Soul Watch

Chapter 13

What Carwyn just told us replayed in my mind again and again,and I imagined a five-year-old boy, probably giddily excited for dinnerand not knowing what was happening, getting into a car accident that lefthim clinically dead for a few seconds. How traumatizing it must havebeen to survive that, and I understood the fear that was left in him, an oldscar from the wreckage that had caused him to be unable to sit in amoving vehicle. 

Not even wanting to be near one, I understood that fear.

But for him to survive an accident like that and have one again, to havehim end up in a severe coma and lose his father on the same day, it waspainful to even think about it. My heart was actually aching as I thoughton and on. My chest squeezed as if someone was pressing down on it.We just sat in silence. All three of us were enveloped in our ownthoughts. Again, Carwyn's narration replayed in my mind like a brokenrecord. I don't think I could ever stop hearing it—eighteen years ago, anaccident with Carwyn's five-year-old brother...

My mind clicked like a spark of light ignited as a thumb sweptacross the lighter. Eighteen years ago...It couldn't be..."Carwyn," I called to him urgently, and he looked up at the toneof my voice.

"What exact day was the accident eighteen years ago?" I askedas my heart started beating faster, like a snare drum.Carwyn looked to the left as he concentrated on remembering."It was...Shoot, I can't remember. Let me ask Mom. She never forgotthe dates and time for both accidents." He nodded at us and ducked outof the booth, fishing out his cell phone from his pocket.Crysta looked at him go before turning to me, her eyes red andpuffy. "How can life be so cruel?" She looked at me right in the eye asshe shared the same thought repeating in my mind."Life is always cruel, but their family doesn't deserve it," Ireplied, feeling the clench in my chest again.

Crysta pondered my reply intently as she looked down at thetable again before she slowly began to speak, "It makes you wonder,doesn't it? Why the most tragic and worst things often happen to thosethat deserve it least? As if God is testing their endurance."

My eyes flashed to Crysta, still looking passive as she lookeddown at the table. Her answer surprised me into over thinkingeverything. So, was God testing my endurance too—allowing me to beborn with an empty soul watch, making me believe that I will never havea soul mate, tolerating the peculiar stares I got from everyone, having meput up a facade that I didn't desire a soul mate and then letting it crumblelike a concrete wall into dust and now, throwing a curve ball at me thathad Carwyn's brother's soul watch be in tuned to my arrival?Carwyn returned to the booth, slipping his phone back into thepocket of his jeans. 

"The first accident occurred at 6:34 PM on August

13. The second—" Carwyn got cut off by Crysta gasping and throwingher hands over her mouth in shock as my mind reeled in and out like afishing line. She knew the significance of the date too.August 13 was my birthday. The day of the accident was the dayI was born. It couldn't be. It was not...Did soul watches even work likethat? I needed to find out.

"I got to go." The words came out of my mouth as I sprinted outof the café with everyone staring at my back. I continued sprinting all theway back to the dorm, passing Lightson Park and the lake that was setbefore our school. I passed by professors juggling term papers andstudents lounging on the lawn, laughing and joking around.I dashed up the stairs and took out my keys. Reaching the doorof my room, I jammed the key into the lock and threw the door open,leaving everything behind as I ran to the box of documents I kept undermy desk. It was the box that contained every important document I couldown and have.