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Cassie and the Heart Shaped Locket

The Shape of Things To Come

By R.S. HaspielPublished 3 years ago 9 min read
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Cassie walked along the deserted beach as she thought of her mom’s passing that week. Most of the activity seemed a blur as she went over the discovery of her mom’s body and subsequent funeral preparations. She regretted not keeping in better touch with her mom but distance and job requirements always seemed to take precedence. She welcomed the calm of the ocean and the serenity of the beach as she watched the shorebirds being chased by the foamy surf. A sudden glint from a nearby rock caught her eye. Even as the sun was going down there seemed to be a reflection from something partially buried in the sand by the rock. As she watched the sun hover just above the horizon, she got closer to the glinting object. As she knelt down, she brushed the sand from around the rock. A heart-shaped outline began to take form. As she picked up the silver heart-shaped locket she looked around to see if there was anyone else around. She also wondered why the silver hadn’t affected the smooth finish of the locket. Surely between the sand and the saltwater there should have been some abrasion on this piece of jewelry. Even the chain was intact. Cassie walked down to the water’s edge and washed off the remaining stubborn sand. She tried to open the locket but the clasp seemed to be stuck.

“Oh well…guess you’re coming home with me.”

She said as if informing the seagull that was standing on a rock in front of her. Cassie was grateful that she rented the small cottage up from the beach since for the first time in a while she felt relaxed. She opened the door, slid the keys and locket on the table and proceeded to leave her sandals on the porch. As she turned on the tv the scent of garlic wafted in the air. Cassie’s roommate Angie had come along to help her with her mother’s funeral and as moral support. She also was an excellent cook.

“So…what’s on the menu for this evening my dear chef?”

Angie scowled as she brushed away the long black hair from her forehead as she spoke.

“ Well considering what was available at that tiny market your lucky to get any dinner. Shrimp with garlic and something resembling spinach and some out-of-date frozen dinner rolls.”

Cassie smiled as she grabbed the wine bottle from her beach bag and rummaged in a drawer for a bottle opener. As the women sat down with their plates, they both starred at the ensuing chaos on tv that was developing in the surrounding cities. Protests turned into riots and roving bands of militia were keeping local police busy with shootouts.

“Guess we’re staying put for a while. Do you think we will have a problem here? I mean this is such a small sea side community….they …”

Angie seemed concerned as she buttered a warmed dinner roll. Cassie let out a sigh realizing it was one more issue she would have to deal with. Cassie knew from experience how desperate people acted during times of devastation whether it be from hurricanes , tornadoes or earthquakes. When she served in the National Guard and was deployed to these areas she watched as people scavenged and stole from their neighbors. She watched as adults would push away children in wheelchairs so that they could get the gallon jugs of water she was passing out, young teens in gangs roving thru neighborhoods terrorizing the elderly were all scenes she experienced firsthand.

“Maybe I’ll take a run up to that hardware store tomorrow for some additional ammo. Luckily I always carry Gracie with me so we shall see.”

Angie took a sip of wine as she looked at Cassie.

“See….I always knew you were a bad ass!”

Both women continued to watch the television.

The next day saw a flurry of trucks and SUVs as Cassie made her way to the hardware store. A line of people had already formed at the cashier’s area. Cassie went over to a harried stock boy and asked for several boxes of .45 ammo. Gun sales were slowing up most sales people and Cassie was glad she already owned a handgun and rifle. She looked again at the shotguns but most already had ‘sold’ tags on them. As more people poured into the store Cassie began to get nervous and caught a cashier as she was going on duty. She quickly got in her SUV and headed back to her cottage.

Angie seemed glued to the tv as every station seemed to have a slightly different view of the riots that were now escalating. Covid -19 didn’t seem to slow down gatherings which were now starting to take a violent turn. Whether it be protests over vaccines, elections or government restrictions everyone seemed to be carrying a gun. Cassie needed to distance her self from the scenes on the tv. She told Angie she was going for a walk on the beach.

“Do you think that’s wise considering what’s going on?”

Angie’s voice crackled as she spoke. Cassie turned to face her as she grabbed the heart shaped locket.

“I don’t think considering what’s happening the beach is going to be very popular. Besides, I won’t go far.”

Cassie slipped on her sandals and headed down the stairs towards the beach. As she looked at the waves and the blueness of the sky, she thought it surreal that just over the dunes was a totally different world. It was a world of terror, desperation and lack of control. As she sat down on the beach chair, she took out the mysterious locket that she came across the other day. She used her Swiss Army knife to try and pry open the locket. It still wouldn’t budge until she realized that maybe simply pushing the clasp might help. As she pushed it open a bright light surrounded her chair and as she blocked her eyes with one hand her other began to get very warm. Suddenly in front of her where the ocean had been now stood and image hovering slightly above the sand. It was a scene from the hardware store where she had been that morning. A bearded man with a red cap came into the store bearing a semi-automatic weapon and started shooting in the direction of the weapons counter. Several men came from behind him and started collecting weapons. The staff attempted to return fire but their handguns were no match for the type of weapons the men had. Cassie couldn’t move as she looked around at the bodies crumpled on the ground with blood starting to ooze out onto the floor. She dropped the locket which closed upon hitting the sand.

“What the hell just happened?”

She spoke out loud as if trying to validate what she just saw. She reached down and picked up the heart-shaped locket. She stood up and headed back to the cottage. As she came thru the door, she could see Angie sitting on the couch holding her knees in an almost fetal position as she watched the television.

“Angie…are you okay?”

All she could do is point to the tv. The headlines read ‘Live’ and ‘Breaking News’. There in front of Cassie was the scene outside of the hardware store where several people had been shot by a crazed gunman. The police were awaiting SWAT as the news continued to come in. Was what she had just seen out on the beach really true? And how was it true? Cassie tried to open the locket again but, like before it seemed stuck.

Cassie walked outside to the deck and tried to open the locket. Once again, a bright light burst forward as a vision of a burned-out town was in front of her. As she looked around, she could see the burned shell of the hardware store and storefront windows broken. Cars were damaged and small fires could be seen in some of the stores. As the image faded Cassie looked at the ocean. She turned and walked back in to signed of erupting chaos on the tv.

“We need to leave…now!”

Angie had been with Cassie long enough to know when she was being serious and matter of fact. This was one of those times. She got up and started packing while Cassie pulled food supplies. As she carried the box of food to the vehicle, she remembered the MRE packages she always carried as an emergency camp supply incase one of them forgot to shop before hiking. She never thought she would have to use it for true survival. As Cassie turned, she could see the smoke from the hardware store but now there was several columns of black smoke. She ran into the cottage and hurriedly packed. She looked around for anything that could be useful since she figured the owners wouldn’t mind. Since there were aluminum hurricane shutters on the beach side of the cottage Cassie pulled them across and secured them just incase, they had to come back and make a stand. The women’s packing of the car that was once methodical and organized now looked like a bunch of children had packed it. As they got into the vehicle Cassie made sure that her handgun Gracie was by her side. She was glad she had a full tank of gas but wished she had an extra gas tank. She knew her Toyota would handle the miles she just wasn’t sure how far she would have to travel to find a safe haven. As they drove thru the town people were still milling around half dazed. Some were trying to sweep up while others were frantically packing their vehicles. There was a slight bottle neck as they got out of town but Cassie knew a dirt road shortcut that might get them past the line. As she took the small dirt road off to the right, she wondered what sparked the outbreak of mass violence. She looked over at Angie who still seemed to be in shock over what she saw. Cassie wondered if Victoria and the island would be okay. It was a favorite place to visit when she was a kid.

As the women drove thru the night the radio news seemed to paint a picture of utter destruction. But as they reached the border a vivid bright light could be seen in their rear-view mirror followed by a mushroom cloud. The Border Patrol stood watching as Cassie drove past them. Cassie knew if you were within viewing of a mushroom cloud, you were in danger of not only radiation but a EMP burst. Even though the cloud was at quite a distance Cassie quickly looked for a place they would possibly be shielded. Since she was following the Powell River, she found a tunnel which was large enough for her to drive into. She turned off the vehicle and starred at the locket afraid to open it. The two women would wait. Cassie would wait not knowing what the new vision from the heart-shaped locket would bring.

humanity
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About the Creator

R.S. Haspiel

62 year old retired Science teacher, Animal Cruelty Investigator, Wildlife Photographer & Writer (R.S. Haspiel).

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