chapter 1

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Dan paced around his room restlessly. He was hours away from turning 15, which would not only involve another birthday cake, but also a hint at who his soulmate was. Ever since he was 10, when his parents had explained the process, Dan had anticipated and feared his 15th birthday.

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"Dan, your father and I would like to have a talk with you," Dan's mother sat down on a couch across from the young boy. Dan turned to look at his mom, confused.

"At the age of 15, you'll get a clue to who your soulmate is," his father explained. Soulmate? Yuck!

"I'm only 10, dad!" Dan scrunched up his face in disgust. His father chuckled, ruffling his son's hair.

"We know, honey, but we decided it was time for you to know." Dan's mom smiled calmly. She intertwined her fingers with her husband's, as if encouraging him to continue. They had discussed multiple times on how they would describe the way soulmates worked to their son, but they were still a bit nervous.

Dan's father took a deep breath, "When you turn 15, your soulmate's favorite song will begin playing in the back of your mind. It will only start as a faint hum, but as you get closer to them it'll become louder and louder. It won't grow loud enough to make you deaf, but you'll certainly know when you've met 'the one'." Dan nodded, pondering the new information for a few seconds before turning to his mom.

"What happens after you've met them? Does the song just keep playing on full blast or does it quiet down or something? And does the same song keep playing or does it change? What if you don't have a soulmate? Can your soulmate change?" Dan blurted out, puzzled.

"Dan, slow down for a moment," his mother's eyes glittered with amusement before continuing, "firstly, once you've met them, you'll be able to control the volume of the song, so you can have it play as loud or as soft as you'd like. Secondly, the song changes depending on what your soulmate's favorite song is at the moment. Thirdly, it's very rare to not have a soulmate. If you don't have one, you won't hear anything on your 15th birthday, however you might be able to have a soulmate later in life. And fourthly, yes. If your soulmate dies or you start out not having one, it's possible for you to get a new one. So, don't be ashamed or embarrassed if you don't hear anything on your 15th birthday, as you might meet them later in life."

10-year-old Dan only smiled and nodded, even though he only understood half of the things his parents were saying.

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Dan pulled a journal out from under his bed. He smiled slightly, thinking about how he had convinced his parents to buy him it when he was younger so he could record his soulmate's favorite songs when he got older. Even though Dan had sworn not to write in it until he had heard from his soulmate, he had written a few things anyway. He flipped to the first page, which was covered in chicken scratch, which was his sad excuse for handwriting. Dan cringed as he read the first sentence that he had written when he was 12, "Can't wait to meet them! XD". The rest of the words were difficult to read, due to his messy penmanship. Dan continued to try to decipher what he had written before his mother's voice interrupted his concentration.

"Dan! Come downstairs and greet your family!"



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author's note // I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter ??



tune you out // phanWhere stories live. Discover now