Hey guys! I'm backkkkk! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
"Aha!" Abe held up a pair of car keys. "I found them!" He moved towards the front door. "Come on, I'll tell you what I can in the car." He flashed Jo a quick smile before muttering under his breath, "Henry's got a lot of explaining to do."
"I just don't understand!" Jo exclaimed after listening to Abe's attempt at explaining his father's condition. "Are you saying he can't die? How is that possible?!"
"No, he can die," Abe stopped at a red traffic light. "He just doesn't stay dead."
Jo shook her head, her brown curls bouncing. "It's just not physically possible." She said, almost to herself. "Is it?"
"It shouldn't be." The light turned green and Abe turned the corner, the river now in view at the end of the road, illuminated by the numerous street lights. "As long as I've known Henry, he's always been trying to figure it out. He calls it a curse."
"How long have you known Henry?" Jo sent Abe a quick smile as they drew closer to the river. "Did you watch him grow up?"
Abe gave a short, dry laugh. "Henry's condition doesn't exactly work like that, Jo. He doesn't 'grow up' as you put it."
Jo's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I though you said he could never die, not that he's frozen in time."
"For Henry, it's one and the same, kiddo. He's always been 35, at least on the outside, the whole time I've known him." Abe slowed the car, pulling into a parking space. He turned the car off and twisted around in his seat to reach into the back of the car and rummage around under one of the seats, muttering something under his breath about old age and "I'm not getting any younger so I do wish Henry would stop making me do this every couple of weeks."
He settled back into his seat, a plastic bag that Jo did not recognise, containing what looked like a towel and an assortment of clothes, on his lap. At Jo's confused look he chuckled. "We always keep a set of spare clothes and a towel in the car, just in case. Over the years Henry has made quite a habit of ending up in this river, and it helps to have some clothes handy in case I'm away from the shop. Trust me; it raises a few eyebrows to have a naked man in your car."
"Naked?" Jo asked, incredulously. "You just told me that he came back in the East River, not that he came back naked!"
"What, you think he really was skinny dipping all those times?" Abe chuckled again, pushing the bag towards Jo. "Here. Go find him. He'll probably be camped out in some bushes or something, waiting."
Jo's eyes widened, glinting in the light from a street lamp. "Me?"
"Yes, you." Abe leant over Jo and pushed he door open, muttering, "God knows I've been doing more than my share of this lately."
Jo swallowed nervously before getting out of the car, the bag clutched close to her chest. She shivered slightly in the cold night air, the plastic of the bag rustling in the wind. If I'm cold, then Henry must be freezing she thought to herself, as she pulled her coat tighter.
"Henry?" She called softly, making her way over to some bushes at the edge of the carpark. "Henry, are you there?" Silence met her calls, and she had started to turn to walk back to the car to ask Abe where else he might be when suddenly she heard a small rustle behind her, and before she could react, a hand closed around her upper arm.
She drew her breath in sharply as she twisted around to confront whoever had grabbed her, her other hand already raised to defend herself, and found herself looking into Henry's eyes.
"Jo, relax, it's me." He let go of her, his voice sounding just the same as it always had, and Jo suddenly found herself dissolving into tears as she truly realised for the first time since Henry had been shot that he was okay.
"Oh my gosh, Henry, I thought you were dead!" She hit him on the chest with the plastic bag. "I thought you were dead, and then I thought I was losing my mind, all because you couldn't just tell me about this before!" She hit him again, and again, until Henry grasped her wrist to stop her, and then suddenly, she wasn't quite sure how, his arms were around her. He held Jo close as she sobbed, her face pressed tightly into the crook of his neck, her hands coming up to pull him closer, still unbelieving that he really was alive. She touched skin. Soft, cold, slightly wet skin.
"Oh!" She jumped back, suddenly realising that she was still holding the plastic bag and that Henry was still naked. "Oh my gosh, Henry, I'm so sorry," Jo exclaimed, not meeting Henry's eye as she held out the plastic bag. "Here."
Henry's eyes had widened when Jo had jumped back, as he too suddenly realised the position they were in, one hand dropping to cover himself. "Thanks." He reached out an arm to take the bag from her, before clearing his throat. "Jo? Would you mind awfully turning the other way for a moment?"
Jo blushed. "Of course." She stammered as she spun around, her cheeks burning. What seemed like only a few seconds later, there was another rustle from behind her and suddenly Henry was standing next to her, drying his hair with the towel.
"That was fast." Jo commented, trying to sound nonchalant.
"I've had a lot of practise at getting dressed quickly over the years." Henry sounded laughed a little, but it held no humour.
Jo turned to face him. "Henry? How old are you really? If it's okay for me to ask. Abe said you'll always be 35 on the outside."
Henry looked down at her. "I will always look 35. All I've ever wanted was to grow old, and to be able to stay in one place forever without someone wondering why I haven't aged. I'm beginning to accept that no matter what I do, I will never end this curse. I've accepted that I will always look like this. That eventually everyone I know and love will be gone, and I'll still be here. Alone."
"Henry." Jo reached out to rest her hand on his shoulder. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to live with people, knowing one day they'd all be gone and you'd still be here.
"I'm 235 years old." Henry said abruptly. "I have been living this curse for just over 200 years, and it has never gotten easier. However much I hate this life, there is no escape. I cannot end the curse. Or my life."
He walked towards the car, where Abe was waiting. Jo watched him go, his words ringing in his ears.
"I cannot end the curse. Or my life."
This chapter kind took a depressing turn in the last little bit... oops
So it's holidays now, and that means lots of sleeping in! YAY! Actually no it doesn't because I'm working everyday so I still have to get up early... Think about the money! Also this is probably the last update for the next week or so because tomorrow my sister and I are going to the mountains for a holiday with some friends... wish me luck because I can't ski!
BYEEEE!
