Microstory: Darkness and Screaming

If you haven't heard of it, there's a rather creative community on Reddit called Writing Prompts. Some people will post a prompt, and writers will embellish that seed scenario with a short story.

I stumbled upon a prompt I really liked, so gave a story for a spin! Now, I'm not the most eloquent writer out there, but hopefully this story is at least a bit nice.

From Cheesy_As_Pie131:

Soulmates exist. You have flashes of of what your soulmate is seeing and hearing. A lot of soulmates use these flashes in their pursuit to find their soulmate. Personally, you have no interest. The only thing you ever see is darkness and the only thing you ever hear is a constant scream.

All of my friends (okay, both of my friends) down booze to pass their worries. I tried that, didn't like it much. Instead, I visit the Gisneyland amusement park, almost every week.

"Oh, how we met? It's a funny story really! My now-wife shoved a rainbow bouquet into my face as I walked out of work and declared me her soulmate. A bit brash—"

"I thought it romantic! I kept seeing visions of your dull grey office building, so I introduced myself by filling your boring life with color."

"Heh, she calls that building dull, but in the end she tracked me down by using its name! What about you, my boy? Caught glimpses of your soulmate's life yet?"

I have, but I could never tell them.

Permanent darkness, shrill screaming, metal scraping. Every time, it's the same, and every time I awake drowned in chilling sweat.

My nightmares are definitely an unusual case; every else I know has had blissful dreams by comparison. They let you see what your soulmate sees, hear what your soulmate hears, and compiling the clues over time helps couples find each other. I guess that's romantic.

But I stopped caring about romance a while ago. Now I just wish I could save her, from the consistent dread she must feel, wherever she is. But when each dream is the same...

Anyway, that's why I visit the park. Somehow, meeting all the couples and hearing their stories is cathartic. It's good to experience these happy endings, even if they're not your ow—

"Aaah, oof!"

Tripping on something getting off a roller coaster while lost in thought? Classic.

Ah, and just my luck, I caused a young lady to fall. Even more classic.

"Ooooh I'm so terribly sorry! I really should watch my step more carefully, haha."

"No, miss, this was definitely my fault. Are you... by yourself today?"

"At a park? Yeah, it's rather awkward of me, isn't it? But I'm sure you have heard the same story many times! Just looking for my soulmate, well, maybe 'looking' isn't the best word for it, haha."

No, actually this is a first for me. I only ever talk to couples. "So then in your visions you see—"

"Roller coasters, yes! And food stalls, stages with shows, and people everywhere too. But it's the same place every time. I never thought someone could spend so much time at a park... but not knowing which park—"

"—you've gone from park to park, searching for him."

"You got it!" That's actually kind of romantic. "But you know, if I'm spending all this time in parks, I might as well have a little fun too, so I make sure to do all the rides! I never got use to it, still scream every time... Well anyway, have you seen my cane?"

Her cane? Oh, so that's what I tripped on, a red and white cane... wait...

The grinding metal, the thrilling screams, and the blinding darkness...

Suddenly, it all makes sense. There was nothing I could do to save her. Instead, she saved me.