Part I

Artemis had always been that kind of person that could go unnoticed through the streets of downtown New York. If you saw her, you may think of her as a normal person and she was, in fact, just that at first glance. But maybe, if you gave her a second thought, you would notice something odd about her. The way she carried herself was more mature than any of the many people around her. The path she wove through the crowded streets was that of one she had walked a million times over. Maybe you would have even noticed the slight scar under her eye had she gotten close enough to you. But you could never give that second thought because as soon as you saw her, you forgot about her.

That’s how she was. She was invisible to the people around her, walking in broad daylight yet being ignored as if she was a ghost. She preferred it this way, honestly. After all these years, she had gotten used to it.

But today wasn’t a day to dwell on the past or the future, but rather the present. She carried a white plastic bag as she boarded the subway, resting it on the ground between her feet to keep it from moving as the sub car started. If you had noticed anything about her, you would have noticed the look on her face. It was far off, a distant smile lingering on her lips but it was far from present. You might have even said a small ‘hi’ or at least nodded to her as you ducked out her way. But you would have to notice her in the first place.

She wouldn’t have noticed you either, in her own world as she drummed her fingers on her leg. She normally wasn’t impatient but today was different—today she had limited time to get back home.

The subway car stopped and she got off, disappearing into the crowded streets as people made their own way home. She arrived at her doorstep and turned the handle without thinking. She stepped into the foyer, immediately emerged in the smell of old books. Taking a deep breath, she tossed her jacket onto a chair and made her way to the back of the house to the kitchen where her friend stood by the stove, whistling an old tune.

“Smells good.” She dropped the bag onto the counter and sat down at the table.

She supported her chin in her hands and watched him cook. She had known him forever and yet today was the last day she would get to talk to him as a friend. After today he would be nothing more than a stranger to her, walking by and forgetting her.

She sighed and closed her eyes. This was the time she would be able to enjoy this. And even then, in the moment, she knew she would miss it.

“Are you okay?” he turned, running a hand through his wavy black hair. It brushed against the top of his ears and was in need of a trimming yet he always got it cut to the same length. He called it stylistic choice.

She smiled. “Yeah, Tay, I am.”

He stopped what he was doing and slid the pot off the boiler before sitting down across from her. “It’s okay, you know that, right?”

She forced a smile, one she knew he could see straight through. After all these years, there was barely a lie that could get past him. “Yeah, of course.”

She let her hands drop and stood up, picking up the job that he had neglected. With a sigh, she ran a hand through her tangled brown hair. “I got your favorite ice cream. You should probably put that in the freezer before it melts.”

He obeyed, squeezing around her to get to the refrigerator. “I feel bad.”

Artemis stopped stirring. She knew what was about to follow. After all it was Tay. 400 years of knowing him and he hadn’t changed at all.

“Why?” she knew why but she knew he needed to say it—to get it out of his system.

“Is it okay for me to leave now? After all this time?” his dark brown eyes met hers and for a split second, she was tempted to tell him he couldn’t go. He was one of the last things she had managed to hold onto after all this time. But she knew she couldn’t do that. His sentence was over and it was wrong to hold him back.

“It’s time for you to go,” she answered. “After all this, you need to live.”

He blinked. She could see it in his eyes. He was torn. Torn between living the life he had dreamed of or staying there, in that place that time had forgotten, for heaven knew how long.

“Just go, okay?” her voice cracked and she swallowed. “Forget about me, this place-“ she waved her hand around. “-and just go.”

“How can I?” he totally forgot about the pint of ice cream he was holding in his hand as he continued. “How can I just walk away and forget about it all, huh? How does that work?”

She bit the tip of her tongue to keep her from lashing out at him. “Just… take this chance to get out of here, Taylor.”

He set his jaw. “It’s Tay.”

“Not when I’m mad at you!” she yelled. She slammed her fist against the table to calm herself down. The pain brought her back to her senses and she took a deep breath.

“Listen, this is your last day here so let’s pretend that it’s not, okay? Let’s just live as if it’s another day. Another normal day. Please?”

His eyes searched hers, trying to find some part of her that might ask him to stay. Even if there was something inside her that wanted that, she would never tell him. He had an opportunity she had wanted for so long.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, stuffing the ice cream between the frozen peas and a loaf of bread. “I really am.”

“Don’t be,” she ordered, her voice strained. “Just…”

She trailed off. She didn’t want to finish that sentence. Just what? Just forget her like everyone else? How long till she was all alone in the world?

He sighed and she looked at him, finishing her sentence. “Just… promise me that you’ll live a good life. Please.”

He smiled slightly. “You should come visit once in a while.”

She also smiled. It was sad and painful but it was what she was feeling. “You know that’s not how it works.”

He nodded, looking away. “But maybe it will this time.”

She laughed. The sound carried throughout the empty house, echoing to ever corner of the rooms, into the attic and back down to where they stood. That’s what she hated the most about this old house. It carried you secrets everywhere.

“It won’t, Tay.”

The corner of his mouth flinched into a smile. “I know. But I can still hope.”

Something stirred in her stomach as he turned back to the food. It was sadness, an emotion she had stopped herself from feeling a long time ago. It was useless getting sad over someone who wouldn’t remember her the moment he stepped out onto the street.

He wouldn’t be coming back—ever.

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