1_Hear my prayers

Middle of the night when everybody in the neighborhood was asleep, a young boy slipped out of his bed and kneeled before his window. He carefully placed a scented candle on the ground and lighted it up with a lighter.

He looked at the candle and began to pray whispering to an unknown God with his hands clapped together.

"Oh, mighty God, hear my pleas and help me! Please give me my soul mark so I too am like the rest. Please give me my mark that shows I have someone in this world that will love me and care for me. I pray for my soulmate to appear. Please help me, almighty God!"

He earnestly began to pray to a God he doesn't even know the name of, but he still prays each day without skipping since he was 12. Now three years later his wish still wasn't granted. But he believed that one day he too will get the mark he longed for since he was just a young child.

*SWOOSH*

After he was done with his daily praying, he blew the candle out and went silently back to his bed to sleep like everyone else.

"Xavier, wake up!"

Night passed and the morning began. Everyone stood one by one up and the boy who prayed deep in the night was woken up by his mother.

"Five more minutes.", Xavier mumbled back.

"If you don't wake up in a minute, I won't buy you new candles!", his mother threatened to his still sleeping son.

Hearing that he won't get his candle if he doesn't wake up, he jumped out of his bed and acted like he was awake the whole time.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!", he screamed back afraid that his mom really won't buy any candles anymore.

"Are your candles that important?", she asked, but didn't wait for an answer.

"After washing up, come downstairs to eat.", his mom said before leaving his room.

Not forgetting what his mother said, he quickly washed up, so she won't find any faults with him.

"Good morning!", Xavier said when he sat together with his family.

His family existed out of his mom, dad, a brother who is two years younger and a sister who is three years younger than him.

"Good morning.", his father and younger sister said back.

"Did you pray yesterday like always.", his younger brother said without a question mark after the phrase.

"Of course, I did! Do you want to pray with me today?", Xavier asked his brother, knowing he won't accept his offer.

"Who would like to pray with you.", he answered with a disgust tone.

But Xavier wasn't affected at all: "I don't know? You always seem so curious about it, so I thought you would like to participate with me, was I wrong?"

Before his brother could reply, he was stopped by his father.

"Stop talking! Eat before it's cold."

They both shut up and began eating. Gradually the atmosphere changed around the table. They began to talk to each other about random things, began to ask questions…

It was a harmonious picture, but if you looked closely you would notice that something was of. It wasn't something big, not something you would notice at first glance, but if you really focused hard you would see that something just didn't fit in.

"I'm going to school now.", Xavier said interrupting their conversation.

Before any of them could say anything back, he already went out the house. When he arrived at school, he was warmly welcomed by different people of different ages and genders.

"You know, I met my soul mate yesterday! When I saw her, I knew I couldn't live without her! I don't know how people who don't want a soulmate could think like that.", the boy who wanted to talk so much more about his soulmate stopped when he noticed that his surrounding was quiet.

"Why are you so quiet?", he asked unsure.

They didn't answer the boy's question, instead they all looked at Xavier. He still was a bit confused, but he suddenly remembered something.

"I'm so sorry, Xavier! I didn't say anything that hurts your feelings, right?", he asked with an almost pleading voice.

"You guys don't need to be so uptight about it! I'm fine. Do tell me more about her. She seems like a nice girl.", Xavier said with a smile on his face.

But only he would know if it was a genuine smile or a fake one.

*RING* *RING*

School ended and Xavier walking back to his home. At dinner, just like always, Xavier ate while the others where busy talking about their day.

"Xavier, did you finally get your mark?", his brother asked with a worried tone, but if you looked at his face he didn't sale concerned only pleasure could be seen on his face.

Xavier was too tired to answer and just acted like he didn't hear his question while the other stopped talking when they heard his question.

"Hey Xavier, I asked a question."

"Shut up.", his father said quietly to his youngest son.

But he didn't listen and once again asked his question.

"Did you finally get your soul mark. Oh wait!", he acted like he suddenly remembered something important.

"Shut up!", his father said once more, but this time with more authority.

But even now he didn't listen to his father and continued.

"I forgot that you're too old to get one."

With that the whole table was silent.

"I have enough, I'm going upstairs."

Without finishing his food, he went upstairs, and nobody stopped him. Someone tried but he was stopped by his mother's glare.

He tiredly laid down on his bed and slowly fell asleep.

Night came and lights turned off. When everyone fell asleep, Xavier woke up. He thought back about what happened today. The more he remembered the more he felt like crying. His tears finally came out when he remembered about what his brother said to him at dinner.

"Did you finally get your soul mark? Oh wait! I forgot that you're too old to get one."

Just like his brother said. The soul mark appears on people at different ages. It will randomly appear without warning. At the earliest it will be when you are 5 and latest is when your 12. Nobody knows why it shows earlier by some or later by another.

But Xavier does know that he is currently 15 and still doesn't have a mark, a unique mark only reserved for two people.

[Don't I deserve one?]

He asked himself.

[What did I do to deserve this?]

He cried silently and nobody in this house noticed his helpless cry.

When his tears were dried up, he once again kneeled before the window.

"Oh God, why don't I have a mark? Why don't I have someone who will make this pain go away? Why? Why don't I have someone on my side?"

He never was bullied for not having one, but he always felt like he wasn't normal. Everyone acted normal, but somehow it didn't seem natural. It was like they were forced to be with him. He felt like he didn't belong with them. It was like he wasn't meant to be here. Just like when they are eating. It felt there is a wall that separated them. The only thing he could do was laugh and act like he too belonged in their world.

After whispering all his worries, he once again slipped under his bed sheet to once again fall asleep.

[I can cry right now, but tomorrow just like always, I need to smile and be the bright boy they know.]

With that he was ready to sleep and drown in his sorrows, so he can burry it once more in him when the sun shines just like every other day.