Member-only story
Treasured Hopes
A dystopian short…
I walked through the wasteland that was once verdant park-lands. Where trees once stood were charred remains with the occasional trunk of a tree still standing, blackened hollows and bare, much like the land they stood upon, wizened fingers pointing towards the blue sky.
There was no more grass, only dry and desolate soil, devoid of life. I ran my fingers through the dry and dusty soil, yearning to feel the gentleness of the blades of grass and flowers. Where I could once smell flowers and the freshness of the earth, I was now met with the acrid stench of death and decay.
Our world had suffered so much because of us and all we were left with was a barren land where nothing grew or lived. I despaired for what once was. As I was lost in thought, crouched down and still running my fingers through the almost dusty soil, my hand nearly withdrew quickly after being startled and hitting something solid buried just under the surface. I gently brushed away the soil and saw something small and shiny protruding out of the earth. I picked it up and held it closer to inspect it.
I was holding a silver heart shaped locket, big and chunky. It looked like it had seen better days. The front of it had a small, delicate engraving of a flower and the other side remained smooth, although a little dented. It was still beautiful, and the only…
