The Immortal Girl

Everyday—for 2 weeks straight—she walked into my tattoo shop asking for the same thing every time: a tally. She collected them on the skin that stretched over the side of her thigh; they were all in the same area, with every fifth one crossing over the previous four.

At first, I thought she may have been attempting to reach some symbolic number and could only handle a little needling a day. Nevertheless, after the 11th stroke, I began to question that speculation and—ultimately—concluded it was false. The 12th, 13th, and 14th day all came and went, with her coming in and leaving with an identical mark every time.

When Day 15 arrived, I waited for her to walk in. I knew this stroke would be a bit longer—being that it would have to cross over four others—so I prepared a bit more ink than usual. I was going to ask today, ask her what they meant. I don’t usually care to ask for meanings but, this was different; she was different.

——————————

As always, she walked in; my last customer of the day. The timing was perfect really. We could talk for hours on end with no distractions or rush; I was definitely not opposed to that.

I should mention, she was beautiful. She was much taller than me, standing at around 5’10. She carried this long beautiful straight black hair that reached down to her waist; it had a slight amount of texture so her curtain bangs always wrapped around her face perfectly. Her eyes were a lovely shade of brown; they were light enough to look like a soft hazel in the sun while still being dark enough to capture mine with an intimidating stare. Needless to say, everything about her was mesmerizing; I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t developed a crush on her over those 14 days.

She yelled to me from across the shop—since I was still behind the cash—and jumped onto the closest chair to her. This was routine for us at this point; she always welcomed herself in, so there was no need for me to. I pushed my tray towards her and started sterilizing the needles while she talked.

By the way, she talked a lot. Her mouth would move constantly, blurting out her every thought as she described all the details of her day. I loved it. I’m more the quiet type, so it always calmed me down knowing she’d steer the conversation.

She ripped off her pants while spreading out the curtain and said

“You know what I’m here for.” Of course I do.

I got down to work while listening to her ramble. It’s funny, I usually prefer silence when I’m working but—somehow—her voice sharpened my concentration. I get things done a lot faster with her soft spoken tongue in my ear.

After I had finished—in a matter of minutes—I prepared to disinfect the area. While I was soaking the cotton pad in alcohol, I interrupted her and popped the question.

“So why do I see you everyday, and why do you ask for the same thing?”

She had stopped talking. She just stared at me. She moved her eyes away for a second—scanning the stencils and inks besides her—before soon shifting them back to me. She looked me up and down, paying special attention to my bust which visibly made me blush. When she saw my face go red she locked her eyes with mine and blurted out

“Are you gay?”

I was taken back. I mean I was—as if my tattoos and platinum blonde hair didn’t make that obvious enough—but I had never been asked that question so abruptly before. I was a bit flustered and at a loss for words, but I got myself together quickly after I saw her glaring at me. I realized my reaction could have been seen as offended, so I answered as fast as I could so she wouldn't think I was homophobic.

“Yes. Is that not obvious?”

I saved that pretty well. Her glare quickly softened as the corners of her lips started to lift. That look made me nervous so—to avoid her seeing me blush again—I forced my eyes down to her thigh as I focused on spreading the alcohol. This girl was smooth; she knew how to make a girl's heart skip a beat.

She lifted my chin with her finger and locked her eyes with mine. I swear I almost fainted. Her tongue dragged across her teeth while her mouth was still closed before she quickly opened it again and spoke once more.

“Let me take you out, and I’ll let you know what they mean.”

At this point—I gave up—there was no hiding the redness; my cheeks were burning up and my hands began trembling. I started to smile and giggle a little before I nodded my head nervously, answering her question. She laughed a seductive laugh while watching me with sleepy eyes as she removed her finger and let me finish my job.

“All done, and this one’s on the house.” I said.

She insisted she paid and—while I profusely denied—she tried to shut me up by sticking some bills in my mouth. I spit them out and stuffed them into her bra.

“You can pay for the date.” I whispered to her as I pushed her out of my shop, staring into her eyes as I backed away and shut the blinds.

As the blinds were falling, I was screaming internally. I had never been that bold in my entire life; I don’t know what I was thinking? I remember hoping I didn’t creep her out or make her feel uncomfortable. I thought I had messed everything up. I was beating myself up until—suddenly—my pocket buzzed. It was a text from her.

“Meet me in front of the shop at 8pm tomorrow.

-Ophelia”

Holy shit.

——————————

I’m sure I was only standing there for about 10 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. My heart was pounding out of my chest while butterflies were spazzing in my stomach. I probably looked like an idiot standing outside of my own shop in the freezing cold.

“BOO!” She screamed into my ear. This girl had snuck up behind me and scared me half way to death.

I jolted in fright and stumbled forwards before turning around to look her in the eye. She was clearly amused and it kind of pissed me off. I attempted to shove her to express my irritation but she did not budge. She was crazy strong. I also had a permanent smirk on my face—the one that always shows up when she’s around—so I can imagine my threat was not very convincing.

“So where are you taking me?” I asked while staring into her eyes. God she was so pretty.

“Somewhere special. I’ve been chilling there since the 1700’s.” She answered back.

I thought she was high. 1700’s? Was she seriously trying to tell me she was 322 years old?

I honestly couldn’t tell whether she was joking or not but since she said it so casually—and that it was literally impossible—I just giggled and trailed behind her.

After a few moments—in one swift movement—she had grabbed my waist and put my arm around her shoulder as she whispered into my ear

“You’re walking too damn slow.” She dragged me alongside her and I started speed walking. It wasn’t my fault, her legs are twice as long as mine.

——————————

We arrived at this fountain that I recognized immediately; it was the city fountain. It was the first thing the settlers built when this town had been created. I had to admit, it was beautiful but it wasn’t necessarily a hot spot for young people. Almost everyone sitting on the benches and ledges of the fountain were seniors. Some of them could have been 322 years old honestly.

While I was too busy scanning the place—making mental judgements in my mind—I almost forgot she was there with me. Almost. She held onto my waist from behind and rested her chin on my head. We had started swaying back and forth before I turned around to catch her eyes which were already lost in mine. There it was again, that damn blushing. I didn’t even try to hide it at this point; she knew it was there, she knew she had caused it, and she knew she was proud of it.

“Why’d you bring me here grandma, wanted to introduce me to your friends?” I joked with her to try and distract from the tension.

She seemed a little upset that I called her that. I expected a smile, maybe a little laugh but there was none of that. She just let go and walked towards the fountain ledge.

I felt terrible. I didn’t think that the insult was that serious, but the last thing I wanted was to invalidate her feelings.

“I’m so sorry, that was mean. I should've said that” I said to her as I stared up at the back of her head while she was looking into the fountain. She turned around and took a seat while looking up at me.

“It’s okay princess, you’re not wrong.” She said to me with the most serious face.

What? What was she talking about? She was literally only one year older than me—23. I was so incredibly confused and the only way I could stop that was by asking.

“What on earth are you talking about?” I asked in a serious—almost concerned—tone.

“Well I don’t look like a grandma, but I am immortal so I’m older than most of these folks.” she said in the most earnest voice.

It was so hard to tell whether she was joking or not. Her face was stern, completely serious, without the slightest smile. She was holding eye contact with me for a while too, not breaking it at all. Was she serious?

I guess I hadn’t responded for a while, so she decided to explain herself.

“I was born in 1678 into one of the first families to settle here. My dad and I—when he was alive—used to spend a little bit of every day building this fountain, stacking a couple bricks every time. By the time the town was built and open to the public—in 1701—I was 23. I remember this year for a lot of reasons; the town had started, my sister was born, my dad turned 50, but there was one specific thing—one big thing—I can’t ever forget. That was the day I stopped ageing. Year after year I’d see my father age and get closer and closer to the grave. One year, my baby sister—who was supposed to be younger than me—suddenly turned 43. She had wrinkles, a few sections of saggy skin, and even a couple kids. The town had grown from 7 people to 7000 and new buildings I never thought would get finished—well—did. Everyone and everything was changing except for me; I was still in the same condition I was in 1701.”

I mean, was she out of her mind? I swear I would have guessed she was higher than a kite if her scleras weren't perfectly white. Was this woman seriously trying to tell me she’s been alive since this town was created?

I stayed silent—obviously—because this crazy lady just tried to tell me she was over 300 years old. She kept going though.

“When my dad died, he died a confused man. He was—somehow—the last to die in my family so I was the only one there at his deathbed. I wish I could remember what he said but—nonetheless–I know he died wondering how his daughter never aged. I remember him looking up at me with sadness, like he felt bad for me. I didn’t really understand why until recently. That’s why I keep getting those tattoos.”

I was still confused about the immortality thing, but my attention had sort of switched to the end of her statement.

“I don’t understand, what do the tallies have to do with it?” I asked.

“Princess, would you really want to live forever? I know you normal people are constantly trying to discover a way to the fountain of youth but, what would you do if you actually got there? I guess you could travel, visit all the world’s most famous museums, and listen to timeless music. But, what about after you’ve done all that? What about when that all runs out?” She said in rebuttal.

“You find more things, newer things.” I—naively—answered back.

“It all starts to become the same. Everything just starts to repeat itself.” she pointed at my baggy jeans.

“Just look at your clothes. I used to wear those in the 60’s, then again in the 90’s, now look at you wearing them in 2022.” She said in a joking tone, but I could tell nothing was funny.

“Besides, it's not all about art and music. The people you surround yourself with, are what make life worth living. Your family, friends, relationships, these are what make life bearable.” She choked up on that last part.

Without even thinking, I shoved my head into her arms and onto her chest while wrapping my arms around her waist. She looked down and smiled into my hair—hugging me back—before she kept going.

“When you never die—and everyone else does—you lose the people you love. Parents aren’t usually supposed to outlive their kids, but I did, 100 years ago. Any husband, wife, sister, and friend I’ve ever had has come and gone while I’m still stuck here. So—princess—if you’ve seen all there is to see and everyone you love is no longer around, what do you do?” She asked again.

I knew exactly what she was leading to; she was going to end her life. I didn’t want to answer her question. I didn’t have a clear answer—I mean—I’ve never been in her position. I’m not sure I even truly believed what she was saying. I did know—however—that I didn’t want her to die.

I just looked up at her, with sad eyes. I didn’t speak a word hoping she could read my face. She did, I think.

“One tally every day until I go. I planned for 16, so three groups can be finished, but one can be alone.”

My heart was beating like crazy at this point. She was making me nervous, but not in the way she usually does. Yesterday was day 15, so today was day 16. Tomorrow will be the day she does...it.

At this point, I didn’t even care if she was lying about this immortal crap. It didn’t matter if it was real or not because her plan was real; I could tell, from her tears and stress. The detail she put into this story and her reasons, it was all too sincere to be fake.

I made her sit down on the ledge while I kneeled in front of her and stared up into her eyes. I was tearing up, and so was she. But she was smiling. She seemed content with her decision, like it was solidified in her mind and nothing was going to change it. Me being me, I still tried.

I attempted to paint an image of a sunset in her head. I described the different colours that can appear everyday, the way the sun’s warmth can rest on your cheeks. I grabbed her hand as we started walking back to the shop while explaining snowflakes to her. How no two are ever the same, how she can live forever and never see the same pattern twice.

We stopped at an ice cream cart, the ones that are spread throughout the town. I ordered her a mint chocolate chip scoop mixed with maple nutmeg drizzle. There’s a million flavours out there and a bunch of them were only created recently. I mentioned the innovative mixtures she’d miss out on if she left so soon. She laughed a bit; it warmed my heart.

She pulled out her phone to check the time and I jumped at the opportunity to bring it up.

“Look at that lil screen you got there, bet those weren’t around 300 years ago. Think about all the new tech you’ll miss out on.” I said to her in a joking tone.

She rolled her eyes while licking her scoops. I remember wishing I could tell what she was thinking.

I pointed at the Science Museum that only recently finished being constructed. I let her know about how much the town has changed since she first moved here and how much more it probably will.

“Think of all the new buildings that’ll pop up, think about how different they’re going to look. You don’t want to miss that.” I said to her excitedly.

“In order for new buildings to pop up, old ones have to come down. My favourite ones are gone now.” She said pretty solemnly, making me regret what I said.

I didn’t stop trying though. I kept blabbering on and on. I talked about kittens and how unique their fur patterns are. I mentioned how each groove and crevice living inside a rock was put there for a different reason; how they all evolved from a certain distinctive event. We talked about certain inequalities—racism and sexism—and how she should stick around to see where they go.

She smiled momentarily, bringing up the fact that she loved how she could hold my hand in public now without being publicly shamed. That was her favourite part about staying around for so long.

——————————

Eventually, we landed back at my shop. When she came inside, she made her request; she wanted that last tally.

I refused.

I didn’t want to solidify her plan, I didn’t want to go along with it. I wanted to destroy it. I wanted her to forget about it. So, I told her no. She tried to convince me but I had a different idea in mind.

I grabbed her arm and dragged her to a chair. I tried to push her down but—once again—she was too strong. She got the message though and sat down herself. I prepared my inks and sterilized my needle while she kept asking what I was going to do.

“I like my girls tatted.” I said to her flirtatiously while grazing her biceps—which were huge—with my finger nails.

She smiled at me deviously, already knowing my plan. She didn’t try to stop me and simply said.

“Go crazy, princess.”

So I did. I drew whatever came to mind. I didn’t plan anything out. I didn’t use a stencil, but I went wild.

I drew a sun on each of her elbows and the silhouette of a woman on her abdomen. I tattooed an infinity sign on her wrist and a pair of cat ears on her right hand’s middle finger. She was—of course—flirting with me the whole time, constantly making me nervous and blush. I actually messed up a few times because of this, but I managed to fix my mistakes. I finished with a tree on her thigh. The trunk began at her knee and the leaves spread across the top of her leg around to the back. I embedded a few words within the branches to give it some meaning.

“Hope”, “Love”, “Kindness”, and “Resilience”. I repeated these a few times among different leaves and across the bark.

She didn’t bother me while I was drawing it, she let me focus. She was entranced by my movements, I could tell. Her eyes were following my needle across her skin. She was mesmerized, it was so cute.

Once I was done, she begged me to finish the tally. I hesitated at first. I really wanted to cover up that tattoo, but she refused to let me do that. For her sake though—since she really wanted it and I had a hard time saying no—I finished it. I caved in. I added the last tally; one separate from the other 3 groups.

——————————

We stood together at the front of the shop after she’d finished redressing herself. We laughed together for a bit, randomly finding everything surrounding us funny. The tree, the sidewalk, the road. It all became pretty comical for some reason.

After the laughing died down a bit, I tried to get a bit more serious. I wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled her in. I stared into her eyes; the light from the shop was reflecting into them. They looked hazel; I was entranced. She was staring at my lips, not even trying to hide it. I felt her hands grab the sides of my waist and pull me in closer. I started talking, while she was still staring at my mouth.

“You had fun tonight?” I asked and she nodded back, still starring.

“Look, I can’t say I know what you’re going through right now—and I’m sure no one else does—but I can promise I’ll stick with you through it.” She—finally—looked at my eyes when I said that.

“Just please, don’t do anything you can’t take back. For me?” I pleaded with her quietly.

My eyes were begging, matching my words. She knew I meant what I said. She contemplated for a second before looking back down at my lips. I looked down at hers right after as she pulled her forehead towards mine. We both began breathing hard, I could feel her heart beating against my chest; I’m sure she could feel the same.

Then, she kissed me.

She held on for a few seconds as she deepened her pressure before she let go and pulled back.

We smiled at each other; it was a rush. I had never been kissed like that before. It was filled with emotion and passion, like nothing I had ever experienced.

“See you around princess” She whispered to me, staring into my eyes.

After a single peck she planted on my forehead, she hugged me tightly before turning around and walking away. She didn’t even look back, she just kept striding forward.

——————————

I heard through the news the next morning, she did it. A young woman—in her early 20’s—was reported dead at the bottom of City Bridge; the bridge that connects our town to the mainland.

That was it. She was gone. She really did it.

I know it sounds rushed and dramatic, but I had fallen hard for her over those 2 weeks. Seeing her everyday, her happiness, it was intoxicating. I’d never met anyone with a heart so kind. She was beautiful and proud, she wasn’t ashamed to be who she was.

It was all over now.

No more daily tally, no more excitement for that 9 o'clock appointment. The immortal girl—real or fake—was gone.

——————————

Dear Ophelia,

It’s selfish to say, but I hate you for leaving. I wish you could have stayed a bit longer, or at least until my life was over. I know you were in pain but this didn’t get rid of it, it just shifted. It shifted to me.

For now until forever, the sun won’t shine as bright and it's colours will begin to look dull. Snowflakes will emerge as shapeless clumps and ice cream flavours will blend together until I can no longer taste the difference. The backbones of this town are gone—and soon—any remains of your presence will cease to exist as everyone moves on. Everyone, except me.

One thing will get better though. The stars, now that you've joined them. Every night I look up, I’ll see a sky of lights with one—right above me—burning brighter than the rest.

With all else coming down and seeming to end, at least I can know that you're with the ones you loved before. Whether you were really immortal or not, I know you were tired.

So, rest easy my love. I’ll see you soon when the time comes.