The Heart-Shaped Locket

It was all she had left of him; the locket he gave her; well before her planet became the barren wasteland it now was. She could still go to him by simply opening its tiny door and stepping inside. But it hurt her far too much, for she knew it was a fleeting moment. Inside this heart-shaped locket was an interactive hologram, so that she may never forget him if things ever got this bad; and clearly, they had. These days, it seemed best to forget her old life; easier somehow. Her thoughts of him quickly snapped back to reality as she heard the loud roar of a motorcycle engine. But how? The planet’s resources were well past dried up, that’s why the rest of them left. Her planet had died, and they were all to blame.

Their greed wiped out what used to be New York City; leaving behind a dry expanse of rubble and soot; casting shadows on the once bustling epicenter of the world. She ducked behind the nearest mountain of remnants, to hide from the incoming obtrusive sound. Tucking the locket inside her tattered old t-shirt, she pulled her knees close to her chest; hoping to make herself invisible. The sound stopped. Her heart pounded in her chest as she heard footsteps. Definitely a man’s footsteps; heavy, long strides. As the footsteps came closer, she prepared to fight for her life. She pulled her buck knife out of her pocket; out of habit, simply because it never failed her. That’s when she saw him. His dark, deep-set eyes darting back and forth. She wondered what or who he was searching for.

He couldn’t be simply scouting the area, looking for rations like she had been, could he? No. He looked like a man on a mission. Clenched jaw, fingers wrapped tightly around the handle of an impressively long Buoy knife. He looked like he was hunting and there hadn’t been animals seen in the area in years. He was most certainly hunting a person. He didn’t look familiar so it couldn’t be her he was looking for right? She felt like her heart would pound out of her chest as her mind swam. That’s when he saw it, her bag. She felt for her hip instinctively, where it typically rested. It wasn’t there. He looked around quickly, as if knowing she was still nearby. Everything she collected, everything she held dear, all of her belongings were in that bag. That bag was the closest she had to a home. She couldn’t let him take it nor help himself to its’ contents.

She jumped up, running at him. He stood defensively, at first, before realizing her stature in relation to his, and then stood up straight and let out a chuckle of amusement. He clearly saw her as no threat. She was immediately bothered by the fact that he would judge her so quickly.

“Give me my bag”, she said, clawing the bag from his hand. He was definitely amused.

“Relax kid”, he said with a chuckle. “I’m not here to steal from you…or hurt you.”

How dare he call her that!? He had such a youthful ruggedness about him, there was no way he was old enough to refer to her as “kid”. Sure, the elements weren’t exactly kind to one’s health and well-being but he was definitely not weathered enough to be her elder. Not that it mattered much, either way. What did matter, was that there was something about him that got under her skin.

She couldn’t allow herself to get close to anyone; let her guard down, so she brushed him off as cocky. He could be useful though. His size alone made him a well-suited protector. It didn’t hurt that he was armed to the teeth. Underneath his makeshift armor, she could tell he was strong. She liked that he didn’t seem like the typical “dumb brute”. Plus, it had been years since she had been able to hold a conversation with another human being. People were few and far in between these days. She asked him about himself; where he was from, how he’d survived this long. He shrugged, said he didn’t need any friends, so if she didn’t mind, he’d be on his way. So, she let him go.

He spent the entire rest of the day thinking about her; looking over his shoulder to see if she’d followed him. He tried denying himself the fact that he had hoped that she was. She had attitude. He liked that. She was small, but had a lot of fight in her. She could be useful. Too bad he hated people. It was better if he kept to himself. She had to be smart though. Real smart. Smart enough to last, on her own, this long. Was she alone? Did she have someone? Surely not. Any real man would’ve been with her, protecting her. Why wasn’t anyone protecting her? She’s not your problem, just leave it. But there was something about her. She amused him. He wanted to know more, without sharing too much of himself. She couldn’t know him like that.

She tripped and accidentally kicked a pile of rocks over. He must’ve heard it. Her eyes darted left to right. He stopped. Looked up and around; over his shoulder. Shit! He definitely heard her.

“You there, kid?”, followed by that chuckle of his. What was she afraid of? Not him, that’s for sure. Of liking him far too much? That’s more likely.

She arched an eyebrow at him; stepping out from her hiding place, “Maybe”.

He chuckled again. Was she really that amusing?

“My curiosity got the best of me. I wondered where you were headed.”

He cocked his head in response, as if thoughtful. “Just traveling, but you can come along. I’m sure you could use the protection.”

She didn’t know whether to be annoyed at his statement or grateful to the fact that she could finally get a full rest with both eyes closed, with him there keeping watch. Like she thought, useful. She let his comment go with a look. He seemed to understand.

“Not much further and we’ll camp for the night, I know a place.” She followed him in silence, not wanting to press her luck. He wasn’t much of a talker.

They got to the outskirts of what used to be a nice neighborhood. When the bombs went off, some of the rubble fell, just so, to where it made mildly habitable spots; however temporary. He had her wait nearby to make sure it was secure. He gave the signal and she snuck in quickly. It was small and cramped, especially next to someone of his stature. She was so used to fitting in tiny places with ease but he was about a foot taller than her and at least three times as wide; solid muscle. There was no way they’d be comfortable in here, even if only til morning. He took off his jacket and laid it down in the dirt, sat next to it and patted the jacket, motioning for her to come sit. As she walked towards him, he put his arm out for her to lay on. She didn’t know him well enough for this level of intimacy but it was cold and uncomfortable, so she was grateful for his consideration of her. She laid facing the entrance to their hiding place. He immediately threw his impressively large arm around her and pulled her close to him. Within minutes, she could hear the quiet hum of him snoring in her ear. The sheer weight of his arm held her in place the entire night. She didn’t mind, she felt safe. It had been so long since she’d laid next to anyone but he was so warm. She couldn’t help but drift into a deep sleep.

When she awoke, he was cooking something over an open fire he must’ve recently built. It smelled divine. How could he possibly wield such culinary skills when there was nothing left of the civilized world? He’d found his old secret stash, undiscovered and undisturbed. Inside was a weeks’ worth of rations for at least two people. Real food; not the insects and bits of vegetation she’s survived on thus far. She inhaled deeply as she moved closer to him, “mmmmmmm”.

He had just begun spooning the meal into makeshift bowls. She couldn’t wait to taste it. It was a stew of sorts, that contained real meat and vegetables, which she hadn’t had in years. He told her how he’d gotten into meal prepping and canning before it had all happened. He knew it was gonna hit the fan well before many would even begin to admit it.

“The Earth’s climate wasn’t the only thing you could feel changing at the time. Everything was changing so quickly, even the people. I just don’t understand how no one saw it coming. They were so filled with greed and selfishness that they couldn’t see the rapid descent of our world. Or maybe they understood exactly what they were doing, they just didn’t care. This is why the human race deserved every bit of their downfall.”

“But that includes us. We’re the human race too, ya know?”, she said between bites.

“Only the strong survive…says something about you, now, doesn’t it?”, followed by his signature chuckle.

“You never told me your name.”, her curiosity never at bay.

“Doesn’t matter, call me what you want.”

She didn’t like that much.

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll call you Red. How’s that? And you can call me…. Dash”.

She shrugged. That’ll do for now. She liked the intrigue that came with nicknames; the pure mystery. She’d find out as much as she could, about him, if he’d let her. Having human interaction, like this, was sending her head into a whirlwind of questions.

He couldn’t understand why he didn’t feel the need to have his guard up with her. Maybe a little, but not fully. He was willing to let her close enough, whatever that meant. Baby steps. After his last relationship ended terribly, he never bothered getting close to anyone else before the world fell. He assumed she had some stories, too; emotional wounds of her own. She’d talk about herself if she wanted, no real rush. He noticed the chain around her neck, but it dipped far below the neckline so he couldn’t see the heart-shaped locket that held the demons of her past. He only noticed because she seemed to fidget with it when nervous. He hoped he wasn’t the reason for her being nervous. He meant her no harm. He meant to take care of her. Neither realized it yet, but he was hers now and she his. They would stick together.

There were far too many dangers, to be alone now. She had come to appreciate her solitude, and for him it was his preference. But now, the tides were turning. She may have finally found someone to help her forget; someone to start fresh with. It was risky but could be so worth it. He was distant, true. However, she figured out quickly that he almost had a weakness for her. He liked to watch her, usually with a look of amusement on his face. Annoyingly condescending at first, or so it seemed to her, but she easily learned his quirks. Things were so easy between them, it was almost as if they’d known each other before the world fell.

It may have seemed rushed but she felt she could trust him. Then again, rushed was all they had now. One never knew when their time would be up; when some rogue cannibal might come and end them in their sleep. This was the only semblance of normalcy they could find; in each other. She quickly proved her vast knowledge and skillset, as did he. This could work.