Lock It

So I entered myself into a challenge. Write about a locket in a dystopian society. I enjoyed myself writing this.

“Lock it,”..the young raspy voice whispered, pulling Annie from her thoughts. ”Locket?” she asked out loud, staring at the battered piece of jewelry lying on the desk. Layers of dust covered it as if it had been in the middle of this desert storm for years. And it definitely was a desert. This place used to be lush with palm trees and beautiful crystal blue water surrounding the island of bright green grass. She remembered looking at pictures of the old Key West, small islands off the southern coast of Florida. A beautiful oasis for snorkeling and sailing, with white beaches and an ocean filled with swordfish, sea turtles, sharks, plenty of exotic and tasty water-bound creatures as far as the eye can see. As she looked down at the now dry ocean floor, all she saw were bones and heartache.

The antiquated cabin stood near the bridge that would take you back to what was once Homestead, Florida, the only place in 50 miles where you could find water. They now called it “Finalmente La Cuidad del Agua,” Finally the City of Water. Millions of people flooded the City when it was announced that they could rebuild the water plants destroyed long ago. Thankfully, it still rained non-stop during monsoon season, and all who lived beyond the city line took advantage, building enormous containers above ground. These containers were heavily guarded as most of the country was on water rations. If you didn’t save your own water, you were shit out of luck and would have to trek down to Finalmente, hoping to get on the water list. The more precious the item for trade, the more you contributed to the city, the more water you could have. It was all about the barter system to those in power. Money was no longer of value. Water was the new currency.

Land animals were left as nourishment, for vegetables and fruit could no longer be sustained without a lasting water supply, and most plant life died off many years ago. All that was left were small areas of grassy patches saved to keep cattle fed for human consumption.

Many people traveled from the west, where rain was limited, and migrated to more humid areas. The middle of the Country was abandoned save for those who didn’t want to be found. They usually ended up dying of dehydration or finding less savory ways to survive. Annie shuddered as she thought of the long journey she took from Oklahoma. Electricity was also scarce. Windmills and Solar Panels outlasted everything else. Those who had and could use them were seen as the upper echelon, those who didn’t well..more power to them. Annie chuckled at her little joke. She took a bite of her jerky and stared down at the locket in front of her. “Lock it,” the young voice again, this time louder and more sure of itself. “Yes, locket. Got it”, Annie answered.

Annie looked around. Where was that voice coming from? The cabinet was small, and everything inside it looked as if nothing was touched for ages. There was a tiny kitchen to her left that was very tidy but also layered in dust. The family area to her right contained a medium-sized couch facing a 30-inch flat-screen tv. Curious, Annie walked over. Televisions were not seen or used by many as they took too much energy to use. Annie had only ever seen them in drawings. As she stepped in front of it, she thought she saw a shadow flick to her right where a door was. Annie quickly clenched her fist, anticipating a fight, and realized she had grabbed the locket.

The locket was about 4 times the size of a quarter, heart-shaped with a small keyhole in its center. Annie used a piece of her shirt to wipe it down and realized it was made of gold. It glimmered in the sun as she held it up to the window. It was gorgeous. I was not closed all the way, so Annie opened it to find a clear packet and in it what looked like four seeds.

“LOCK IT,” the young voice was now loud and pleading. The sound was coming from the door that Annie had been eying before staring at the locket. “I HAVE YOUR STUPID LOCKET,” Annie answered in a panic. Then silence. Annie put the locket in her bag and slowly pulled out her ax. This ax kept her alive during many nights during her travels. She was able to find the occasional cacti her father taught her about and used them to stay hydrated but cutting them open and drinking what liquid they provided. Small groups of water bandits didn’t want to mess with the young traveler, who very obviously knew how to handle her weapon. She’d used it before, and she would use it again. She would have to fight if she was going to stay in the cabinet, and she would need to stay there for the night.

Night creatures roamed the seafloor looking for anything that had flesh, human or not; if they could dominate you, you were food. They instinctively knew not to go into houses. Houses meant guns, and that meant death. No night creature ever ventured into one of those four-walled structures and made it out alive. Annie knew that whoever was in the cabin with her was either going to share or fight the elements.

She got to the door and quickly opened it raising her ax, ready for battle, then gasped. Inside the door was a small bed and two sets of drawers. The room was also small but was not dusty at all and quite lived in. Annie slowly put the ax down as it dawned on her. “Oh,” she sighed. Two children huddled closer together, both very frightened. Annie could tell they hadn’t been living in the cabin for a while but made themselves at home in the comfort of the bedroom. She pulled out her canister and a pink plastic cup. “Water?”. Both children scrambled towards her and waited as she poured a cup. The older child, a boy, took the cup and gave it to his sister, who gulped the water down. He then patiently waited his turn, and he too gulped it down. After a while, all three of them sat on the bed. Annie stared at both of them. She opened the palm of her hand, showing the lovely piece of jewelry, and said, “locket.” The young girl looked at her amused, pointed to her brother then the door as she announced, “lock it.” The three of them all laughed for a long while.