text: What does it mean for one to never have to fear death? To never know that dread or quietly building trepidation of the end coming closer and closer? He had been asked that same question, in a thousand different ways, a thousand and more times in his long life. Even with the practice of centuries of answering that question in all its various incarnations, he still did not know how to answer. How could he begin to describe the loneliness, the pain, or the exhaustion? How did he make someone who couldn’t see the edge of forever understand? With those thoughts racing through his mind once again, he tried to answer the young (who wasn’t compared to him?) lady’s questions. “It means numbness,” he stated without emphasis. “Numbness?” She asked, with confusion plain upon her face. “Yes,” he continued, “it means watching the world move on around you. Watching those you’ve grown to know and love, or even hate, grow old and eventually pass from this place. All while you remain, ever constant, stagnant. As the years continue to slowly crawl past you, you eventually just stop feeling and grow numb to it all.” “At least, I wish that were the case...” he finished with barely a whisper. “Why? Why would you want that to be true? That sounds.... lonely.” “Because that would be easier than having to lose them, over and over again.” He answered, profound sorrow written plainly upon his features. “Them?” She asked, her curiosity overtaking her. “My immortality was not curse enough for whatever demented being that enjoys tormenting me apparently.” he answered with a chuckle, looking around him at the beautiful hilltop painted in the yellow, red, and blue hues of the early dawn. “They also decided that I’d have to spend my eternity forever falling in love with and losing my love. I don’t know what we ever did to anger whoever decided to place this horror on us, but as I continue, ever unchanging, my love must constantly be re-born as a new person. When I’ve finally found them again, they’re always different, with a new personality, new likes and dislikes, and no memory of what we’ve been through. Sometimes they’re re-born a woman again and at other times a man, but they’re always them. That same wonderful person I’ve loved through the many long and lonely centuries, in dozens of different bodies and personalities.” “That.... doesn’t sound like it’d be so bad.” She whispered. “It sounds to me like you’ll always have someone to go through eternity with. Why would you wish for something different?” “Because.....” he started, “every time I start to feel that numbness, that lack of caring about the people or the world around me, the peaceful nothingness that might make this prison of endless time pass by with a little less pain, they show up. Bursting back into my life for an always too, too brief period of light. They bring all those emotions crashing back into my life, just for them to be cruelly ripped from arms again after a few brief decades.” He finished as a tear began to slide down the cheek on the side of his face facing the beautiful woman. “Why are you crying?” She asked, her voice full of compassion. “I’d just started to feel numb again......” &#x200B; &#x200B; This is one of the first times I've shared some of my writing, so any feedback would be appreciated. Let me know what you think.