Life's Journey

C h a p t e r O n e

As the ring starts to glow on the first day of my thirteenth year, I become anxious about meeting my "true love." My mother always told me that it's an amazing journey and that I need to trust the ring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This will explain the society of matchmaking that Lydia lives in:

The rings are given to us at birth and the town jewelers expand them every birthday. The girls rings have a tiny stone in them. It's a chip off of of their soulmate's ring. The boys rings have a chip off of the girls. Each town has only one half of the match, so the boys are in charge of traveling to the girls town and finding them. The girls aren't allowed to travel.

Each person is assigned their soulmate at random. Most couples end up in love, even though they start out complete strangers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I look down at my ring and slide my skinny thumb over the shiny chip with a beautiful stone coating. The faint glow gives me a chill that goes down my spine and back. I think about the day I meet my true love and smile slightly.

My mother walks in and I look up and smile at her. She walks over to my bed and puts her bony arm over my shoulders. She looks down at me and smiles.

"I'm so excited for you, dear." She gives a slight lift of an eye brow. "So, now that your adventure of finding love is about to start, I need to give you a... special talk." She gives a face that prove that she is very uncomfortable.

"Mother....... I- I know what you're about to tell me. I have Health class at school. I'm covered." The left side of my small lips lift.

"What?!" She asks as she sits back against the wall. "I thought they were supposed to send a note home for me to sign."

"Oh they did, I just signed it for you."

"Why? I would've or wouldn't have signed it." She gives a small smile.

"I didn't want that talk with YOU."

"Whatever," she says as she stand up and heads out to check on dinner.

I grab my my phone and text Liam. Liam is my best friend and we have been that way, practically since birth.
He has shaggy, blonde hair and bright, green eyes. People have always thought we were siblings because we both have the same hair and eyes.

Hey. Wanna go to a movie to celebrate the start of my "journey of a lifetime?"

Send.
Then my phone makes a tweeting sound. I pick it up and slide my thumb across the smooth screen.

Can't. Remember? My journey started yesterday. I head out in three days and I have to pack.

Crap. I forgot! I replay with a sad okay and lay down and fall asleep until dinner. When my mom comes to get me, I had curled up in my bed and covered myself with a blanket in my sleep.

When I come to reality, I shoot straight up and walk out of the house. I have a mission, and that dream just told me what it was.

I have to do this.