Curio

The Heart-Shaped Locket

My heart raced. It raced so much so, that it almost hurt.

I took a step forward. The scarf around my face was scratchy, and the edges of my goggles trapped sweat between the rubber and skin.

"Move!" yelled the man.

I was on a beam sticking out of a building, and the ground was very far below. The man behind me? He was using me to reach the end of the beam. I had nowhere else to go. So I inched forward.

I glanced down, and that familiar feeling arose, the feeling like I was going to fall. My eyes snapped back up. I took a breath and advanced another step. The beam was open to the sun, and with each step I took, specks of rust dropped from the beam. Everything was silent.

I didn't dare close my eyes, but I opened my fingers a little more. The sun was baking today, my throat could feel the heat in every breath.

I very carefully lowered my body and felt along the end of the beam. There it was, a small red box tied underneath.

My watch beeped at me, and I paused.

"Hey!" I yelled. Only my echo answered.

"There's a storm coming in!" I continued.

The man decided to respond to that. "Is the box there?"

"Yes, but it's tied too well, I would need more time."

I had about five minutes to carefully back up to safety. I also had five minutes to figure out how to ensure I'd live once I got there. That man was going to either kill me or keep me hostage until after the storm so he could make me walk back out here. Then he would probably kill me.

"Come back then, you'll have to get it later!"

So, he'll be killing me later. The odds are better for me on that one.

I slowly pivot to face my left. I look at my toes, they're hanging over the edge. I can see them moving underneath the fabric of my shoes. They work tirelessly to hold my balance.

I can feel the adrenaline pounding in my ears, but continue pivoting until I face the man waiting twenty feet away. I needed to be there in less than four minutes.

"Snohelmega" I whispered. It was something I heard a group of people say one time. I was a little girl then, and there were three groups of us in the valley. Now there is only one, I am lucky to be in that group. The other two groups died or ran away.

I stepped forward, paused, then stepped again.

I did this a few more times, and then sacrificed some time to slowly bring my watch to my face.

Two more minutes. Thrill consumed my body. I've noticed that the tick of time has a funny way of dancing between misery and peace.

"Move faster! It's coming!" the man urged.

He was right, I wasn't going to make it unless I moved faster. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark cloud in the distance. I refused to look, I would allow myself to look when I got closer to safety. I moved forward again, and then again. My watch beeped.

One minute.

My nose burned as it began to suck in the hot air faster. I pushed myself to move quickly. I had about five feet left.

I recognized it immediately, the extra fabric on my clothes began flapping, and an invisible force started lightly pulling on me. My eyes widened and my whole body tensed as I braced for the force. And it hit me. The first preliminary gust of the storm. I felt my weight shift, and couldn't help but let out a yell as I lost my balance.