Times We Shared: Immortalize

Riding the gravity’s pull was no easy feat.

I’ll tell ya.

Fleeing the Red Demon Police was also no small task to complete.

In my defense, I will say that I was lied to.

Like usual.

My last boyfriend was a real nice person and he treated me pretty good. I will admit this as well.

When I found out he was cheating on me with a woman with green hair and purple eyes I lost my temper.

I caught them red handed.

So… I took it upon myself to buy a very expensive jewel.

I like jewels and delicious food and fabulous clothes.

What can I say?

I do enjoy life to the fullest.

This is no typical jewel I purchased with my ex boyfriend’s money.

It was a jewel that was said to be the most radiant of them all.

The Princess of Jewel. That is the name of the item I possess.

A rare jewel unlike any other.

I want it to decorate my coffee table. A real conversation starter, no?

I can invite my friends and my sister to my house and obviously they’ll ask about the gem elegantly set on my coffee table.

They’ll ask where I got it and I will respond.

It was my last gift from my beloved boyfriend. We started as strangers so we shall end as strangers.

A laser beam shot past my ship.

I sigh.

“Honestly. Calling the Red Demon Police to collect the jewel is a rather scum maneuver from my ex.”

The Red Demon Police are exactly as described. They are red skinned demons who work in the police force. They are actually quite lawful demons and are insanely powerful.

Maybe I should date one-

A space car hit mine.

“Don’t scratch it! It’s vintage!” I shouted.

My ex boyfriend was not exactly a quote on quote good guy. He blackmailed, sold shady items, and imported a load of valuables from other plants illegally.

He had an empire and could pay for my expensive taste.

Shame.

I really liked him. His money more or less.

“On to number two hundred and forty two!”

Yes.

There are plenty of fish in the sea and I mean, plenty.

I’ve traveled through time and space and to many places.

I’ve learned that love is not an easy thing for me to find seeing that I can leap though time.

I do not age.

My age is irrelevant.

After time traveling for so long, my genes have mutated a bit.

My body is young and healthy. Gorgeous really. I take care of it. Oils and sweet sprays in my hair and skin.

As I said, I like expensive things.

I dialed a random head into my ship.

It doesn’t matter what time I go to as long as I go.

I can make a new home, find a new family, find a new lover if I so choose.

Smashing the red button I closed my eyes.

It’s like jumping into freezing water. Buckets of ice in a metal tub.

I opened my eyes.

Here is to new life. A new beginning.

***

“Look at that woman. She is…”

I was sitting in a palace overlooking a garden.

Here is a historical reference that might help.

Dragons are real. Fairies are real. Witches and magic are to be feared.

To the people here at least.

They believe in stories like these.

I’m not afraid of ghosts. I can’t be or else I would never survive.

A man took my hand and kneeled.

“Beauty. I shall make you mine.”

“Oh? That sounds rather good to me.”

“Of course it does. A woman like yourself should be in the best. I can give you the best. Be mine. My woman. My consort-“

I retracted my hand.

“Consort?” I repeated with disbelief, “you think I would be satisfied being a mere consort?!”

The room fell silent. I stood up and towered over that greasy man.

“You have nothing but money and you offer me only a silver coin. I want everything. You see my beauty, I should think you should know the price is beyond your wildest imagination. Look at me. Do I not surpass expectation?!”

Applause. Only one person clapped in a slow, sarcastic manner like this.

I immediately rolled my eyes and sighed.

He was here.

Once more he has seen me lose my temper.

“What do you call yourself now? Halley. Opal. Twila. Jen?”

“Adrian. You have made your point. Enough of this.” I said sharply.

I left the open balcony of the palace.

This sucks.

The critic of century has just made his entrance.

The handsome immortal Adrian.

Born in a small village, Adrian has lived a very long life.

As an immortal he flows through time and somehow, on occasion, will overlap with my timeline.

I jump through time. I land in any and every timeframe.

Adrian is the constant. He follows a specific order and obeys time like any good immortal.

There are beings that are even stronger and more cursed than he is.

I choose not to meet any of them and yet somehow-

Adrian grabbed my hand and tugged me down the stairs.

“Let go!”

“Why? You like surprises.”

He knew me. He knew everything.

Adrian and I first met in the modern times.

We had something in common.

We were bored of life. We were living recklessly. Too reckless for our own good.

We did things that some might consider was absolutely crazy.

Then one night I found out that he was hiding a secret.

He was immortal.

I ran away immediately.

To love something requires devotion. I’ve never been in love, but he gave something close to it.

Still.

It is dangerous to love something with such a long life span. He would become tired of love and of me.

We were running out of the palace.

“Adrian!”

I pulled my hand back.

“What happened this time? Another lover scorned?”

“Yes. Exactly that.”

“Get a hold of yourself. You’re trembling.”

I looked down at my hands. He was right I was trembling.

“Oh dear… I think I’m in shock.”

Damnit. Adrian could always get me to look so vulnerable.

I’ve never been chased out of a planet a Red Demon Police. They were excellent at their job. I would have rotten to death in a prison cell.

How did I manage to escape death I don’t know.

I always seem to run into danger and outrun a gruesome death.

But who was to say that I would ever make it?

How do I know that I have made it to the next day when I can move to a time long in my past?

“Listen to me. You are not going to lose your mind. Not while your in front of me.”

I snapped to attention.

Since when was I in Adrian’s arms?

“Yes, fine. Look. I have been having a rough time. Nothing could be worse than seeing your face.”

Adrian smirked and leaned closer to me.

“Good. I don’t want to make you too happy.”

We began walking together.

“How are you?”

“Living. A little too simple for your taste.”

I smirked.

“At least you can be honest.” I answered.

“Have I ever lied?” He said.

“…”

He never lied to me. He preferred not to tell me the truth… and I felt betrayed. I told him who I was. I laid out all my cards in front of him.

Adrian was to me a wonderful dream. I want to keep him that way. I’m too afraid to make him a constant to my life.

It would become a problem if I became too attached after loving him. I would be unable to live without him. I would never leave.

I must jump time and space in order to survive. As I said before, I always seem to run into danger.

***

“Look. I don’t want to intrude.”

Adrian gave me a look.

I sat down and began eating.

Now I was sitting at Adrian’s little house.

He led me here and we talked through most of the civility.

I asked about the weather, how he stayed busy, what the politics were about, and about any interesting foods he had tasted.

Hence, this explains why I find myself eating at his home.

A common house with a leaking roof and a poor excuse for a chimney.

“…”

“Are you cold?”

“Barely. It felts a bit stuffy actually.”

It was true. It was rather humid this evening. My skin felt sticky with sweat.

“You know, you don’t have to act like you enjoy my food.”

“But it’s good. Rice and curry. Nothing tastes better than a simple homemade meal.”

Adrian sat down and began eating as well.

It was nice to think of him as a friend. I see so many people and so many faces. He was the constant that kept me stable when I was nearly spinning out of control.

“If you keep looking at me like that, then I will think you are desperately trying to get my attention. Are you still so hungry?”

“Stop that. We are eating. I was only thinking about time.”

Adrian laughed.

“Nothing ever good happens when you think of that.”

“I’m serious. I was curious… how is it you remember everything that has happened between us?”

“I don’t know.” Said Adrian firmly.

“…”

I set my fork down.

“It’s the same way that I don’t know why you always ruin the mood. It’s a complicated thing.” He added.

I rolled my eyes and looked around the room.

“You can’t be happy here. You live in this run down building that’s almost falling apart.”

“I’m happy with it.”

I searched his face. He was being honest.

“Whatever. Just don’t be surprised when you end up sick with a terrible cold.”

“I have a fireplace.”

“That is not a fireplace. That is hole in your ceiling with a pot underneath it.”

“Is it not to your lavish standards?”

“That is true. However this is obviously not a really good way to live. It’s down right dangerous to live like this. Suffering to make a single meal while praying the whole little house won’t burn down. You really…”

I paused.

This was strange indeed. Adrian was a wild man, but this was also a bit strange.

Why would he want to live in a house where nothing comes easy. Not his meals, or even his sleep.

I turned to him.

Adrian was also spinning out of control. Just like me.

He wanted to suffer. He wanted to struggle to eat and to sleep.

I widened my eyes.

“How long… have you been living like this?” I said slowly.

Adrian avoided my eyes.

“You… should never, ever live like this again.”

“Why not?“ he spat.

“Because it’s not a way to live.”

“Who are you to tell me how to live my life?”

I flinched. Adrian smirked.

“You look hurt. Acting like that won’t do you any favors. I’m still wondering why I am cursed to see you. Day in and day out I live never knowing if you are here or not. There are moments when I dream of you and what we have done. You left me. You literally ran away and jumped to a different century.”

I let him speak.

Adrian had the right to be angry. I hurt him badly. I deserved this.

“I look back and wonder why I live such a terribly long life. You’re not the only woman in the world. I’ve seen and lain with my fair share. It’s annoying that you had to be the only woman that I know to remain constant in my life.”

“There. You said it. I am annoying. I’ll go quietly and try not to bother you again.”

I was rushing for the door.

I hate this. All of this. I have nothing else besides fear and worry. A fear that I will lose my life and a constant worry that I will lose my mind before I perish.

I opened the door.

Adrian slammed it shut.

“Adrian!”

He shoved me against the wall with a sudden force and I resisted with everything I had.

“You think you can run away?” He shouted.

I slapped him.

“Who are you yelling at?!”

“You crazy woman…” he muttered as he touched his face, “you hit me!”

“You pushed me against the wall you b*stard!” I was on the verge of tears, “now my back will bruise and I will look bad!”

I began sobbing. That didn’t matter. I was more upset at him yelling at me.

Adrian glared at me and attacked. He began ripping my dress and I pulled his hair while shouting at the top of my lungs every curse word I knew.

We wrestled in his little house.

I am not a strong person physically speaking so this was incredibly stressful for me.

He wouldn’t stop until my back was exposed.

I was on the ground breathless.

The curry I was eating spilled in our little match.

Damn.

I wanted a little more of it.

Right now I was laying flat on my stomach trying to cope with the situation.

All he did was lock his arms around me while peeling the dress until my back was exposed. He was always hard to understand.

Of course, I would have never willingly showed him my back either…

Adrian was rubbing my back with his hand.

I closed my eyes.

“You think I forgive you for attacking me?” I said.

“I haven’t forgiven you either.”

I sat up slowly. He had put ointment on my back. It smelled like mint.

“I left you. So what?” I challenged, “there are plenty of other people-“

“You know that doesn’t mean anything. In the end they are all just people you could careless about. You don’t care if they live or die. You don’t care if they eating or if they sleep well. In the end there is only one person I would want with me.”

My eyes widened.

“You don’t mean me?”

“Who else?” Said Adrian with exasperation, “I also wonder why that is.”

I laughed.

“You don’t attack people you love. You’re delusional Adrian if you think I would ever-“

He grabbed arms and pulled me to him. Our faces inches apart.

Oh my. I would forgive him. I would because he was Adrian. I was not as sane as I hoped to be, then again, I have traveled through time too many times to count.

He knew I had nothing to say. Nothing to argue.

We kissed.

Shivering, I felt his hand on my lower back pressing on my bruises. I cried out and hide my face in his shoulder.

He kissed my forehead and ran his fingers down.

I caught it and looked at him carefully.

“Understand that if you do this, I will not and mean will not tolerate you cheating on me. I might do something like cut off your hand or burn down your lover’s home.”

Adrian laughed. He picked me up and began walking towards his bedroom.

My heart sank.

“I-I may not always be there for you. Would you forgive me if I left without telling you goodbye?”

“…”

“Answer me Adrian or else we will truly end each other in more ways than death.”

“I won’t like it, but I already figured my time with you was limited.”

“Do you still want to do this?”

Adrian paused he looked at me.

“If you leave, then do not hide from me ever again. Promise?”

I nodded my head and felt the tears streaming down my eyes.

“Yes. I promise you.”

He kissed me again so gently. It made me lose the last of my fear. It was delicious.

I was renewed.

It was madness.

I could only love and be loved.

He staggered forward into the darkness of his room. I had been swallowed by the night.

Yes… I was oblivious to the dangers circling our uncertain future.

Adrian and I are no regular couple. Not by a long shot.

Good.

I could never have anyone other than Adrian. Curse or no curse.

True, the time we shared was limited… but it gave me what I needed most of all.

***