Week 9 Story: Elixir of Life

Some time ago, there lived an extremely wealthy young man named Leo.  Life for Leo was great, he had everything he could ever dream of: money, success, fame, power.  Everything, but of course, immortality.

One day, while attending the funeral of a distant relative, the thought occurred to Leo that, whenever he died, he would have leave all of his material possessions behind.  The thought disturbed him so much that he couldn't even sleep the following night.  He obsessed over it for days, to the point where he could no longer enjoy the things in his life that he once loved.  Pretty soon, Leo was so depressed that he hardly ever left his bed, much less his room.  His servants would have to bring him his food, sometimes leaving it on the ground outside his bedroom door.  

Then, one day, his best friend, Margo, came to visit.  Leo and Margo had been close friends since childhood and were very important in each other's lives.  When Leo confided in her what was bothering him so much, Margo remembered an old fable she had heard of an "elixir of life" that would grant the person who drinks it immortality.  After telling him this story, Leo instantly lit up with excitement, saying, "I must find it! Then I will really have everything!"  After seeing his reaction, Margo instantly regretted telling him the story, for she knew that her feelings for Leo had been growing much stronger recently, and she didn't to lose him.  Trying to backtrack, she kept saying things like, "I mean, it's just a legend," and, "it might not even be real." 

Nevertheless, Leo was determined to find the magic elixir that would give the one thing he didn't have.  Soon after, he had hired the best team in the world to research and travel with him to find the "elixir of life."  Then, after months of searching, they finally found the ancient cave where it was hidden.

Picking up the tiny vile of elixir, about to open it, Leo paused for a moment.  Staring at the elixir in his hands, he thought about what all having immortality would really mean.  Above everything, he thought of Margo; how there would eventually come a time when she wouldn't be in his life anymore, and he would have to live forever without her.  This thought was far more terrifying than the thought of dying.  It was then that he realized his true feelings for Margo, and that she was the only thing in this world that he was missing.

After this realization, Leo and his team went home straight away, leaving the elixir behind.

As soon as Leo returned, he went straight to Margo's house, overly eager to express his love for her.  When she greeted him at the door, he had a huge smile on his face, to which Margo said, "You look very happy. I'm assuming you found what you were looking for?"  To which Leo's only reply was a slight nod as he smiled even bigger, looked lovingly into her eyes, and got down on one knee.


Author's Note: This story is inspired by the story "The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die."  In the original story, the main character, who is terrified of dying, heard a tale about a powerful Chinese king who had everything he could wish for.  In the tale, the king was also afraid of dying, but only because he hated the thought of leaving all of his luxurious stuff, and so he was always miserable.  This is who the main character in my story, Leo, is based off of.  However, in the tale, the Chinese king sends one of his courtiers to find the "Elixir of Life" for him, but the courtier never returns.  This is where my story takes an entirely new approach.  For the most part, I just wanted Leo to have a reason to not want immortality, which is why I added Margo's character.

Bibliography: The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die by Yei Theodora Ozaki

Image Info: Potion bottle. Source: NeedPix