Soulmates by Mindy Kincade

knew is gone and I’m still here, that weighs heavy on my mind.
    “It’s almost like being in prison, except much worse,” muttered Paulette.
    “She’s right. Everyone I once loved is gone— dead.” Jesse looked down at the ground. “I wish I had been more present in my life. Looking back, if I had it to do over again, I would have married Emily sooner than we had planned,” he said.
    “Why? What does that have to do with anything?” asked Presley.
    “Because if I would have just married Emily I wouldn’t be stuck here,” he explained.
    As Presley began to question him her thought was interrupted by a loud roaring sound. They all quickly jumped to their feet.
    “It sounds like a tornado!” screamed Paulette.
    “No. Look at the sky. It’s blue and there’s no wind,” countered Jesse.
    Just then a herd of pristine wild white horses ran through the valley below. As Presley looked closer she could make out the large wings hanging from their sides, and each had a large horn protruding from their foreheads.
    “They’re unicorns,” she whispered.
    Unexpectedly, like a flock of birds, the winged horses soared into the sky.
     
    ≈≈≈≈≈
     
    “I see Gracie a few yards away,” said Presley. Let’s set up camp for the night. They reached Gracie as the sun was going down.
    “She’s a small tree,” Presley remarked.
    Paulette grabbed one of the draping branches. “Yeah, there’s no way that all of us will fit up there tonight."
    Jesse sat on a rotted fallen log, and from his bag he pulled out the flint, iron, and an old cloth.
    “What’s all of that for?” Presley asked.
    “We are starting a fire,” Paulette said, as she gathered dry large sticks from the heavily wooded area and placed them in a pile. Jesse tore a small piece of the cloth off and put it in the tinder, and then used the iron and flint to make a spark.
    “We have a fire, ladies!” said Jesse excitedly. He helped Paulette gather more wood and he placed the logs in a separate pile. “There, that should be plenty for the night." He took half a loaf of bread and some jerky out of the bag.
    “I know it isn’t much, but it’ll do,” he said. He handed the food to the girls and they all sat around the campfire.
    “Aren’t you gonna eat?” Paulette asked.
    “You two go ahead. I’ll eat later,” he said. Presley knew that he was waiting until they were finished before he ate. She split her piece of bread and handed some to Jesse.
    “No, really. Eat,” he said adamantly.
    “I insist,” she said sternly.
    “Okay, since you insist,” he said with a crooked smile.
    After they ate, Jesse took Presley’s hand and said, “Come with me."
    She stood up and followed Jesse. He led here over to Gracie and he pulled down two of her branches.
    “Sit here,” he said.
    Presley sat on the branch and Jesse sat next to her. Gently, Gracie raised them both up high into the sky. Three moons shone over them enabling them to see for miles.
    “I could never have imagined this place even in my wildest dreams. A whole other world that nobody knows about. Who do you think Manna is? I mean, did he come from our planet? Or this planet.”
    “I don’t have any idea. All I know is that he helped write The Book of Codes. Who knows if he’s even still alive? I hope he is for your sake. He may be your only chance of getting back home.”
    Presley leaned over and put her head on Jesse’s shoulder. She looked up at him and wondered why she felt so close to him. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her ear and whispered, “I think you’re falling in love with me."
    Without moving she whispered back, “What makes you think that?"
    “Because every time I touch you, you get goose bumps." He gently ran his fingers down her arm. “See, goose bumps,” he said.
    “No, I’m cold,” she replied.
    “Yeah, okay,” he said smiling. They sat silently together watching the falling stars in the night sky. She felt as if she were melting into him.