Alternative

Chapter 1

Have you ever looked forward to something, and you just couldn't keep all that excitement inside of you. Constantly you look to it like a prophecy being fulfilled after hundreds of years of it being foretold. You imagine each and every detail, making it seem more and more like a dream. In a few days, my world will change. I don't know yet if it will change for better or for worse, but I still look forward to it. My 18th birthday is in 3 days 12 hours and 39 seconds.
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You get the idea. Normally this event lasts about three days, the day before, the day of, and the day after. For each person the celebration is different, for some its a joyous occassion, for others it is a sign of disspear, distress, and death. Some people need to focus on the positive instead of the negative, but who am I to judge. My parents are really excited, same with my brother, they are known for their luck in love. Unfortuantly for me I haven't had any love interest, and my parents are hoping that'll change. I don't know, I guess I'm looking for that special someone, unlike Emerald. Emerald, even though she is one my best friend, is always impatient. The first guy that took her on a date she had to go up and marry, not paying attention to the signs but instead was too eger to wait, they haven't had a grey hair since, which by the way doesn't surprise me. Maybe I'm just a sap for fairy tales and their happily ever afters, but I want to grow old with the person I care about the most. My parents found love, my brother found love, why can't I do the same?

"Trinity! Are you paying attention to anything I'm saying!"

"Oh I'm sorry, Mom, I guess I was just zoned out for a moment..."

"Uhh, well you should really pay attention honey, tomorrow starts your Alternative and you need to be prepared for these things. Every last detail must be perfect for tomorrow."

"I know mom. Continue, I'm listening now."

That's what they call it, Alternative. The days of either living forever or finding your true love and growing old. Some people prefer to never find their soulmate and instead live on indefinitely. Florence for example was born during the time of the California gold rush. He left his town to become rich instead of focusing on finding love and raising a family. Moving from place to place is one of his new hobbies. Recently he settled here in Ontario, mostly because of the terrific fishing. He's never found love, and doesn't intend to find it anytime soon. My parents were different, they meet at my moms Alternative. Since then they have been raising a family, growing old together, making memories. The happily ever after I've always wanted since I heard of the Alternative. Ever third grader in the country learned that year about what the Alternative was. Each person continues to age as normal, until they reach the age of 18, then they stop. They will continue to age, ONLY when meeting their soulmate. You have the choice of living onward through time, or finding your soulmate and growing old together.

Whatever you chose is up to you, but me personally, doesnt want to live forever. Seeing the ones you love die before you, always afraid of becoming attached, things change so fast you begin to lose your identity and frame of mind.

That is not for me. No thank you.

While my mind is wondering, my mom continues speaking until she realizes I'm not paying attention anymore. Breaking me out of my daydreaming, I hear a knock on the front door. Knowing immediately who it was, I got up and rushed to the door.

"Trinity! Make sure you don't stay out too late!" My dad yells as I start getting my converse on.

"I won't!" I yelled out in return. I open the door to find my neighbor Taylor.

"Ready to go?" A gleam in her eye.

"Always."