Chapter 8: The Inhibition

The park met in the downstairs living room since it was a particularly hot day outside. It was the type of temperature that could kill. So, Benson gave everyone the day off. Sweat was dripping from everyone and they were all too glad for the day off. Mordecai and Rigby both made exhausted "Oh"s. Michelle was just glad to have an excuse to get out of the clothes she had chosen for the day. To cover the infection, she had put on a red turtleneck sweater, dark blue jeans, and boots with one-inch heels. It would have been a better outfit at Christmas.

Just as she was in her room about to take the sweater off, someone knocked on her door. She sighed and called out, "Come in!"

It was Skips. "Hey, Michelle," he said.

"Hey," she replied.

"Isn't it a little warm to have a sweater on?"

"I actually don't feel all that well. I might be catching a cold." She gave a few fake coughs to try to convince him, but right after she did it, she knew it was a futile effort.

"Michelle..."

"What is it you wanted, Skips?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, I was thinking that... I mean, if you weren't doing anything and if you were bored that you might want to do something. That you might want to do something with me?"

Michelle's eyes lit up and a smile crossed her face. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, sure. I mean, I have nothing better to do."

This is as good a chance as any, thought Michelle. Aloud, she said, "Sure, why not?" They both smiled and Michelle didn't hesitate in making her way out the door.

"Are you sure you don't want to change into something better suited for the weather?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks though." She said this, but as soon as she stepped outside into the searing heat, she immediately began regretting her decision. She didn't let onto it though.

Skips and Michelle went around town trying to beat the heat. They got ice cream from an ice cream truck and wandered in and out of stores that had air-conditioning. Once the ice cream had been finished and thrown away. Michelle giggled a little.

"What?" asked Skips.

"I was just thinking about this one incident I had with an ice cream truck," Michelle said with a smile.

"A funny story?"

"It didn't start out funny. It was actually quite scary at the time... but now that I can look back on it safely, it's definitely really funny." They walked on in silence for a little bit, neither wanting to say anything really.

As they made their way through town, they noticed a gang of street performers. One was juggling torches on a unicycle, one was swallowing fire, and one other was making a small black poodle perform tricks. Skips and Michelle stopped to watch them. As they watched, Michelle felt like she was beginning to get woozy. The heat was getting to her. She started seeing more black and red than had originally been there. She started swaying, but she tried forcing herself to stay upright.

Suddenly, a figure appeared from out of nowhere in a cloud of black and red smoke. It was Adam. He came toward Michelle and stood before her. "Well, well, well, what an amusing sight this shall be. I should have brought popcorn," he said with a smile.

"Go away," said Michelle weakly, her eyes roving between being focused and going into the back of her head.

"This is the part I like best. So much of it has spread that all it would take would be one more incident... but that doesn't mean I can't have my fun now." he snapped his fingers and something else appeared in a cloud of black and red smoke. It was Sheena, the woman Skips had won a date with on the show It's a Date!, tied up with tape covering her mouth. Another snap of Adam's fingers made the crowd divide and go away and the bonds on Sheena disappeared. The only ones in sight were Skips, Michelle, Adam, and Sheena. Adam rubbed his hands together like a miser and said, "Here we go." Adam magically moved from the ground to the roof of a nearby building. Adam snapped his fingers again and a wild bull appeared. "Let the games begin!" he said with a laugh.

The bull charged at Michelle and she set about to running off. Her strength was not as it should have been, so fighting would probably kill her. Sheena screamed and the bull changed direction and started charging her. She fell to the ground and covered herself, paralyzed with fear. Skips, being the gentleman he was, ran at the bull and knocked it to the ground. He helped Sheena to her feet. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," said Sheena, sounding shaken. The bull got up, shook its head, and with an angry snort, set to charging again. Michelle watched from a narrow alley, where she had taken refuge when the bull changed targets. She pulled up her sweater and looked at herself. There were hardly any feathers left. Even her head was beginning to feel the effects of the infection. She took off the sweater and smiled, an idea in her mind.

"I don't have long, so I might as well go out with a bang," said Michelle. She ran out of the alley wearing a light, white undershirt where her sweater had been. She put her fingers in her mouth and gave out a loud whistle. The bull whipped its head toward her. Michelle smiled and her eyes shone with a mischief and cunning that was not uncommon for her. "Toro! Toro!" she said, waving the red sweater about. The bull snorted, almost like a scoff, at her. It turned its head away, but Michelle whistled again to get its attention. She ran toward the bull, but stopped at a close yet safe distance. She waved the sweater again. The bull turned around and began walking away. Michelle ran and jumped onto its back and grabbed it by the horns. The bull freaked out and began running about and thrashing its head, trying to buck her off. It didn't last eight seconds. It bucked her off and she landed on the ground.

Meanwhile, Skips had taken Sheena and moved her away to a safer place. He turned around and noticed Michelle fall to the ground. The bull loomed over her and she looked frozen. Skips gasped and began making his way over to her. Then, Michelle gave the bull a solid punch in the snout. It reared up on its hind legs, giving Michelle time to roll out away from it. She got to her feet and looked at the bull. Its eyes were filled with a fiery anger. If she hadn't been a target before, she most certainly was now. She was about to make another move when she heard something behind her and saw Skips fly through the air and land on the bull's back. A bit of thrashing around happened, but this time, the bull's head was rammed into multiple walls. It eventually collapsed, unconscious, to the ground.

Adam flailed about from his perch. His plan had not gone the way he wanted it to go. He jumped onto the ground and landed behind Michelle. She whipped around and gasped, afraid. "Well, dear, I think it's time I finish what I've started," said Adam.

"You won't win. You can't win," said Michelle, panting.

"Oh?" he asked. He brought his hand up and made a squeezing motion. Michelle clutched her sides, crying out in discomfort. Adam shook his hand intensely and Michelle collapsed to the ground. "You never learn, do you?" he seethed. "Why did you have to choose to be immortal? Why?"

"I just didn't want to die alone... but you have done pretty well at trying. I've had... so many days and nights after a death where I was so pitifully alone and... I cried..."

"It has become my duty to rid this universe of immortality. It is sinful, unnatural, and only good for those who are worthy."

"What? Do you think that just anyone is given immortality?"

"You'd be surprised."

"I suppose I would be... if I wasn't so busy with what I was doing." She lashed out and tried to punch him, but her hand was caught in his other hand. He began crushing it and all she could do was curl in a ball and wait for it to be over.

"Pathetic. Don't worry, you'll be gone soon enough. First comes pain, then comes sleep, then comes death. See you in the underworld." He let go of her hand, but kept manipulating the infection with his mind. It was only because it was his infection that he could control it.

"Leave her alone," came a voice. It was Skips.

Adam looked up at him. "What are you gonna do about it, old man?" In reply, Skips lunged at him, but Adam disappeared and re-appeared just a few feet away. Skips went for him again, but again, Adam got out of the way. This went on a few times before Skips finally gave Adam a solid punch in the mouth. Adam spit out blood and began laughing. "It's too late for her now." He disappeared in smoke. Skips's eyes went wide. He ran over to Michelle, who was still in a ball on the ground. She was sobbing.

"Michelle?" he asked softly. He picked her up and held her in his arms.

"Skips..." she said through her tears. "It hurts so bad."

"It's gonna be okay, Michelle."

"No... no, it won't." She took a gasping breath. "So many people have died... all because I'm immortal. He's gone after me and I fear he shall go after my brother or you next. He seeks to kill us through emotional pain... he seeks to see us give up... but I don't want to give up. Over 200 years on this earth... much more time than I really deserved... and I'm still not ready to face death. It's like those people who are terminally ill or just too old to live anymore... I don't understand them. I don't understand anyone who can come to terms with death. Are you afraid of death, Skips?"

Skips was silent a moment. He sighed and said, "I guess I've been at this so long that dying seems outside the realm of possibility. It doesn't seem possible that I could die, yet I know it's possible." He paused. "I guess it's a little scary to think about."

"I know you got your immortality because you wanted to help. You had no one else to die for anyways. You had a noble reason to undergo immortality. Meanwhile, I did it for very selfish purposes. I chose immortality because I didn't want to die alone. I wanted to be with my brother to keep him safe. I wanted... I wanted to be with you even before I knew you so well."

"How well do you know me?"

She shrugged. "I've been watching you all these years. I know you have so much to live for, so many people who think of you as their friend or family. While I... I hardly have anyone left to live for anymore." As she said this, the infection spread some more, leaving only the front of her neck and the rest of her head uncovered.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?"

She laughed. "Believe me, Skips, if I knew how to fix this, I would have saved so many lives. The sad part of this infection is that you have to give in to it in order to die. With all the pain it's causing, I doubt I will be able to hold up for much longer."

"So, just hold on."

"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one with the infection on your body, raping the innermost, private crevices of your body; inflicting pain by squeezing your heart; words being whispered into your head, making you welcome death... no." She paused, her eyes darting about in thought. "The inhibition I have toward life is death." She shivered and sweat was making its way down her face. She closed her eyes and squinted in concentration. The infection receded a little, but then returned to where it was. It then covered her whole neck and was tracing its way to the bottom part of her face.

"Michelle..."

"I can't do it... I can't." She shivered, the infection spreading ever further.

"Please stay."

"I have no purpose. Why should I stay?"

"Eve!" came a voice. Skips looked up quickly and saw a male blue jay. At first, he thought it was Mordecai, but immediately ruled that out since this blue jay was dressed in biker's clothing. "Evangeline..." He said, coming to Michelle's side.

"Jay... you came..." said Michelle.

"I always come to those who need me," replied Jay.

"Can you help her?" asked Skips.

"This is not a problem I can fix. In conversing with my coworkers, they have found a solution for this. Only true love can heal a broken heart," said Jay. Michelle moaned mournfully and turned her head as the infection spread more. Only her eyes and beak were left completely uncovered.

"There is another way..." another voice said. They all looked in the direction of the new voice and it was Death.

"How? Do you think your powers can save her?" asked Jay.

"It might, it might not," said Death, somewhat sadly. He knelt down and looked at Michelle.

"Well, try it. We haven't much to lose," said Jay. Death nodded. He put a hand to Michelle's chest (right where her heart was) and a green glow emitted from his hand. The infection moved from her to him, but he wasn't affected by it. Instead of spreading to him like it should have, it dissipated and went into the ground. Michelle gasped for air and seemed mostly all right.

"You owe me, Evangeline... but it shall be something I will collect on a later date," said Death as he vanished.

Michelle looked on where Death had vanished, her heart grieved. She didn't know what to believe anymore and it was getting difficult to tell who she really wanted. She stood up shakily as Skips and Jay stood on either side of her.

"Well, now that this crisis has been averted, I have to go," said Jay. "Take care, sister." He looked lovingly at Michelle and gave a glare to Skips. It was the kind of glare one saw in either a brother or a father of a sister or a daughter who was with a man: disapproval. After that, he vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.

"Well... I'm hungry. Are you hungry? Why don't we grab some lunch?" asked Michelle.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Skips, gently grabbing her arm and stopping her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I hardly think it's any of your business. After all, you said it yourself, we've only just met. You know nothing about me. Why should you care?" asked Michelle. After a moment, she laughed and said, "Okay, you know what? You know what? Never mind. Let's just keep this mutual and go to lunch. Is that all right?"

Skips wanted to say something more on the subject, but decided against it. "Lunch sounds fine."

"Great!" Michelle clapped her hands together, pleased. It was as if nothing had happened... almost. Her eyes and her entire demeanor were not as relaxed as she was hoping she was being. She was looking over her shoulder constantly. She was scared that Adam would return and try again to send her to her grave. Immortals were hated for being immortal. It was just as simple as that. There was no changing it, no going away from it. Unless there was a way to get rid of Adam, Michelle would never be left alone.

Lunch was fairly uninteresting. They talked and had a pretty good time. Michelle was still really shaken up about the event though. She was unable to keep it off of her mind.

"Michelle?" asked Skips, for probably the fifth time in two minutes. He had been trying to get her to come out of the clouds of her dreary thoughts.

"Yes, Skips?" she asked. It wasn't coldly, but it wasn't warmly either.

"I'm trying to help here. I can't help if you don't let me. Now, why don't we talk about something to get your mind off of this?"

"It's worth a shot." Michelle took a sip of her water (her favorite soda was not available at that particular establishment). She looked around the establishment, as if looking for a conversation piece in the air. Then, her eyes landed on a guy sitting in a stool across the room. "Oh, no... I didn't notice him when we got in here."

"Who? Adam?" asked Skips.

"No, much worse. Come on, let's go. We're done anyway." She got up, grabbed Skips by the hand, and began dragging him out. They almost were out the door, but a voice stopped them.

"The Eternally Beautiful Miss Song." Michelle rolled her eyes and turned around.

"Hey, Mr. Z," she greeted somewhat sourly.

"I haven't seen you in a while. What's new on the scene or did you give up your singing lifestyle for good? I hear the serum wears off after 20 years and by my mark, you've still got time left. How 'bout another tune for old times' sake?" asked 'Mr. Z.'

"I'd rather not."

Mr. Z grabbed her arm and didn't let her go. "Aw, come on, babe. I just found you and you deny me a little song?"

"That's not who I am anymore."

"Well, then, who are you? A chicken?" he made some chicken noises and flapped his arms rather stupidly.

"Leave me alone."

Mr. Z's grip tightened. "You're not leaving without singing a song with me."

"Yes, she is," said Skips, coming up to Mr. Z. Now, Michelle wasn't that tall when standing next to Skips, but Mr. Z was a bit smaller than that. So, Skips looked more than a little intimidating. "She asked you to leave her alone, so do it."

"What are you? Her bodyguard?" asked Mr. Z.

"Just a good friend who doesn't want to see anything bad happen to her." He looked kindly at Michelle as he said this. Looking back at Mr. Z, he said, "Now if you don't let go pretty quick here, I'm going to have to force you to let her go."

"All right, all right, cool your jets, pops," said Mr. Z, letting Michelle go to put up both of his hands in surrender. "I will get my song though. After all, Michelle's the only competition who's any fun." He gave a strange smile. Though Mr. Z was a human, his teeth were misshapen. They looked more like the teeth of an animal than those of a man, so his smile was not just unsettling, it was downright creepy.

"I'm not using my powers for things like that anymore. I'm using them only in cases of emergency," said Michelle.

"Well, then, Miss Song, let's hope there's a tragic emergency in your life in which I may be a witness so that we may then compete," he said.

"You're a prick. I never want to sing with you ever again; not now nor ever."

"You'll ask for my help someday, just like you did that one winter day. Maybe I'll help you again, and maybe I won't."

"I don't care. I'd be perfectly happy if I never saw you again."

"Very well. The song has been sung, the last page has been read. My hopes are all flung, you'll see me when I'm dead." With that, he vanished. Michelle left the restaurant with Skips following her.

"I wish people would stop vanishing and appearing so suddenly. It really makes me quite giddy," said Michelle, holding her hands to her arms as if she were cold.

"Hey, if anything happens, Michelle, you call always call on me," said Skips.

" 'Cause that's what friends are for?"

"True friends," Skips clarified. He wrapped an arm around her, not out of the purpose of making a move, but out of keeping her warm and covered. She still had on only that light under shirt and she had dealt with enough cold in the last few hours to last a lifetime. Besides, the hotter than blazes day (as it had been before) was slowly cooling down as afternoon rolled on. The evening was impending, just as much as the morrow.

I think that's a good place to stop for now. You guys have no idea how much I want to just rush into romance right now. I know there's a lot of relationship building that needs to take place and they both need to get over the hurt from their pasts, but it makes me antsy. I just want them together already! Oh, well. All good things come through patience. So, until my next update, remember that. Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)