Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy) (6 page)

BOOK: Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy)
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His
new employer arranged for the sale of their home and for their furniture to be
shipped to one they’d chosen online. When they’d walked inside their new home
for the first time, she’d smiled with delight. “Looks like we made the perfect
choice. I love it,” she said, turning to Larry.

He
put his arm around her, “Love ya, honey.”

“Love
ya, back,” she said, barely getting the words out as he crushed her to his
chest, lifted her off her feet and swirled her about the room. The future
seemed as bright and beautiful as the blue skies and sunshine of Arizona.
Blinking back tears in her lonely bed, she wondered if she’d ever feel such joy
again. It all seemed so hopeless.

Or
was it?

The
Angel Man offered her a way to redirect her life. She could start over again,
in a way she could never imagine. Not only would she be young again, but she’d
stay that way. It seemed impossible, yet in his genius he’d assured her it
would work. Through the success of his other products, he’d already earned a
great reputation. Would this one work as well?

What
if it didn’t? She’d be the guinea pig, trying an untested product which could
ruin her health, and might not realize the consequences until it was too late.

No,
I can’t do it. It’s too much to ask.

A
picture of Mom lying helpless and scared flashed through Dorrie’s mind. Heart
dropping, she sat upright in bed. Six months ago her own baseline bone density
scan had read minus one, denoting osteopenia, the first stage of the disease
which had destroyed her mother. Frightened by the news, Dorrie had begun a
regimen of exercise, Vitamin D, Calcium and other medication to ward off the
eventual ill effects, but she had no guaranty her efforts would work. That and
more hadn’t helped Mom.

Life
was not good. Her job searches had been unsuccessful. Bombarded by memories of
the past and worries about the future, she couldn’t sleep most nights. During
the day, she walked around like a zombie, functioning, but barely living. She
could do better.

Always
the serious one, all her life she’d followed the safe path. She’d weighed every
decision, even the most trivial, like where and when to get a haircut.
Unfortunately, all her planning had not prevented tragedy from striking twice,
first to Mom, then Larry. She could muddle along, and if she were lucky, maybe
someday she’d find a job, which she may or may not like. If the pill proved to
be safe and effective, she might get up enough nerve to try it. Or, she could
be a pioneer, do something radical, and change her life drastically.

What
was the worst outcome? Dying? If that happened, she’d see Larry again. Maybe it
would be worth it.

She
shouldn’t think that way, welcoming death.

Morning
light wiggled through the edges of the bedroom’s floral drapes. Dorrie sat
propped against the pillows, pondering her choice. Remington wanted an answer.
She’d have to say something, but what?

 

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

Dorrie
reached for the phone beside the bed. Palms clammy, heart thumping, she waited
for Mr. Remington to answer. After a perfunctory hello, he got to the point.
“Mrs. Donato, have you made up your mind?”

She
took a deep breath. What she’d tell him would shape her future, be it for good
or bad.

“I’ll
do it,” she finally blurted out.

“I’d
hoped you’d say that.”

The
smile in Remington’s voice seemed genuine, but it didn’t stop her legs from
shaking beneath the sheet. Good thing she had the bed for support, or she’d
collapse.

She
tried to listen to his next words, but couldn’t concentrate on such
trivialities as when and where to meet, when her mind dwelt on the frightening
step she’d agreed to take.

“I’m
sorry, could you repeat that? I’m a little nervous right now. ”

“Understandable.
Let me run through it again. Come in the side door tomorrow at nine. Don’t
dress up. Wear something casual, like you’d wear at home. We’ll shoot a few
before shots and videos. You’ll take the pill, and be on your way. It’s as
simple as that.”

He
made it sound like an everyday occurrence.

“Okay,
I think I can handle it.”  Her voice sounded weak, but this was a huge
step out of her comfort zone. Was this Dorrie Donato or some alien being which
had taken over her body and agreed to such an outlandish experiment? The way
her life twisted around lately, nothing surprised her.

After
she’d hung up the phone, she still couldn’t believe she’d actually said yes.
Even more surprising was the weird adventurous streak shooting through her.
Grief must have left her unbalanced, making her go off the deep end. She
couldn’t think of any other reason for her atypical state.

The
next morning, while alternating between fear and excitement, she changed
outfits dozens of times. She usually wore jeans and a tee shirt around the
house, but wanted to look special for the camera. She finally settled on the
velour jogging suit she’d bought in a shortlived fitness craze.

On
the way to the Institute, fighting fear and dread, she gripped the steering
wheel tightly and tried to concentrate on driving. When she turned into the
parking lot, she studiously avoided staring at the spot where Larry had lain.

Her
fingers trembled as she followed instructions and pressed the doorbell at the
side entrance. Mr. Remington himself answered and whisked her down the hall and
into what looked like a family room, complete with a gold couch, walnut end tables,
glowing lamps and a gas burning fireplace. The homey surroundings eased her
nerves, until she noticed the cameraman with his equipment in the far corner.
What had she gotten into? 

Mr.
Remington gestured toward the couch, and then motioned for the taping to start.
She answered inane questions about age, weight and health, before he got to the
grist of the interview. “Why are you taking the young pill?”

“It’s
a marvelous opportunity to turn back the clock, and I want to be young again.
My bones are already thinning, and that’s not good. My Mom had osteoporosis and
suffered a horrible death because of it. I don’t want to go through what she
did.”

At
thought of her mother’s suffering, her voice broke. She bravely continued.
“Along with my fear of following in Mom’s footsteps, there are plenty of other
reasons to be young. I used to have loads of energy, could eat what I wanted
without gaining weight, and still had great cholesterol readings. Then my
thyroid gave out and slowed down my metabolism. I take pills to combat the
affects, but they’re not perfect. I dye my hair, but it’s not like before. If I
wear shorts, my varicose and spider veins stick out. I’m even more embarrassed
by all the wrinkles on my face.”

Wow,
she’d come up with more reasons than she’d realized. They were all true, yet if
by some miracle Larry came alive again, she’d gladly put up with aging for the
chance to grow old with him. Unfortunately, that could never happen.

Mr.
Remington signaled for the cameraman to stop. “Great job, Dorrie. Very
convincing. Now, if you would, please stand by the fireplace and we’ll take a
few shots.”

Following
instructions on body placement, she adopted the various poses, then answered
additional questions designed to emphasize her fearful senior status.

After
the questions, he handed her a small plastic bag. “Mrs. Donato, I’d like you to
put this on, please. The bathroom is over there,” he said, pointing to a closed
door.

Dorrie
glanced inside the bag, then cringed. What she saw was the tiniest bikini she’d
ever laid eyes on. She’d never worn one that small, even when she’d owned a
decent figure. In her present situation, every pound accumulated through her
entire life would stick out and look hideous.

“Is
this absolutely necessary?”

 “I’m
afraid so, if we’re to measure your before and after. Don’t be nervous. It’s
purely professional.”

Of
course. Who on earth would be attracted to anyone in her lumpy condition? 
Still, flaunting her flab would be extremely embarrassing. She didn’t much care
for this part of the adventure.

On
reluctant feet, she stepped into the bathroom. Once there, she quickly donned
the suit without looking at herself in the mirror, except at the last minute to
make sure nothing vital showed. She wanted to get this ordeal over as quickly
as possible. She had to be insane to make such a spectacle of herself, even
more insane to think his pill would work. Where were her brains?

Hand
on the knob, she took a deep breath. She’d stroll out the door and pretend she
wore bikinis all the time. Easier said than done, when her knees knocked from
fright as she walked. She wanted to sink into a hole as Mr. Remington and the
cameraman eyed her.

The
session lengthened. Boredom and irritation set in. Her legs, arms, and back
ached from striking poses for the shots and videos.  

“That
should do it. You can change now,” Roman finally said.

With
relief, she stepped into the dressing room and changed back to her jogging
outfit. When she’d re-emerged, he said, “You’ve done very well, Dorrie. For the
next step, we’ll go to my office where I’ll administer the first pill.”

An
icy shiver raced up and down her spine. She’d been so busy with the
superficialities of posing she’d almost forgotten the reason for the publicity.
Could she do this to herself?

On
unsteady legs, she quietly followed Roman and the cameraman down the hall and
up the glass elevator.
This time all the doors lay open in
the suite, instead of only the one used for the interview.

They
entered the first area, which looked more like a living room, with two
cranberry colored recliner chairs, matching couch, end tables, and soft
lighting from strategically placed floor lamps shining on the black and grey
carpet. To one side a modern kitchenette gleamed. The cameraman set up his gear
in the corner.

As
soon as the green light appeared, Mr. Remington waved her to a chair, where she
gratefully sank. With sweat dripping to the back of her velour suit, she
watched him step to the refrigerator and remove a bottle of water.

Next
to the refrigerator, he tapped a wall tile to reveal a built-in safe. He
entered a combination, reached inside, and withdrew a tiny pill bottle.

Holding
both, he walked up to her. “Are you ready?”

Dorrie’s
stomach felt queasy. She ran her dry tongue over her upper lip. Maybe she
should say no, and live life like everyone else.

Did
she really want to?  Lately everything seemed so meaningless. In the past
month her husband had died, and her job had vanished, not to mention, she had
no family to speak of and her smattering of friends lived nowhere nearby. She’d
almost asked Jeanne’s advice, but instead decided to control her own destiny.

 

Though
a search on the the web hadn’t produced any results about the young pill, it
couldn’t be dangerous. No matter how much Larry had needed a job, he wouldn’t
have worked at the Institute if he didn’t believe in its products. He’d been
assigned to vet the young pill, and someone with his qualifications would have
noticed any flaws in the pill’s formula and notified Mr. Remington of them.
She’d trust his judgment and not back out. Only good would come of this.

Dorrie
squared her shoulders and looked up at the Angel Man. “Yes, Mr. Remington, I’m
ready.” 

“Roman,”
he said, handing her the pill.

She
nodded, with her mind more occupied on what she was about to do than on his
first name offer.

“This
should take you back to twenty-four, the age you requested. Now remember, it
won’t happen all at once.”  

 Again,
a surreal feeling gripped her, like when she’d seen Roman in Larry’s den.

As
she reached for the pill, her fingers shook so much she almost dropped it.
Taking a deep breath, she grasped it tightly, and then placed it on her tongue.
He opened the water bottle and handed it to her. She gulped both the water and
pill down, then handed the bottle back.

“That
will be all,” Roman told the cameraman.

My
God, she’d done it. She didn’t know whether to be proud or angry with herself.
 She told herself to stay calm and not get upset. What did it matter what
happened to her? She was only a tiny speck in a crazy, mixed-up universe. If
the pill didn’t behave as promised, so be it. No, that wasn’t the right
attitude. She must think positive. The pill would work and she’d be young
again, with a new and exciting life ahead of her.

As
the coolness of the water swirled into her abdomen, a tiny voice inside of her
whispered she’d made a mistake.

***

The
morning after her first dose, though she knew it was too soon, Dorrie couldn’t
resist checking the bathroom mirror for signs of improvement.

The
creases between her eyebrows, and the wrinkles lining her eyes and her mouth
still stared at her. It was too early, but she couldn’t help hoping anyway.

BOOK: Forever Young: Blessing or Curse (Always Young Trilogy)
13.69Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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