Notes

Soulmeet - Short Story

"If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?"

I don't know how long my Watch has been the way it is; my parents tell me it's been like that since I got it, at a year old. They told me it was fine, just some wiring gotten loose - I mean, it still worked didn't it?

The tender wind brushes my skin, so I pull habitually at my cardigan sleeve as I look at it's face. 2 minutes 33 seconds. My heart flutters despite my calm smile.

I began to hide it in school when other children would look and whisper about it. My parents have never said that my Watch is unusual, but I've always rather known it. I used to study theirs - retired now, of course, but they chose to have them refitted as wedding rings. Fashion, in those days, they say.

Children scream with laughter in the playground behind me, while the leaves of the sycamore trees above me rustle gently. I can feel the peeling green paint of the bench slightly chilling my bare skin. I hope I look ok, I think, as I take a deep breath. Chanel No 5 wafts through my nose, reminding me of the effort I put in to this. I wanted to prove everyone wrong, that I am normal, despite my Watch. I lift my wrist to see. 2 minutes 19 seconds. More time than that has passed, surely? Tapping the Watch, I sigh in defeat as the numbers jump. 1 minute 54. That's better.

It felt a bit surreal, I thought, sitting on this bench, waiting for my Soulmate, whilst watching the rest of the world live their perfectly normal lives. The young adults or middle aged couples with young children had most likely already found their Soulmate, or we're not old enough to be fully aware of them. To try and pass the remaining 1 minute and 53 - tap tap - 1 minute and 39 seconds, I leaned back and watched the clouds drift through the clear sky. My heart began to race in earnest, almost racing the clouds in speed. I checked my Watch. 57 seconds. Checked it again. 48 seconds. The numbers flashed, but then carried on descending.

I rose from the bench, searching the park for Him. Instinct dragged me towards the exit, to the busy sidewalk. 32 seconds.

I was spinning in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to look in all directions. I glanced down, 26 seconds. The road. A small bookshop stood across from me, shapes moving inside. One reached the door and formed a young man, slightly older than me. Brown hair in a mess. Book under one arm. Just my type, I thought, as he looked directly at me. I stepped forward a little, as he looked both ways down the road. I didn't even bother looking, but counted under my breath.

"11, 10, 9," so close now, nearly there, "8, 7, 6,"

And suddenly, he was gone. His bright face disappeared under the car.

"NO!" I screamed, racing forward along with other strangers. The driver was already looking underneath. His face was forlorn. People were forming a crowd, with me in the centre, kneeling by the scratched bumper. They murmured worriedly, but I heard one woman say,

"Was he yours?" I turned to look at her, tears streaming down my face. Instead of speaking, I looked down at my Watch. 1 second. 0 second. It flashed red, the word 'ERROR' replacing the numbers. I hadn't even known they could do other words. Then the numbers returned, and began whizzing back at a dizzying pace. They stopped at 16 years, 2 months, 21 days, 11 minutes and 1 second, before the 'ERROR' message flashed again, and the screen died.