“SoulMate”

Prompt: “Soulmate”

The number pad blinks at me. I raise a trembling finger and punch in my identification number.

The screen goes black. Then, a single dot appears. It swirls, burning a stylized heart into the pixels.

Ma’s fingers curl into my arm, her nails pricking my skin. On my other side, Pa stands stoically a few steps back, arms crossed, though the restless tap of his boot gives away his nerves.

For some reason, my own nerves are nonexistent. I thought that I would feel… something… while I wait to find out who my SoulMate could be. But no. I feel nothing. Maybe Ma and Pa are feeling everything for me.

The dot continues to swirl, the heart becoming brighter and brighter. Then, the screen goes black once more.

Ma inhales sharply. Pa’s boot stops tapping.

We stare at the blackness, our own faces staring back.

A flash of white, and another face appears. My SoulMate.