Why is the world so boring? My surroundings only change how I must survive and adapt. If it’s cold I need a fire and if it’s hot I need a drink. Why does it matter that I’m in the Amazon today and that I was in Mexico last month. I move around because it gives me something to look forward to as a plan, and to keep myself going. I go to sleep, wake up and go when I want to, it makes no difference to me.
I move around in search of my Imprint, or my soul mate. For humans a soul mate is undetermined but for me, a shape shifter, it’s definite. Every one of us can become imprinted to anyone. Until we find them, we don’t age. Some are imprinted to a baby when they themselves are an adolescent or an adult. He or she will only age again when they are both the exact same age. Then they get to have their happily ever after and grow old together. I haven’t gotten my fairy tale ending just yet.
My name is Tansy which means Immortality in my native tongue. I am not sure of my year of birth but I t was before the white man came to our tribe in the west. I am from the Hopi tribe and I remained there for 60 years stuck in my youth, never moving forward watching all I knew die before me including my younger sister . Soon everyone I’d known had died. Life was so cumbersome and momentous that one morning I left. I decided to go north and I visited other tribes along the way and stayed with each for a short time. There I went in search of northern tribes such as the Intuits. Finding them was much harder than I expected and I had to stay in my wolf form at all times. I felt like more of a wolf than man and I felt very alone in the cold. I soon realized how I had made many friends with almost every tribe from the Hopi to the Intuits, but not one was my imprint.
I then flew through North America to South America. I had seen all that I thought there was to see. Then I saw what I thought was a very large canoe at the time. It was a Spanish ship called the Cacafuego and I became a stowaway onboard. It was there that I learned of Europe, Africa and Asia on some maps and saw how little they had seen of my homeland. I also learned Spanish from the sailors and how to sail a ship. The ship was transporting raw materials like gold and I took two pieces. I justified that it was from my land and they were the thieves, not I. I used the gold over the next few years very sparingly but sometimes I indulged myself.
Once in Spain I kept a low profile but those who did notice I was different usually didn’t care. But one day in Madrid a drunk and his friends chose to pick a fight with me. I tried to leave but they were persistent and there were six of them. I tried to shake them and thought I had and I changed form and started to run! When I heard the drunk scream I knew I was in trouble but I kept running till I was out of the country. I went all across every single continent and this took 10 years since there were no planes, cars (etcetera) and I went to almost every town. I am now about 342 years old and I do this trip every 5 years and it takes me a little over a year.
I am now a professor at Harvard University. I have had almost every type of profession and this is by far my favorite. When I was at the Hopi tribe we were a giant family. We all had to contribute to survive. This made me the type of person who wants to give back to society, and that’s why I’ve had so many jobs. You’d be surprised, but wandering the world does get boring and lonely. I do occasionally travel with others but they can’t come all the time since they have lives to get back to.
Each time I do get a new job I have to change my name but I do use my real name about every 7 years. I’ve had some interesting names though. I amuse myself and sometimes have my name be absurd like Billy Bob. I’ve also gotten very good at being able to forge any type of paper. I’ve done anything from birth certificates to driver’s licenses. I’m still good at calligraphy so this is very easy for me. When I have a job I go camping every Sunday so I don’t lose touch with my ummmmm… other side. I teach History at Harvard and a class on Native American history. I have put together many exhibits on Native Americans as well. I even add some of my own keepsakes at times to exhibits. Also to clarify what you could be thinking, I didn’t forge any college degrees. I can pass for about 25 when I’m 19, so I have many degrees in almost everything that are all PhDs. My students say that I teach as though I was there. Oh yeah I’ve also been in every war in my lifetime except Iraq.
The most time I’ve spent in one place is a decade. Any longer and someone would start to speculate. Why would someone ever want to be immortal! It’s way too much of a hassle! All the paperwork and moving is too much! I have begun to wonder that I’m a mutation of a shape shifter and I’ll never find love. I feel like a criminal running from my past.
Tomorrow’s Friday and there’s a new Biology professor coming. All I know is her name’s Angela Jones and there’s a 0.0000000000000002984628783% chance she’ll be it. Her chances are so high because I haven’t been to her small town for 25 years. Destiny’s supposed to bring us together. I don’t believe in Destiny, but that might be because I’ve never gotten my philosophy degree. On my way to my classroom I saw her. She was African American and was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Her hair was in a tight bun with a few curls cascading down the sides of her face. She is African American and wore a blouse, a black skirt and heels. I felt immediately drawn to her as though she was the sun. I felt the need to be with her an protect her. I couldn’t walk away. Nothing could’ve prepared me for this. Then she looked up and said
“Do you need something?” Her voice was more beautiful than I imagined.
“Hello?” Damn it she’s talking to me! I responded quickly
“Yes, sorry”
“You seem distracted today” she said with a smile. She seemed so sweet as though she was perfectly oblivious to the kind of effect she had on me. Without thinking of what I was saying I responded “ADD” Why did I say that! Normally I was so alert I need to get a grip!
“Oh, do you need something?”
“No I actually wanted to know if you did on your first day here. I’m Professor Sanderson”
“I’m Professor Jones but you can call me Angela, So what…”
“You can call me Antiman. I’m sorry I interrupted you.”
“Its fine, I was just going to ask what you teach.”
“I teach History and a class on Native American History”
“Are you Native American?”
“Yes, I’m originally from the Hopi tribe.” To end the silence I asked her if I could help her bring down the lab equipment. So for the next half an hour I helped her and she talked while we worked. I hung on her every word. Time went by quickly for the first time in so long and before I knew it I had to go to my class. When I told her I had to go and the time she started rushing around. Before I left she put her hand through her hair and asked “Do I look like a teacher?”
I said “Yes” but I really thought she looked like an angel.
“Maybe I’ll see you for lunch Antiman”
“Maybe, I’m right across the hall” and I left.
The small window in our doors was a blessing and a curse. I kept looking over at Angela all day. Even my students began to notice how distracted I was. I kept thinking, “Is she the one?” and how perfect and kind she is. I also thought that she was worth the wait and what I’d say to her, since I sounded like an idiot before. Is this what it’s like to be imprinted?
I am imprinted! I thought about it all weekend and thought of how this was exactly how my friends had felt when they were imprinted. I even did some research on my own species! Angela is my imprint and I’m so happy that I could ask her to marry me right now!
The next 2 years went by so quickly and they were the best of my life! Angela is my rock and my anchor because without her I’d be wandering alone. I think Angela feels the same way about me. At first we went to lunch together and then we quickly skipped friendship. We were dating, and we did everything together. We would do anything from hiking to a fancy dinner where we’d talk all night. We are now in a very serious relationship and I hope I’m not ahead of myself in asking her to marry me. I’ve loved her for two years but I’ve thought of her for 344 years.
I smell a horrible stench on my way that I immediately recognize as a vampire! I changed form went after it immediately since vampires are a threat to Angela and others, and a shape shifter’s blood enemy. I ran after it and knew this would be over soon since it seemed weak. Normally a pack is needed to take down a vampire but I have some experience. I quickly tore off it’s head and threw a lit match on it. I felt there was danger, wait, not mine but Angela’s! I ran to her home as a wolf and saw her on the floor lifeless. I shifted and broke down to the floor knelt down beside her. I immediately checked her pulse, she had none.
“She’s gone” I uttered in disbelief. As her death washed over me I held her in my arms and closed her lifeless eyes.
“I was too late, I sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” This could not be happening.
Then she opened her eyes but they were red. I Jumped up away from her and snarled.
“I’m sorry” I said quickly. She was a vampire my blood enemy after waiting 342 years for her? Why? Why her?