Stolen Hearts

I live in Matisu, the City of Hearts. Matisu is not like any city, it’s well... special. Sure it has crowded public transport, cafes on every corner and air pollution but only Matisu have Heartsphires. I’m Evelyn and I am the only person in Matisu without a heartsphire. 

The day I found out my heart was stolen, was the most horrible day of my life. It was sundown when I dressed in my silk nightgown. I had brushed my long, vibrant red hair. My heartsphire was effortlessly floating around my shoulders, the moonbeams reflecting off its crystals. My heart was the size of a small melon but weighed nothing. With its red pixel appearance complementing my fair skin, it was beautiful. Everyone has a heartsphire...it completes them. It fills you with love, happiness and warmth. It will always be there for you. I turned the lights off but the warm glow of my heartsphire lit a path to my bed. Sliding in under the sheets with a calm mind, I drifted into a deep sleep, with my heart by my side. 

I sat up in my bed, gasping for air. The room was dark with the only light source being the moon. When I checked the time it read three am. I groaned, rubbing my head in confusion. Something felt wrong. Very wrong. I noticed what was missing but shook my head. I stood up from my bed, frantically searching my room. Where could it be, it’s never been far away. I pushed my shelf over, it landed on the wooden floor with a bang. I ran to my desk clearing it off in one arm swing, the sound of glass smashing filled the room. I looked in the mirror, it’s gone. My heartsphire is gone. Someone stole my heart. I punched the mirror, cracking the glass. The glass penetrated my skin, blood is drawn from my knuckles. My chest hurts from the emotional and physical pain. My legs buckled and I fell to the floor. I gripped at my chest as I felt my chest caving in. The dark hole in me stretched as the realization hit me. Somehow, someone stole my heart. I screamed again as the pain grew inside. I shed my first of many tears that night. 

It’s been three months since my heart was stolen. Let’s just say, I haven’t been coping well. 

Not a day goes by where I don’t think of what’s mine and its missing presence. I’ve forbidden myself of ever saying or even thinking of the word... Heart- heartsphire. I walk the streets with a hood, avoiding crowds and ignoring stares. It’s really hard avoiding something that’s everywhere you go so I decided to chase it. I found a black market, the eastern side of Matisu. I found a sketchy guy who told me directions and names. He figured if my hea-, He figured if it would be anywhere, it’d be there.

Walking down the alleyway in the dead of night, I turn left when I reach a graphite concrete wall. Following the rest of my instructions, I walk right into a moonlit market. There are constant whispers as trades are made, people are beaten and threatened. Cold shivers went down my spine, as pass biers stared. I tug at my hood to cover up the fear on my face. I must be quick, I’m not safe here. I dodge a huge caped guy and his small heart, struggling to keep up. The stalls were separated by only meters and the area was filled to the max. I keep my head down till I reach the stall that matches the man’s description. The stall is made of metal scrapes and is covered with dirt smudges and... Red paint. I hope. A middle-age man leaning against the counter, puffing rings of smoke was the owner. His heartsphire is dim red lying lifelessly next to him. I cough from the smoke grabbing his attention. 

“Rex?” I quietly ask. He heaves up and walks to the back of the stall. A few minutes later, a slim, fair, tallboy comes out. Followed by his Heartsphire, floating at his knees with bright red colouring. Rex was the owner. He looks at me, with golden eyes. He runs his fingers through his dark hair. 

“What?”He spits. How rude. He looks me up and down then asks. “Where’s your Hear-” I cut him off in a hurry to get out of here. “Do you know where you can find a hear... One of those?” I say pointing in the direction of his twirling heart. I felt everyone’s eyes on me so lean in closer to him. 

“Can you help me or not, I’m in a rush” I whisper. He nods his head and walks to the entry of the market, with me following closely behind. His heart was so red compared to everyone else in the area. It glows with a vibrant red but moves slowly. Something small falls off his heartsphire, landing on the ground. I quickly bend down and pick it up. It is a flake of red; I raise it to my nose. It smelt of paint. I looked back at his heart... on the bottom point was a speck of blue.

 Rex stopped walking when we came to the concrete arch. He looks at me and I can’t comprehend what emotion lay behind his eyes. Without warning he grabs my arms a pulls me into another ally way. This one has no lighting and nothing around but concrete walls. Chills go down my spine. I pull my arm away from him to escape. He pushes me against the walls so I can’t move. 

“Who are you?” He whispers with concern and curiosity all over his handsome face. 

“Let me go!”I yell, trying to wrestle free. I knew I shouldn’t have come here but the desire to have my heart back consumes me. He held my hands above my head and stood on my feet, I was stuck.  

“What do you want?”I whimper full of fear. 

“Who are you?” He repeats, lessening his grip. 

“My name is Evelyn Mickelson and I am searching for my heart!”I scream through tears. The hole in my chest caused me to moan in pain, the ache consuming all my consciousness. My shaking legs could no longer hold my emotional weight and I fell to the ground. Rex let go of my hands, my arms automatically wrapped around me. I should be running, getting away from here. I mustn’t look so pathetic in front of people; they could take advantage of me. Instead, here I sat screaming and crying in pain, in front of a stranger. 

Minutes or hours later I quickly stood up as the pain inside me eased. Rex never left, he sat across from me leaning against the wall. The sky was golden as the sun was rising. With my vision blurry I stumbled away from the ally. Not knowing where I’m going just following my... head. I focused on my heart, its glow, how it made me smile. I stopped dead in my tracks when I felt... something. I tugging sensation. I don’t know why but I close my eyes. Shock fills me. I can see it! My heart. Confusion filled me, my head ached. What is happening? What am I seeing? My focus was on my heartsphire but it was surrounded by what looked like blankets and books. What? I held my head when it pulsed causing me further pain. I gasp and stand up...I was still in the ally. My head was still pounding but I didn’t care. I know where my heartsphire is.  

I start running. I don’t know where I’m going but I feel a faint pull, tugging me. I twist through identical alleyways, jumping over boxes and dodging people. I stop to catch my breath, I must’ve been running for a while. I look up. Great. Just great. Rex was standing in front of me with a raised eyebrow. 

“What are you doing?”He asks in a playful tone. I roll my eyes not sure what to say to this market stranger. I don’t fully understand what happened last night but I don’t want to spend another minute here. I step around him and keep on jogging. I hear his footsteps following me. I stop again, in frustration. 

“What do you want?”I ask, throwing my hands in frustration. He stops his jog and smiles a crooked smile, starting to chuckle. I bight down on my lip trying to not smile at his contagious laugh. I raise my eyebrows, waiting for his answer. 

“You’ve been running in a circle for the past hour” He states, humor filling his eyes. “You’ve ran past me at least 4 times” He continues. I turn around, taking in the scenery. I’ve definitely seen that graffiti before. Feeling dumbstruck I groan, causing Rex to laugh. I glare at him, making him laugh harder. It fills me with a comforting warmth. I shake my head. 

“I can help you, where are you trying to go?” He sounds genuine, which is sweet. Feeling desperate I agree to him helping me. I tell him about my heart and the sudden pull I am feeling towards it, I described the place that I saw and briefly describe the pain I feel. I spoke of; how I needed to find it soon because a heartsphire cannot last when the owner is far away. Walking next to me as I talked he nodded but didn’t say anything, giving me the freedom to talk. I felt a huge weight come off of my chest as I spoke. I never have told anyone this. I don’t have family or friends. It’s just me. When I finished talking, I felt a stronger pull. 

“The place you described... I think I know where that is” He says to me. He intertwines our fingers as we start to jog. I am greatly uncomfortable at first but soon relax at the warmth of his touch. I keep looking at his heartsphire and the memory of the red paint. Why is his bubbly personality paired with this sad blue heart? More and more paint blows off as we run further. Eventually, the true heart surfaces as we stop in front of an abandoned library. We enter through the creaky door, with his heart is glowing even brighter now. I was wrong before. It was not blue... it was violet. My head pounds even more at the strange color. Never have I seen or read about a violet heartsphire. Rex notices me looking. He looks worried... scared even. 

“Beautiful, just... beautiful” I whisper, not taking my eyes off of its radiant beauty. I walk closer to it, feeling the same warmth I get from Rex. His eyes following my every move. His heart floats upwards towards my face. I reach out and hold it to my chest, a tear dripping down my cheek at the memory of my heart. My tear lands on its crystal, the heart pulls away and I willingly let it go. As my tear dripped down the heart its pulse quickened. Boom Boom! Boom Boom! The pulse filled the room. A bright light shone and the tear grew more and more as it dripped down the heart. My chest tugged me forward but Rex steadied me. The light grew red and the heart started spinning extremely fast when BANG! Silence. Rex and I were on the floor. We both lookup. Something emerged. Something bright. The pulsing stopped and before my eyes is my Heart. Tears dripped down my face as the hole in my chest healed and a warming sensation filled my entire body. Rex looks at me with surprise and awe. 

“Beautiful, just beautiful,” He says. 

...

It’s been months since that day and Rex and I are still together. We figured out that he didn’t steal my heart, my heart found his. We both were alone in this world and in need of love. Our hearts found each other and brought us together. Our Heartsphires beat as one share the same radiant glow. Together they are truly beautiful. 

Written By Nyari Waterton