7 Short Story (May 2022)

Soulmarks

Normal - that was a word he'd use to describe that day, nothing new or surprising, just normal. The sun peeked out from the white and foamy clouds, flooding the city in that pleasant spring warmth. The grass, the shrubs, and the trees showed signs of reviving, and in the space of a few days the bare branches and twigs cover themselves with the fresh, bright foliage of spring.

In short, it was a really quiet day at work. A few students had complained about trifles, but nothing that would make Arthit lose his temper.

Arthit looked around the place. One minute everything was great. The next, he saw him.

At length, his eye fell upon the group of men sitting at a table in the corner of the library study room next to the window. They were talking and laughing and he couldn't stop watching one in particular from his spot behind the counter.

There was a smile on his face as he talked, and his eyes were glinting with a bland good humor.

A red, sleeveless basketball shirt was wrapped around his toned upper body. His muscular arms were bare, allowing anyone to admire those beautiful muscles. In addition, his brown hair and bronze complexion highlighted his kind eyes. The same eyes that concealed a ravenous demon. Arthit had experienced it first-hand, and how if he had it!

So, yeah. It was impossible not to recognize him, the man who had turned his life upside down.

Suddenly he felt cold shiver descended on his head and spread down his spine. And as it descended on him again, he was gripped by fear, so he became weak. His knees wobbled and threatened to give way, while the tattoo on his arm burned uncomfortably. Oh, that tattoo, the hard proof that he had found his soul mate, a companion for life, the perfect piece that completed the puzzle. But Arthit hated him, he hated him with all his heart. He was the reason his world had been turned upside down, and it hadn't been a good experience.

He had always liked women and, therefore, thought that his soul mate would also be one of them. Then, out of the blue, the most uncanny thing happened. He appeared in his life. Actually, he couldn't really blame him. It just... happened. They hadn't even noticed the slight pain as the indelible ink stained their skin. They hadn't noticed, too busy exploring each other.

Arthit still remembered his warm and rough hands on his body, exploiting every delightful response to his touch. He remembered his mouth on him, moving slowly at times, and then their tongues crashed together, swirling around and fighting for dominance. He remembered those lips on his neck, his collarbones, lustfully surrounding his nipples, sucking and nibbling, leaving delicious red marks. He vividly remembered the feeling of having him inside, taking him with unexpected sweetness. He remembered the feelings that overwhelmed him - indescribable love and ravishing pleasure.

Arthit was afraid of it, of all that intensity. When he woke up next morning, a stranger's arm wrapped around his waist, the memories of that wonderful night still etched in his mind. He was shocked, his stomach had tightened excruciatingly and as soon as he noticed that tattoo an unbearable nausea hit him.

'You've got no chance.' What a stupid tattoo he had.

The awful knowledge that he was screwed. Literally. It was obvious that the only solution left was to run away and disappear.

And that had proved the best solution. Everything was going well. Until that day.

NOTE

Well, here we are, the last day. But is this really the end?

Stay safe 💜