You're familiar with the term "Soul Mate" right? Well have you ever wondered who yours might be? Or perhaps how many times you've walked past them and never realised? Well that's not a problem in our world. In 2020, after Kanye West became president, a lightning storm covered the earth and lasted for two days. Once it cleared, every human was born with a collection of numbers on their wrist.
Numbers that ticked down.
And when you a left with a stack of zeros, your soul mate is standing right in front of you, two empty watches clattering to the ground from both your wrists.
Who am I?
I'm Tom Raider, and this is the story of the night my watch hit zero…
December 23rd, 2023
2 hours, 3 minutes…
I straighten the tie on my matte black tuxedo, flattening all creases with a smooth passing of my hand. I look over to the mirror to see a ruddy, handsome face smiling back at me.
"Not bad!" I say to myself. I quickly grab my keys, my coat, my phone and other essentials before heading through the door and out onto the cold street.
1 hour, 47 minutes…
The wind whistles through my hair as I walk gailey down Phoenix-Drop Avenue to the booming venue of the christmas ball. Festive lights of red and green pierce the sky like the spotlights of war, swaying side to side and adding color to the air. A christmas beat makes it's way faintly to my ears and puts a grin on my face as I quicken my gait. At the Christmas Ball is I will find my soulmate, I'm sure of it!
1 hour, 40 minutes…
I arrive at the front door of the venue, and the music that was just a faint noise in my ears is now blasted out of high-tech speakers that glow bright blue like the ice hanging from the building. My friends are waiting here, Martin and Hazel. Their watches dropped off long ago. I still remember the first day of highschool, walking home with Martin when he and Hazel locked eyes and the numbered metal, now straight zeros, had fell to the floor. I reclined from the past and back into the present, reaching out to hug the two of them. Martin and Hazel put their arms around me and we all embraced each other for a moment before Martin speaks.
"Hey Tom!" He called excitedly. "Looking forward to meeting your special one?" I blush slightly as his remark sends me reeling through all the possibilities of what she might look like.
"More nervous than excited" I reply as we all pull away from the hug. "I was always looking forward to it, but I'm glad you guys are here to help if I need it" They both nod in agreement.
"Even if we weren't very well, we'd still try to show up. You know that!" Hazel says. I admit that they had promised to be there, no matter what the circumstances. I sort of wish one of them had fallen ill just to see if they'd stick to their promise. But now it not the time. The two welcome me inside and we start to dance the night away.
1 hour, 25 minutes…
I've been dancing for ages and my ankles feel as if they're about to explode. I take a moment just to sit down at the side of the crowded dance floor and settle myself by the buffet table. I scan over the tasty treats that stand before me. It's not been a second before my eyes settle on a pop tart and my hand reaches out for it. I slouch back in the chair and take a bite of the sweet goods. Crumbs fall onto my tux and roll down me like a landslide to a mountain. Martin pushes his way through the crowd and finds me with my pop tart. He waltzes up to me and snaps his fingers, the second time successful at snatching me from my thoughts.
"Where's your head at, brother?" I simply shake it, not even knowing where I zoned out to this time. I have a habit of doing that. Martin instructs me to sit up straight while I'm eating. I'm feeling lazy, but I follow his orders. I want to make a good first impression when I finally meet her.
52 minutes…
I decide to just go around and wish everyone I see a merry christmas. I've already devoured mos of the buffet table and I'm kind of full, meaning dancing again is also currently off of my agenda. It's all I can really do to enjoy the rest of the party. I even walk up to the DJ booth and wish her a Merry Christmas. She thanks me before informing me that the DJ booth in for anyone to use. I ask for a turn and see he nod in approval. So she finishes her song before leaving the booth and dancing to my choice of music.
35 minutes…
I'm still in the DJ booth. Nobody else has asked to take over. I guess I have a really good taste in music, eh? I've heard plenty of non-christmas songs over the course of the night, so I decide to follow the trend and set of Nickelback's "Photograph" for the crowd to sing along to on the dance floor. Martin and Hazel run up to me.
"Hey, the party ends in about 20 minutes, what does your watch say?" Martin asks. He and Hazel stare intently at me as I unravel my sleeve and reveal the numbers. A frown spreads across my face as it dawns on me that she might not even be here.
"35 minutes…" I roll my sleeve back up and turn back to the DJ booth. I add one last song to the queue before walking slowly over to a set of empty tables. My eyes begin to droop as I watch the dancing happen in front of me. Before I even know it, my head is on the table and I've fallen asleep.
1 minute…
My eyes creek open like the gates of heaven. The lights have gone out, the music has ceased and everyone has left. I wipe my eyes and push myself off the table before walking over to the front door of the building. As I squint into the darkness, I see a figure running down the road. My eyes divert to my watch.
30 seconds left!
I lock eyes with the woman at the end of the road for a second before the two of us run for each other. He red gown flares out behind her, blazing a trail. We get nearer and nearer and the seconds tick away.
Boom!
A loud gunshot ricochets around the street as a sniper bullet rips into my soulmate's side. She clutches at the hole in her body and falls to the tarmac of the icy road. I speed up my run and try to make it to her in time. I raise my wrist to my face and see the numbers still trickling away. As long as the clock is running, she is still alive.
0 seconds...
I reach her limp body, lying in a pool of her own blood. Both our watches hit zero fall off of our wrists, leaving scars where they had once been. I rest her head in my lap and gaze into her eyes. She was an Asian girl, with smooth skin and beautiful hair. We rest our sights on each other before she finally gives in to the blood loss.
No more breath...
No more pulse...
No more life...
The man who shot her walks up, the rifle slung over his shoulder.
"She borrowed $600 to pay for that dress, and she brought it purely because she was excited to meet you" He kneels down beside me. "She had to pay me back by tonight, but I guess she just couldn't" A single tear falls from my eye and drops into her blood. "I'm sorry, it's nothing personal. It's just business" He settles a pistol on the ground next to me before slinging his rifle over his back and walking off. I pick up the smaller gun in my hands before picking up my stopwatch, now covered in blood and displaying a name where the numbers had once been.
"Raelyn…" I mutter to myself, more tears forming in my eyes. "So that was her name?" I slowly raise the metallic object in my hand up to my temple and shut my eyes. "I'm coming Raelyn…" The second gunshot that night reverberates around Phoenix-Drop Avenue as I lie down dead next to my one and only.
No more breath...
No more pulse...
No more life…