Lovers From Another Life

The Mark

I sighed a breath of relief and laid my head down on the desk happy to have done my part and praying I wouldn't be chosen again. I lifted my head a bit to show I was following along with the story though when my teacher glanced up from her book to check on the class. Occasionally I glanced at my wrist to see if anything had shown up. "Let's not lose hope yet...the day is still young! It's bound to show up at some point right?" I muttered softly under my breath trying to shift my focus on the story again and push the thought of this stupid mark to the back of my mind. I turned my focus to the story waiting till we started a new paragraph to pick up and follow along as a kid 3 rows across from me read out loud. She sounded a little nervous often stumbling over some of the words and having to go back and re-read them. I smiled softly relaxing and listened to her silently encouraging her to have more courage in what she was reading. Despite the slip-ups here and there she was good at it and her voice was so soft and soothing. I found myself drifting in and out of sleep pretty soon as I listened to her read.

I'm assuming I wound up asleep eventually though because the next time I opened my eyes I was no longer in my classroom. Instead, I was in a weird empty place with no real purpose to it. I glanced around to see if there was anything but was met with just emptiness. "Hello...?" I called out in my dream though immediately felt stupid because it was obvious I was alone in this nothingness. I sighed and smacked my face calling myself an idiot for calling out hello in a very empty room?....place?...cube?.... whatever this white area was. I sighed and decided to explore a bit rubbing the red mark I had so nicely given myself on my cheeks when the floor began to rumble. It started with a slight shaking and then soon became an earthquake that even made the walls if you could call them that around me tremble. I stumbled and fell on my ass as the room violently shook around me. "What!" I screamed out in my dream feeling my heart skip a beat and thinking this was where dream me perished. Then everything stopped just as suddenly as it had all happened. I slowly rose to my feet and looked around to see if anything had changed, and at first glance nothing did. That was until I took a second look and noticed a metal door that I wasn't quite sure how I missed the first time.

"How the hell did you get here..." I asked no one in a whisper of a voice as I slowly made my way towards the door stopping short when I heard voices coming out from the other side. "Hey! No....no...no...no...this wasn't what we planned to happen. Stay with me please...no...please don't close your eyes...Juniper...please!" The voice on the other side called out to my name in a desperate shaky attempt. Their voice sounded scared as they trembled with each breath that they took. I stood there by the door now pale-faced and confused as I listened and hesitated to open the door and see what had happened. 'Did I die...no that can't be...I'm alive. I just turned 15 today and this is just some crazy dream that I'm gonna wake up from and laugh about. Yeah...dont get too sucked up in the craziness of it all June..." I told myself as I mentally prepared for whatever scene was waiting for me on their other side. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes as I grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it towards me. Bright light flooded my face and then quickly dulled as I opened my eyes and looked. It was me but I didn't look like me...I was pale and there was blood trickling down the side of my mouth. My eyes were open as I took small shallow breaths wheezing each time my body tried to take in more oxygen. Things were not looking good for me at all as a tall male with dark skin and brown hair hugged me close to his chest. We sat on a rooftop overlooking a big city as cars rushed past on the streets below us. This dying version of me lifted their hand gently to brush a tear from the male's face that was hidden from me slightly. Their hand was stained red causing them to leave a trail of smeared blood across his cheek as they smiled. "Don't cry...I like it better when you smile...you know this..." This other strange version of me spoke out in a wheezed whisper taking in a sharp intake of cold air. They placed their hand back over a freshly bleeding wound that sat on their left side. I stumbled back to where the door was scared and not wanting to see any more of this nightmare but the door was gone and I was trapped. I slide down the wall and closed my eyes tightly not wanting to see any more of this as I wrapped my hands tightly around my ears. "Wake up...wake up...WAKE UP!!!!" I screamed out to myself jolting awake as I stood up in the middle of class causing everyone to turn their eyes to me. "Juniper! The hallway now!" Mrs. Green yelled looking rightfully upset with me. I blushed red but doubt anyone could tell with how pale my face must have looked after that dream. I gave a meek nod and lowered my head rushing out the door and standing in the hallway as I was told to.

I stood up straight keeping my head angled down as I clutched my hands tight first. My legs felt like jello and I had so many questions running through my head but no way to find any answers to them. 'How did I get that hurt? Who was that crying over me? Are they my soulmate? Are they looking for me? Will I find them? Did I die and come back as a 15-year-old kid? What if something like that happens again...?' My legs trembled under me as I stood there until the bell rang and students all left their classes for their next ones. I didn't dare to look up knowing they were all just gonna whisper and glance at me for acting so odd in class. That's when it happened...I felt a burning sensation on my wrist and I hissed out in pain. Quickly I lifted my arm to see what was wrong but was confused when I was met with a thick black line going horizontally across my left wrist. "What kind...of soulmate mark is this?" I muttered softly noticing my voice was still trembling. I mean why wouldn't it be after the gruesome images I had to engrave into my head now.