Author's Note: I have no idea if anyone enjoyed the prologue I'm aware that a friend of mine told be to gain more experience first, but I decided that I'm going to keep doing what I love. So without further ado….
Chapter One – Alya's Last Day
Alya's POV
Today was the big day. I finally turn 16, something you could argue that I have been waiting to arrive awhile. 15 Year's to be exact. So many things happen at this age, but the main one I'm excited to find out about who my soulmate is. Yep that's right. At 12.00pm today I will know my soul mate, and arch-nemesis. Despite all my exciting, something always looked over the horizon of my mind. I was leaving Martinique tomorrow for Paris. My father got a new job as head zoo keeper at the city's largest zoo. And on a whim my mother applied and was accepted for head chef at the Bourgeois Hotel, it's the most famous in all of France. It's almost a shame I have to move, but I personally cannot wait for a big new city to explore. This might just be what I need to kick off into the journalism career.
Ella and I were finishing packing some boxes that were to travel with us. Ella's twin was playing around the boxes. If I looked closely I could see the bopping up and down of their short brown hair in between the boxes. Occasionally the pink or teal coloured stripes appeared briefly. Sighing I grabbed the nearest superhero comic and flopped on the nearest couch still left in the house. Despite loving superhero comics, I nearly fell asleep as soon as I hit the cushion. Only staying conscious long enough to appreciate the cool yet soft brown leathered couch before my dreams claimed me.
I mustn't have slept for long because Ella came to wake me up, "Alya! Alya! Alya!" She screeched at the top of her lungs, "It's 11:40! Wake up Alya!". Urgh as much as I appreciated the little girl's enthusiasm that could rival my own, I just wanted to sleep longer. Until it hit me. It was 11:40. "Thanks Ella!" My voice could be heard from down the hallway as I bolted to my room to find my phone. I swear I could hear the girls giggles as they went back to playing in and around the boxes. At least they understood the importance of the event. It's not everyday that you turn 16 and find out your destined future. I fluffed up my red-brown hair that fell in curls around my shoulders, only when I went to wipe my hands on my pants did I realise how sweaty they were. Never did it occur to me that I would be nervous, ever, I've dreamed about this day since I was a kid. The constant tick of the clock brought me back to the real world, I was trying hard but I couldn't recall a single account of disastrous soulmate bonds. Unless you counted the ones that started wars, but only people with power, patience and money did that. I glanced at the clock 11:58, I breathed out deeply. There was still time. The soulmate bond always appeared on the right wrist, the arch-nemesis always on the left. I started moving to see the clock, only to be hit with searing pain on my wrists. I fell to the floor and begun screaming. No one ever told me it would hurt this damn much. But only silence escaped my lips, as if this pain of finding your fate is never to be told of. Ever.
As soon as the pain stopped, I wiped the tears that were drying on my face. Glasses on, phone in hand. I walked out the door. I didn't even pause to see the names glowing on my wrists. I walked out the door, down the street, looked right then left as I crossed the main road to the beach opposite. Despite being the middle of the day the beach was in full swing, swimmers and surfers left right and center, there was even a DJ spinning his tunes. I walked along the beach until I found my place of solace. The rocky cliff face. Just as planned it was deserted as usual. With feet dangling over the edge and the breeze flowing through my hair I mentally prepared myself for the moment of truth.
With my wrists raised in front of me I looked right, sure enough a name tattooed in black calligraphy had appeared. Nino. Well that was new, I don't know any guys called Nino, but I'll find one in the future obviously. I breathed deeper and glanced at the left raised wrist. Another name had appeared, thankfully one I didn't recognise. Lila, the cursive writing made the name seem beautiful. But my mind spiralled into an endless pit of ideas as of to why she could be my arch-nemesis.
I stood up, brushing sand off my shorts. I headed back to the house to ensure that the twins hadn't destroyed it yet, with one last look at my favourite place I sighed and continued on my way. The house indeed was still intact when I arrived, the twins had tired themselves out and were sleeping in their room. Then it hit me, tomorrow I was leaving. I would be going to a place I've only ever seen on Tv or read about on webpages.
But tomorrow would also be the start of a new adventure, a new life and well everything. Although the pain of leaving my friends behind will never leave me, I'll make new ones. Hopefully they're awesome and the only thing I can look forward to is having better friendships, and finding the people whose names remained inked on my wrists forever.
Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed that. I'd also like to say that after some extensive research I did indeed find that Alya's family is from the French island of Martinique. It's located in the Lesser Antilles in the Eastern Caribbean Sea.