise refused. When she chose to take the vaccine, Elise contacted Estelle saying that she would send you back to the community if she fell ill.'

They drove through the mountains for several hours. Stella, pretended to sleep. She was exhausted, confused and basically numb at this point.

At day break, they pulled up to a locked gate in the middle of nowhere. It looked like any other metal ranch gate with one exception, PRIVATE was welded in the middle of it. Raven got out and unlocked the gate, pulled through and relocked it.

They drove another thirty minutes on a windy, dirt track up the side of mountains and down through canyons. They came to large metal doors in an opening of a giant brick wall reminiscent of a castle wall. It seemed to go on for a long way. As they approached, the metal doors began to open. When they drove through, Stella saw there were young men with guns standing on either side.

Grandma Estelle

Raven drove up to a cheerful house across from what appeared to be a town square. Stella noticed that this place was like a walled town from her history books. This feels like a sanctuary from the death that is taking place everywhere else, Stella thought. It is almost as if I stepped back in time.

The door to the house opened and an older version of her mother stepped out. Stella gasped at the likeness. Stella composed herself and opened the truck door. ‘Hello, I am Stella,’ she said with an outstretched hand.

Grandma Estelle grabbed her in a smothering embrace. ‘Of course you are, you look just like my beautiful Elise when she was your age. I have missed her and you so much. I haven’t seen you since you were three. Come in, I’m sure you are exhausted and you must have many questions.’

Stella turned to grab her bags. But, Estelle took her arm and said, ‘no leave it, Raven and her brother James will bring it in. Here he comes now.’

When Stella stepped into the house, a flood of memories immediately hit her. But mostly, she remembered the smell. It smells like honey cakes, lavender, lemon and happiness. This overwhelmed her senses and she collapsed onto a nearby sofa in a fit of sobs.

Estelle, wrapped her arms around her beautiful granddaughter as they comforted each other in their shared grief.

‘You’re safe, my sweet girl. Safe from the death and destruction of the land. Safe in the Heart of O’Henry. Let’s get you to bed. I’m sure you could do with a good night’s rest. Tomorrow, I will show you around and tell you about our Celtic Heritage and the power and significance of the Heart of O’Henry.’