Ticking clocks (Lesbian story)

8 numbers

One hundred ninety-six years ago, due to the amount of suicides in the population, an English doctor named Franc Bright decided to genetically modifie humans so they could find their soulmate at some point in their life, which would give them hope and joy and would reduce the amount of suicides and divorces. It would also control the population, because every child would be made in vitro. By mapping the genes and personality of people of all age, and with the experimental theory a scientist name Pete Weber exposed in the year 2028 that explains how our lives are already decided by the universe and the atoms inside of us all, he created a gene that was implanted inside in vitro babies. That gene created the clock. The first babies who had the gene were healthy and the clock worked, so they implanted the gene inside every single baby made, creating a modified generation of in vitro babies. Those modified humans had in vitro children who were also genetically modified, and so on, until all the population had the Bright gene. But they were some complications after about 100 year, a problem with the matching of soulmates. Some people's soulmate were not reciprocal, some also had more than one, their clock working three or four time in their life. Some clocks would never work, because one of the two lovers was dead, and with all these problems, the suicides started again, causing an epidemic. Before, when something was wrong between two found (that's how we call people who have found their soulmate), they would work it out and go on with their lives. But now, with all the problems from the gene, people blame the Bright gene and just gave up on their soulmate. That's the thing about found people, or everything is wonderful and it's all butterflies and rainbows and you live happily ever after with your perfect match, or there's something wrong and your matching doesn't work and you end up a broke (how we call the ones that their matching didn't work). And it created a gap between the population, two different sides that don't interact. But as long as neither group rises and revolt, there is no problem.

***

It wakes me up in the middle of the night. I sit in my bed, breathing fast, covered in sweat. I feel like someone just shot me in the wrist. I look at the clock on my skin, the blue numbers flashing in the dark. 04:23:59:56. Four days, 23 hours, 59 minutes and 56 seconds. I slide my finger on the numbers, I've never touched lighten numbers before. Their digital look shivers a little when I slide my finger over them, but it doesn't feel any different than just touching your own skin. We are born with a five days clock on our wrist. Exactly five days before meeting our soul mate, the clock starts. It can happen at 3 years old, 23 or 63, nobody knows. It's not the first time that I see lighten numbers though, I saw my best friends Glass' last year, and some people at school too, but I'm the first in the family. Glass' clock started in the middle of math class. It knocked her over and she fell backwards, bumping her head on the desk behind her. They had to take her to the emergency room and she got stitches because she cut open the back of her head. Five days later, she met Zare, a guy two years older than her. They met in the bus, he almost killed himself tripping on her bag. Now you can't separate them anymore, they are ALWAYS together. I watch my clock again, 04:23:57:16...I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I lay back down in my bed, the blue numbers giving the room a gloomy light. I hide my arm under the sheets, trying to go back to sleep, but I already know that's mission impossible.

When my alarm goes off, I let it ring. I don't want to get out of bed. The sound gets louder and louder, and I finally turn it off before I wake the whole house. I get up, the blue numbers flashing their light on the walls as I walk. I lock the bathroom door behind me, looking at myself in the mirror, not sure that what I'm seeing is really my reflection or just a marble statue. I turn the shower on, letting the boiling water run down my back. I look at the numbers on my arm, now down to 04:18:32:40. I feel like it's too soon. Why me? Why today? I have four older siblings and all of them are still sleepers (how we call the people who's clock haven't started yet). So why me? Why not one of them? I go back to my room and put on my uniform, pulling down my sleeve to cover the blue numbers. I pack my bag and head downstairs. I grab an apple and jump on the counter to eat it. My brother Ulysses is driving me to school, so I have to wait for him. My mom walks in the kitchen.

-Good morning Rio, she says.

-Hi.

-Are you alright? You look weird!

-I'm fine, I mumble while taking a bite of apple.

She turns on the coffee machine, and when she turns around her face changes. Her eyes open wide, her face lights up and her mouth drops. I realize my sleeve slide down a little and the last two digits are showing.

-You got your numbers! Oh Rio this is wonderful! Levi! Levi! Come here! Rio got her numbers!

My father comes running in, grabbing me by the waist and making me spin in the air like when I was a kid.

-My girl! My baby girl! With her numbers! Already! This is great!

Eight feet come running in the white kitchen. Ulysses is first, followed by my oldest brother London, then my sister Ruthy and my other sister Briha.

-What's going on? Ruthy asks, her hair socking wet.

-Rio got her numbers! ny mom says, jumping up and down.

-Really! says Briha, jealousy peeking in her voice.

-Let me see! London says jumping on me and pulling up my sleeve.

I try to escape him but he grabs my arms with two hands, making it impossible for me to escape. He says the numbers out loud.

-04:18:24:13!

-Wait! my mom says. So it's already been 4 and a half hours?

I nod, escaping from my brother and pulling my sleeve down.

-Where gonna be late guys! Ulysses calls out.

We all grab our little cup of pills that we have to take every morning, swallow it, then head outside into the sun. Nobody talks in the car, and I have no idea what they are thinking. Me, I cant stop wondering what he looks like.