The Girl in the Locket

Prologue

The first thing that I remembered hearing, was the sound of waves lapping up against an unknown object. What I felt though, first and foremost, was this frequent stabbing pain from my flesh, that when paired with the ice cold water seeping into my clothing, made me wince.

I roused from some sort of disorientation, and tried to open my eyes to the odd sensations currently attacking all of my senses at once, but only my left side would obey me. My right hand trembled and traced the throbbing on the right side of my cheek. I flinched as I found the source, pulling my hand away and wincing at the sharp stab. I noted the warm liquid now dripping from my slender fingers. I looked down to find myself wearing a white dress that was quickly staining a crimson red. I flinched at the realisation and pulled my hand away from the silky material.

I rubbed at my right eye, trying desperately to recover my sight, wiping away the blood which had formed over my eyelid. I realised with relief that I could see fine, and for the first time  then, I noted my surroundings. A full moon shone down on me, lighting up the suddenly oppressive darkness. It was only then that I remembered the sound of the waves. My eyes quickly adjusted to the dark, darting around wildly as my heart beat hard in my chest. I was surrounded by black waves that were licking up against my body, the salt stinging my open wounds like little love bites, coming thick and fast.

I was in the middle of the ocean!

Panicked, I tried to stand, but the raft I was on shifted with my weight and threatened to throw me into the dark waves below. I quickly steadied myself and sat down. I felt around the silk dress which was torn from the bottom across my thigh, and tried desperately to find a single thing that would shed light on why I was here, and the ever growing question screaming inside of me.

Who am I?

Tears formed in my eyes, and slowly made their way down past my nose and into my wounds. I cried out in pain, and reached up to hold my head in my hands, rocking as if to comfort myself.  I raised my eyes to the moon, the only thing I had to be thankful for, it's light illuminating the dark, and it was then that I noticed the light bounce off of something I was wearing. I fumbled, fingers shaking at the material around my chest, and as if I knew already its source, I gently touched my neck to find a dainty chain against my wet skin. I reached around and unclipped it, pulling it off into my palm. It was a locket. I slowly unlatched the clasp through shaking hands, and observed it as it fell open. Two pictures were tucked inside, of two women. The first woman was exotic with light green eyes and long dark hair. She was smiling. My fingertips felt over the picture as if she was really there to touch. I turned over the locket and looked into the eyes of a second woman, she was just as beautiful as the first, but not exotic at all, she had light brown softly curled hair and hazel eyes, her cheeks creased up into a smile that lit up the picture. It was obvious with the backdrop of twinkling lights behind them that they were both photographed in the same location.

It didn't matter how long I stared at their pictures, I could not place them in my mind. I couldn't place anything. With frustration I slammed the locket shut. It was only then that I saw the mirror on the reverse. I quickly grabbed it back up and looked into the reflection. I observe myself for the first time, seeing the cut on my bottom lip, and a huge red and swollen cut on my right cheek, which I again touched softly, staring at each movement I made. Holding the mirror closer I couldn't help but notice the slight similarity of the exotic girl in the locket and myself, although my face was distorted in the darkness and puffed up and swollen it was the light green eyes which made me sure of the fact that the girl in the locket... was me.

I pulled it back around my neck, and with violently shaking hands I secured it once again. I glanced at my surroundings one more time, my body trembling as the cold water slapped against my legs. One thing that I was certain of, was that I was in huge trouble. This raft was slowly sinking.

It must have been a primal instinct, because although I had no idea who I was right now, where I was, or any idea what my life had been, I knew I had to survive.

I grabbed a piece of the raft which had been falling away, and pulled it off. I used it to slowly manoeuvre the raft, using it as an oar to push it through the water. My arms ached with the strength it took to push myself through the heavy waves.

I had been steering the raft straight ahead for what felt hours, but in reality had been about ten minutes, and my arms were flailing and sore. I was ready to give in and commit myself to the fact I was doomed to die out here, alone, not even knowing who I was, when suddenly a light came from nowhere. The light shone for a second and then disappeared, and then again and again to the count of ten. It was a lighthouse. This could only mean one thing, it was sitting on land. I tried again to push the raft in its direction, but the dark swells beneath me were sending me backwards and away from the light. I knew I had no choice then, but to hope for the best and swim.

Could I swim?

Oh god this was it, it was flight or fight time. I stood slowly, finding a balance, and pulled the bottom of my dress away, tearing the fabric. I wouldn't be able to swim with the heavy amounts of material hanging past my knees. The dress tore off in one motion and settled on my thighs. I kissed the locket for good luck, hoping it wouldn't come off, and in one bend of the knees I jumped into the dark ocean below me.

I disappeared under the water, and it felt like time stopped for a second as the cold water shocked my system. I kicked my legs, fighting the shock, waving my arms, and pushing against the silence and the darkness. I kicked upward, towards the moonlight. My lungs burned, fighting for air, and the salt stung my eyes as I burst out into the cold air of the night. My dark hair clung against my face, mouth open and gulping in the oxygen. I was being thrown around like a rag doll in the waves as they tried to carry me away, but I caught sight of the light in the night sky and I kicked my legs with all the strength I had left in me. I kicked and spluttered, forcing my arms through the cold water. They ached with every stroke as I forced my body towards the lighthouse. I had to make it, I had to!

My feet finally felt ground beneath them. My heart lurching into my throat.

I was almost there.

I tried to run on the sea bed, adrenaline kept me moving, until finally there was a beach in sight. I ran then, faster, until I broke through onto the shore, dusty sand on my feet, no longer water rushing at my limbs. I was on land. I fell to the floor, my heart thumping against my ribs, and sat in my wounds. My lips were on fire from sea salt in my cuts, and my lungs were pushing so hard against my bones that I thought they would break like brittle.

I couldn't breathe, it was too much, every limb, every sore, and every organ working overtime and hurting, hurting so bad. I lay there for five minutes, just staring up at the moon. Clouds began to cover the clear night's sky after a while, and the moon disappeared. A roar in the distance with flashes of light, it only meant one thing, a storm was coming.

I brought my locket up to my lips and kissed it, thankful my only link to the past had made it safely back to shore.