us so much as a clue to your whereabouts.”
“I"ve taken good care of her, Mary. We… no, I decided that you and John would not be able to handle the fact that your daughter would never grow older, even as you and John would grow old. If I could have shared the elixir of life with you and John, I surely would have. But there was only enough elixir for one other person.”
Mary"s lips curled in a snarl and she gritted her teeth. “What?”
“I drank half of an alchemist"s elixir… how long ago it doesn"t matter. The rest I kept with me for many years, looking for the right person to share it with. After one year of knowing your daughter, the decision was obvious. It may have been wiser to wait until she was older before giving her the elixir, but to me she was perfect at thirteen.”
Mary forced herself to keepa low volume. “You… you are insane!”
“I am in love… then and now.”
“And Michelle willingly drank this… thisevil potion?”
“It wasn"t evil, and no… she did not drink it willingly. I don"t know if you recall the time you gave her permission to meet me after school at the sundry shop for an ice cream soda. It was then that I added the elixir to her drink. I thought it best to explain it to her later. She wouldn"t have been able to grasp it at the time.”
“You ought to be arrested! You poisoned my daughter!”
“Poison? I drank it myself long ago. I wasn"t poisoned. Cursed maybe… but not poisoned.”
“So you cursed my daughter?”
“I was cursed by the elixir for many years until I met Michelle. I was forced to meet new friends and watch them die. Then I started making it a point to flee before I had to watch my friends die. There was no way I could either flee from Michelle or watch her die.” Evan snickered. “The ironic thing is that now she is forced to watch me die.”
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?”
“That"s up to you. I am not asking you to do so.”
April, 1972
Michelle rose from her bed and gazed motionless into the mirror over her dresser. Evan"s last sentence was still ringing in her ears. It was all so impossible but she knew Evan wasn"t lying. Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw Evan"s reflection behind her and his gentle hands on her shoulders. His massaging fingers soothed her. Her neck tilted to one side as she closed her eyes and her light brown hair draped softly on his right hand.
“It"s a lot to take in. I rea lize that. But we have a long life ahead of us… together.We needn"t ever worry about growing old. What we started together five years ago will last forever. Just you and I.” Evan paused… hoping that Michelle would embrace their fate happily, but wary that she may not.
“Did… did you think that maybe you wouldn"t love me anymore if I got old? Is that why you did it?”
“No. I just couldn"t bear the thought of not growing old with you.”
Michelle pondered Evan"s response. “Why not wait until I was the same age as you werewhen you drank the elixir?”
“I had thought about that. But I also couldn"t stop thinking about preserving you at the exact moment when I fell in love with you… just as I was preserved in the state that you fell in love with.”
Michelle nodded thoughtfully. There was no turning back so why think about it? Her only remaining decision was to be angry with Evan or continue loving him. After a few seconds she said softly, “I know where I want to go for my birthday.”
Evan sighed a sigh of relief. “You name it. I owe you the night of your dreams. Where do you want to go?”
“Right here… in my room. Just make love to me.” She turned and put her head under Evan"s chin. Evan almost lost himself in the smell of her hair. A seeming adolescent, she now had the emotions and needs of a woman. This rare combination enthralled him. He gently led her to her bed.
IV
December 13, 1983
Linda approached the nurses" station where Brenda Croshere was busy filling out paperwork.“Brenda, I just got off the phone
“I"ve taken good care of her, Mary. We… no, I decided that you and John would not be able to handle the fact that your daughter would never grow older, even as you and John would grow old. If I could have shared the elixir of life with you and John, I surely would have. But there was only enough elixir for one other person.”
Mary"s lips curled in a snarl and she gritted her teeth. “What?”
“I drank half of an alchemist"s elixir… how long ago it doesn"t matter. The rest I kept with me for many years, looking for the right person to share it with. After one year of knowing your daughter, the decision was obvious. It may have been wiser to wait until she was older before giving her the elixir, but to me she was perfect at thirteen.”
Mary forced herself to keepa low volume. “You… you are insane!”
“I am in love… then and now.”
“And Michelle willingly drank this… thisevil potion?”
“It wasn"t evil, and no… she did not drink it willingly. I don"t know if you recall the time you gave her permission to meet me after school at the sundry shop for an ice cream soda. It was then that I added the elixir to her drink. I thought it best to explain it to her later. She wouldn"t have been able to grasp it at the time.”
“You ought to be arrested! You poisoned my daughter!”
“Poison? I drank it myself long ago. I wasn"t poisoned. Cursed maybe… but not poisoned.”
“So you cursed my daughter?”
“I was cursed by the elixir for many years until I met Michelle. I was forced to meet new friends and watch them die. Then I started making it a point to flee before I had to watch my friends die. There was no way I could either flee from Michelle or watch her die.” Evan snickered. “The ironic thing is that now she is forced to watch me die.”
“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?”
“That"s up to you. I am not asking you to do so.”
April, 1972
Michelle rose from her bed and gazed motionless into the mirror over her dresser. Evan"s last sentence was still ringing in her ears. It was all so impossible but she knew Evan wasn"t lying. Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw Evan"s reflection behind her and his gentle hands on her shoulders. His massaging fingers soothed her. Her neck tilted to one side as she closed her eyes and her light brown hair draped softly on his right hand.
“It"s a lot to take in. I rea lize that. But we have a long life ahead of us… together.We needn"t ever worry about growing old. What we started together five years ago will last forever. Just you and I.” Evan paused… hoping that Michelle would embrace their fate happily, but wary that she may not.
“Did… did you think that maybe you wouldn"t love me anymore if I got old? Is that why you did it?”
“No. I just couldn"t bear the thought of not growing old with you.”
Michelle pondered Evan"s response. “Why not wait until I was the same age as you werewhen you drank the elixir?”
“I had thought about that. But I also couldn"t stop thinking about preserving you at the exact moment when I fell in love with you… just as I was preserved in the state that you fell in love with.”
Michelle nodded thoughtfully. There was no turning back so why think about it? Her only remaining decision was to be angry with Evan or continue loving him. After a few seconds she said softly, “I know where I want to go for my birthday.”
Evan sighed a sigh of relief. “You name it. I owe you the night of your dreams. Where do you want to go?”
“Right here… in my room. Just make love to me.” She turned and put her head under Evan"s chin. Evan almost lost himself in the smell of her hair. A seeming adolescent, she now had the emotions and needs of a woman. This rare combination enthralled him. He gently led her to her bed.
IV
December 13, 1983
Linda approached the nurses" station where Brenda Croshere was busy filling out paperwork.“Brenda, I just got off the phone
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