She wakes up to the smell of the forest again.
It'll happen every once in a while; she dreams of tall trees and lush pastures in the clearings, of birds chirping and streams rushing past. But what's most noticeable is the earthy scent of pine, penetrating deep into the landscape- comforting, yet refreshing. He smells like pine, and he smells like warmth.
Something else has entered her dream last night, however, and it's something more tangible than usual.
A plane ticket, clearly printed, is seared into her mind. The vision is so strong- so certain!- that she can't help but follow her gut feeling on this one.
Hands shaking slightly with the smell of fresh forest air quietly fading away, she buys the ticket and begins imagining who her soulmate might be; she thinks of their fingers intertwined like vines in the woods and of feelings blossoming like flowers.
He wakes up to the smell of the ocean again. The complex scent isn't always the most conventionally appealing- distinct odours of life within the sea aren't always at the top of one's favourite perfume or cologne list- but there's something more in it. Crisp, brisk air with the tiniest hint of sea salt, fresh fruit, and familiar sunscreen. The smell is invigorating and wild like ocean waters. He remembers the plane ticket he saw in his dream, and furiously jots all the details he can on a receipt he's found at his bedside. Though he's not usually one for spontaneous decisions, the wild ocean is calling his name, and he can't help but feel unsettled until he follows that scent. What could his soulmate possibly be like? He imagines their lips crashing onto his as if they are the waves and he is the shore; of infinite memories like grains of sand.
She fiddles with the seatbelt holding her to the airplane seat.
It's halfway through the flight, and she hasn't been able to sleep yet- maybe because for a fleeting moment, she had smelled the forest so strongly again. The scent had been unmistakeable- maybe something in her thoughts had triggered it?
When she arrives, she lets her nose guide her. It's almost silly to her, as if she's a dog searching for a bone. But with each step, she's confident she's getting closer to her destination.
The edge of the forest comes into her view, and she breaks out into a full-out sprint. Could it really be?
She pauses- something's different.
Sure, she smells the forest with every step she takes on moss-covered ground, but it's not the same. It's weak; it's fading- it's nothing like in her dreams. She smelled flowers and pine; vibrance and brightness.
Worse yet, she wanders the forests for hours, never once picking up that specific smell.
Dejected, she checks into a motel for the night, but she's hardly able to sleep.
It doesn't help that the damn place has pine-scented air freshener.
He wakes up from his mid-air slumber as a familiar scent jolts him awake. Exiting the airport, he quickly discovers that there's only one beach nearby, and he senses that's where he has to go. The scene is unfulfilling; it smells more of bad seafood and trash than anything. He can't sense the sunscreen or tropical fruit; he doesn't feel refreshed nor exhilarated. He sits for hours, but nothing comes. It's relatively empty and honestly bland and quite depressing, the sand and waves appearing in various shades of grey. He hops on the first flight he can catch, cursing himself for "following his heart" and doing something so irrational. He sees the ocean from his window, and makes sure to close the blinds on it.
He blinks and looks around, but by the time he's come to, the smell's gone away.
Dragging her suitcase along, she trudges through the airport, searching for a customer service desk.
She hadn't brought her laptop on this trip, and the cheap motel she'd checked into didn't have any Wi-Fi. Disheartened, she figures she's not in a rush anyway, and decides to buy her ticket at the airport.
As she joins the line, she's nearly blown off her feet by the aggressiveness of the scent, and her heart takes her on a roller coaster of emotions- hope, that she's finally found her soulmate; doubt, that her mind's messing with her again; anxiety, that she won't know what to do should it actually happen.
He exits the plane and walks through the familiar airport of his hometown, ready to call a cab and forget about this nightmare. A tsunami invades and overwhelms his senses, making him stop dead in his tracks. Still, the scent lingers, and something- just something- tells him that he has to try just one last time.
He curses under his breath, knowing full well that he has to be more cautious this time.
Her pace quickens with every step she takes, and she does all she can to hold back a frantic run.
She's wandering through a tangle of trees, running through vines and branches until she can find the clearing.
She nearly sobs in desperation- she needs this to be real.
He's pushing through people, running across an endless coast and looking for a lighthouse. His hair is wild and disheveled, and nothing makes sense anymore.
It won't make sense, he knows, until he finds the one he's been searching for.
Her eyes meet his, both scents quickly evaporating until they're nothing more than faint, lingering, yet ever-present aromas.
He smiles, and she laughs, the two of them embracing at last,
"I... I've finally found you!"