Twenty Seconds Before

Sunshine yellow

We moved to plain, boring Kansas City Missouri from my home in Los Angeles with three months left on my clock. I watched the seconds disappear one by one as my horrible driver of a father tore down the old country road. I was certain that if there was anything around us to hit in the first place, it would be long gone by now. As one might assume, I was not very excited to be leaving the only place ive ever known, let alone three months before I was supposed to meet my soulmate! I gazed at the clock once more and stroked the smooth glass surface.

    I remember the day I got it, but not very well. The rule is when a child is six years old, they are taken to a specialist to get their clock set. I remember sitting down in a chair much too big for me, and the doctor gently placing the cold metal against the inside of my wrist.

    "It's okay sweetie, don't be nervous. When you wake up you will have your shiny new Digital Dawn soul tracker! Just close your eyes and count backwards from ten, okay?"

    I wasn't nervous. 10. I was going to have a soul mate! 9. And he's probably really awesome! 8. Man i'm sleepy. 7. My arm feels funny. 6. 5. 4. 3....2.....

    And that was it! I woke up the next morning and there it was! My own soul tracker!! Except, it wasn't counting.

    "MOOOOOOOOM" I screamed. My mother came racing into the room at lightning speed.

" What Ava? Whats the matter? Are you okay?!"

" My clock is broken!! It's not counting down!!!" She sighed and sat down next to me on the bed.

" Ava darling, that means that you aren't close to meeting your soulmate yet. When you are, it will begin to count down."

"No way!! Now I have to wait for it to work?! Not fair!"

She laughed in her signature sing song voice, and stroked my hair. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me close.

"Well Ava, I have a present that might make you feel better,"

I instantly sat up and stopped my moping as my mother grabbed a small bracelet from her pocket. It was a small satin band with a metal clasp at the end that reminded me of a bike lock. It was my favorite color- sunshine yellow. She slid it onto my arm and clasped it shut, concealing my count down. That was a day that changed my life.

        I was rudely pulled out of my memories by the obnoxious voice of my 12 year old brother.

"MOOOOOOM! AVA"S LOOKIN AT HER CLOCK AGAAAAIN."

      I swiftly delivered my best death glare while my mother sighed and asked me to hand up the crimson colored wrist lock i'd been wearing for the past couple of days, and shortly another was passed back to me. Just like every other one, it had the same metal clasp and satin ribbon, with the exception of color. This one was a mix of purple and pink, the kind of color that reminded someone of a cartoon character.

       I clasped the metal together and fiddled with the mechanical lock. Just like a bike lock it had 4 little dials with the numbers zero through nine written on each one. I've broken past the

last twelve locks, but that won't stop my mother from trying to keep it on. She is a big believer in choosing who you love for yourself and not letting it be determined from the small clock on your wrist. Despite her constant pleading with me to not give it any attention, I couldn't help it! Ever since my clock began to count down it was always on my mind.  I wondered about the time we would meet, the color of his hair, his eyes, his smile. What if I hated him! Even worse, what if he hated music?!

    I let my thoughts and worries fade away and I focused on the lock. I started with the obvious. 1,2,3,4. I tugged on the ribbon, but it  wouldn't budge. I love my parents, but they aren't the most creative people in the world so i'd always start with the most basic passwords. 0,0,0,0 was my next guess. I pulled again, and nothing. Over the next 3 hours i'd tried everything i could think of! From my parents anniversary all the way down to our garage code. As I was about to give up I had one final guess. My mother taught dance at our local High School, so I carefully twisted the numbers 5,6,7,8 into the dial, and BAM! The clasp unlocked and I was right back where I started. Watching the numbers count down one by one, forecasting my future with a lazy consistancey, like rippling waters in a still lake.