At the age of 10, Sara knew who she would marry. She also already knew her profession. Housewife. What else. Her future husband was a successful businessman who would bring home all the money without any problems. And she didn't think that was a bad thing. Nobody did that. At the age of 10, everyone was assigned their future partner and profession in order to give everyone a fulfilling life. For Sara, this was perfectly normal. Until she turned 19, when everything changed. The wedding was just a few weeks away and preparations were in full swing. But the visit to the gardener who would bring her the flowers changed everything. As soon as Sara looked at the gardener, she knew. Something was different. She felt feelings she had never felt before. A tingling in her stomach when she looked into his eyes. Her heart was beating fast when I briefly touched her hands. But how could that be? In a few weeks she would be married, she would marry her true love and lead a happy life. Or would she? The government was looking for true love for every single person, wasn't it? They wanted the population to be happy, didn't they? Maybe they had made a mistake. Maybe she was the mistake. She had to forget these feelings.

At the age of 25, she finally knew. She wasn't the fault. It was the government. It was the system she lived in. The system that took away everyone's power to make decisions and to want things, to love. But Sara knew what she wanted now. She didn't want a full life if it was without true love. She didn't want a partner if it was perfect. She wanted love, strife and forgiveness, all in all. And she wanted it with him. Not her husband, but him. The man with whom she felt true love for the first time.

I can’t think of a single person in this town who knows what love is. Partnerships are transactional, predetermined and bland. I stood under the flickering light that’s been flickering for at least a decade that I know of, in the small, and only grocery store in the town of Mars, Florida. I was fingering loaves of bread on the shelf, trying to pick the freshest, when my eyes wandered over to a couple at the end of the same aisle. I wondered what pet names they called each other, if any. And did they have sex? Was there passion like in the movies, or was it a mundane, necessary habit like brushing your teeth? Is that all there was here? Does love exist? If so I want it. Fuck whatever this is. “Excuse me,” a velvety, flat voice said from behind me, snapping me out of my trance-like state. I smiled sheepishly, pivoting out of the way of the woman and man with dead eyes, so they could exit the bread aisle. I bet her “excuse me” was a cry for help. I picked a plump load of sourdough from the shelf and headed for the checkout counter.

She was always told who she would marry. She grew up knowing the exact age she would be when the marriage would take place. But then one day she saw someone she hadn’t ever seen before walking into the village. He was beautiful with bright blue eyes and dark wavy hair. She desperately wanted him to get to know her. She craved his attention. Soon enough the traveler and her became close friends. Soon he would leave, and she wanted to be with him. She told him. He couldn’t take her with him, but told her if she stayed awhile longer he would come back for her. She didn’t know how long it might take him. But she would wait.

In my town, people have arranged marriages, but in the the only one thinking, “but what about true love?”

People around this society think I’m going bonkers! Especially my parents. My parents had to learn to love each other… I want to love them from the beginning… but they don’t seem to see that.

So the other day I was walking around, just wondering… it seems that every man around here is taken. Can’t find anyone, might not find anyone… ever .

🥰I would love feedback on my writing! 👏

It is important to prioritize building a strong friendship before rushing into marriage when it comes to investing in love. Love starts with friendship and grows over time as you get to know the qualities of the person you are interested in. By taking the time to invest in a genuine friendship, you can develop a deeper connection and hopefully a committed relationship. True love takes time to develop, so don't rush the process. Ultimately, investing in a authentic relationship will prevent heartache and bring you closer to someone who is truly meant for you. So, take your time and be yourself - the person you are investing in will appreciate you for who you are.

I got my list on my seventeenth birthday, same as everyone. They’re based on the things that matter, according to the government. Grades, physical state, mental state. You can date whomever you chose before that, but once you get your list, you’re expected to drop everything and find the peorson at the top of your list and settle down with them. The government originally introduced the list system after a global cataclysm whipped out most of our population. It made sense at first, match the perfect people so they can produce the perfect children to repopulate the world. They promised it was temporary, it wasn’t. It’s been seventy-six years, and the rule still stands. People who don’t chose to follow the rule, well, we haven’t heard from them in a while.

————

“You okay? You kind zoned out there for a second.” Cordelia said, brining me out of my daze. I hadn’t been the same for the past few days, but I couldn’t tell her what was wrong. I jsut couldn’t.

“Yeah, just fine. We should get back to work.” We where sitting oh the floor of her room, studying together for our math test at the end of the week. It also gave us an excuse to see each other more often. Cor was my girlfriend, we’d been dating for almost two years. Though people thought our realationship was a bit odd, two girls dating each other, they didn’t care as long as we didn’t have our lists yet.

Worry still aches though her face. “You, um, haven’t gotten your list yet, right? They haven’t sent it yet?”

I looked away. Guilt pooled in my stomache, I couldn’t meet her eyes.

“Oh, you have.” She let go of my hand.

“Cor,” I pulled her hand ont my lap. “I didn’t want to tell you, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you, you deserved to know.”

She nodded, but didn’t meet my eyes. Tears pooled in her eyes, and rolled down her face.

“Oh, Cor…” I whipped away her tears, cupping her face in my hands. Oh, she was so beautiful. Smooth dark skin, heart shaped face, and warm, kind eyes. She was like an angle fallen to the earth, and I was a mere mortal forbidden to touch such beauty.

“I just- I don’t want to end this. To end us.” She waved her hand, gesturing between us. “I- I really love you. And I know it’s selfish, the lists are for the “good of the future population” or some shit like that-“

“Cor,” I cut her off. “I don’t care about that stupid list. I don’t care about what the government and people think. They say that our number one from our list is our perfect match, but that’s not true. You know why?”

She shook her head, her own tears blend with mine. “I know because your my match. I love you, Cordelia. And I don’t care what people think, or how cringy that just sounded.”

She gave a what sounded like a cross between a sob and laugh. Then she kissed me, and it was filled with such passion and beauty. We leaned our foreheads against each other, arms entangled in an embrace. “I love you too, you sabby little puppy.”

I laughed at her answer. ‘Puppy’ was the knickename she had given me, because in her words I looked like a ‘little puppy begging for food scraps’ whenever I playfully asked her for a kiss.

The math study was forgotten. We spent the rest of the afternoon listening to music, reading together, and just enjoying each others presence. We also laughed, flirted, and kissed plenty.

—————

Ah, how I wish I could find love like this. Alas, I’m simply a hopeless romantic, who’s all bi-herself (Bad joke, sorry). I was too tired to fully edit this, so I apologize for any mistakes. Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading!!!❤️❤️❤️

My life has always been planned out for me from the moment I was born. My name, who I am to marry, how many children I am permitted to have. All of it.

The government controlled all of it.

My parents had agreed to it, so I did too. That way of life was all for me. It is our society, so everything else that opposed that society is muffed and cut off.

But now, I’m not sure what is right and what is wrong.

“Hilda?” My mother calls. “What’s taking you so long? Get out the carriage, dear, we are here.”

I stuff a few more pens along with my notebook into my satchel, covering it all with a large rag for secrecy from my parents and security from the sand.

Women aren’t allowed the use of creating literature; they say we aren’t created for the purpose of sitting and writing, let alone reading.

I hope out of the carriage in my white shin-short skirt and my thin, yellow blouse. I’m rather glad my mother isn’t too invested in the fashion, it would have been sweltering for me if she made me go full dress mode.

I see my mother, father, and my soon-to-be fiancé chatting up ahead as they walk to the line that separates the stone walkways from the warm sand. My fiancé is tall, too tall for my liking, and has a warm brown face with heart-melting amber eyes. I’m not saying I don’t find him attractive, I do, but he and I don’t really….

Click.

Many times people have said that marrying for love is a total disaster. My parents didn’t love each other when they were assigned, but now they do. But what about those who never end up loving each other? How do they fare in the end?

I sigh, then toss my satchel over my shoulder and run towards my company to go enjoy some sun soaking and the salt of the ocean.

After a while, I get bored. Mother is lying down, having stripped off her dress to her slip, and napping while tanning. Father and my fiancé, George, are chatting up about the next election for senate. Normally I would stick around to listen for a bit, but we came to the beach for a reason: to have fun.

That is why I stand up, satchel still with me, and walk towards the sea.

It gets more and more quiet the farther I go out. Just me, the salty air, the caw of seagulls, and the waves of the oceans crashing against each other. I wish this could be life. I wish this could be my life. Just endless silence of chatter and life with a pen and notebook.

With a sigh and a small smile, I place my satchel down, far enough from the waves so it won’t get wet, and pull my dress over my head.

“Wow,” I whisper, feeling the cool breeze on my bare shoulders and legs, “This is truly bliss.”

“Isn’t it?” A light voice says.

Startled, I turn towards it, arms up in a fighting position. When I see them though, my arms slowing go down as I gape in awe.

It’s a girl who seems to be my age. Her skin is a pale pink, with rosy lips and cheeks. She’s tall, not as tall as George, but tall enough for a woman. Her hair is the color of sea foam and cascades down her body in a shielding curtain, hiding her nudity.

I feel my face grow warm as she smiles at me. “W-who are you?” I croak, stepping back.

She strides towards me with her long legs, all with a sweet smile on her face and her green eyes on mine. “I am who I am, but you can call me Siren.” She stops before me and grabs my shoulders. Her hands are ice cold and rough. “Who are you?”

I try to speak but find my throat dry. I lick my dry, salting lips, which Siren watches closely, and say my name. Dear me, when did it get so hot?

“Hilda,” Siren draws, as though my name is a word from a foreign language. She lets me go and takes her hands together, palm to palm. Siren looks at me, noting my confused expression. “What?”

I point to her body, my knees weak from her beauty. “Where are your clothes?”

Siren stares at me for a moment, then tips her head towards the sky and howls in laughter. I cringe away, uncomfortable at her display.

She looks back at me after she finishes. Her brows crease, noting my discomfort. “No need to be afraid, Hilda,” she says, reaching out for my hand, “Come, may I take you away for the evening?”

And for some reason I pause to think. I should just say no and get out of here, back to the comfort zone of my book and structured life. Not hang out with some naked lady.

But, she does seem mysterious. And I am quite curious. Siren doesn’t look dangerous.

“Hilda?”

I tell her my answer.

I’ve been here for the longest. With my pen and notebook. Writing. Writing my story.

Siren visits me sometimes. She’s the one who made this cave for me. Because I am hers and she is mine.

Love is strange, isn’t it?

Siren knew I was to be hers for the rest of our lives, but I didn’t know it until a few months ago. Yes, I have been here for months.

I get to go out sometimes, when there are no other humans around, and walk around the beach at night. The air cold, the sky dark, waddling around, holding my swelling stomach.

Fate is something else. If I hadn’t went to the beach, I would have never met Siren and leave my old life. If I hadn’t went to the beach, I would have ended up marrying George and would have had his children. I would have been bored, never being allowed to write, only to live as being a housemaid and a stock for breeding.

Now I live in the sea, expecting. I live in the sea with the love of my life. My beautiful, sweet, dangerous siren.

So I suppose I am forever a sea-girl. Forever hers until the day I die.

(Dear me, I didn’t expect it to be this long! Anyways, thanks for reading!) __

In the heart of a society that prides itself on the precision of arranged marriages, there lives a young woman named Elara. Since childhood, Elara has watched as friends, family, and neighbors entered into meticulously matched unions. Each match was calculated to ensure harmony, prosperity, and the continuation of social order. Yet, while these marriages were undoubtedly stable and functional, Elara couldn't shake the feeling that something essential was missing.

Elara was raised in a loving home where her parents' arranged marriage was considered the epitome of success. Her father, a respected scholar, and her mother, a skilled healer, complemented each other perfectly, making their household a model of balance and efficiency. Despite this, Elara noticed an absence of the passionate stories of love she had read about in forbidden books and whispered about with her closest friends. She longed for a connection that went beyond compatibility—a connection rooted in genuine affection and emotional depth.

As she grew older, Elara's yearning for love became more than just a fanciful dream; it became her mission. She began to subtly challenge the norms, questioning the elders and the matchmakers about the origins of their system. Most responded with bemusement or frustration, insisting that their way was the only path to a stable society. Undeterred, Elara sought out stories of past eras when love marriages were more common. She learned of a time when individuals were free to choose their partners based on mutual feelings rather than a matchmaker's calculations.

It was during one of her secretive research sessions in the old city library that Elara met Kieran, a young man with a similarly rebellious spirit. Kieran had always felt like an outsider in his community, questioning the lack of personal choice in one of the most important decisions of a person's life. He had been quietly gathering like-minded individuals who believed in the power of love over arrangement.

Their bond was instant and powerful. For the first time, Elara felt the very thing she had been searching for: a connection born out of mutual respect, shared dreams, and, most importantly, love. Together, they decided to take a stand against the established system. They began to organize secret meetings, where they discussed strategies to promote the idea of love marriages and challenge the rigid norms of their society.

Word of their movement spread, attracting both supporters and detractors. The elders, alarmed by this growing challenge to their authority, sought to suppress the movement through various means. Elara and Kieran, however, remained undeterred. They knew that their struggle was not just for themselves but for future generations who deserved the freedom to choose their own paths in life.

In the face of increasing pressure, Elara and Kieran's love only grew stronger. They became symbols of a new era, inspiring others to question the status quo and fight for the right to marry for love. Their journey was fraught with challenges, but it was also filled with moments of profound joy and fulfillment—proof that love, when given the chance, could indeed thrive and transform society.

Ria always wanted love.

With the concept of soulmates ruling society, she never was sure that she would get that after Lizzy died.

She isn’t even certain she was in love with her. Just that maybe she could have if given more time. By the rules of soulmates, one doesn’t get another. They are very spelled out. You are born with powers, meet your soulmate, first physical contact takes away your powers, then you kiss your soulmate to bring your powers back, and then you live happily ever after.

But what happens when that doesn’t happen?

Ria didn’t care really about what society said, but it did affect her nonetheless since it affected other people.

When she met Amelie (in her dream and in real life), she knew that all those bullshit rules were bogus. She gets to choose who she is with. Not the universe or fate.

Amelie makes her wonderstruck. Her quiet observations and funny quips both fascinate and cause Ria to cackle (not in a ladylike way).

Usually when people first visualize Ria, they see her bold hair colors and weird changing sense of style. The first thing Amelie focused on was her freckles.

No one saw Ria like Amelie. She would talk to Ria about how her boldness inspires her instead of deterring or putting her off. Her changing style isn’t a phase to her. Amelie likes to say that it is “an expression of freedom and a sign that a woman can be anything.”

Amelie and their group of friends showed Ria how soulmates don’t always have to be the main attraction. There’s Bell and Cross who are soulmates but fell in love before they knew. Roman and Jeremiah (her beloved cousin) who are the perfect couple, though Roman has a complicated view on soulmates, having divorced parents. Lou and Jones are happy with their animals friends, not needing romance. Lane is a newer friend who she is slowly seeing more of. Being aroace, she has a unique perspective since she doesn’t want to meet her soulmate. Doesn’t need them.

And then obviously, Amelie. The soulmateless girl with the desire to find someone but the resignation that she won’t.

Ria found solace in her. Found an unexpected peace.

If Lizzy was her soulmate, then Amelie is her endgame. She is the plot twist that no one sees coming. And all Ria wants to do is keep reading.

“Name?” “Like my full name?” “First and last.” “Sandy Colton.” “Sandy… Colton. Tell me about yourself Sandy Colton.” “I’m a musical artist. I like spring. I have a little sister. I like sunflowers. I want to teach music when I’m older. I like the colour yellow.” “Can you tell me how you would describe yourself?” “No. That would be inaccurate. Only others could really tell me about me. I can’t.” “Just pick a couple words.” “Whisper. Juice. Dew drop.” “What?” “You said to choose a couple words!” “That’s not what I- never mind. How about we talk about your childhood.” “Nope. Next question.” “That’s not how this works.” “But I don’t want to talk about my life.” “Ma’am, we would like to be able to match you best as possible. It would help us if you would cooperate.” “Can we talk about love?” “Love?” “What’s your name?” “My… it’s Ryan.” “Is there someone you love, Ryan?” “I love my friends. My family. My siblings.” “Do you love the person you’re married to?” “…We were matched.” “That’s not really an answer.” “What are you trying to say, Miss.” “Don’t you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you love? I do. Register me. Match me. Tell me who would fit best with. Who would produce the strongest possible children for the future. It’s all about breeding. Don’t you want love?!” “Miss Sandy Colton, I must ask you to sit back down.” “No. No, I think we are done here.sorry for wasting your time. I just wanted to say something.”

“Wait. Miss… Miss Colton. Can you tell me something?” “That depends if it’s for the questionnaire or not.” “It’s not. If I may, have you been in love before?” “I am in love, yes. It’s why I understand the pointlessness of this all.” “How… can you tell me what it feels like?”

“It’s… like a lot of things. Falling. Flying. Dying . Finally living. Feeling completely whole. The other person, they fill you. The first person to really get you. If that makes sense.”

“How did you fall in love?”

“It’s not like there is a rule book. Not like this. I’m sure science could over explain it, or under explain it, but there really isn’t an algorithm. You just know.” “That’s it?” “I think so.”

“I hope you find your love, Ryan.” “You… you too.”