The Heart-Shaped Locket

I’ve never seen something real before…

I often wonder what it was like before our bracelets were invented... I wonder what it was like for everything to be real.

Many years ago — way before my time — the government distributed these bracelets. I look down at my wrist and stare at the weird metal contraction. They're the best thing that ever happened to the world, our teachers and parents tell us…

They stopped pretty much all violence in the world. Everything real was either burnt or bombed. We started from scratch as a new civilisation. Our bracelets allowed us to interact with “hologram” objects. I’m not really sure how it works though. I’ve never been the science type.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to live in fear; to not be able to walk alone at night like I'm doing now. My mother never spoke about time before bracelets. She wasn't around then. Her mother was though. I imagine she knows more than she lets on.

I should be thankful, she tells me.

I should be grateful…

If someone was to try and hurt me, my bracelet would work against theirs and stop them from getting close to me. I remember my science teacher explaining something about magnets and brain signals, but it was never how the bracelets worked that interested me.

Likewise, if someone tried to use a knife on me, or any other object intending harm, my bracelet would temporarily make me immune to its contact; it would go straight through me like a hologram typically would.

Of course, once every few years there was someone who decided to take off their bracelet… We don't really talk about them though.

It's usually people who were around before bracelets were introduced, anyway. We're told not to worry about them though, they are a dying breed… all at least over 80.

That’s what interests me though.

I know I’m not supposed to think about this stuff, but as I walk along the footpath leading me back to my house, I wonder what it would be like to live in a time without our bracelets. It’s not like I could read about it either… all books from before then were destroyed along with everything else real. Sometimes I wonder if I’m even real.

One of the only supposedly real things we have is water — to wash ourselves. But even then I'm suspicious of its realness.

The moon is almost full tonight; to the normal person it would appear as if it is. I've always had a thing for the moon and its phases though.

As I round the corner nearing my house, I see a flash of light out the corner of my eye. Halting in my tracks, I stop and stare at glimmer of light coming from the bushes beside me.

I slowly look around me making sure I’m alone, before drawing my attention back to the light. I slowly approach it. As I get closer, I realise it’s not a light but an object. Why is it absorbing light though?

No — not absorbing… it was reflecting.

But hologram objects don’t reflect light. That was something even I knew. I looked up at the moon and down to the object and realised that’s what it was reflecting from. That means the moon must be real then… right? I hope it is.

This was all too confusing…

The clothes on my body aren’t real.

The street signs aren’t real.

Our houses aren’t real.

Does everyone else think about this as much as me? Probably not.

I crouch down towards the reflecting object, stretching my hand out towards it. I go to pick it up but jolt in shock when my skin makes contact with it. It's … how do I describe this sensation. In my mind, I likened it to the Winter season, the left tap in the shower, and the rain. It was cold. Hologram objects don't change temperatures...

I reach out for it again, picking it up this time. Holding it up in front of me, I realise its… a necklace? It has a small silver chain with a button-sized pendant in the shape of a heart.

I tilt it back towards the moon, and stare in awe as it once again catches it's light. It looks old. It was definitely older than me. The pendant has little scratches all over that I can now see with the moon's light. The chain is the same — covered in scratches. I’d have to be careful not to break it then.

Wait… hologram objects are immune to damage. Could it be real? It would make sense, after all. There were too many thing not adding up.

Firstly, it reflects light, secondly its cold, and thirdly, it's damaged. There’s only one way I can find out if it’s real.

I have to take off my bracelet.

I warily analyse my surroundings once again, ensuring no one is around to see what I’m about to do. I crouch behind a nearby bush before releasing a shaky breath. If this necklace truly is real, I’ll still be able to touch it without my bracelet. I take it off.

I’d never taken my bracelet off before. It was rare to meet someone who had. Luckily for me, or unlucky depending on how you view it, I had a friend who had. Her name’s Anna.

One day a little over a year ago she came to school pale as a ghost…

“What’s wrong?” I questioned as we walked through the bustling hallway.

She looked up at me for the first time since she’d gotten to school, “I took it off,” she said in a shaky voice, fear evident in her tone.

“YOU WHAT?” I whisper shouted at her.

“Shhh!” She exclaimed with wide eyes, looking around to make sure no one heard what she’d said. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into a nearby classroom. Once she was sure we were alone she continued, “Last night. I took it off.” I looked at her in surprise. I’d never heard of someone taking it off before.

“Tell me everything,” I said eagerness evident in my voice.

“I don't know what happened, I guess curiosity got the better of me or something. I was lying in bed staring at it wondering what would happen if I took it off. So I did.” Her whole body shuttered.

I gave her a reassuring smile.

“I fell straight through the bed, and then through the floor. I guess I should've expected it since they’re not real but it’s something you don't really think about, you know? I ended up on below our house surrounded by rats and bugs.”

I made a disgusted face in response.

“I started running as fast as I could. I could barely see where I was going because it was so dark, but eventually I ended up past where the house began and made it onto the street. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

She took a few breaths before continuing.

“Obviously I couldn’t get back in the house because I couldn’t touch anything, so I started screaming as loud as I could. My parents woke up and brought me my bracelet once they saw what happened. Never again…”

You’d think our bracelets would have a lock or something, to prevent us from taking them off. I guess they realised however, that like Anna, we’d willingly put them back on. It’s not like we could do much without them anyway.

Despite this, my desire to know if I’d actually found something real was too strong. So as I crouch here, behind the bush, I undo its clasp slowly. Wait, my thoughts interrupt me, will my clothes disappear? It's a weird thought to have, but fairly reasonable considering the circumstances. I should’ve asked Anna, except I guess that wasn’t the first thing that went through my mind when she told me what happened. My bracelet allows me to touch the holograms, so what if my hologram clothing cant touch me once its off? Oh well, at least I'm hidden by the bushes. I need to know if it's real or not.

I make sure I’m on real ground before taking the bracelet off the rest of the way. I gently place it on the grass next to me. I slowly look down at my body, scared that my clothes wont be on anymore. A sigh of relief leaves my mouth as I see they’re still there. I reach down to touch them only to see my hand go straight through them and make contact with my skin. Wow… thats creepy.

Taking a deep breath, I reach back for the necklace.

My skin makes contact with the cold silver. It's real.

A scuffling noise jolts me from my thoughts. I anxiously look for its source hoping no one saw me. I have no idea what would happen to me if anyone saw me without my bracelet on, or worse, if anyone realised I’d found something real. Real stuff like this doesn't exist anymore.

I felt stupid that in such a short amount of time I'd come to care so much about what happened to this necklace. I’d become weirdly attached to it. I don't know why though. It’s not like it was mine. Well — I guess it was now because there’s no way in the world I’m leaving it here.

I quickly put my bracelet back on and clasp the necklace around my neck. The icy chill of the metal against my chest was comforting, but it also lit a fire inside of me. I wanted to know how it got here and why someone would leave something so precious here for anyone to find.

I look around to see if there are any new indicators of where the noise came from. Deciding I’m alone, I quickly walk home — Slow enough to not draw attention, but quick enough to increase my heart rate even more than it already had after finding the necklace.

I got home and quietly made my way to my room. My parents were both asleep, thankfully. After closing my door with a gentle push and seating myself on my bed, I pulled the necklace out from under my shirt and undid the clasp. It was a little warmer now, and I stared at it in wonder. Must be my body heat, I conclude. How weird.

I turn on my bedside lamp and inspect the necklace closer now that I’m alone. It’s only now that I realise the pendant is actually a locket. My eyes widen. Could there be something inside?

Gently clicking it open, my lips part in shock.

This would change everything.