Writing prompt archive

Soulmate meeting

Yet another old one. I may rewrite the older ones.

{Everyone has a Soulmate. One month a year everyone gathers to try to find theirs. You've been going for four years.}

The soul-meets aren't mandatory. You have the same chance of finding your soulmate whether you go or not. It's just that usually the soul-meets make it easier. My name is Sam and I have been going to my city's soul-meets for four years now, on top of the few times when I went with my older brother when I was a kid. I never found my soulmate, or you should say, soulmateS. Everyone has a soulmate, be it platonically or romantically.

Everyone has two tattoos somewhere on their arms that represents their romantic and platonic soulmates. The closer to the hand, the more of a platonic relationship you'll have with them. So most people have one on or near their hands with another closer to their shoulders. When you meet your soulmate the tattoo blooms with color and where they first touched you temporarily has an imprint in their color in your skin. It only lasts a week or two before fading but the tattoo stays colored until the person dies. Then the colors dim but don't fade completely.

Most people tend to have one romantic soulmate and one platonic soulmate. There are occasions where there are one more platonic or romantic soulmates but they're rare and far between. If one of your soulmates meets the other then until you meet both a small line connects the two tattoos.

I have three romantic and one platonic tattoos on my arms, all of the romantic having lines connecting them. When I was younger I thought having more romantic ment I would find at least one sooner. I've long since abandoned that thought. The only soulmate I've found was my platonic. We are so close we could be brothers but it isn't the same. The only reason I still go to these soul-meets is for my friend. He's a very friendly person and loves talking to people but suprisingly hasn't found his rom-soulmate. I've long since accepted I probably won't find mine for years but he is always so disappointed when he doesn't find them.

I've gotten into the habit of staying off to the side of the gathering and keeping an eye on my friend as best I can. He never strays too far away from the spot I claim when we first get here and I'm thankful for it. I used to be right in the middle of the group with him but after a while I let him have all the fun. I'm not the most extroverted person and a lot of social interaction drains me after a while. So here I am, leaning against a building as I watch my best friend have a blast talking with people. He lights up when he meets one person and the two immediately start rambling at the speed of light. His hand is colored from his handshake. Good for him.

I watch him ramble on with his soulmate for a while.  Eventually I had to look away because of the ache in my heart. I felt glad for him, I really did, but when you see someone beam brighter then you have ever gotten him to beam really stings. 'He doesn't need me anymore. He found the love of his life who can take care of him better then I ever have. Congratulations, buddy.' I think to myself as I stand up from my spot on the wall and quietly slip away. No one notices me leave like they always do. As I walk down the nearly-deserted street I think to myself.

'Will I be that happy when I meet my soulmates? What if one of them turns out to be more of a friend then a lover, what happens then? Would they disown me? Or would I force myself to act like they are a lover? Would they be mad if they found out? Would I be alone for the rest of my life? Would anyone care if I was?' I know that won't happen because of the three tattoos on various spots on my shoulders but with nothing to do but think, my mind tends to grasp. I only snap out of it when I nearly run into someone. "Oh, sorry. My bad! I wasn't paying attention!" "No, no. Part of it is my fault, I was distracted!"