The Frozen Clock

A Tale of Trina Boothe and Terrance McGee

I glanced at my watch on my wrist, it did not show time, but instead, a blinking reminder that I never tried to look for my soulmate. "Press Here for Frozen Clock," blinking in green digital letters. Times Square on New Years Eve, I pondered, Never a better place and time for this.

50, 49, 48...

Time was running out, and I would never find a better opportunity like right now.

40, 39, 38, 37...

I scanned throughout the entire area, my short height limit my options, but I tried to look for people who I could ever be interesting, someone who was supposed to be my soulmate, someone that I would stop time for and I could love for an eternity.

30, 29, 28, 27, 26...

Loud cheers around me continued to make my ears ring, confetti cannons already set from the tops of buildings, the cold brewing dropped significantly in temperatures. My exhales as visible as a misty fog.

20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15...

Time was growing closer to the end of this year. What had I accomplished? If that special person was not here, and I wasted my best chance at finding them?

10...

My palms exerted flames that were fighting against the cold.

9...

The scarf around my neck was a noose, as I gulped through it.

8...

People were pushing and pulling on me like the ocean's tides.

7...

My lungs felt as they were about to collapse in anticipation.

6...

My heart, thumping like a band drum, one I will never play, one I can hear bursting in my ears.

5...

My feet aching from standing in this crowded area, people jumping up and down as if it was a rave party.

4...

I blinked once, closing.

3...

My nose wrinkling.

2...

My finger gently pressing against the surface of my watch.

1...

Everything fell silent.

I glanced around me, everyone frozen in place, like ice statues or mannequins. On the gigantic clock, showed 0:01. One second left, to me, turned into five minutes. A timer was in place of the green letters, as I looked from side to side, everyone with significant smiles on their faces, not even speaking, or breathing, in fact.

I looked around, and there I saw him, his outward appearance looked like a casual guy, my age, but seemed like a gallant, heroic knight in my eyes. The moment I saw his smile, and a dimple creep up on his cheek, his eyes sparkling, in comparison of the gleaming lights, they shone radiantly. He was a burst of color, and I was suddenly no longer a dark catacomb.

"Heya, soulmate," he greeted with a chuckle.

This was the boy, I fell so deep in love with, and time physically froze the moment I saw him walk into my way. I would love him for as long as it takes, for he was my soulmate, and it only took a second for me to find him.