Chapter 5: The Attempt

Michelle had been walking pretty quickly, but as soon as the restaurant was out of sight, she broke into a run. Thunder boomed in the distance and did not help ease Michelle's already shattered emotions. She finally reached the park and stopped in front of the house. She let her head hang back and let out a long, anguished cry to the sky. This was followed by a short sob noise. Then, her anger took over and she ran over to a tree. She easily uprooted it and threw it into the distance. She did the same with another tree. Then, she took another tree from the ground and began smashing it. Leaves fluttered everywhere and, even though it had been going since she entered the park, Michelle finally took notice of the rain. She collapsed to her knees, let her head hang low, and her arms rest on the trunk of the tree. She sobbed.

"Maybe... maybe he'll remember me. Maybe... maybe there's still a chance..." she said between sobs. This didn't help though... she only sobbed all the harder. "There's no way. There's just no way..." More sobbing. She picked up her head, her eyes only just seeing over the roots of the tree. "I guess I'll have to accept it then. We'll never be together, so why should I keep trying?" She let out another short sob noise before getting up and trudging toward the house. She looked up at it with tearful eyes. She continued up the steps, taking in the details of her journey.

Meanwhile, the park staff had finished their meal and Michelle hadn't returned. They figured that she had just went back to the park, but why hadn't she called? "I don't like this. I've never seen her act like that," said Renae.

"Well, you've never heard her talk until recently either," came a voice. There was a collective gasp at the table. Death had entered the building in rain-soaked clothing.

"What are you doing here, Death?" asked Skips with a hint of disdain.

Death shrugged. "I just figured you might want to know about Michelle. She's going to die in a few minutes," he said.

"What?!" the table collectively said.

"How's that possible?" asked Renae.

"She's in the park kitchen as I speak, searching the cupboards and drawers... kinda delaying the inevitable, if you ask me," said Death. Skips got up and punched Death in the face. Where his anger came from so suddenly, he didn't know. "I'll let that one slide, Skips, you know why?" Skips didn't answer with anything but clenched fists and teeth. "Immortals can't die by any ordinary means, so they either have to be killed in a special way or have their immortality taken from them by the Guardians or..."

"Or what?" asked Renae nervously.

"They have to take their own lives," said Death with a wide grin. "Now, understand, Michelle is very dear to me, but immortals frustrate me beyond anything else because they refuse to let me take them. Well... that's about to change." Death laughed. "You have five minutes to save her life, providing, of course, she doesn't hesitate. Good luck." Death disappeared.

"Come on, everyone! We have a life to save," said Skips. He and the rest of the staff got in the van and sped off. There was only a small bit of hope they would make it back in time.

Michelle looked around the kitchen. She knew where they were, especially the big, sharp ones, but she was delaying it. If she was going to go out, she'd have one last memory.

Michelle zeroed in on the drawer that contained "it" and took it out. It was a kitchen knife normally used for cutting food, but tonight, it would be cutting something else. She looked at the blade and how it gleamed in the light. She ran her fingers across the flat part of the blade. Stainless steel. I'd like to see the stain from this come out, thought Michelle. Decidedly, she went back the same way she came until she was outside the house and in the rain.

Michelle looked at the horizon and saw her life flash before her eyes. She saw people come and people go, all in fast forward. People were born and people died. Relationships were made and broken. Life moved on, even as everything changed. 254 years alive and nothing's changed except the 'how' of things, thought Michelle. Oh, well... She looked at her blurred reflection in the blade. She didn't need to see her reflection clearly to know what was there: a sad, broken little girl. Sure, she was an anthropomorphic blue jay, but was she any different from any other girl? Certainly not.

Michelle looked at the blade one more time before thinking again. Okay... now... how to do it? She put the blade to her arm. Cutting lengthwise from elbow to wrist would be a fast death... but not what I'm looking for. She put the blade to her wrist. No... that's slower. She put it to her heart. She laughed internally. How could I die this way? My heart's already in so much pain, would I even notice the blade? She put the blade higher up... to her throat. If I cut in just the right place, I'll die in a matter of seconds... do I really want this? She slowly turned in a circle, looking at her surroundings one last time. Despite the ache in her heart, even she couldn't deny how quickly it was beating. Past the point of no return... Her breath started hitching, temporarily filling the air with the fog from it. Rain still fell. The rain was cold and there was a small, cool breeze. Would death be like this? Cold? Or would death be a fiery, painful inferno? She pressed the blade harder onto her neck. I'm too much of a coward to commit suicide! She collapsed to her knees and let out a cry of frustration and anguish, the blade still at her throat. She put both hands on the knife. Half of her wanted this and half of her didn't. Maybe if I just close my eyes and make it quick, I won't notice it so much. Her breathing sounded of sobs as the blade was pressed harder. A cut was coming, she need only to...

"STOP!" yelled a voice. Michelle's eyes popped open, as did her mouth, but other than that, she was quite still. Skips was running up to her with a frantic look on his face. "Michelle, don't do this," said Skips, once he was close enough to her. He got on his knees and continued. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't remember you... it's just that every time I saw you, your clothing was different... you were different. I had my mind on other things and... Michelle, just please don't go any further with this."

As if from out of a trance, (which wasn't far from what it was) Michelle softly said, "Skips?"

"Yes, Michelle," he said gently. "It's all right now... give me the knife."

Michelle's hands shakily loosened their grip as she handed the knife to Skips. "I... Skips..." she stuttered.

"Come on, let's go inside and talk about this." He got up and offered her his hand. With wide eyes, she took it, and rose. The attempt had been stopped. Michelle was safe.

When they got inside, Skips sat Michelle down on the couch. She had made a small cut to her throat, but nothing lethal nor large. Nonetheless, Pops got the first aid kit and Skips put antiseptic and a bandage on the cut. He inspected her further, but it wasn't long before his prying hands were gently pulled off by Michelle's hands. "Skips... I think it's time I told you something that I should have told you a long time ago," said Michelle. She took a deep breath and took the plunge. "I would like to start with the fact that I am immortal, just like you."

"Yeah, we got that much," said Renae.

Michelle paused, still hesitant to say what she needed to say. "Well... I, uh..." She gave a short, bitter laugh. "Why is this so hard?" She scratched the back of her head, trying to find courage somewhere in her ruffled feathers. "I should also tell you that the name I had before I was immortal was Evangeline."

"Wait, isn't that name younger than I am?" asked Skips.

Michelle rolled her eyes. "Everyone thinks that Evangeline was first used by a poet in the 1800's, but really, it just wasn't being widely used. You see, my name was actually a compromise between my mother and father. My father wished to name me Eve and my mother wished to name me Angelina, so they decided on combining the two into the name Evangeline."

"Wouldn't that be Evangelina though?" asked Renae.

"Don't interrupt," Michelle batted her hand at the question and went on. "I was born in the winter of 1760. My father was a farmer and a woodsman. My mother had sewn quilts and clothing to sell at the market. I was born directly after my brother, who, obviously, is my fraternal twin. His name is Jay, but I won't get into why I'm referring to him in the present tense until later.

"From 1760 to 1776, I led a good, modest life. I learned how to cook and sew from my mother and I learned how to tend a farm and fix things from my father. However, in the year 1776, unbeknownst to me, my father had been searching for a suitor for me. He needed someone who could take care of me, especially since my mother had died shortly after I turned 15.

"Well, there were many fine, eligible men, but none would please me or my father. I was young, I didn't want to get into a relationship so soon. However, in the summer after I turned 18, I was married to Adam... the same Adam that was at karaoke night recently."

"So, he's immortal too!" said Renae.

"That's right," said Michelle. "Everyone who knew us called us Adam and Eve, the perfect couple. Oh, how wrong they were.

"You see, Adam was a fine gentleman. He had manners, he was well off in wealth, but he had a violent temper. I was not to find this out until after my first child was born. Adam must have had a mental problem or something because he had his mind set on having a son. If he didn't get a son, he would be most furious. Well, I didn't bear him a son, I bore him a daughter whom I named Abigail.

"Adam was quite distraught that we didn't get a son. He wanted very much to seal how like Adam and Eve we were. There certainly was no Adam in Adam though. If anything, he was the vile serpent, the trickster that ruined my day... and my daughter's.

"It came to be that five years passed and Abigail was growing into a fine young girl. She was the most adorable thing, with bright blue eyes and an innocent heart. I thought, apart from Adam's temper, that life was perfect. Little did I know how bad his temper was.

"It was spring. There was never a more beautiful day, I had thought that morning. However, my mood was dampened when I heard my daughter's screams. I dashed out of bed to her room and was just in time to see Adam inflict the final blow and drop her like a sack of worthless dirt. I remember it all so vividly. The blood. Her last look at me. Her eyes open in death. The smell of blood. Adam was breathing deeply, fists clenched. I was frightened out of my senses. Without waiting for anything else, I made a dash toward my parents house, which happened to be up the road.

"When I got to my parents house... they both lay in their bed in the same condition. Jay was nowhere to be found, but I remembered he had recently accepted an offer of business and moved out. I wasn't worried about him. I was worried for my own life.

"I went back to the house and couldn't find Adam. I took no time in putting on some clothes and packing a suitcase. I wasn't going to stay there, especially not with him, should he return. I took off my ring and lay it on the dresser. I left a note for Adam... but I doubt he ever saw it.

"As terrified as I was, I went to my daughter's room one last time and cried at her bedside. As with my parents, her eyes had been closed, respectfully. I didn't know how long I had been there, but it was getting dark by the time I finally stood and left that house for good."

"Michelle... I had no idea..." said Renae.

"There's more," said Michelle.

"More?" Renae asked painfully.

Michelle went on, "Let's see... oh, yes. It was 1783 by this time. I had found a position as a nurse in a war. So, one day, as I was fetching water for the men, I found a young man sitting against a tree looking quite pitiful. The young man was Skips, but I didn't know it at the time nor did I learn it until some time later.

"Anyway, I asked him his woe and he told me he had been turned away. He wanted to be an army doctor since his father was the same. So, I asked him to come with me and oh, what a clever disguise it was! He looked nearly like an old man and he was only... 15 at the time, I believe."

"Wait, so that makes you..." Renae counted on her fingers. "That makes Skips 246 and it makes Michelle..."

"Older, yes, we've established that. It's bad enough admitting I'm immortal, it's more shameful to admit my age," said Michelle, annoyed. "Anyway, the war went on for a short time and after it ended, I removed his make-up. He thanked me and we parted ways without so much as giving each other our names.

"In the year 1792, I saw Skips again. He was with a friend of his, whose former name I shall not reveal since he too is immortal. Ballooning was ten years old and had made its way to the ears of the two young adventurers. Skips and his friend wanted to go ballooning and I heard of their dream. So, with a little bit of work, we were able to get the balloons hand-made in two weeks, that's one week per balloon. Naturally, this was just in time for a storm. I told them to be careful and I had every right to be worried," said Michelle, casting a glare at Skips, who shrugged sheepishly.

Michelle continued, "The storm was a time storm. At its very center, there are portals to many different times. When they returned, they informed me of Skips's adventure to a different time. I thought it preposterous at the time, but I can see it to be quite true now.

"It turned out that at the same time they returned, my brother was visiting me with some friends of his. I welcomed Skips and his friend in heartily and offered them a chance at immortality. Of course, I also made the suggestion that an education would be very good as well.

"Skips's friend had already had an education, but Skips hadn't completed his due to the amount of fights he had been in. I didn't pry much, I just listened, you understand. So, Skips's friend took immortality and became Techmo. He had told me afterward that it was in a family prophecy that this type of thing would happen. Of course, now you can guess which guests I had with me."

"The Guardians of Eternal Youth," said Skips.

"Exactly," replied Michelle. "They were going into one last year of school before going out on their own. Little did I know, Skips would soon join them.

"Now, the school that they went to was called Benton High School. As of 1792, it had yet to be built. In 1803, the Guardians enrolled, and Skips among them. The school had been completed in 1800, so it wasn't a very old school as it was... though it wasn't to be taken advantage of either. There were a great many bright young men and women and older men and women who entered the school for a chance at bettering their minds.

"During that year, I became friends with a young woman of about 2 and 30... oh, excuse me, I meant to say 32. I guess I kinda got in the era of my story a little. Anyway, her name was Desdemona and..." At the mention of Desdemona, Skips gave a sharp intake of breath. He was obviously surprised.

"You knew Desdemona?" asked Skips.

"Who couldn't have, Skips? She got attention enough," Michelle said. It sounded almost haughty, but more jealous... and jealousy it was. "Anyway, Desdemona was a nice girl who had just so happened to capture Skips's heart. It was shortly after he joined the Prom committee that I learned his name was Walks. I was overcome with a great jealousy since Desdemona had gotten to Skips first and I was beginning to feel the first pains of one who doesn't express their emotions quite enough.

"On the evening before Prom, I had a dream. I went over to Desdemona's house to warn her, but her parents told me she had already left. I ran to the school to warn her because if the dream told me anything, it was this: someone was going to die that night. However, by the time I got there, it was too late. I respectfully attended her funeral... from a distance. It was from then I decided to move on... and I did.

"For the next 206 years, I wandered around the world, looking for a place. I was looking for a place to belong... and a way to forget. I never forgot though. I always managed to come back. I always managed to come and see Skips. He always looked the same to me as he did when I first..." Michelle paused, not wanting to say the words on the tip of her tongue. She went on, "I have had five lovers besides Adam. Death, obviously, was one of them. I won't divulge the names of the others... or the names of the other children who I lost... even though I lost 12 children, all before they reached the age of 18." She paused again, feeling pain in her heart all over again. She swallowed deeply.

"So... then what?" asked Renae.

"Well, five years ago, I lost another child. She was adopted, but I still felt a deep sense of attachment to her, as I do for all of my children. She died at the age of 16 in a house fire. Everything I am... everything I was made out to be and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I received the medicine that made me a siren in the year 2000. It was supposed to only last seven years, but it has lasted longer.

"As I watched the firemen put out the fire and the feeling of having lost another child began to sink in again, Death appeared to me. It was the last time he appeared to me as a lover. I begged of him to leave my side since having Death does not encourage life, something I sorely want. I begged of him one last act of love though... and that last act of love was to rid me of my cursed voice... which... he did. That's the story in the entirety I am willing to reveal."

"That's not everything you want to say though," said Renae.

"No... but I don't wish to say anything I'll regret," replied Michelle.

"I think you're old enough that you shouldn't have any more regrets. Just say it and get it over with," said Renae.

"I couldn't, really..." said Michelle.

"Say it."

"I..."

"Say it!"

"No."

"Say it already!"

"No!"

"If you won't say it, I will."

"You wouldn't dare."

"I might."

Michelle stared at Renae, sizing up the possibility that it might come out of her mouth. Finally, she sighed, defeated. She looked into Skips's eyes and tried to find the courage she had been seeking for over 200 years. "Sk- Walks," said Michelle quietly.

"Yeah, Michelle?" asked Skips.

"Call me Evangeline," she said.

"Evangeline?" he asked. He still waited for her to say what she wanted to say.

Michelle's eyes looked down and she found her fingers twiddling around. She broke her hands apart and instead took Skips's hands in hers. It took a moment of glancing from the hands, to his chest, before she finally made eye contact again. This time, she didn't look away, and she couldn't. It's now or never... she thought.

As many times as she may have run through it in her head, nothing prepared her for this moment, really. When it came down to the moment she actually had to say the words she'd been aching to say, her mind was drawing a blank. She started slow, "When I first met you, I acknowledged the fact in my mind I fancied how you looked, but I was a young woman and you were still a boy. When you came to me again, that time with adventure in your eyes, I knew I fancied you more. It wasn't just looks that time. There was something about you... you had the spirit of a man I had been seeking since my youth. Your youth reminded me of my youth. Of course, I didn't realize how deep I was in until I realized that when Desdemona mentioned your name, I grew jealous. One couldn't be jealous unless..." she paused. "When I first learned your name, it sealed it for me. Walks... there is no denying it and there is no deviating from the truth any longer. Walks... I am in love with you."

There's a good spot to stop ;D I like leaving my audience in suspense. It's a good technique to ensure people return. What will Skips's response be? Will all of Michelle's hopes be dashed or might this be the beginning of something good? Only I know! If you'd like to know as well, then please keep reading and reviewing, and you shall ;)