Soul Mates

Chapter 1

She winced as it was injected into her arm. It was fairly small, a forest green outline surrounding a blank white. As she watched intently, 4 numbers flashed onto the screen.

( 14 Years, 7 Days, 9 Hours, 1 Minute)

Piper didn't know what any of these numbers meant. Her three year old brain just registered that there was an aching pain in her left wrist, and tears began to leak from her chocolate eyes.

"Daddy!" she called out, running towards him. He finished talking to the smartly dressed woman who had injected the Soulmate Searcher, and scooped her slim body into his arms.

"Daddy, it hurts," she said, pointing absentmindedly at the spot on her wrist.

"Yes, Pipes. I know it does. See? I got one too." He shifted her weight to his right arm to show her a ocean blue-lined one.

"But you said they were to show us who we love."

"That's right. When you are," he checked her wrist, "17 years old, you will find out who you are meant to love."

"But I thought you already loved Mommy."

"I do love Mommy. That's why mine is blue and yours is green. I've already met the one that I love, so I don't need the Soulmate Searcher. They only injected it because the mayor made a new law that everyone has to have one."

"Who is the mayor?"

"He's the one that makes all the decisions about our city. He makes sure that we are safe and happy." He added in an after-tone, "Or that's what he says."

But Piper wasn't listening to the answer, because she had fallen asleep in her father's arms.
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The sun blazed into her bedroom the next morning, causing her to sit up blearily and rub her eyes. Her Mom came into her room and said, "Good morning sleepyhead! How did you sleep?"

Piper exclaimed, "I dreamed I would find my soulmate today, Mommy!"

"Pipes, remember your Soulmate Searched says you won't find your soulmate until you're 17."

Piper was disappointed. "Oh," she said. "I really thought I would find him today."

At this moment, her brother came sauntering into her room, clearly excited.

"Mom," he explained, "This Soulmate Searcher says I'm going to meet my soulmate in," he glanced at the digital black numbers, "6 hours."

She smiled at him. "That's great, Andrew!" Her voice softened. "Just be yourself."

He nodded. "Listen, I might take her to the beach or something, so I'll be back around 11."

Mom nodded, pulling down her charcoal sweatshirt. Piper's brother whistled as he walked down the stairs, combing his hair for the first time.

Turning back to Piper, Mom said, "Okay, Pipes, we'd better go meet your father."

"Why? What happened?" Piper asked nervously, chewing on the ends of her long brown hair. They never went to see Father during the day.

Mom explained, "Your father's workplace had a fire."

Piper's eyes began to well up again. "What happened to him."

"He's fine, sweetie." Mom reassured her. "He got out of the fire just fine. It was just an accident."

They were in the car and turning onto one of the main downtown roads. Piper nodded, but she didn't see her mother narrow her eyes at the giant hologram of the mayor shimmering on the smooth surface of the Parliament building.

She was looking at the ambulances all around her, racing through traffic.

And then she saw the flames.

A/N
It should get more interesting in chapter 2, because we fast forward a couple of years. I hope you like it so far, though.

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Xoxo Ashley 😊