Double update, whoot!

This prompt for the week was based off the japanese myth of the red thread. It basically said that there was a red thread/string that was tied around a person's finger that connected two people together (soulmates) and no matter what, could never break. I did use a bit of artistic license with the myth, following the concept but altering it a bit. So buckle up kids and get ready for some romance

As a young child growing up, Adam heard stories of soulmates, the idea of there being another person somewhere in the world that was your other half, someone who was just made for you. He heard the explanation of the red thread that protruded from his chest, tying two soulmates together, and how if you were to follow it, you would one day find your other half. This fascinated Adam and the young child desperately wanted to see who was at the end f his red thread. His older brothers had chuckled at Adam's fascination for soulmates, finding it a bit foolish, but that didn't upset the young boy.

There was someone out there that was perfect for him in every way, and Adam intended to find them.

All through elementary school and high school, Adam searched for his soulmate, blue eyes constantly glancing back down at the red string protruding from his chest, leading out off into the distance. While all his other friends either found their soulmates or disregarded the idea of it completely, saying it was a myth, a child's bedtime story and instead hooked up with whoever they wanted to, Adam continued to search for who his soulmate might be. His older brothers eventually found their soulmates, leaving Adam the only member of the Winchester family alone without his soulmate at his side. So, the day after he graduated, Adam packed his bags and set off to follow the red thread, tired of waiting. If his soulmate wasn't going to find him, he was going to find his soulmate.

Much like all other children, Michael grew up hearing tales of the red thread that connected people to their soulmates, but unlike many, didn't believe in it. He wasn't one of the unlucky few born without a red thread, but at the same time, he didn't bother to search for his soulmate, following the red thread. It was because growing up, Michael had seen up close how horrible it was to have this thread controlling your fate and who you ended up with. His father and mother had once been soulmates - perhaps they still were, but Michael never knew, even after all these years - but she had left not long after his youngest brother's third birthday, having fallen in love with another person. Something so odd to Michael because every teacher had always explained to him that once you met your soulmate, you could never love another. While yes it was possible to have crushes on others that weren't your soulmates, and that was fine, but the bond of a soulmate was so strong, it was impossible to be broken.

Which was probably why his mother leaving hurt so badly and made Michael hate the idea of soulmates. Because it wasn't forever, and it seemed, you could easily love someone else, even if you were with the person said to have been your soulmate, ultimately defeating the whole purpose of having one person meant just for you. So that was why Michael hate the idea of all of it, walked away from tellers in the mall promising an exact location of one's soulmate because he didn't want to love other, to fall hopelessly in love with another who could hurt you far more than any other crush.

Instead, he threw himself into work, focusing on that while others searched for their soulmates, making his way up the business ladder. That was far more reliable than a stupid red thread.

It took Adam two years, following the string around the country, it seeming to lead him all over the place. At times, he thought about giving up, but once glance at the red thread would quickly change his mind because there was someone out there waiting for him, that perfect person who would complete him and Adam was tired of waiting, tired of being the last of his friends still single and hopelessly chasing the red thread trailing from his heart.

His wild goose chase sent him to New York City, far from his small town of Lawrence in Kansas. Here the city was busier, full of people moving in crowds around dark sidewalks, everything contrasting what Adam had grown up seeing. But the atmosphere didn't scare him away as he was determined to find his soulmate. After searching for this long, he knew he had to be close, and only hoped he wouldn't end up having a soulmate that was in a relationship with another, finding the idea of soulmates stupid and childish.

The red thread stood out against the greys and darker colours of the streets of New York, and Adam weaved his way through the crowds, following it. 'Soon,' he told himself, dodging a couple and a dog. 'You'll find them soon, I just know it.'

He let a sigh leave his lips, hoping so.

Michael made his way through the busy New York Streets, moving quickly and easy through the crowds of people trying to get to where they needed to go, making his way back towards his office. He had decided to walk to the nearest coffee shop during his break to grab something to eat, having forgotten in the rush getting out of the door back at his apartment, and was now regretting leaving.

He gritted his teeth as he moved past a slow walking couple with their young child, avoiding another stroller that nearly ran over his shoes. It was crazy, crazier than usual and he found himself growing more and more annoyed with it. Of all days he decided to leave the office for lunch and he has to pick the day when apparently all of New York had some place to be. Part of Michael wished he had stayed back, testing his luck by searching the break office for leftover snacks rather than leaving.

Ah, well, he sighed, turning the corner and his building coming into view. It was a few blocks away and seeing the crowd ahead of him he'd have to face, Michael's frown deepened but kept going.

Adam continued to follow the red thread down the busy sidewalk, feeling he was getting closer and closer to his soulmate. The string seemed to be brighter and closer, as if the end of it was only a couple meters away. And perhaps it was, Adam thought hopefully, smiling and continuing to weave through the crowd. Normally, such things like this might annoy him, but with the idea of his soulmate being so close, the overly crowded sidewalk didn't bother him. In fact, in some weird way, it added to his excitement, because every passing person meant he was one person closer to finding his other half.

Michael decided to take a side street as a shortcut, knowing that although it may add an extra five minutes to his walk, it would avoid the crowd of New Yorkers. So, he cut left, not bothering to apologize as he cut off a lady in a dark suit, heading down a slightly less busy street - though it was hardly much of a difference. There was still tons of people, the only upside being there was a little less traffic.

Michael shifted the satchel on his shoulder and sighed, continuing to walk at his brisk pace. Nearly there.

When it came to a street he had to pass, the man hardly took a few seconds to glance to check if there were any cars coming before crossing, slowing down slightly as his office came into view. Just then, he felt the thread wrapped around his heart jump and Michael stumbled, losing his concentration. This had never happened before, and thus, caught him off guard.

"What the -?" he began, foolishly pausing in the middle and glancing down at his chest. But that tug happened quickly and left nothing but confusion for him behind. So, shrugging, he began to walk again.

But, halfway across the street, he heard the screeching of tires and froze, turning his head. Wide surprised eyes met those of the driver and the next thing Michael felt was pain, everywhere. Then there was a loud snap.

Adam was getting closer, the string's end just right out of his reach. The moment he had been waiting for his whole life was finally here. He would finally find the person who he belonged with, who was the second half that made him complete. The idea of finally finding this person caused Adam to slow in his pace, suddenly feeling nervous. What if things went wrong when they first met? What if his soulmate wasn't interested in being with him, regarding the idea as stupid? His thread tugged as his head began to fill with negative thoughts about how things might go.

No, he told himself. Don't think like that. Everything will be fine. You'll find your soulmate and everything will be perfect.

So Adam kept going, pushing away the negative voices, instead focusing on the positive stuff. But, just as the smile began to return to his face, Adam heard a deafening snap. The red thread in front of him, that had been leading him for years towards his soulmate snapped like an overstretched rubber band and Adam stopped abruptly in surprise.

Blinking, he glanced down at his chest, hand moving to where the red thread had always been before looking back up at sidewalk he was standing on, confused. How, how was this possible? He asked himself, beginning to panic. How had his thread suddenly disappeared, snapping when just moments before it was perfectly intact and leading him closer and closer to his love. He had never heard of the thread snapping or disappearing, unless…

His eyes widened in horror, hands flying to his mouth. "No…"

The people walking past shot him weird looks but Adam didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to care.

No, it wasn't possible. Surely the world wouldn't be this cruel to him!

The wailing of the sirens on the ambulance snapped him out of his thoughts as it raced past and Adam took after it, running like a madman. His sneakers pounded on the pavement and he didn't even bother apologizing as he bumped into others, not allowing for the red ambulance to disappear from his sight. It was his new red thread, and it would take him to his soulmate.

He turns the corner, just a little ways behind the ambulance, panting as he comes to a stop. There's a car and a small crowd of people not too far from it, all around something and when the paramedics part the crowd, Adam catches the glimpse of a person.

"Oh god," Adam whispers, taking a few shaky steps before he finds his knees buckling, unable to support himself. "Oh god," he repeats, eyes tearing up. Tears fall down his cheeks quickly as he breaks down on the sidewalk a few feet away from the body of his soulmate, cruelly stolen from the world before he even had the chance to meet him. "No!" he wailed, sobbing into his hands. It had to be a pathetic sight, Adam knows this, but right now he wants to just grieve, grieve for the years he's spent looking, so hopefully and excited for the day they'd finally meet, and how the only time that would happen now was when he was dead.

"No! No, no no no no!" he cried, over and over, fingers moving and gripping his hair tightly. It wasn't fair! They hadn't even met, Adam didn't even know his name and now he was on his knees on a sidewalk in a busy city he didn't really know, weeping brokenly for the missing half of him gone from this world. He felt so empty, the string that once connected their two hearts now gone. "No…"

Even after years had passed, Adam's red thread never returned and he no longer thought the idea of soulmates to be this grand thing like how he once had.

Oh look, another Midam fic that Twist wrote that ended in angst. And yet another romance story that didn't have a happy ending. It's like there's some sort of pattern with all the stuff she writes that she puts in the romance category...

No, but in all seriousness, I hardly write any decent romancey stories that don't end in death or betrayal or breaking up or stuff, but hey, that might change one day (maybe).

-Twist