Blaires mini crisis
Blaire set her cup of tea on her ottoman carefully before flinging herself onto her couch. She had been scrolling through social media for most of the morning, trying to make sure she wasn't in the background of any public posts that she hadn't made, when she got a notification there was a new article published.
“NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERY MAY LINK A FAMILY LINEAGE TO THE FIRST CENTURY BCE IN SWEDEN”
The headline scrolled across the top of Blaire’s phone. She clicked the link absentmindedly, curious if it was one of Sigrid’s discoveries.
“The inscription on the rune stone describes Sigrid Fróđi (The Learned) and her family as they travel through Scandinavia. Records of a woman under the same name and epithet exist both a century before and after the stones date. Researchers theorize a familial link between….”
Blaire felt her blood run cold. They’d done it again. Her fingers flew across the keyboard typing in Sigrid's number.
One ring
Two rings
“Hello? This is Sigrid how may i assist?”
“Siggie, it's me.”
“AH! Hey, Blaire. Sorry did we have plans? It’s Tuesday, yeah?”
“I-” she blinked, physically flinching back from her phone, looking at the screen confused, “No, it’s Thursday.”
“Shit, well, I have a class in five minutes, so I’m going to be walking quickly while we talk.” Sigrid groaned as they rose from what Blaire assumed was their office couch and started walking.
“Did you see, by chance, the fuckin’ article about you?”
“Which one? The USA today? National Geographic? University post? Triptohugo Weekly?”
“Not you now. YOU, you. As in Historic you.”
“Which one? National Geographic? Archaeology Magazine? Viking Archaeology? Cambridge Archaeology Journal?”
Blaire took a deep breath, pinching her nose. “No.” She exhaled, “The one published this morning.”
“AH! The stone, yes, I actually assisted the research team on that one. They think i am related to myself can you believe it?” They laughed.
Blaire stared at her phone screen, blinking. Sigrid didn't grow up around other immortals, she reminded herself; technically, she was supposed to tell her mother that she had found Sigrid centuries ago, but she had gotten caught up in the fun of not caring. They didn't realize why she was concerned.
“And you don't see a problem with this?”
“Why would I? If they find out, I am immortal good on them. They figured something out that has been obvious for centuries. As it is, it’s hilarious, no? Always so close to the truth and yet so far!” She could hear them smiling.
“Oh, cool then. Well, I will let you teach then... Bye?”
“BYE! I will meet you tomorrow for coffee. 7 AM, correct?”
“Yep.. bye.” She clicked the small red button on the bottom of the screen. They didn't realize it. They were looking at it as a game.
They scootched their way down the couch until she was laying down, clicking her phone on and off, watching the screen flash from black to her background. It was a picture of her and her mother.
She'd been adopted by the immortal community of Europe when she was ten and had been raised to stay low. Under the radar. No photos, paintings, or written stories outside the community. Sigrid was wild. She had no other description for them. They were Wild. Using history as a game, using themself as a game.
She could tell the community where Sigrid was. She wasn't sure what they would do or if they would even care anymore. When she first started looking for the mysterious wild immortal woman, it was because they were afraid. Afraid for the community to be discovered, afraid the world would hunt them. They had been so afraid, but when she met Sigrid, Sigrid wasn't afraid. They jumped in the Thames River laughing. They painted, they wrote, they left visible marks in society, and they laughed at the danger of it. She had watched them throw gunpowder on a fire and not get burned.
Would they still want to find them? The internet had been theorizing about immortality, but now, everyone believed it was a hoax. No more witchcraft, no more burning. Maybe they would be safe, she thought, to come out as a community.
Her phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. She threw her phone across the room, the ringer silencing once it hit the floor. Slowly, she rolled off the couch and crawled over to the phone, which now had a large crack running down the front. It rang again.
“Hey mammy,” She answered, “Sorry your phone call startled me, threw my phone.”
“You're not going to have to get a new one?”
“No, Mammy, just replace the screen. Ill be home next week for the holidays.”
“That's what I was callin' you about! You always know what I'm going to ask. When is your next move?”
“Next year? Its five years in one apartment,”
“Exactly, you're in a large enough place that you can stay in the town for a while longer than we used to. But I want you to be careful people with those picture phones are everywhere!”
Blaire smiled. Immortal or not, her mom was still out of touch with technology. “I know, mammy, I,” She stopped, she was going to tell her mom that she was going out with friends the next day, but she wasn't sure how she would react. She worried about everything that had to do with mortals. “Am thinking about finding someone to shag this weekend; been a bit stressed lately.”
“Just use protection; we don't know if any kids you'd have would come out like us.”
“Yeah yeah, I know. I will be as careful as I can.” She could feel her face heating up. Her mom was sex-positive, especially when it came to stress relief, but it still felt wrong to say it to her.
“I'll be home next week.”
“I'll let your father know to make your room up. See you then.”
They hung up, and she hit her head on the floor. “Why did I say that to my Mum!” she hit her head on the floor again, “WHY”