When does one discover that he or she is immortal?
Surely it's not all as cut and dry as vampires make it seem. Sure, you get sired, you die, you rise again, you live forever. Never aging past that point.
But then there are stories like Tuck Everlasting. All the poor Tuck family did was drink from a spring! And there was no warty old witch or enchanted crow or strongly-worded sign to warn them against it. They were just thirsty.
In the book, the family discovers they are immortal because some mortal peril befalls their cat (or horse? it's been a while) but the cat doesn't die. Like magic or something. And then the horse gets injured, and one of the family gets mortally wounded or something - anyway! No one dies. Musta been that darn spring water!
BUT what if it's not that easy? What if some new magic made you immortal and you had no way of tracing it back? It could have been as simple as eating an avocado between 12:36 and 12:37 AM on a Friday the 13th. It could have been winning six games of Monopoly in a row (maybe over several years). It could have been letting an old lady have your seat on the bus (because, let's face it, most old ladies on the bus are probably gypsies).
My point is, when do you start to notice you're not aging? In our society, it's possible to avoid mortal injury for several years at a time! How are you supposed to know you're immortal if it was an accident?
Eventually the comments have to stop being "Jen, you look amazing!" and start sounding more like "That bitch Jen is back. How is her- what is her... face... doing- how does she...? ...Bitch." And even then, when would you start to notice?
I sure hope I'm not accidentally immortal.
Everyone would hate or fear me, I'd outlive everyone I love, and I'd have to see 6 more Transformers movies squeeze their way into theaters.
and to think some people would kill to live forever...
I'm lookin at you, Voldemort.
Surely it's not all as cut and dry as vampires make it seem. Sure, you get sired, you die, you rise again, you live forever. Never aging past that point.
But then there are stories like Tuck Everlasting. All the poor Tuck family did was drink from a spring! And there was no warty old witch or enchanted crow or strongly-worded sign to warn them against it. They were just thirsty.
 |
| don't drink the Kool-aid, Rory |
BUT what if it's not that easy? What if some new magic made you immortal and you had no way of tracing it back? It could have been as simple as eating an avocado between 12:36 and 12:37 AM on a Friday the 13th. It could have been winning six games of Monopoly in a row (maybe over several years). It could have been letting an old lady have your seat on the bus (because, let's face it, most old ladies on the bus are probably gypsies).
 |
| but then again, gypsies come in all shapes and sizes. Don't drink the Kool-aid, Meryl Streep! |
Eventually the comments have to stop being "Jen, you look amazing!" and start sounding more like "That bitch Jen is back. How is her- what is her... face... doing- how does she...? ...Bitch." And even then, when would you start to notice?
I sure hope I'm not accidentally immortal.
Everyone would hate or fear me, I'd outlive everyone I love, and I'd have to see 6 more Transformers movies squeeze their way into theaters.
and to think some people would kill to live forever...
I'm lookin at you, Voldemort.
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