My short stories

500 years before finding love

Zira sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by her friends, the air filled with laughter and the scent of popcorn. It was a typical sleepover, complete with late-night snacks and whispered secrets. As the evening wore on, one of her friends, Katie, excitedly introduced a new app that claimed to predict the age at which a person would meet their soulmate.

"Come on, let's try it!" Katie urged, her eyes sparkling with mischief. The group gathered around as Katie entered their names one by one. The predictions came through like clockwork: 22, 31, 25. Each announcement was met with cheers and playful teasing.

Finally, it was Zira's turn. She held her breath, half-excited, half-nervous. When the app buzzed and displayed the number, her heart sank. "514?" she read aloud, incredulous. The room erupted in laughter, her friends teasing her mercilessly.

"Maybe you'll find a time traveller!" joked Katie.

"Or a really old vampire!" another friend added, giggling.

Zira brushed it off, laughing along with them, but deep down, a strange feeling settled in her chest. Could it really take that long? As the night wore on and the laughter faded, the app prediction became a funny memory, an inside joke they would recount for years.

Fast forward a decade, Zira found herself in a different world. She had just turned 24, yet something felt off. Despite the passing years, she hadn't aged a day. At first, she dismissed it, attributing it to good genes or a healthy lifestyle. But as the years stretched on, the truth began to dawn on her.

"Oh wait," she thought one day, staring at her reflection in disbelief. "It's because of that vampire bite, isn't it? Great..."

The realization hit her like a cold wave. The night of the sleepover had been a distant memory, but the bite she had received from a mysterious stranger during a fateful night out had changed everything. She had been transformed, cursed with eternal youth, and the app's prediction echoed ominously in her mind.

Five centuries passed with Zira wandering through the world, a witness to history, yet always feeling a void in her heart. She travelled from city to city, searching for something she could not name.

Then one fateful evening, while exploring a dimly lit alley in a bustling city, she felt a familiar presence. It was as if the air shifted, and she turned to see him - Zayne, the vampire who had bitten her all those years ago. His dark hair framed his face, and his piercing eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.

"Zira," he breathed, a mix of surprise and recognition crossing his features.

"Zayne," she replied, her heart racing. Memories flooded back—of that night, of the bite, and of the inexplicable connection they had shared.

"I've searched for you for so long," he admitted, stepping closer. "I never meant for you to be alone."

She felt a rush of emotions, the weight of centuries lifting as their souls recognized one another. "That dumb old soulmate app said I wouldn't find a soulmate until I turned 514," she said, a smile breaking through her initial shock.

"Seems like it was right, leading you to me," he replied, his voice low and warm.

Zira realised he was right; they were meant to be together. The years of solitude melted away as their hands intertwined. Ready to be together till the end of time.