Potential

The windows to the soul. Deep and personal. 

There was something alluring about the eyes of Simon Byles. One was pale, yet had the captivating beauty of an ocean, pulling you in with every wave. The other, a dark hazel. In the right light, golden flakes shone with his adorning smile. The way he casually flicked through the pages of the novel he was holding, the more interesting he seemed. His Watcher, Jameson Smith, could see everything Simon could see. The fires, the battles, the hunger for passion and romance. These things were heavy on Jameson’s heart. 

            The Watcher is the only one who can see them…the things that make the soul come to life. Watchers have the special ability to see the world through another’s eyes, and Jameson Smith was gifted with this ability on the first summer day of his nineteenth year. 

            Jameson knew he would be gifted, for everyone became gifted at the same time, at the same age. It was not something he could control, but it was something for which he could prepare. His parents warned him that some gifts were better than others, but Jameson didn’t care about his ranking. He only cared about the soul.

            Likewise, to what he could see whilst peering into Simon’s eyes, he could also feel. Simon read about a battle erupting over a captured and enslaved city, and Jameson could see what Simon was imagining. The colours were rich and vivid; red with blood and silver from the iron swords slashing through the air without hesitation. He heard the groaning of pillaged bodies; he felt the burning muscles and withered bones. 

            When Simon darted his head forward to adjust his eyes, Jameson tried to glance in another direction, but he was caught. “Excuse me?” Simon whispered through the air. Jameson darted his eyes. As Simon approached him, Jameson tried to look anywhere else. He was sitting on a barstool in the window of a small café, overlooking the ocean, which paled in comparison to Simon’s left eye. “Are you my Watcher?” 

            Jameson cleared his throat. “I am.” He looked down at his hands folded neatly over his lap. He felt ashamed somehow to be seen. 

            “Can I ask: What did you see?” 

            Jameson shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he started.

            “What did you see when you looked at me?” 

            Jameson couldn’t help himself. He brought his chin up and investigated Simon’s soul once more. “I could see your book as you were reading,” Jameson told him. “That’s all.”

            “And now?” 

            Jameson hesitated. He could see how Simon felt inside, and everything that he 

needed. He could feel the love which was being held back behind a wall of fear. He could feel the pushing of his own spirit, dying for questions that have been left unanswered, and the pondering emptiness in the depth of himself. He wished for something more than anything on Earth could fill. He didn’t know what he needed, but if anyone could uncover what it was, surely it would be Jameson.

            “I see myself,” Jameson answered. He feared this could be a test. The only true understanding of a Watcher is that they see through the eyes of another being. “Because you are looking at me. Just as I saw your book as you were reading.” 

            “Is that all?” Simon asked. He was hoping for something else – anything.

            “Is there something you’re looking for?” Jameson asked. 

            “I was hoping you could see me,” Simon explained. “You know…” He pushed his hand into his chest, touching the ribs above his heart. 

            “I see you,” Jameson assured him. “Tell me what you need.”

            “I thought maybe you could tell me.” Simon let out the smallest breath, which shook into a nervous chuckle. 

            “What you need is not something I can decide for you,” Jameson said. Simon looked away. He faced the ocean to the right side of them and Jameson could only see the curve of his water-coloured eye. “You’re upset.”

            Simon scoffed. “Of course, I’m upset.”

            Jameson furrowed his brow then tilted his head. He understood and cared deeply for Simon. “What you need you do not lack.” Simon looked confused, his love was displaced, now all Jameson could see was fear. He shook his head. “Follow me.”

            The two men exited the café, their bodies met with a bracing wind which contradicted the shining sun above them as they walked. They crossed a busy street and made their way to a wooden boardwalk which ran parallel to the beach. The men kept silent for a few minutes. Jameson thought about what he should tell Simon. He hesitated to say that Simon’s fears had overcome him, fears of grief, rejection, and death. 

            “How do I already have something I need?” Simon finally asked. 

            Jameson chuckled. “Two out of three of your worst fears, you can’t avoid. Though, in a way, they are all tied together. You fear losing the people you love, and in turn, you fear dying, as well as the people you love walking away from you – abandoning you.”

            “Yes, that’s true.” Simon confirmed.

            Jameson shook his head. “My friend, you abandon them every time you let your fears get a hold of you.” 

“Well, what should I do?” Simon asked. 

“That’s all,” Jameson told him. “All you must do is care, and act upon those cares.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean your purpose in this life is to love. If you let your fears consume you, you will hold nothing but regret inside. Love, and if you are rejected, love again. You have everything inside of you that you need, my friend.”

            “What is it?” Simon asked desperately. “What do I have?” 

            Jameson wanted to smile. “Potential.” He wanted to smile, but something inside of him made him tremble. “You have potential in this life…unlike the others.”

            “Others?” 

            Jameson stopped walking. He faced the ocean, knowing what he wanted to say but wishing it wasn’t necessary. “As well as this life in your soul, I can see the ones you once lived. I can feel the root of your fears. The older souls fade away with time, but the life just passed was deep, full of regret. I’m sorry…It must be tough for you to hear this.”

            “So, I have to suffer in this life because my past life was full of regret?” Simon reiterated. 

            Jameson shook his head. “No, you don’t have to suffer.” 

            “Is there any hope?” Simon asked. 

            “Oh, there’s plenty of that.” Jameson looked back at Simon, straight into his precious eyes. “Like I said…potential.” As Simon let out a smile, Jameson patted his friend on the back. They continued to walk on together as the sun set beyond the ocean’s horizon.

This was the hardest part, Jameson thought as they walked together, side by side. This knowing without being able to say anything. For when Jameson exposed the truth to Simon, he sacrificed a piece of his own soul, to help Simon along his way. Jameson knew this would happen. He knew he would only have a certain number of souls to watch in his lifetime, and as he is seen and found, his own soul dwindles, lowering like a candle flame running out of life.