The Age of Forever | ✓

2 | Familiar

  "Let me photograph you in this light in case it is the last time" 

~ When We Were Young (25)  

HAROLD and I held each other for a while that was shorter than what it'd felt like. In my mind, it all lasted for hours. Not because he smelt nice and being held by a strong man gave such a secure feeling, especially in the situation we were in. I felt that way due to two reason. One, I honestly thought this was the end for me. I saw my whole life flash before my eyes; all 111 years of it. To watch everything shake so terribly that you can't even focus on one object is an event I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Suddenly I realized I may not see tomorrow and the idea of death sent a shudder down my spine. Death hadn't been a concept I had paid much attention to in my life. Now, it was blaring all the alarms in my head.

But in the mist of all those thoughts, there was one that stood tall, over-shining the others.

This feels familiar.

Not the event itself, but Harold. He seemed familiar.

I didn't know what to do with that thought. I have never seen this man before, but since the first time I laid eyes on him, I couldn't help but feel as though I knew him from somewhere.

I keep hoping that I did know him and my mind was simply not remembering where from.

And when the shaking suddenly stopped, all went quiet. Harold had stopped speaking and we had stopped moving relatively to the shaking.

Seconds later, I felt Harold make small movements, attempting to pull his arms from me. I understood his motions and quickly moved away.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice stern. He looked at me closely, searching for any injuries.

I wasn't sure if I was okay; I couldn't feel anything. But I smiled reassuringly at him, giving him a small nod. "I'm good. What about you?"

His eyes softened and he cleared his throat. "I'm good," he looked around the elevator, his eyebrows furrowed as if he was searching for something he couldn't find, "I wonder what that was about."

My eyes followed his, roaming around the elevator without a clue of what to look for. "Whatever it was, I just hope we won't crash."

He turned to me swiftly, giving me a small smile. "We won't."

"How can you be sure?" I squinted my eyes a bit, tilting my head.

He shook his head and shrugged. "I'm not sure; there's no way to be sure. But, I hope we won't. There's so much to do with life, no?"

"I guess," I smiled, letting go of the question and turning to the doors. But I turned around as quickly as I had turned away when a thought came to my mind. "Is that your biggest fear?" I asked Harold, taking a step closer to him, "not doing enough with your time on Earth."

His reaction wasn't what I had expected. Actually, if I'm being completely honest, I didn't know what to expect. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that question; strangers aren't supposed to ask each other what their deepest fears are.

But he wasn't a stranger.

No, wait. He is a stranger and I could've just crossed a line.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," I blurted out quickly, motioning with my hands for him to not answer my question that was hanging in the air.

He chuckled, not seeming fazed by my invasive question. "How about we properly sit down first?" He motioned to the floor and took a seat in the place he'd previously sat; I followed seconds later, not knowing what else to do. He then turned to me with a smile and continued. "As for your question, yes, that is my greatest fear."

"Why?"

His smile widened at that, but the softness they'd held before turned into stone. "I feel like I've lived life more than anyone else. It's hard to explain. But, even with time on my side, I haven't accomplished things a man should aim for in life. And incidents like this just bring that to the surface and all the postpones, all the hard decisions that led me to this life, every single turn I've made in my life flash before my eyes and I can't help but feel disappointed in myself. It's an awful feeling I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

There was a sense of relief that washed over me when I heard him speak. It was so familiar. Living for so long and not accomplishing much.

But he couldn't possibly be experiencing what I've gone through. A one in a lifetime curse that appeared in the form of a magical gift. I wished I could love my immortality; after all, it is what people from ages ago to today long to achieve. But I've lived through it. I've experienced at first hand the troubles it brings about. It wasn't a choice I wanted to have for a future. The years the prolonged to a never-ending emptiness looked so beautiful from the outside. But from the inside, everything appeared as if truly was; ugly.

And although what he went through doesn't come close to the long years of hell I've trailed past, I understood him. I wouldn't wish my fate on my worst enemy.

I'm surprised I survived for this long.

"I actually understand," I nodded, unaware of the tightness in my voice. I looked around the room for a while before landing on his eyes.

His eyebrows were arched in surprise, his lips opened for words that haven't been voiced. Then he spoke, slowly but in a tone of curiosity and comfort. "You've felt this way?"

I hesitated before I nodded.

"May I ask why?"

I smiled at his manners and said, "of course," so easily, I even surprised myself.

Answering his question wasn't easy though. Was I to tell him I'm an old woman who should not look as young and carefree as I do? Was I to speak of the unknown ways my body has managed to trick the guards of time? How do I explain myself, my unnatural nature?

How do I even begin to say something like that?

Easy. Don't begin.

I sighed, knowing my conscious was right. There was no need to explain my life story to a stranger I felt close to for some reason.

"I just-," I began but stopped when I couldn't come up with what to say- the right thing to say. Say something else. Start over. Just breathe.

He was looking at me, expecting me to give him an answer as breathtaking as his had been. I wish he knew I couldn't provide him with that. I wish he knew.

I don't even understand why I wish he knew. He was a damn stranger; why did he matter so much?

"Are you alright?" He asked, reaching out to grasp my shoulder. "Adele?"

And as I focused my eyes from the wall just about his head to his brilliant eyes, the sound of the doors sliding open tore through the quiet room.

My eyes stayed focused, staring into his unmoving eyes as the sounds of the world came crashing into the quiet one we'd had right here.

Maybe I am going mad.

A/N: I hope you liked this update! It took me a while, but I got it done lol. Please leave a comment and or a star as a feedback as that would mean more than I could express! Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great weekend!