The Mark of Love

The Mark

My name is Gianna Phillips. I am 16 years old. I live in the small city of Pikes. In this city, in this world, we are all marked. It could be from the sun, burning your skin, it could be from falling over and grazing your knee, it could even be from piercing your skin and adding earnings and jewels. In this would, we are given a special mark. The Mark of Love. This mark decides for us, who we will spend the rest of our lives with, who we will die with.

We were all born with a mark. The mark is slight darker than your usual skin tone. This mark, you might ask, is (supposedly) the place were you are your soulmate first collide, where you first touch. Some people have it on the back their hands, maybe an accidental brush in the street. Some people have it on there faces, maybe a punch or slap. Some people have it on their backs, maybe they caught you when you were down. That's what I think anyway.

My mark, as some of you interrogators may be asking, is on my lower back. I don't know exactly how it will come into play. Like I said before, everyone has a different story of how they met their soulmate.

***

It was June the 3rd, 1963. My Grandma, Rose was a registered nurse at The Pikes Hospital. She had the mark on her face. Rose was quite vain, and hated her mark, especially since it had been with her for 24 years. She was the last member of her family to have it. Her sister lost hers when she was only six years old, her brother when he was nineteen. She was beginning to become impatient.

My grandpa, Fred, was 27. He had just moved here interstate, from the "big apple". He was (what some might call) a ladies man. He hand girls lining up out of town to touch his hand. All these girls, wanting to be the one. None of them were. He had an accident on his motorcycle, and broken his leg. He was admitted to The Pikes Hospital on the 3rd of June, 1963.

Rose was assisting Fred with his cast. She had just finished it. She felt something different.

She sat next to him and watched the morning news. He was indulged by her beauty. He noticed her dimples as she smiled.

Fred slid his hand onto her face. Rose grabbed his hand gently. As he pulled away, both of their marks had gone.

"Are you the one?" Fred asked.

"I should hope so." Rose replied.

After my grandpa was discharged from the hospital, they immediately started a new relationship ship. They were engaged by August, and married just shy of November. After fifty five years of marriage, they are still in love, perhaps more than before.

***

It was the first day of senior year. The College of Queens, class of 1993. The baby of the family, Henry was at the last stop.

Anna was ready to pursue her career in journalism. She just wanted this year to be done and over with. She wanted to leave the city, get out and find a smaller town.

It was the first day of the year. Anna and Henry new each other, in the way of acquaintances. They'd seen each other around, never taking much interest.

Anna had a mark on her hand, like her father. Henry also had one on his hand.

Walking around campus, Anna had a few admirers. All these people, she was sure of, were not the one.

Henry was quite the opposite. He had a few girls come up and touch his hand every now and then, but not very many.

These guys wouldn't take no for an answer. Anna was starting to get very angry.

"Come on babe, just because I'm not the one, doesn't mean I cant can't be the one tonight." The guy and his friends laughed.

"I've already told you!" she lied, "I've met the one!"

"Take those gloves off then, show us your hand. I'd like to see."

Henry, being the gentleman he was, rushed over to Anna and grabbed her hand.

"Are these guys bothering you, Honey?" He valiantly said.

Anna, confused, realised his plan.

"Yes, they are in fact." she chimes as she grabbed his arm.

"Right boys, lets go." the guys all left, with the harsh marks on their face still their.

"Thank you, Henry."

"No problem."

They both walked away. Once Anna had gotten to her dorm, she took off her gloves to reveal a bare hand. She knew. It was Henry.

Henry realised the bareness of his hand. He ran to the girls dorms.

Anna bumped into Henry. Closing her eyes, she immediately kissed
him.
  
Together they had a whooping five children. The first, Luke, was born nine months after their first kiss. I think you know what happened later that night. The second, Kodi was born four years later, after their third year of marriage. When I say born, I mean adopted very young, from Spain, just like Henry. The third and forth, Isabella and Freya, born in 2000. And last (but most certainly not least), me, born September 21st, 2002. I am the baby, but not the last one to lose the mark. Luke lost his on his first day of school to his girlfriend. Quite the funny story, it involves crayons and nostrils. I best not get into it. Kodi is currently in Spain, looking for his in his home country. Still waiting to be kissed on the cheek by a random stranger.  Isabella has her girlfriend, but Freya is still waiting to be pushed over. And me? I've got my mark. Still. I'm waiting patiently.

I've told you my grandparents story, my parents story, and my siblings story. The next story you will hear, is hopefully mine.