CHAPTER 3 – SOULMATE

“Oh come on, Cecilia! It’s not far from here! Your soulmate is there with helper, Nathan.” She informed me as I was still sitting in one of the bench here behind the last building we could see.

"Nope. Na uh. I do believe that we have the will to choose who we want" I said as I stood up, "Soulmate, my ash."

I was about to walk away when Luna gripped my shirt. I frowned.

"Ash.” I stopped. I swear I said the word…

“Ash.” I said it again but how come it changes when I -

“Ash!” I said it again. “How come I can't say the word ash?”

"Rule number 3: No swearing in WP!" Luna sings as she wiggle her forefinger at me.

“You’re joking! We are not allowed to swear?” I complained, “Come on, Luna! I don’t even know the guy and you’re telling me that he is my soulmate?”

She rolled her eyes, "Just give it a chance!"

I sighed as I looked at the crowded city of North and for the first time I feel like human again with my old body- not this piece of soul who is not allowed to get hurt physically.

“Okay, tell me about this soulmate thingy. About having a soulmate is that visible or your kind can only see them” I asked.

“Well, you can see them if you look closely,” she told me. She pointed the one couple near the coffee shop beside the back of the building. “You see that couple by the café drinking coffee?”

I nodded as I looked at them outside the coffee shop, chatting. The woman was animatedly explaining something and the man was laughing in amazement.

“Look closely to their hand especially the ring hand,”

I squinted my eyes and there I saw a lightly visible string tied in their ring and the transparent yet slightly grey aura surrounded them.

“Nobody know really how that works. It’s a mystery but so romantic,” she sighed, resting her cheeks upon her hand as she stared at the couple. "Now check yours too. In your case, it was still in your pinky because it is not official yet."

I looked down at my right hand and there as the sunlight flashes through, I saw a glimpse of knotted string in my pinky and it follows through the right side of the South where there was a trail to follow for us to go to the Southside Mountain where leaves were orange and pumpkin pie’s scent were all around.

I shook my head. Stopping my thoughts from being curious on what he really like.

She tagged my arm again but I pulled away from her grip, “I don’t want to! I don’t even know this Shrek dude!”

"The term is soulmate!"

"Whatever! He is Shrek to me!"

She just smiled at me, “But you don’t have a choice because the Soulmate Department is one of the buildings in the Southern Old Library! It is our rule to go there where you will get your numbers for your days here on Wonder Place. You have no choice but to go there with your soulmate,”

I groaned, “Can I reschedule it? I literally fell from the sky this morning. Don’t you guys think that I need some time off or something?”

She chuckled, “Nice try, Cecilia. But no and besides, aren’t you curious how long are you going to stay here?"

“I suppose.” I rolled my eyes.

“And who knows maybe your answers can be answered there in that old library! Win-win!"

She got a point. If I want to know what happened to me earlier maybe there was some information there to help me and if possible to be back on Earth again without witnessing myself getting buried.

“Fine! But even though he is my soulmate that doesn’t mean that I’m going to fall for that Shrek dude. Because if things were different, John and I supposed to be engaged by now,”

Saying his name hurt a little. It made me wonder what he's doing right now. Is he still mourning? Is he going to be okay while I'm not there anymore? I just signed and put all of my thoughts in the back of my mind. It is useless now to think about John - if only I could have a proper way to say goodbye. Not just to him but to my family.

“Ah, John” she dreamily sighed, “You actually have a good taste in men. Let’s see if your soulmate got the perfect chiseled bones too”

I ignored her teasing, “So in Southern Old Library… Is there an information there about this whole place?”

She nodded as we walked away from the busy city, “Indeed. The Southern Old Library is one of the oldest building here in the Wonder Place. It was built after the Acidus Prodigium long time ago and it got the whole information from everything. So if you have questions about this place and how the universe created all that, Southern Old Library got it all.”

After a lot of negotiating and begging, I don’t have much choice but to go with Luna in the old library. Also, I got curious too about this place and who created the universe all that – Gosh, I hope Stephen Hawking is correct. He was so close.

The Southern Old Library was located in the Southside of Wonder Place where the weather was in autumn. Thanks to Luna’s information, the weather here in Wonder Place was different per direction. By the Northside, it was spring where flowers bloom, Eastside is the place for the summer where there was an ocean there and a little island that all souls can explore, the Westside is a different one because as soon as a soul crossed over to the border between North to West – the weather will instantly changes from hot then cold because the weather of the West is in winter and lastly, the South…where the weather is in autumn.

Luna told me that the Southern Old Library was a medieval structured castle located in the top of the mountain of South and all of the information are already there in the old library. There’s only one guardian who was taking care of the Old Library but Luna never met that Guardian.

We walked through the South Woods and passed the Southville Community where people there were taking good care of the everlasting fields of tulips and sunflowers. We walked by the small village and there, a little girl gave me a brochure for their upcoming event this Friday for welcoming another season of autumn by making different types of pies.

“How come you know about the ancient curse, Luna?” I asked. “What if someone cursed me? But that's impossible,”

“I wish I know, Cecilia. But it's just a theory that you kind of involved to it” she said as she tried to remember any information. “Earlier in the interrogation, they didn’t see anything important but the guardian thought it is connected with the curse too"

“Does this happen before?” I asked curiously.

She shook her head, “No Cecilia. You are the first,” After a moment, she paused and turned to me, “I’m sorry, Cecilia,”

“Why are you apologizing?” I asked. “It’s not your fault,”

She hang her head low, “I know but you are my responsibility here. You’re not supposed to experience all that.”

“To be honest, it was scary and strange. I don’t know how to express it but the feel of the soil drowning me –“I shuddered in fear.

“At least you saw your loved ones,” she pursed her lips.

“I didn’t,” I muttered. “I just – heard them.” The voice of their cries echoes in the back of my mind. I wish I can do anything to comfort them, to tell them that I’m alright and safe.

“Technically most of the souls are envy because of that,”

What to envy about? That experience traumatized me. The memory of them crying and saying that phrase still haunts me. But I don’t want to think about that part yet. Not now.

“Will that affect me to do community activities?” I said, picking up one of the fallen branch of the trees that we passed by and used it as my support as we walked away from the village of the south.

She shook her head, “Nope. In fact, all of the souls here already know you so that’s a good thing. Prepare for lots of invites from different community from North, South, East and West side”

“Oh no,” I blushed on that thought.

“Hey, cheer up! At least you’ll be busy and do something you didn’t before!”

Sometimes I wonder if Luna is actually just a robot or some creature that can change her emotions in just one snap. But her body, her porcelain skin and her grey piercing eyes tells me that she is not human – she is just the helper her in my journey. I kind of wonder if she has a family or she just created just the way she is.

“Luna, do you have a family?” I asked, balancing myself in the pile of broken branches.

“No, but I have close friends in the Helper Section. They are great,”

“But aren’t you curious about the humans? The souls?”

She thought for a moment and smiled, “Nope. Humans are very interesting yet totally irresponsible,”

And I couldn't help but to laugh.

Once we were far away from the scent of tulips and the smell of the pumpkins, we stopped in front of the big rock that has a wooden sign that says, WELCOME TO THE SOUTH MOUNTAIN OF WONDER PLACE.

I looked up beneath the dark green and orange leaves of the trees and there I saw above us the South Mountain of Wonder Place and on the hilltop – there it was the Southern Old Library. It was like I got inside the children’s fairytale book. The castle was amazing.

“Here we are!” Luna announced as she walked ahead and not far from us was a wooden stairs.

“Is it safe?” I asked.

“Yeah it is safe! Now come on, Cecilia! This is the only way up!”

“You have got to be kidding me,” I said.

“Well there’s no turning back now! You are about to see your soulmate! Aren’t you excited?!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands. “And you want to search about the Wonder Place right? All of the information are here in the Southern Old Library! All the information and secrets from mankind are all here as well,” she said in a matter of fact.

“Fine, fine” I muttered as I climbed the stairs.

“You’re not going to regret the view, I swear!” she said as she gracefully climbed the stairs.

The moment we reached the top, Luna was right. It was breathtaking. I could see everything in the Wonder Place up to the west side where there it was raining snow, then by the east – the ocean and the mountains was spectacular then the beauty of the city like of the north.

“Welcome to the Southern Old Library!” Luna said as she raised up both of her arms. “Come on, the entrance is this way,”

I looked up and the Southern Old Library was a huge white castle that has a 4 tall tower all around the Southern Old Library and there was a huge wall that was protecting it. I’ve never seen anything so perfect.

We entered to the front of the castle in between the two fortress and crossed a bridge. After we crossed the stone bridge we passed by the small garden and a maze and walked ahead to the front of the castle. All throughout I was amazed by how beautiful everything was and just wonder – wonder about the structure of the library, the garden and the view of the towers and all around me.

As we reached the main door of the castle, Luna turned to me.

“Do you want to do the honors?” she asked as she offered me to open the door.

I walked up and there in front of me was an old wood carving of a face of a lion in the door and a wood handle. Without thinking, I opened the door and I gasped.

I noticed first the painting in the ceiling as I looked up. I noticed one of the painting was from the painting of Da Vinci. The Southern Old Library was huge and there was a never ending pile of books. In the middle of the castle, there was a circular hallway of books and it goes on and on up to at least 50th floor. And some of the books were floating! Floating on its own! Shifting from one thing then to another. Other people didn’t seem like they were amazed by the floating books in front of them.

“Wow,” I muttered, looking around the library. “L-luna… The books…”

Luna chuckled, “Amazing, huh?”

“T-they were floating.” I stared at some of the thick old books just automatically fly from the table then back to the bookshelves on its own.

“Once you leave the book in the table, they can automatically fly back to the bookshelves. Thanks to the guardians, we don’t need to climb to that tall ladder anymore,” she said.

“How is that possible?” I gulped, starting at the 7 floating books near us as they floating gracefully back to the bookshelves of A for bibliography.

“I told you you’re not going to regret it,” Luna teasingly nudged my shoulder. “Now come on, Soulmate Department is this way,”

I groaned.

Oh, great. I have to meet this Shrek dude. I just hope he looked like Robert Pattinson because that man is gorgeous.

“Can I just stay here and read?” I whined, making my way to one of the hallway of books in the genre of Fiction. “The books are floating!” I exclaimed happily, trying to convince her.

“Yes but –“she stopped me by pulling my arm, “We need to go to the Soulmate Department first,”

I must say, Luna Will has a strong arms even though she is small. She dragged me all the way to another passage way to another castle that isn’t so big compare to the library. Before we enter the small castle, there was a wood carving by the door that says Soulmates Department.

“Here goes nothing,” I said sarcastically as I opened the door.

To be honest, where Luna told me about Soulmate Department I thought they’re pretty much busy here but everything from this room was either color soft pink or dark pink including their desk, the color of their pencils were color pink and even their uniform.

Aside from the different booths who I assumed their working place – they actually have huge big screen at the end of the room and everybody – I mean everybody were all looking at the screen like they were watching some kind of soap opera.

The loud sound of the door closing made some of them looked in our direction. I hide behind Luna which was funny because I’m taller than her.

“Hello guys!” Luna said, waving at them.

“Hey Luna’s back!” some guy from the back said. “Just in time! Carlos, give them some popcorn!”

The blonde guy near us gave us a box of popcorn and Carlos, the blonde dude ushered us in one of the empty pink chairs.

“What’s happening?” I asked Luna.

“Don’t worry, young soul! We are just going to see a once in a lifetime opportunity on Earth.” The black haired dude explained as he took a seat beside Luna.

I frowned and Luna could see that I’m still lost, “You see that pink square of metal beside the big screen at the end – that’s a special machine of data where it gives them the date of 2 people who are soulmates that’s going to meet.” She explained, “The square pink metal is connected to the screen that will show us the scene down on earth. And now, Gerald who are the lucky people?”

Gerald took a bite of pink popcorn, “Elizabeth Collin and Mark Turner. But based on our record, Mark is still in a relationship with this girl name Jasmine but unfortunately Mark will probably find out the affair 4 weeks from now,”

“Ohhh drama. I love it,” Luna commented.

I gasped, “This is surreal. Is this allowed?”

“Don’t worry, young soul! It only happens once in a month and our team and Fate Department worked so hard with this! You have no idea how many times this Mark Turner change his mind if he wants to travel to San Francisco or not.”

“Don’t worry about it, Cecilia. Think of it as like a little soap opera where they get to see the results they did,” Luan assured me, “Go eat the popcorn. Trust me. It’s delicious,”

I looked down at my warm popcorn box and the aroma of the strawberry and caramel swirl into my nose. Unsure, I tasted it but surprisingly it was actually good. Weird but good.

All of a sudden, the camera shifted to the view of the living room of some unknown house. The walls were painted violet and it focuses on the side where the sliding door was located. Gerald and the rest of the Soulmate Department all cheered the moment the long and dark haired lady went inside the living room while Mark and Jasmine were in the dining area, talking.

“FINALLY!” they all cheered as they clapped and congratulated each and every one for a second then they were back to watch the long and dark haired girl who I think is Elizabeth talking to Jasmine.

“Jasmine! It’s been awhile!” Elizabeth gushed as she hugged Jasmine. It looked like they were more than acquainted.

“I know, bitch! Ever since you and Marie went to college, it is different around here! We should hang out soon!”

“Speaking of Marie, where the hell is she? She’s not replying to my text! I need to talk to her!”

While they both chitchatting to catch up with their life and for Elizabeth to find her best friend, Marie – I could see the thread on her pinky were connected to the thread of the shaggy hair man who was sitting on one of the stool, just looking at them. The man was wearing a plain black shirt and jeans and he was taller than Elizabeth. The screen shifted to the face of the man who I’m guessing is Mark and slowly his eyes observe the look of Elizabeth.

Some of the ladies in the Soulmate Department squealed in excitement as Mark slowly smiled while looking at Elizabeth.

“Oh my goodness. Cecilia! Are you seeing this? Am I a bad person to ship already Mark and Elizabeth?!”

Now we see Mark slowly approached Elizabeth but he stopped when a short girl on her pink shirt entered the living room along with a kid that looks like her younger sister.

“Lilibeth!” the young girl shouted as she rushes to Elizabeth side and hugged her. Elizabeth welcomed the child like a big sister she is. “It’s been a long time!”

“I know, Julie! I’m sorry.” She apologized then turned to Marie. “Oh thank God, Marie! You’re here! I need your help with this script! I can’t memorize this whole thing!” Elizabeth complained to Marie as she stubbornly threw it in one of the wood sofa in the living room.

Then out of nowhere, Mark’s hands were placed in Elizabeth’s shoulder and teasingly swayed her as he asked for her name over and over again.

“Who is this? Who is this? What’s your name?” I was surprised to find out that Mark is a British.

I muted the whole room as they all cheered for the 2 people and focused more on the screen. I could tell Elizabeth was surprised as she looked at her best friend for some help.

“Oh! Mark, I would like you to meet my best friend, Elizabeth.” She smiled at she turned to Mark. “And Elizabeth, this is Mark. He is the one who I told you about?”

Elizabeth turned and there – another cheered blossomed from the Soulmate Department.

For the first time, Elizabeth and Mark saw each other. Elizabeth blinked multiple times before acknowledging Mark.

Once Mark and Jasmine went back to the dining area to finish what they were eating. Elizabeth approached Marie.

“Marie!” she whispered as she looked at Mark who were laughing with Jasmine who just smiled at his joke. “Whoa dude… He is gorgeous,”

“I know but –“she raised her finger to Elizabeth, “Mark and Jasmine are currently dating now. You blew your chance. You are too late!”

Elizabeth pouted, “Fine…It’s not bad being a friend first,”

Then the screen all of a sudden went blank making everybody including me make a disappointment fuss about it.

“NO!” Luna exclaimed. “What happened next? That’s it?!”

Gerald sighed, “I guess so. Don’t worry, I’ll update you once they will get married. For now, they are still friends.”

“ALRIGHT, SETTLE DOWN TEAM! SHOW’S OVER! BACK TO WORK!” a big man with the megaphone announced.

“I’ll give them a year,” Gerald stated confidently.

Luna chuckled, “I’ll give them 2 years and they will be together,”

“Wanna bet?”

After that, we put the pink chair to the side and went back to the front where the desk of Gerald located. “So, what do you think, young soul? Interesting huh? All our hard work has paid off!”

“Yeah,” I agreed, a bit speechless to say something more. It is kind of weird to view them one of the best thing that happened to us.

“So Luna,” Gerald said as he sat down in his pink office chair, “What can I do to you?”

He looked at us both before looking at his glass screen monitor. As I leaned forward, I could see that he was looking at different people in an aerial view and not just it – I could see the string attached to their pinkies. But the other end of the string is nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Nathan? His young soul and mine are soulmate!" Luna announced in delight like a proud mother.

“Well, they’ve been waiting for you for like 30 minutes. They got bored here so they went upstairs to the waiting room.”

“Thank you, Gerald! You’re the best!” she hugged Gerald. “I owe you!”

“Come on, turtle. Your soulmate is waiting! Let’s go!” she said giddily as she gracefully skipped walking to the other side of the room. From there, there’s a lounging area and a grand stairs that led up to 5th floor. There was a rose gold chandelier hanging in the middle of the lounging area and I do recall that one of the instrumental music was Chopin.

I followed Luna upstairs but as we reached the first floor, we passed by this two lovey couple holding each other as they exited in one of the pink doors upstairs.

As I looked closely, their string is easy to see now. The end of the string is now tied in their ring finger and I wondered as I looked down to mine if my feelings for John will change after this.

“Cecilia! In here!” Luna called me. She was in front of one of the pink doors that is glowing – signaling us that it is in fact our door.

The room was simple and cozy unlike the room in Acidus Prodigium. The walls were painted soft pink and the whole room got a cream colored sofa, a television in front, a mirror where a lot of makeup laid down and a rack of different clothes for both men and women, a window that got a fantastic view of the South and of course, a table of different pastries and food laid out by the corner. As much as I love to see the view, I went to the food first and grabbed some water.

“Easy there, Cecilia.” Luna chuckles as she opened the television. “Aren’t you going to put some makeup?”

I rolled my eyes. “That Shrek dude is my soulmate. Makeup or no makeup. He doesn’t have a choice,”

Some series was on and I took a double look before I realized who was in front of the television. I couldn’t believe it.

“Paul Newman?!” I gasped as I took 2 glazed donuts and a bottle of water hurriedly before sitting down besides Luna. “It’s… It’s Paul Newman…”

“You’re a fan of Paul Newman?”

“Fudge yeah! It’s Paul! One of the best actor of all time! The hustler? Hombre? The long hot summer? Cool Hand Luke?!”

“Well, if you want we can go to the East sometimes. That’s where the Wonder Place Studios located. All of the souls and other celebrity that died were there performing still.”

I blinked, “So, you’re telling me that Paul…is still here?”

“Uh huh,” she smiled sweetly as she looked at the screen of the TV. “His soulmate isn’t here yet. He is a patient man and while he stays here – he never stops performing. Such a humble guy.”

“What about Michael Jackson?”

Our chitchat was cut off when there’s a knock on the door. “Nathan!” Luna welcomes a man in the white sleeves and pants that has a glass iPad just like Luna’s. Nathan was a tall man and has a red hair that was pulled back. He looked firm and very focus as he talked to Luna. I turned off the TV as I walked directly to them.

“Nathan, I would like you to meet, Cecilia Andrews!” Luna looked at me with pride in her eyes.

“Pleasure to meet you, Cecilia,” he said in a deep voice as he shook my hand. His eyes were the same as Lucy’s.

“You too, Nathan. Let’s get this over with,” I said as I straighten my posture. “Where is the Shrek dude?”

Luna chuckled as she put her arms on my shoulder. “I apologize. She is not okay yet with the whole soulmate thing,”

“Don’t worry about it, Cecilia. It’ll change,” Nathan said confidently.

I could feel the excitement from Luna while the facial expression of Nathan stayed the same but there’s a slight smirk there.

“I would like you to meet your soulmate, Alexander Damien Hewitt,”

I gasped as I looked up from the man who entered the room. The first thing I saw was his eyes… His scorching chocolate brown eyes bored into mine and I couldn't believe it. Something shifted again like a force that drawn me like what happened earlier.

For the first time, I felt complete and as I looked into his eyes, I could tell that he feels the same. I looked down into my pinky finger and followed the thread and there as a confirmation I saw the he is in fact, my soulmate.

A lot of thoughts filled inside my head but I could only say a few words.

"It's you,"