Immortal

Immortality. It is defined as being able to live forever, or being remembered long after death. But not to him. To him, being immortal meant to be trapped in Hell, with nothing to look forward to except more pain.

He had been living in this Hell for more than six hundred years, now. In this time, he had seen many things. He had seen new cities rise and fall, children be born and the elderly die. He had seen war and murder, and watched helplessly as innocent people were killed for an unknown cause. He saw how two friends became lovers, and either progressed to be married, or to succumb to suspicion of one other and fights, until they finally went their own ways, each with their heart broken into little pieces. How he wished he could just die, and get away from it, but the cross that was now his heart would not allow him to do so.

Rain now stood on the edge of a cliff, gazing out over the city below him. He could hear the noises of the city and watch lights turn on and off. His gaze, however, did not stay with the metropolis for long. Instead, he looked out over the desert, towards the distant mountains. It was becoming cool now, for the sun was setting over the sand swept wasteland that lay just beyond civilization. He had been watching its descent from the heavens for nearly an hour now, and as the great golden star fell behind the great, majestic forms of rock is the distance, the breeze that had brought cool relief to the citizens during the day formed into a chill wind that played with Rain's long, honey coloured locks. He shivered only slightly, but his gaze never fell from the mountains, as the very last of the light offered by the sun died away like a wounded soldier.

"What are you looking at?" asked a voice behind him.

"Machika," Rain said in a voice that suggested he was angry at her, or might send her away. "How long do you plan on following me?"

"As long as I have to!" the young girl proclaimed. "Don't forget that I am your Grim Reaper, and I will do what my grandfather could not!"

He sighed wearily, as though he had heard that very same speech thousands of times. In reality, it was because of a thought that had entered his mind only a moment before, and to have that prospect dance before his eyes made him sorrowful. He turned around to face the teenage girl and held her gaze whilst the wind took to playing with her short golden hair.

"My life is a very dangerous one, Machika," he said quietly but sternly. "If you continue to follow me, you are only putting yourself in danger. You could end up hurt or worse, and I don't want to see that happen to such a pretty little girl."

"I'm not little!" she declared, stamping her foot, fists held tightly at her hips. "And I don't care about the dangers! This is my family's heritage we're talking about here, and there's no way I'm just going to drop it because it's a little dangerous!"

He stared at her for another long moment, and then turned back to face the mountains, saying nothing to her that would invite her or turn her away.

I don't want you to get hurt, because that would only hurt me more.

Now, as he watched the stars peek out from the veil of the black night sky, he could almost see her face again. Such a beautiful face it was. Her smile, her eyes, everything about her was perfect. Not only that, but her laugh; it was so sweet, it had made his heart sing. Never in his life would he have thought that he would fall in love with such a beautiful woman. Of course, he never would have thought he'd be cursed with immortality either. How he would love to die right now, just so that he could be with her once again, and relish her beauty for all eternity. But that was impossible, and he would never be able to see her face again, unless it was in the memories and dreams that haunted him.

Over the years, his ever-lasting life made him into a legend. He was no longer Rain to the people. He was the Methuselah. He had what so many other human beings had searched for for hundreds of years. People thought that he had everything. He could obtain as much money as he wanted and court beautiful women for the rest of eternity. Yet, they did not know that he could not have the only thing he had wanted so desperately for more than six hundred years.

His name was Rain. He was the Methuselah, both blessed and cursed with eternal life. All he wanted...was death.