Harlem's Request:
It started when I decided to jump out of a tree. To be clear, it wasn’t that I had really wanted to do it. The only reason I was in that tree in the first place was because Lila had dared me to. And when your younger sister dares you to do something when your boyfriend’s watching and agrees with her, your only option is to do it. That was why I was on top of a pine tree about twice my height, about to jump off into a pond. Now I wish I had tested how deep the water was before I climbed up here. But Lila and Harry were looking at me expectantly, and I knew I would look foolish if I came climbing back down. So taking a deep breath, I jumped.
“Oh my God, I didn’t think she would really do it!” Lila’s voice was the last thing I heard before my feet hit the water and terror filled my entire body. My bare feet were numb upon impact, and the rest of my body soon felt the same iciness. I closed my eyes and held my breath as my head submerged. I did it. But triumph couldn’t be further from my mind. A primitive instinct to get out filled me, but my arms were numb and I was sinking quickly. It wasn’t like I was even in my bathing suit, on the contrary I wore a t-shirt and shorts. The heavy cotton seemed to be weighing me down. Then what felt like a plant wrapped around my leg. Waving my arms frantically, I somehow managed to get my head back over to surface. Whatever was wrapped around my leg was heavy, dragging me towards the bottom faster than before. Adrenaline is what allowed me to get back to shore. I felt Harry’s hands grip my arms and pull me back ashore. Gasping for breath, I saw him and my sister staring at me in shock and horror.
“Julia, are you alright? We didn’t think you would actually do it,” Harry explained, rubbing my arm in an attempt to warm me up. I appreciated the gesture, but it wasn’t working. Lila was just staring at me, as if too shocked to even move. I nodded in response to the question, though alright wasn’t exactly how I was feeling at the moment. Sitting up, I finally realized what was around my leg. It was one of those bags with the long ribbons that close the bag when you pull them. Those were what had been wrapped around my leg. Curiously, I pulled the bag off my leg and forced it open. Sand and grit that had turned into mud seeped out at first, but a larger and more solid object was in there as well. As I pulled it out, the other two were also staring at it strangely. Wiping the mud off of it, I realized that it was a locket.
“What the heck is that?” My thoughts were interrupted by Lila’s question. However, I was still a bit mad at her for daring me to jump into the pond, so I blatantly ignored her. As much as I know I shouldn’t, I smirked at her irritated huff. Studying the locket a bit closer, I could now tell that it was rusted shut. That was too bad, but I could maybe wedge it open with a knife. There was also an intricate floral design carving on the outside, with the letters L.M. inscripted on it. Immediately my mind traveled to my mother, whose name was Lydia Mason. Those were her initials, and this pond had been in her backyard for at least nineteen years. As I tried to sit up, another wave of cold hit me, causing me to accidentally drop the locket. As I fumbled to pick it up, Harry's hand gently grabbed it and placed it in mine. I smiled as he helped me to my feet.
"You should probably get inside," Harry suggested, and I nodded feebly. Mud clung to my clothes, making walking even more uncomfortable. Somehow, I managed to cling to the locket the entire time. I was leaning against my boyfriend for support the whole time, while Lila stomped grumpily behind us. She knew I was going to blame this all on her, and she was right. Pushing open the unlocked back door, we walked into my house. I was escorted to my room, and on the way I heard Lila's door slam. My shivering hadn't gotten as violent, and now I was more uncomfortable than merely cold. And very curious about the locket. What the heck did it even mean? For now I had assumed it was my mom's, but there were probably many people with the initials L.M. If it didn't once belong to my mom, how was I supposed to know who it actually owned it? Preoccupied in my thought, I barely heard Harry telling me to take a shower as he lead me into the bathroom. I nodded, and he walked out, closing the door behind him.
I was about to do what he had suggested when a pair of broken nail clippers caught my eye. Putting the locket down beside the sink, I grabbed one of the blades and gently pried it off. It wasn't hard, it had already been smashed before. For some reason, Lila still kept them, even if they didn't serve any purpose. Right now I was glad she did. Carefully, I slid the small blade into the locket, cutting through the layer of rust. Moving it around, I gained a bit of working space, before pulling the blade upward and hoping for the best. The locket popped open. Grinning, I picked it up and completely opened the two halves. Somehow, a small bit of sand and grime had gotten in there, but that was easy enough to wipe out. Inside, there was a picture. Though it was waterlogged, I could just barely make out the figure of two people, a few years older than me. A man and a woman. Confusion filled me for a few moments. My mom didn't have any brothers. But then I smiled and wondered how it was not my first thought when I realized what it was. A picture of my mom and dad when they were a lot younger. That was one mystery solved. I made up my mind to ask my mom about it later. But for now, I was going to wait to take that shower.
Sorry this is late. I actually finished it a while ago, but I forgot to post it.
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