War of Hearts | John Murphy x OC

Chapter 1: Earth

When I was little I thought space was the most beautiful thing I had ever witnessed. It was an endless void full of the unknown that I could stare into for forever, captivated by the idea that I was just an incredibly small part of the universe and if I were out there, it would be just be me and the stars. If I was lucky, I could sometimes catch a glimpse of a meteor in the distance before it was burned by the Earth's atmosphere or watch in awe as we passed by the moon. Occasionally, we would even pass by aged and broken satellites from The Before that didn't fall back down to the ground. However, I couldn't help but feel like nothing was quite as bewitching as staring at the planet our space station orbited around.

I still remember the first time I fully took in the size and color of the Earth. Almost five years old, I placed my hand on the thick window in front of me in the room my family called home on Alpha Station. The Earth was thousands of miles below and yet it seemed like if I could only reach out, I would be able to touch the clouds swirling above its surface. In a mesmerized way, my fingers traced the outline of the land where the brown and green separated from the blue as I imagined what it would be like if I was really there.

Suddenly, a figure sat down next to me," What're you looking at honey?"

My mother had her strawberry colored hair twisted into a bun and she was wearing casual clothes, ones she wore when she was off duty. It was a simple outfit that contrasted her usual scrubs that she wore day to day for her work at med station, but it was a relief that I got to spend time with her. Her shoulders looked relaxed, free of the tension they usually held and her eyes held an air of curiosity as she awaited my answer.

I hesitated slightly, trying to find the words, " I'm looking at the Earth. It's really pretty."

She laughed softly before glancing out the window," Isn't it? You know, one day you may be able to see the beauty of Earth up close."

"But I can see Earth right now!" I said, not fully grasping what she was saying.

Giving me a knowing look, she smiled slightly at my reply and tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear," You're one hundred percent right, but one day we'll be able to return to Earth. It just isn't safe for us right now."

Standing up, she dusted off her pants and offered me her hand," Come on now, it's time for dinner. You can look at the Earth later when we're done."

Reluctantly, I tore my gaze away from the window and took her hand. Before we made it out the door, I snuck a look back at the green and blue planet, wondering if I would really be able to see it in person one day just like I imagined.

XXX

The sounds of shouts coming from the corridor woke me from my midafternoon nap in my sweet, sweet prison cell. I studied the metal ceiling, finding every single scratch and indent I had already committed to memory and sighed. A loud bang came from the wall closest to me where another prison cell resided. Groaning, I sat up, annoyed that I couldn't get some peace and quiet for once. You'd think that after years of being locked up in solitary people would get bored and yet they still found ways to make a commotion. Taking a deep breath, I backed myself up on what the guards called a bed so that my feet were hanging off and my back was against the wall. Feeling bored, I decided to start counting to one-hundred. There wasn't much you could do when locked up in solitary and anything was considered entertainment to me, even if that meant I was going a little crazy.

More shouts sounded from the hallway, echoing and reverberating off the open space between all of the prison cells. Letting my curiosity get the best of me, I crossed the small space of my cell to the heavy door that was to the right of my bed. Carefully, I pressed my ear to the door, hoping to pick out any meaningful words from the shouting that could tell me what was going on. Loud footsteps suddenly approached my door before stopping and I prayed to the universe that they just so happened to be resting there. Then there was an audible click paired with a long beep as my door was unlocked. Quickly, I stepped back from the heavy door as it opened, cursing whoever decided my fate.