[ WP ] A man has cheated Death and achieved true immortality and gloats at Death about his victory only to realize after multiple aeons that immortality was a mistake and mortality is a long lost dream and now he treats Death as a former enemy he can not reconcile with .

*And that's why you're such a dummy! * He laughed and slammed his bottle of Pepsi onto the table. Some of it spilled onto the playing cards that littered the area. The man who owned the drink was laughing; the man across from him was not. 
 
 `` You saw that I had two tens, there's *no* way you did n't realize that I had already won! And then you *up the ante*? I almost feel bad for you!'' The second man did n't say a word, just pulled out a cigar and cut it. 
 
 `` You won, fair and square, I'll admit that. I'm no liar.'' His hand coaxed a lighter to singe the tip of the cigar, and put it to his lips. 
 
 `` Now, how's this going to work? Do I drink some water from the Fountain of Youth, or sign some kind of contract? Hey, bonehead! I'm talking to ya!'' The bonehead across from him was still sucking the smoke from the cigar. It was half-gone. Throwing the rest into his pocket, he sat up in the chair. 
 
 `` A handshake, that's all it takes. Just one handshake and you'll have it.'' He extended a thin, calloused hand to his friend. Eagerly, the man dropped the Pepsi to the floor, and grabbed the smoker's so tightly that he did n't notice the waitress scream at him, `` Hey, buddy, what's the big idea?!'' 
 
 `` That's it?'' He felt his fingers. `` I feel the same.'' 
 
 `` Of course you do. What did you expect to feel?'' 
 
 `` I dunno... immortal? Special? A little tingling?'' His companion laughed, and raised his hand to his face. `` I'll see you in a while,'' he whispered, and got up from the table, sniffing his hand. 
 
 
 And, later on, he did. The man whose hand he shook went on to meet a wonderful woman and have three happy children. He became the headmaster of a prestigious school, and an affluent member in his community. He hosted barbecues, threw parties, and was beloved by everybody he met. He had nothing to lose. 
 
 And then, like a flash, his wife died one evening. She was 62 when her heart stopped as she slept, wrapped up tight in a blanket next to her husband. He often remembered how they'd planned to go on a hike that morning he found her. They'd walk through the beautiful forest and see all of the life bursting from every tree and rock on their path. 
 
 And then, one day, his children started to die too. The agreement he'd made ensured that he'd age until the age of 40, so he could live relatively comfortable but have time to grow used to his agelessness. Because of this, he'd had to quit working in his school, throwing the fantastic parties, and even leaving his home. He never saw his children after his wife's funeral, and never met any of his grandchildren. 
 
 When his final child died, he found out via Facebook, which his grandkids posted often to. He turned off the computer for a long time after that. 
 
 What felt like a month later, he turned the thing back on to find that it was broken. He left the small house, and realized that the world had changed. Skyscrapers surrounded him, sleek and metal, and people rode by on shiny bicycles. A television screen proudly announced, 
 
 REALLY, BOBBY? IT'S 3001, YOU CA N'T BE SEEN USING THAT OLD THING. TRY OUR NEW **WONDER-BIKE™**. 
 
 `` W-what?'' 
 
 `` What's time,'' said the cigar smoker, bringing his fingers to his nose and inhaling deeply. 
 
 `` To you?'' 
 
 As he spoke, a plane whizzed overhead, and dropped a nearly invisible blue sphere. It whistled on the way down, and people who saw it screamed and cried for their lives. It hit the ground with an earth-shattering roar, slamming his body with what felt like all the strength in the universe. He felt healthier than ever before.
