The Unchosen Soul

Prologue

If there was anything I could note about that day… well it wasn't different than any other one really. It was raining as I was making my way back from school, so that stood out. It was that time of year after all, only to be expected really. Just me, the sounds of other people walking the sidewalks and chatting among each other, and the passing cars on the road as I walked through the familiar routes heading home.

The day wasn't particularly eventful either, to be honest. Just a test day, one I'd had the misfortune to have to make myself cram for since I'd laid off studying until the last minute like an idiot. It's what I get for spending too much time at the arcade with some of my friends I suppose. Things like that happen.

I wasn't thinking about much else either. Dad was gone on a business trip, and Mom would likely be preparing dinner for me and my siblings about now. Considering I was the only one left in high school, my two older siblings only stuck around because their colleges were nearby, and it was more convenient than going to the dorms. More secure. But, over dinner they were always talking about their plans, about how they were going to be leaving the nest soon.

And of course, being a 17-year-old in his second year of high school, that attention always quickly turned to me. Always wanting to know what I aimed to study afterwards, or if I was going to start off just joining the workforce and leaving the fancy things to my more talented siblings. Typical things to ask a kid beginning to approach the final steps into becoming a "proper adult". Nothing out of the ordinary.

Ordinary… huh?

Perhaps that was the keyword I could use to define my life. Ordinary. Nothing out of the ordinary, completely standard, typical, and normal. Heck even I was the pure definition of ordinary. My face didn't stand out, my hairstyle was a common one you see everywhere in youth magazines, and I didn't even have a slightly different hair color to make myself stand out that little bit more. Just plain and drab both in looks and lifestyle.

But I guess it wasn't so bad. I was only 17 after all. I still had a lot of time to figure things out and do something at least. Even if that something was ordinary, I could manage that much. I wasn't like my older brother and sister, but that was fine. Not everyone needs to be special. Ordinary people need to exist too. I don't really care about being noticed anyway, yet again, that can be saved for the people who naturally stand out.

It's not my place. Just keep quiet and carry on. Things will work out naturally as long as I do what I'm good at and keep it that way.

That was the thought process I carried on with. Even if I was totally ordinary, if I never stood out, that was fine. Because at least I could say I would enjoy the time I had and could find my own interesting bits throughout it. That would be totally fine.

By the time I reached the last intersection leading to my house, something did catch my eye at least. Students, ones I knew went to the same school as me, classmates, actually. They were standing at the other side of the road, a bit too far in the intersection to be honest. But traffic was pretty slow, so it didn't really seem to be much of an issue. I could barely hear what they were talking about, and it seemed to be an argument. Two of them were a boy and the other a girl. The argument was between the girl and the taller of the boys, the third one attempting to mediate… and quite clearly, he was failing to do so.

Must be over something silly… that happens all the time.

Again, normal things. We were all teenagers here, these kinds of things happen, don't they? So of course, I didn't think to pay much mind to it as I continued walking in the other direction. Best to leave them to sort it out and not make it worse by butting in.

The only other oddity out of the corner of my eye was someone else I saw walking along. It was an older man, probably in his thirties by his looks. Also quite, well… fat, to say the least. He didn't have an umbrella, and the guy looked like he'd gotten on the wrong end up an angry dog. It stood out, at least, but for all I knew he was just some unfortunate homeless fellow left wandering around. He didn't look like someone with a job, that was certain.

So, I continued on, not thinking much of it, as usual for me to be honest.

But then I heard it from off behind me. The roar of an engine. That shouldn't have been anything unusual. But when I turned, even amid the pouring rain I could just see the silhouette of the driver passed out against the wheel. Oh… oh shit that's bad!

I don't think I'd ever been in a situation where I felt my blood run cold. But now I felt it. The situation made itself clear immediately as I moved to get as far from the truck's path as I could. But then I remembered the other three students who were far closer than I was. They were too wrapped up in their argument to notice it at first.

"Hey!" I shouted as loud as I could over the rain, "Get out of the road!"

That was a natural impulse more than anything. Oddly enough, that man seemed to notice as well. And instead, he rushed forward as much as his weight would allow him too. The other students finally seemed to notice the truck. The taller boy drew the girl close to him as they started to move, while the man reached them and pulled the shorter boy away from the path of the truck. And while the intent had clearly been to pull him free of the truck's path, the man had been sent right into its path instead as the other two got clear.

This… is going to end badly…

I realized it likely at the same moment as the man as I too scrambled away to avoid the truck. I saw it out of the corner of my eye as the truck barreled past at full speed, a vague shape stuck to the front of it as the vehicle plowed into a concrete wall. A wet splat and loud crash followed… and that was when I saw a glint out of the corner of my eye. Something had been lodged free, and the sheer speed of the impact sent it flying towards me.

For a moment, the world seemed to slow down as that glint came closer. It was probably so fast I was likely still processing it. Huh… seems your life doesn't really flash before your eyes after all.

And then I was struck, the world going black the instant that glint vanished from my eyes.

At least it doesn't hurt. But… man this isn't fair… cut me a break at least. I haven't even done anything at all. Is this it? I know I wasn't planning on much but… is this what my life is going to amount to? How is that fair?

At least do me a favor and let reincarnation be a thing. At least then I'll know I can do something in the next life.

But who am I kidding?

What am I?

A novel protagonist?

Yeah, right…

Like I'd be so lucky.