Avery the Immortal: Finale (special preview)

“This and that,” Bill chuckles. “Got into it about my dad and Mama made me cry.”

I smile at him and take hold of his hand. He wasn’t going to tell me, so I wasn’t going to ask. I should have known, but much like Bill had done with me, I was going to pretend and keep living like things were normal.

Several years later, a hurricane came through and destroyed most of the town, including Mama’s house. We had escaped and evacuated to Mama’s friends’ house further north. Coming home to the destruction was gut wrenching. Our home was in ruins and I remembered standing in front of the grocer back in England, where Bill and I had shared the flat upstairs.

“Nothing to do but pull up our bootstraps and rebuild,” Mama says with a heavy sigh. I then saw tears in her eyes. She wiped them away, trying to hide them. “That’s all we can do.”

“Mama,” Iggy comes forward. “Here.” He hands her a bag and inside is wads of money. “I don’t need it. Not that much anyways.”

“Where di dyou-” Mama stares at him as the tears roll down her soft cheeks. “Iggy, where did this come from?”

“Living with you, having no bills, all the rewards I get add up.” Iggy shrugs. “I think it’s best this went to you, after everything you’ve done.”

Mama hands the bag to Bill and wraps Iggy up in her arms.

Bill and I look into the bag and gasp. “There’s more than enough in here to build the house. We could build two houses with this,” Bill says.

“We’ll build what we need,” mama laughs. “If Iggy is ok with it, the rest can go to helping others in town.”

“Yeah, of course,” Iggy nods.

We started rebuilding, and we made Mama a new house that was nicer than the one before. We built two stories, and added on a porch that wrapped all the way around. When we could, we volunteered with the rebuild effort in town, starting with the diner. We also helped Old Allen fix his house. Jeepers had run away before the hurricane, but a bunch of look a like kittens appeared under the ruins of his porch. So now, there were three terrors that stalked the town.

Once the house as built, we were flooded by donations for people who had been helped by mama. Some of her other kids came, bringing beds and food to put into the new place. When it was complete Mama held a massive banquet for everyone in town. We cooked for days, or well, everyone else cooked and I cleaned. We celebrated, one year to the day the hurricane destroyed our homes. Mama stepped out into the swamp, placing a new protection spell on the new town and buildings. The swamp glowed and fireflies rose from the waters, creating a galaxy around us that swirled and flowed through the streets and  into the woods.

That evening, Bill and I sat on the new porch together, enjoying leftovers from the banquet. We were both overstuffed, but were continuing to eat anyways. As we were chuckling and laughing Bill grimaced. 

“What’s wrong?” I gasp.

Bill clutches his arm. “I uh...I don’t know.” He winces in pain. “I feel...I feel strange.” He drops what he’s holding and nearly collapses.

“Mama!” I scream. “Mama!”

Mama rushes out onto the porch and grabs Bill. “he’s having a heart attack.”

“What?” I scream.

“He’s having a heart attack,” Mama repeats again. “Go inside, get the aspirin,” she commands me.

I rush into the house, going to the medicine cabinet. I return and give mama the bottle. She crushes up one of the pills and puts the powder into Bill’s mouth. 

“We need to call the hospital,” Mama says.

“No!” Bill grabs her. “No doctors Please!” He then wails in agony.

I kneel down beside him, breathing heavy I try to concentrate. I lift my hand and Bill gives me a look. 

“Don’t.” He looks at me and then his body suddenly relaxes. He looses consciousness in Mama’s arms.

Mama calls over a friend of hers, a healer, but not a doctor. She looks over Bill and tends to him, seeing he wakes back up and asks him a string of questions.

I sit with Mama outside the door, holding her hand tight while the other is wrapped around my shoulders.

“What did you try to do?” Mama asks me.

“I was going to hal him but…” I blink tears from my eyes. “He knew it would have hurt me in the process. I would have done it though.”

Mama rubs my back. “You know, don’t you?” She whispers. “He’s not young like he appears.”

I nod. “I know, I know, I just wanted to forget.”

Te healer walks out. She closes the door and stands before us. “It was a heart attack, mild luckily, but he’ll be very weak from here on. He’s…” she hesitates. “I’m sure you know better than I his condition. But from now on, he will assistance with most things.”

“Can I see him?” I ask with a quiver in my voice.

“Of course.”

I go into the bedroom, closing the door behind me. Bill is laying propped up on pillows. His skin looks ashen, his eyes sunken. He smiles when he sees me, sitting up slightly as I come to his bedside.

“I didn’t scare you too bad, did I?” He asks.

I kiss his temple. “Why didn’t you tell me, Bill?”

He sighs, smiling as he looks down at his hands. “I didn’t want to worry you,” he whispers. “I just wanted what time we had together to matter and to be free of that sort of shit.” He gazes back into my eyes. “I wanted us to be us unencumbered.”

I put my arms around him and lay down beside hm. “You still should have told me,” I whisper. “But don’t worry, I’m going to take care of you from now on.”

Bill sighs. “I know,” he replies softly. “I was never worried about that.”

Over the next year or so, Bill recovers, he gets stronger, but he’s never the same again. His hair goes white, seemingly all at once, but it suits him in an odd way. He gets tired easily, and eventually has to rely on a cane. I hold out hope, thinking that even in this state, I could have him for another ten years. 

One Halloween we sit on the porch, handing out candy to kids. Bill is in good spirits and is having fun playing with the kids, telling them riddles they have to answer to get the candy.

“I think I need to go lie down,” Bill grunt, rising slowly from his seat. He takes his cane then waits for me to stand and gives me a kiss. “Nah, you stay out here, have fun, eat candy.” He reaches into my bowl which is mainly candy wrappers. “I love you.”