《Soulmates》 Prologue Hi. So to begin withi should probably explain the clocks shouldnt i? The clock is a small countdown on the inside of everyone''s wrist, this counts down until your meeting with your soulmate, the person who you have the most in common with, the person who you can find yourself falling in love with after just a few short seconds. The person who you aredestined to meet. For years scientist have been trying to explain the clocks, but absolutly noone can come up with any solid evidence, some call it gods will, others believe it''s some form of quantum mumbo jumbo.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Ive still to find my soulmate, but more times than i can count i have come accross people who are just about to meet theirs. I feel something inside of me to always help these people however i can, but i never stick around after. I tried that and things just got awkward really fast, and in one bad case it ended badly for the couple. So now i just help how i can and continue on my way. And now it is time for the main story. Chapter 1 Monday August 12th I was at the bus stop waiting to get home and have some sleep, my days arent filled with much, just the usually dailyroutines of eating sleeping washing housework and so on. Every few days or so i would go into a conept design firm and help out where i could. Ha. 3 years of 3d art design in university and all i can do is som side work. Its better than nothing though, i still have enough money to get by, with enough spare to buy some extra''s like new video games or go to the movies. I digress I only needed to go a couple stops on the bus but couldnt be bothered walking. The bus was late (as usual) so i resigned my self to wait patiently. Looking to my right i saw a young girl, about 15 maybe 16, she looked very nervous, constantly looking around and down to her wrist. ''oh, it must be time for her'' i thought with a tinge of sadness. "how long left?" i ask the girl. Immediatly she looks at me with unabridged hope flowing from her eyes. Shoulders tensing and looking at me enough to see i was even there she looks back to her wrist to see how long was left, i managed to catch a glimps of the time 00:05:33. The girl visably deflates and with out even looking back at me she replies. "Five minutes" i can see how she is barely even breathing, hoping that the timer would count down quicker, or maybe slower hoping to give her soulmate a chance to arrive. "Just breathe, i''m sure he will be here" i tell the poor girl hoping to calm her down a little. I catch her glancing at my wrist, upon seeing that i dont have a countdown she looks at me with new hope in her eyes. I''ve seen it dozens of times, the young and hopeful seeing that they could get some advice from somone who has already found their soulmate, if only she knew the truth. "Are you sure, shouldn''t he be here by now? What if something happened to him? What do i say? What if i scare him off or he doesnt like me?" she quickly prattles off her worries hoping that i could answer at least one of her worries. but as i said, ive seen all of this before, i know how to reply. "The countdown is until you meet your soulmate, in five minutes he will show up, if something happened then the timer would go straight to zero" This was always something that people worried about the time came to meet their soulmate. "As for what to say, or scaring him off?" pausing here always helps believe it or not, they always think of the worst or they think im finding some truly sagely advice. "Just be yourself. Don''t forget that this is the one you are probably going to spend the rest of your life with. He should see you for who you really are not who you think he might want. but simply starting with your name is a good place to start." Hopefully this will be enough for the girl, she seems to be really thinking this over. "But what if he doesn''t want a soulmate? what if I don''t like him?" The girl quickly panicks. "Breathe. you can''t keep thinking about all the stuff you can''t change." i reply quickly, hoping the poor child doesnt have a panick attack. "I know, why don''t you tell me where you would go for your first date?" Hopefully this will distract her enough to start thinking happy thoughts. "I was thinking about maybe the aquarium, but what if he doesnt like fishes or if im boring?" The girl says looking at her feet while absentmindedly rubbing her wrist with the timer. 00:03:12. Not long now. "Do you like fish?" i ask hoping this would lead where i could do the most help. "I love fish, but what if he doesnt, what if bore him with what i enjoy?" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website."Trust me, he will love the aquarium with you, even if he doesnt like fish i know he will have a good time. For the simple fact that you would be excited and happy. Thats what love really is." I only hope that this will make her feel better and help her on her way. Silence surrounds us for a few seconds, i begin to worry that maybe i havent helped as much as i hoped. "You''re right" she reply with a small genuine smile, the kind of smile that reminds you that you have done the right thing. 00:00:51 Its nearly time, but... The bus is here. and the boy is nowhere in site. Oh no. Not this girl, dont do it please. Give her happiness, let her smile that lovely smile of hers. The bus pulls up and the doors open revealing a middleaged bus driver. The bus is filled with mostly middle aged people and a couple of kids. No soulmate in site. "Go on, i promise you he will be here" i encourage the girl, hoping for the life of me that i haven''t just raised her hopes only to have them crushed. She slowly makes her way onto the bus, hoping to buy whatever time she could, but it was not enough. She takes her ticket and moves to an empty seat, even from 10 feet away i can see the tears welling up, i can feel my tears welling up. I take as long as possible, i fumple through my wallet for my buss pass, hoping that at any second the boy will come running. Nothing I take my seat next to the girl, hoping that i could at least cheer her up and tell her it will be ok. 00:00:05. Damn God Damn Destiny Damn whatever gave us these timers 00:00:04 The bus doors close and the driver prepares to leave. 00:00:03 The bus slowly lurches out from the stop, but out of the corner of my eye i see a streak of black. 00:00:02 banging on the window tell everyone on the bus that there is someone left. The girl next to me doesnt even notice. I can see the tears rolling down her cheeks as she tries to stiffle her silent sobs. The driver opens the door as a boy, close to 17, tall, handsome and holding a sketchbook. i quickly look at the girls timer. 00:00:00 Its time No IT''S HIM! i quickly nudge the girl next to me, the boy is still standing at the front of the bus looking over the passengers, but is he going to miss the girl, she is hidden behind the passenger in front. She needs to look up, raise her head, ANYTHING! The girl ignores my nudges, the boy looks degected. He couldnt find his soul mate, i have to do something. For the poor girl crying her eyes out. For the poor boy who''s heart has just broken. The boy walks down the aisle, he is nearly at me. I stand, the boy nearly walking into me, he looks up. I can see in his eyes that he has given up all hope. I gently place a hand on his shoulder and guide him into my seat, as he looks over he breaks out into a massive grin. still recovering from the near tragedy. He takes the seat, as i slowly make my way to the front of the bus. "Hi, I''m Adam" the boy says, in a gentle velvet like voice. the girl looks up and immediatly brightens up with a smile that could outshine the sun. "Hi" she wipes away her tears with her arm. "Im Ashley" I get to the front of the bus and quickly jump off befor the doors close, i look back at the bus to see it leaving just a secong later. I feel my tears flowing freely now. I look at my wrist where my timer should be, and slowly peel back a hidden sleeve. I look at my wrist, scratching at it, Trying to get rid of it. The numbers have never changed. They''ve always been at 0 Chapter 2 Monday 12 August 11:39PM I awoke to a maddening itch on, i was bleary and half asleep so it took a minute to figure out where to scratch. My wrist felt like it was on fire, without even opening my eyes i start scratching but to no avail. If anything the itching got worse. Finally i open my eyes and turn on a light to see what the hell was wrong with my arm. 160:33:01 ....what? Ho...How? but, i thought... after a little mental math, half to distract me half to figure out when. 7 days. 7 days and i can finally meet her. Tears well up in my eyes, i cant believe it, im finally going to meet her. I thought something was wrong with me, or something happened to her. Tuesday 13 August 1pm(ish) I was sitting in the park, just looking at everything like it was the first time ive seen it all. Everything seemed brighter more full of life, i was still in shock over last night. What could have caused it? Why now? Where will i need to go? So many questions flew through my mind. now i understood what all though people were thinking , all the people i helped. It''s terrifying. I was so caught up in my own thought that i didnt notice a girl sit besides me. "Ugh where is he?" the girl says to herself. At a glance i can tell she is about to meet her soulmate, the fidgeting, looking around and glancing back at their wrist usually gives it away. I smile a little at myself, knowing what i was going to do. the same thing i always do. Help "I''m sure he will be here" i reassure "He better be, i can''t wait to have him buy me things, and takes me to fancy places" Instantly i knew she was going to be trouble, she is the kind who only expects things and gives back nothing. The poor boy was going to be in over his head. Anyone would. glancing at her wrist i saw the timer. 00:10:29 i can work with that, hopefully i can make her see why her current way of thinking is wrong. "What are you expecting from him?" i ask. "He should buy me what i want whenever i want, take me to a fancy dinner every week, he also needs to be good looking, smart and rich." at this point she finally glances at me and realises what she has been saying. "Why am i telling you all this?" is a little side effect i have noticed, after all of the times ive helped people, it seems i dont need to do much to get them to open up. Showing her my sleeved wrist i reply. "Because i can give you advice that most people dont even know they need before its to late." "Ok good point. so what can you tetll me to make him give me what i want?" she asked like it was the most normal question in the world. my frustration was slowly building at this point, but anger wouldnt fix this. "Don''t make him." i reply. "What the hell does that mean?" she responds clearly confused. "Dont make him do anything. dont guilt trip him into buying you new jewellery, dont nag him to buy new clothes, dont even ask him for a dinner date. all of that should just come naturally. If he gets you something, give him something back." i look back at her to find she is staring at me like i have 7 heads and said i would eat her firstborn. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon."That is the worst advice i have ever heard. Why would i waste money getting him something, he is lucky to have a girl like me as his soulmate, he should treat me like a princess." Clearly this girl is full of herself. "Then act like one, instead of acting like an entitled baby. If you only demand things from him, you will only be pushing him away. Before you even get to the gift stage of the relationship you first need to get to know each other." Now she has a look of complete horror on her face. I should probably be recording this. "When you talk about yourself, be modest. Don''t tell him everything about you on the first date, just enough to get the ball rolling so that he will want a second. When he talks, listen. Ask him questions about himself. Soulmates are not a guarantee, just a better chance than a random person of the street." The girl is now looking at her feet, she seems to really be taking all of this to heart. 00:08:47 "Walk with me" i say as i stand up and offer my hand. "But what if i miss him?" she says in a more timid voice as she looks around nervously. "Don''t worry. He will find you, but you also need to find him." She takes my hand to help her up and we begin walking. "Any more advice?" the girl asks in a voice so quiet i thought it was the wind. i smile inwardly knowing that i can do the most help now. "Soulmates are not set in stone, they aren''t a straight forward thing either. Both sides need to work together. The goal shouldnt be to become or make eachother into the perfect partner, it should be to become best friends." "Best friends? Really?" The girl asks sceptically. "Really. This is the person you could spend the rest of your life with. Wouldn''t you want that person to be a best friend? The whole relationship things just comes with time." We walk in a companionable silence for the next few minutes, the girl still looking at her feet as we walk. She seems to really be thinking all of this over. As i look forward i see a young man, a runner, jogging through the park. He doesn''t seem to be putting his heart into it. He seems more distracted with everyone around him. Oh, its time isn''t it. I glance over to the girls wrist and see her timer. 00:00:05 As we continue walking, i begin to think about how they would meet. 00:00:04 The girl is still looking at her feet, she doesn''t seem like she is going to look up any time soon. 00:00:03 The boy is just a few feet away now, he is going to pass right by her, they could touch if they moved a little closer. 00:00:02 Guess i''m going to need to step in 00:00:01 So i step in. Right into the girl. She trips and begins to fall, the boy quick on his feet catches her but loses his balance as well. "Ow what was that?" the girl asks, from the tone of her voice i don''t think my talk truly worked but then just before im out of earshot i hear. "Sorry, I''m Ryan. It looked like you tripped." the boy gave her a quick reply, his delight clear in his voice. "Ah..um...hi. I''m Rebecca." The girl sounds a lot more timid now than when she was first talking to me. As i walk away i look down at my wrist and peel back my hidden sleeve. 147:53:22 Six days Chapter 3 Wednesday 14th August 5pm(ish) I just spent the day looking for a cat. Yup. A cat. I found a missing poster for a cat that i was sure i had seen around my neibourhood and i just cant help but helping people. So now i am walking to the address on the poster with a cat in my arms. The cat is rather calm actually, seems like the owners like to hold their cat a lot. Now if only the cat wasnt so damned heavy, this cat has some serious weight issues. I''m starting to wander how the cat managed to get so far away from home, it should have keeled over from all the exercise. Anyway as i am coming up onto the address i find a young man about 21 years old standing on a sidewalk. He is clearly nervous and scared, the ribbing and itching of the timer gives everything away. It''s time for him to meet his soulmate. I walk up to him but he doesnt notice me. "You ok buddy" He practically jumped as he looked at me. Clearly he was cought up in his own thoughts. I couldn''t see his timer because he was wearing a long sleeved shirt. "How long left?" i ask him. "3 minutes" he replies. "Scared?" "Terrified, should i be terrified?" i can hear the tremble in his voice "Definitely, this is a big moment for you. The question is are you excited as well?" Hopefully i can calm his fears. He only just notices my fluffy friend. Without even realising it the young man starts betting the overweight fluff ball. "Of course im excited, who wouldn''t be?" he replies as he starts stroking the cat. i can feel the fluffy ball of fat start purring from this new attention. Now i know what i need to do. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation."Then take this cat, go to that house over there." i thrust the cat into his surprised arms. he still doesnt stop petting the cat though. "But what if i miss my soulmate?" The fear in his voice is as clear as day. "Take the cat to that house over there and you will be just fine. you are excited and scared. In my experience something that makes you afraid and excited at the same time is worth doing. Now off you go, time is ticking" i encourage him hoping im making the right choice. Before he can even reply i start walking down the street. not a minute later i hear murmering behind me followed quickly by the sound of someone knocking on a door. 00:00:05 I look back and barely a second later the door opens. 00:00:04 A young woman about 20 years old is at the door staring at the young man, and just before either of them can speak, the cat leaps from the mans hands and into the house. 00:00:03 "Hi, sorry about the cat. for such a fat thing he can really move when he wants to" the girl nervously comments afraid to meet the mans eyes. 00:00:02 The man is clearly awestruck. 00:00:01 "Um.. hi.. yeh um.. sorry, im adam." The man replies getting control of himself. "Hi adam, im Becky." the girl replies. the silence goes on for a few seconds, both fo them taking in the sight of eachother. "Would you liek to come in for some tea?" the girl asks with a wistful smile on her face. Never have i seen someones face light up like this young mans. "I would love to" I continue walking down the street as i hear the door close. looking down at my wrist i peel back the hidden sleeve and look at my timer. 119:03:59 Five days Chapter 4 Thursday 15th August 2pm(ish) So im sitting in the cinema waiting for the attendants to let people in take their seats. accross the hall i see a young man by the doors looking very panicked, while also rubbing his timer. I seems to be running into a lot of people who are about to meet their soulmates. Making my way over to the distressed young man i can see him trying to order a ticket from the automated machines. but he seems to be having trouble. "Something wrong?" i ask when i am close enough. "I have 4 minutes to get my ticket and get into the screen. I just know thats where i will meet my soulmate." the young man hurriedly says without looking away from the screen. "Damnit! Give me a damn ticket already!" he practically screams, drawing a number of stared our way. "Calm down, what movie are you going to watch?" i ask hoping there is something i can do. He visably turns red. So red i thought he might pass out. "The new Disney movie." he replies in a quiet voice that threatened to be swept away in the abient noise of the city. Now im not judging the guy, i love disney movies. I grew up on them, so of course i would want to keep watching the sequals. "Ok, take a deep breathe. Did you ask at the desk?" i reply trying to keep the man calm and hopefully concious. "Of course i did, they said i was to late and that i should get a later time. but i need to get in there, ive planned this for weeks and i just know my soulmate is in there. Oh god, what if i miss this. What if i screw up and never meet them." Ok the guy is really starting to panic now. Luckily i have a solution. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there."Breathe. Just stay calm, take this ticket and dont pass out ok?" i say as i hand him my ticket. guess ill come back another day. "I..I, thank you. Thank you so much." he looked absolutly relieved as he began to make his way into the cinema. but just a few steps in he stops and turn back to me. "What do i do?" he asked me looking completely lost. "Just be yourself. You are both going to be watching the movie so just enjoy each others company." i encouraged him the same way i have done dozens of times. "But what do i do after, im scared, i have no idea what im supposed to do." i could see the fear setting in. The kind of fear that makes people miss their chance at love. "you dont have to do anything. Just go in their take your seat and wait. After the movie just...Talk. There is nothing More simple than that." After my little speech he turns and begins walking to attendant who is now letting people into the screen to take their seats. 00:00:05 About 10 feet from the attendant while still staring at the ticket he bumps into another young man knocking both of them to the floor. 00:00:04 Getting back to their feet still not loocking at each other, as they were looking for their tickets which were dropped in the collision. 00:00:02 Finally they notice the other. The second their eyes met i knew what had happened. 00:00:01 "Hi. im Gil." The young man i spoke to introduced himself without eactually thinking about what he said. 00:00:00 "Wow" replied the other man. Clearly he was in a similar state of surprise. I turned away and made my way back to my car. Looking down at my wrist and peeling back the hidden sleeve. 98:21:21 Only four days left. Chapter 5 Friday 16th August 12pm(ish) I''m sitting in a coffee shop having my usual cup of tea. On a table opposite me i see a young girl, about 17 years old who is clearly worrying about something. It is also clear that what she is worrying about has something to do with her timer. I finish what''s left of my tea and move closer to her table. "Do you mind if i take a seat?" i ask. Clearly my arrival startled her. After checking her wrist and looking around she lowers her head. "Sure. I guess" she replies, she is obviously dissapointed that i was not someone else. "How long left?" I ask. "What? Oh 3 minutes." she replies after realising what i was asking. I take a seat and position my arm so she can see the sleeve hiding my timer. "Want some advice?" i ask hoping i could help with her problems. I catch her looking at my wrist as i feel a subtle shift in her mood. "Sure. Its probably not something you can help with though." I can see she is slowly loosing herself to her negative thoughts. "I can try though, and you never know maybe some of my advice can give you an idea or two." "I can try i guess. My boyfriend. He has been so supportive about me finding my soulmate and i really love him for it. i always thought he would be my soulmate even though both of our timers were still counting. And i feel so guilty for leaving him for a guy i''ve never even met before." It becomes clear to me that her problems are a lot more complicated than i thought. "Hhmm. I think you shouldn''t think about it like that. i can see clearly that you love him, and that he loves you. It makes me think of parents in a way. They prepare their child as best they can for their future but eventually they will have to let their children leave and make something of themselves, to put what they have learned about the world and themselves to use." She looked confused at my metaphore but after a second she seemed to understand. "But we have spent so much of our lives together that i cant imagine not seeing him anymore" She was clearly getting more distressed at that train of thought. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site."He isn''t moving away or anthing, he will still be there for you. I''m sure you would also be there for him when the time comes for him to meet his soulmate as well." I say trying to reassure her. "But what if he doesnt want to know me anymore. what if he doesnt like my soulmate, my my soulmate doesnt like him and wants me to stop seeing him!?" She is visably starting to panic now. "You have been friends for a long time right? then you have to have a little bit of faith that he will stay by your side. and you will need a bit of faith that your soulmate will value the bond you have with your boyfriend." She seems to calm down a bit more with that. "Ten seconds" she says looking at her wrist. I stand up to leave and give her my most reassuring smile. "Good luck. And have a little faith." With that i start to walk towards the door. Just as im about to pass through the door someone barges past me and into the coffee shop. "Michelle!" The boy shouts as he comes to a halt looking around the store. Finding the girl i just spoke to he walks up to her and takes her into a hug. 00:00:05 "I dont want to give you up" the boy says still holding her. 00:00:04 The girl wrestles herself from his grip. 00:00:03 "But out timers. My soulmate." The boy falter ever so slightly, but the determination in his eyes is crystal clear. 00:00:02 "I know and i dont care, i want you to stay with me." the scene playing out in front of everyone is drawying a lot of attention but no one dares interupt. He digs through his pocket to retrieve something but he kept it hidden in a tight fist. 00:00:01 Before the eyes of everyone in the store he drops to his knee and reveals a beautiful ring in his hand. "Please, will you marry me Michelle" the silence felt like it lasted for days. 00:00:00 "Yes" "Yes!!! Of course i''ll marry you Will." The applause was deafening as they embraced eachother. Just before i left i saw the boy place the ring on the girls finger. Walking down the street i look to my wrist and peel back the hidden sleeve 76:45:29 Just three days. Three days! Chapter 6 Saturday 16th August 3pm(ish) Today i was called into work to help design a background for some new game. I was sitting at my desk when accross from me i see a young man an the other side of the room at his desk. From what i could see, he wasn''t putting much effort into his work, he seemed more interested in his wrist. Whithout even realising it, i was out of my chair and making my way over to him. "Is it nearly time?" i ask once im close enough. "Yeah, and i think i know who it is." The man replies as he looks towards me. "Really! Thats more than most people ever get. Lucky you!" i reply getting a little excited. It really was a rare occurance to have an idea who your soulmate might be. If you consider the fact that you pass by hundreds of people in a single day being able to thin that down to just a few people who might be the one is heavily based on luck. "Yeah. I have a meeting in 5 minutes and my timer says 6 minutes. im supposed to be meeting the new HR rep. She say''s she wants to meet everyone to try to get to know them." he replies looking up at me with a troubled smile. "I dont understand the problem?" i reply genuinely confused. "We work together. Wouldn''t that make things wierd after a while. I mean we would see eachother a lot more than most people." He seems to have thought this through. It''s a shame he is worrying over nothing. "I don''t think so. You both work in different area''s and its not like you are trying to get eachothers jobs. From my meeting with her it sounds like she likes to know people. she wants to help people where she can, while you want to design things on your computer. You each joined this company for different reasons but that doesnt mean you both want the same job." My speech came out a little long winded but i think i got the point accross. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!"That..Actually makes a lot of sense. But what if-" "Nope!" I interupt him to avoid that train of thought. "What?" He asks looking very confused. "Nope! You dont need to think about thing like that. You need to worry more about your first date." I reply acting very happy with myself. I learned that this kind of act can be very encouraging. "I....I guess you''re right." he sighs before getting to his feet. "Guess i better get going." he takes a couple steps away. "Thanks" he says over his shoulder when he is a couple of feet away. Having finished my work i go back to my computer save everything so i can leave. Once that was done i made my way to the door but not before i noticed the HR rep heading to her office where the young man should be waiting. 00:00:05 While waiting for the elevator i see her walk into her office and can just hear some of her conversation. 00:00:04 "I guess you are my soulmate" She starts the conversation with the same smile ive seen so many times before. The smile that says im afraid but i cant wait. 00:00:03 "That i am. It''s nice to finally meet you" I can just barely hear the mans reply. 00:00:02 "I''m Melissa" 00:00:01 "Hello Melissa, I''m Roger" the man sounds a whole lot happier now. 00:00:00 Just as the elevator arrives i see the door to the HR office close. Stepping into the empty elevator i look down at my wrist and peel back the hidden sleeve. 49:00:45 So close, just 2 more days. Chapter 7 Sunday 17th August 6pm(ish) I was driving home after getting some groceries from the nearby supermarket when on the side of the street i saw a young woman who appeared to be crying. It appeared to have something to do with her timer but i couldnt think of anything that would bring a person to tears like this. Unless.... She has missed her chance. I pull over before i drive to far away and start walking back to the poor woman. "Are you ok?" i ask not bothering to hide the concern in my voice. "I missed it. I was so close but i missed it" she managed to say between powerful sobs. "Tell me what happened" i ask hoping i could at the very least console the woman. Getting a better look at her now it looks like she has been in a fight. "My boyfriend. He knew i was going to meet my soulmate today. But he didn''t want that. He beat me. Brought me out here. Left me here with nothing so i can''t meet my soulmate." "Im sorry. he is a horrible person. Do you know when and where you were supposed to meet them?" Just maybe there is something i can do. "I was supposed to go to the club across town with some friends tonight. I would have met them 20 minutes from now but when my boyfriend left me here the timer changed. Now its just zero''s" She explains getting more distressed towards the end. "Come with me. I have an idea, there might still be some hope." She could hear the truthfulness in my voice as well as the unhidden excitement that this might work. She visably perk up. Seeing her face more clearly, when her bruises heal up she would be rather pretty. We both walk quickly to my car and jump in. Before she even closed the door i put the car in gear and sped away from the sidewalk. "If we can get there quick enough we might just find him." i try to reassure her as we speed down the street. I try to keep a lookout for any police but it seems like a quiet night. "But what if he doesn''t want me. And what about my boyfriend, i know he did this but he can be really sweet sometimes" I cant believe she is trying to defend the guy who did this to her. "A person is never judged by the good they can sometimes bring, but by the bad thing they have put others through. Sure your boyfriend may be sweet sometimes but he weill always be a terrible person for what he has dont tonight. And the man who will be your soulmate. I have no doubt that he will see what you are going through and offer you something so much better." She mulls this over for some of the drive, she doesn''t speak up until we are just a couple of minutes away. "IT''S BACK, THE TIMER''S BACK" She is practically jumping in her seat now, her newfound hope is practically contagious. "We''ll get make it. When we get there you need to be ready to leave that boyfriend behind, he doesn''t deserve someone as good as you." The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there."I will. But...What do i tell my soulmate, how will i explain all of this to him?" She is starting to get the metting jitters, but it is something everyone goes through, she just needs a little push, but as for explaining her bruises? Thats going to be a little harder, hopefully her newfound hope will help this along. "You will have to explain the truth to him, it''s going to be difficult and i can guarantee you that he will be angry. But he wont be angry at you, he will be angry at your boyfriend for doing this to you, at himself for not being able to do anything. He will be there for you, but you also need to be there for him, to assure him that while he couldn''t do anything that you forgive him." Its a long winded speech but i think i made my point. "But he doesn''t need my forgivness, there was nothing he could do!" I knew this would come up, most people dont understand this simple little truth. "True, but someone who is going to mean a whole lot to him was hurt and he did nothing, whether or not he could have done anythig to stop it doesnt matter. He is going to appologize to you. Telling him he couldnt do anything will just make him feel weak and powerless, and noone like to feel like that." "Then what do i do" She asks as we pull into the street with the club. i can see a few people outside smoking along with a couple of bouncers. "Simply forgive him" i say as we pull up outside the club. She takes a deep breathe and steps out of the car, she looks around and down to her wrist, i can see the numbers ticking down. 00:00:05 The bouncer quickly takes notice of her as she steps away from the car, in less than a second he is at her side. "Are you ok, what happened, do you need help" 00:00:04 "I...I''m fine thank''s, shitty boyfriend, but im doing a lot better now" She seems to be trying to hide her fear from her voice, but i dont think the bouncer missed it. Knowing that there is nothing left i can do i start to pull away, the voices of the bouncer and the woman are quickly lost. But if i stayed i would have heard the start of a long a happy relationship. ********************* "Come on, i have have some experience with makeup, im sure there is some in the lsot and found, we can have you looking like a knockout in no time and you can enjoy the night." The bouncer says as he guides the girl into the club. 00:00:03 00:00:02 "You have experience with makeup? Im Katherine by the way." The girl asks as she follows the bouncer into the club. 00:00:01 "I''m James. And i also have 4 younger sisters" The bouncer explaines as they both walk through the door. 00:00:00 ********************* As im driving away i peel back the sleeve hiding my timer. 22:11:09 Soon Final Chapter (Edit) + Link to new story! Monday 18th 4pm(ish) Today is the day. Im finally going to meet her. 24 years i have lived with my timer permanantly 00:00:00. But now. Now i can finally find the one who i can spend my life with. Now that the time has come to finally meet her, im panicing. What do i say, where will i meet her. But as i keep thinking of the worst my thoughts drift to the people i have helped over the week. What if i just miss her and she cries like the girl on the bus. What if she is stuck up and expects everything from me like the girl in the park. What if she gets scared and we miss eachother. What if something happens and she cant meet me. What if she cant let go of her past. What if she over thinks things and backs out. What if her past wont let go of her. I stop walking to try and calm down, i cant help but look around me hoping to see her just a little sooner. i see across the road from me that a woman about 30 something is having car troubles. I look down at my wrist 00:25:34 I have time, i can help her hopefully. Walking voer i see that it doesnt seem like the engine is the problem nor is there any problem i can see, but the woman is clearly distressed about something. "Something i can help with?" i ask as i approach. Surprised by my appearance she quickly turns towards me. "Oh, you scared me. My car ran out of gas and i really need to get home." "Do you live far?" i ask thinking maybe i could push the car for her. "Only a few of blocks, but i have groceries i need to get home, to much to carry." she replies seemingly deflating at the end, believing there is nothing to be done until someone can get some gas for her. "I could push the car for you" Hopefully i can finish this before i have to meet my soulmate. what if im late, what if i miss her. I look down to my wrist again to find that the time has barely changed. Its fine, i can do this and still make it. "That would be so much help, thank you so much." I move to the back of her car as she jumps in the steer. On her ready i start pushing. On the way back we bagan to talk. Pushing the car wasnt to difficult but i could tell that after a while i would feel the pain. "Thank you so much for helping me. It''s been a hell of a day. I teach at a school, and a boy there recently found his soulmate who really loves fish. He wanted to get her a pet fish but didnt know what to get or where to get it. So i had to stay behind and help him out." It seems like she has been having trouble. But she seems nice enough to help out her students. "That doesn''t explain how you ran out of gas" i reply between laboured breathes. "Yeh, after school i came accross a wedding precession. for some young couple. THEN just a few blocks back the police we arresting somone, i think it was someone who was abbusing their ex-girlfriend before she found her soulmate." Some of these things sounded familier but i can''t be sure. I don''t know how but it seemed to take a lot longer to get the car back to her home. i''m not much of an exercise guy and pushing this car really reminds me of that. "Would you like to come in for some tea, its the least i can do." "That would be nice, thank you." I reply after catching my breate for a few second, on the way in i grab some of her groceries and quickly realise that there was no way she could have carried this back herself. There was a lot, and a lot of it was heavy. By the time all of the groceries we inside i was sore all over. my mind was completly off of the timer and my soulmate. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website."I''ll put some tea on now, while you''re waiting why don''t you introduce yourself to my daughter, she is in the room down the corridor, last room on the right. I saw no reason to deny her kind offer. Perhaps if i wasnt in so much pain i would have remembered about my timer and my soulmate. walking down the corridor i see the room the woman told me about, on the fron of the door is a name plate. ''Claire'' I knock on the door and wait for a reply. barely audible from my side of the door was a voice that sounded so fragile that the most gentle a breeze could have swept it away. "Come in" the voice said. So i open the door and the sight that greets me was something that not even my imagination could beat. A young woman barely in her 20s with long dark hair that shimmered with a tinge of purple was lying in bed facing the window opposite the door. She wore simple blue pajamas. "Mum?" the voice without the door in the way sounded no less fragile. Reminding myself to breathe, but not to loud in case i missed a single word spoken in the beautifully fragile voice. "Um....no. I helped her push her car back after it ran out of gas, she offered me some tea and asked me to introduce myself." I thought she might not have hearn me i was whispering. There was a lot i didnt notice i was doing. I didnt notice myself whispering, nor that i had moved to the chair besides her bed. I didnt even notice that i hadnt even blinked as i stared at this angel like creature who was still looking outside the window. Seeing that she wasn''t going to be turning towards me any time soon, and regretting that i wouldnt be able to see the face that accompanies her melodic voice. I i turn my attention to the stand besides her bed, more specifically to the lone picture frame sitting atop. In the picture was the woman who is currently in the kitchen, but besides her is a young woman in a wheelchair who was simply breathtaking, the way her dark shimmering hair framed her features. Her high cheekbones and button nose fitting perfectly in the frame of her hair. Her full pink lips just above her small chin helped add to her ''ethereal beauty'' but that wasn''t the most catching part. Her eyes. Pale blue eyes topped with a silver sheen gave me the impression that the girl in the picture wasnt quite from this world. If you told me she was from some divine plane of existance i would whole heartedly believe you. But only seconds after seeing her eyes and drinking in the view of the picture something clicks inside of me. Her eyes. "You''re blind" i say in a hushed voice, half hoping she didnt hear me. This seemed to break what ever barrier she wanted to place by not looking at me. "I am" she say matter of factly. Despite being blind she still somehow met my eyes, and in that second i knew that i could stare into her siver sparkeling eyes and never grow tired of them. "Your eyes are the most beautiful things i have ever seen" Before i even realised i was speaking the words had left my mouth. The look on her face changed from a cold stoic statue to a surprised child. I''ll be honest, since seeing this girl i feel like i have done a lot of things withut realising it, and i know im going to do a lot more as well. "I''m David" "Claire" She replies with a smile that could warm the coldest of hearts. 00:00:00 ******************* Unknown to the two occubants of Claire''s room, Claire''s mother was standing outside the door just out of site. She looks down to her wrist and peels back the sleeve that hides her timer 00:00:00 The same it has always been.