Sebastian Westbrook is the pseudonym for an unassuming young undergrad from the UK, just starting his adventures in writing. He enjoys RPG video games a little too much and spends more time on them than he should. When he can peel himself away, he reads fantasy fiction in the main, but also enjoys the horror genre, particularly movies.
THE HEARTSTRING EMPORIUM
by
Sebastian Westbrook
Laura was surprised to have received a Valentine’s gift.
She was 25, introverted, still living with her parents, and pretty confident no one she knew had romantic feelings for her. Regardless of this, she had received a golden heart locket in the post, apparently from a “secret admirer” of hers.
Laura had been making lunch – rolling pastry for a homemade pie – when the parcel arrived, and so began examining the pretty gift on their kitchen island. There were small hinges on the left edge of the heart, so clearly something was inside. Curious, she unclipped the locket.
Red rose petal shavings spilled over the kitchen counter. Laura sighed. Overdramatic, much? she thought, rolling her eyes before returning her gaze to the locket’s centre. The rest of the contents left her less than impressed. It was a smiling picture of her ex, Mike, who’d broke up with her three months ago. Not gently either. He’d sat her down and listed off her flaws as a way of telling her why he couldn’t be with her anymore and wanted someone better.
“No thanks, Mike,” Laura said to the locket, as though his picture could hear her. She then scooped the rose shavings back into the locket – covering Mike’s stupid grin – and closed it again.
Laura had no idea why Mike would believe that she would get back with him. She wasn’t bitter about the breakup; quite the opposite, in fact. She was completely over him. Yet perhaps he wasn’t over her yet. Maybe he thought he’d made a mistake? Guess finding someone better didn’t work out for you, did it? Laura smirked and returned to fixing the pastry top to her pie, leaving the locket on the kitchen island.
When Laura heard the doorbell ring she thought it might actually be Mike, seeing as she hadn’t made immediate contact about the locket. It was the sort of desperate response he was probably counting on. Not a chance. But opening the door she was greeted by Jenny, a friend since childhood. Their parents had been work partners, and Laura and Jenny were as close as sisters.
Laura chuckled. “Hey. You here with undying love?”
Jenny snorted, mildly amused. “Stuff your Valentine’s. I take it you’re man free then? Let me in.”
Laura led Jenny to the kitchen. Jenny declined Laura’s offer of pie – she’d already eaten. Instead she helped herself to a glass of water and sat at the island.
“That a Valentine’s gift you got?” She gestured towards the locket.
Laura sighed. “Yeah, but it’s from Mike. I’m not interested.”
Jenny wrinkled her nose and nodded. “He was a first-rate shit. Still, can I take a look at it?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Jenny reached across the island to the discarded locket. Just before she got fingers on it, a rolling pin came down on top of it, wielded by Laura.
“Hands off!” she cried in an overly theatrical and comical fashion.
“Jesus Christ, Laura! You could’ve broken my hand!” But then Jenny laughed. Laura pounded it again and again with her makeshift weapon.
When she was done, holding up her rolling pin like a trophy, Jenny took a look at the locket. It was dinted, bent out of shape, the clasp no longer fitting flush. She picked it up and opened it. Dirt spilled out onto the counter, revealing a sorrowful-looking picture of Mike inside.
“Well, I can see why you’re not interested. What with all this… soil, and his miserable expression. What was he thinking? He lost his mind?” Jenny prodded at the mess.
Laura grabbed the locket and stared at the picture, observing Mike’s depressing countenance. She dropped it and ran a finger through the soil on the counter, not sure how to respond.
“Loz, you okay?” There was concern in Jenny’s voice.
Laura slowly composed herself. “I’m fine. I just don’t wanna think about Mike anymore.”
***
Mike sat in his living room, worried. Laura didn’t live that far away from him. Why hadn’t she come racing to him yet? He’d expected the doorbell for a while now. How long was it going to take for that dumb locket to do its thing?
He thought back to the place he’d bought it: ‘The Heartstring Emporium.’ Also its promise: everything you need to keep your love on a string. He remembered the eccentric owner’s words when selling him the locket. It will magnify her emotion tenfold. You must be absolutely sure she will react positively to this, or this locket may not have the intended effect. Do you understand, Michael? He’d been too occupied at the time with thoughts of having Laura back to consider the bearded man’s words, or register the fact that the proprietor knew his name without him having mentioned it. She wouldn’t resist him. Couldn’t resist him. She’d beg to have him back.
Mike looked at the red rose lying on the coffee table, from which he had plucked the locket petal. It was withered and dying. He grabbed the neat stem and immediately felt pain shoot into his palm. He released it, swearing. He couldn’t understand what he saw. As he’d gripped it, the rose stem had sprouted numerous thorns and pierced his hand.
He made to swear again, but noticed an earthy taste in his mouth. Suddenly, he spewed soil all over the coffee table. He was breathless and began to suffocate from an excessive amount of dirt in his throat, clagging and clumping. And what was that other texture? Petals? He gasped for air through what little space there was between the concentrated garden growing in his windpipe.
But it was hopeless. He’d messed with objects of which he had little understanding without taking the time to consider the consequences, and now he was suffering for it. He'd made too many mistakes, and now, this was his final one.
Thorns sprouted from the wounds in his hand.
Red petals covered his eyeballs.
The soil clogged everything.