Light In The Dark

◈ Chapter One ◈

     Ever since you could process words, you have been told the stories. Every parent had their own to tell to their children. Their own love story to inspire their offspring to follow their dreams and find their true love. You grow up with tales of romance, something you began to dream would happen to you.

     Your Grandma was 25 when she dropped a pile of books on her way back to her desk in the library. She dropped the pile of books and that's when my Grandfather found her. He began to gather the books sprawled out across the carpet floor. It was when he picked up To Kill A Mockingbird  when he noticed the glow coming from the pair. 

     Your mother was 16, running home from a party she previously got in a fight at. She was running in the rain when your father found her. Her once bright yellow dress was now drenched up like a sponge, and her once velvety heels were soaking wet and ruined. Her makeup was ruined by the raindrops and tears streaming down her face. He approached her, not caring about his own clothing when he handed her the black umbrella and asked her if she wanted the ride back home with him. As soon as her fingertips brushed against his, the light in their chest began to beam. 

     You didn't know exactly what having a soulmate meant. For the longest time, you thought it was just a way to say you were in love with someone. But according to your mother, it is much more than a label. A soulmate is the person you are crafted for; they understand your emotions and boundaries, they share a piece of themselves with you and you give your piece to them in return. They knew about you more then you probably knew about yourself. They were the one that you married, had children with, and died old with.

     How could you tell someone was your soulmate? You actually witnessed it once. Your best friend, Toby, meeting his now Fiancé, Tim. They were only 10 years old, both of them on the opposite team in kickball. You were the one to kick; the ball flew all the way to the other side of the field. Tim was already on second base, so he ran for third, where Toby was guarding. Once Tim's foot landed on the mat it slipped out from under him and he flew backwards. Only he never hit the ground, because Toby caught him and held him by the waist.  

     They were about to move away from each other, embarrassed by the contact. That was until their chest started to glow brightly together. The two boys just stopped and stared at each other. The game stopped, and everyone watched the two. It was almost like watching a proposal. You just witnessed your bestfriend find the love of their life. Watching two souls mix into one is the most beautiful thing you'll ever see.

      It was romantic, something that fueled your dreams all your childhood as you grew up in this city. As you got older, your dream of finding your special lover dwindled. Now that your 17, that once strong fantasy is nothing but a childish idea. 

     Love wasn't the top priority as you got older. You found something much more important to worry about: The war. The war first started when you were only 14. Still young and innocent, you dreamt of helping out in any way you could. Soon after the war started your father was drafted in, then killed when his plane crashed just over enemy lines. Your mother died of a broken heart soon after that. You can't go on long without your soulmate.  

     After their death you poured every ounce of energy into working to distract yourself from the depression that came with their death. It helped in two ways; giving you a way to cope with the lost, and giving you something to live for after you recovered from mourning. 

     You came to realize that you loved helping out others. You started out with volunteer work, cooking for families that couldn't afford to, making blankets for those on the streets, helping children clean their cuts and wounds so they wouldn't get infected. All this didn't go unnoticed, and you were often praised by the community in the city for your hard work.