Who Wants To Live Forever
by Mandi B. Gordon

There's no time for us,
There's no place for us,
What is this thing that builds our dreams, Yet slips away from us.
Tommy chuckled as he drove to Joe's bar. Early that morning he got a call from his bartender bud that Kim was there and wanted to see him. He had gotten dressed and into the car in a hurry. It took him five hours to drive from Angel Grove, California to Seacouver, Washington. He was so excited about seeing Kim again and talking to Joe. Tommy changed the radio station to a more lively station. The song was happy and energetic. Tommy's mood matched the song completely. He passed a Dojo on his way to Joe's. Two men were walking out of the Dojo. One was a red headed teen that seemed to be a little older than Tommy and one was a man that looked to be around thirty years old. Tommy tried to read what the sign over the store said when a car came his way at an incredible speed. Tommy saw it and tried to dodge the car but it was out of control and hit him head on.

Who wants to live forever,
Who wants to live forever.....?
Oooooohhhhh....

Tommy woke up with sharp intake of breath. He felt cold and naked. Tommy sat up and looked around a little disoriented.

"Where am I?" Tommy asked no one in particular.

"Here put these on quick." A deep baritone voice said as some clothes were tossed in Tommy's direction.

"What?" Tommy asked confused as he started to get dressed.

"Hurry up!" The owner of the voice who happened to be the man from the Dojo hissed. "We got to get out of here before they come back."

Tommy shut up as he finished getting dressed. He joined the man at the door when he was done. The red head that was with the man was standing outside the door keeping an eye out for intruders. When the teen nodded an okay the man grabbed Tommy's wrist and dragged him out of the cold room.

"I-I remember passing your place and then a car hitting mine." Tommy whispered. "Did I pass out?"

"Something like that." The man replied as he looked over his shoulder.

Tommy looked over his shoulder and read the name of the room. It was the Morgue. Tommy felt like he was going to be sick.

There's no chance for us,
It's all decided for us,
This world has only one sweet moment set aside for us.

"Okay... let me get this straight." Tommy sighed as he looked at Joe who sat across from him in the bar. "I died. But I didn't die. I can't stay dead unless my head is cut off. Right?"

"Something like that." Joe replied.

"So I am going to be eighteen forever?" Tommy asked still confused.

"You will never see nineteen." The man who dragged him out of the morgue sighed. "You also need to learn how to defend yourself."

"Why's that?" Tommy asked. "Is someone going to come after me because I can't die?"

"Well yeah." The red head replied. "We are in this thing called The Game. There are rules and one of those rules is learning how to fight."

"That's nothing new." Tommy sighed. "I've been fighting for my life for over three years now. Uh... I never got your names."

"I'm Richie Ryan, and this is Duncan MacLeod." The red head smiled. "What do you mean by fighting for your life?"

"Angel Grove." Joe sighed as he thought. "That place sounds familiar.... Wait a second... You're one of the Power Rangers!"

"Yeah." Tommy smiled. "We've been fighting forces of evil for years now. Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, Master Vile, The Machine Empire, and Divatox. Wait till I tell the others. They will flip."

"You can't tell the others Tom." Joe sighed. "They know you're dead."

"What?!" Tommy's face drained of color at that statement.

Who wants to live forever,
Who dares to love forever,
When love must die.

"Kim was there and identified your body Tommy." Duncan explained. "It was hard on her; you didn't look good when she did. She took your clothes, your watch, and some weird band on your arm before she left."

"You mean I can never see my friends again?" Tommy whispered. "I can never tell Kim how much I love her?"

When all three men shook their heads Tommy felt his life go down the tube. He was alone, again, forever. In a burst of anger, and adrenaline Tommy ran out of the Bar and into the park that was about a mile away.

But touch my tears with your lips,
Touch my world with your fingertips,
And we can have forever,
And we can love forever,
Forever is our today,

When Tommy got to the park he kept running till his lungs hurt and his legs gave out. He landed in the dirt hard and just laid there sobbing. Kim was gone, his life stripped from him in one brief moment of carelessness and now he had to spend an eternity alone and fighting to stay alive. He looked up into the sky and screamed.

"Why?!" Tommy cried. "Why am I cursed?!" Tommy pushed his face into the earth as he sobbed. He thought he should just ask Duncan to end it and take his head, or Richie. All he wanted was his endless suffering to stop before it even started. His thoughts were a whirlwind in his head. They would have stayed that way but a feeling overcame him. It was in him and around him all at once. Tommy looked up and saw Richie standing over him with a understanding look on his face.

Who wants to live forever,
Who wants to live forever,
Forever is our today,

Night found them walking around the park and exchanging life stories. Tommy told Richie about the spells put on him, the death of Shana, and all the crap he went through. Richie in turn told him about his life and how his friend died while he lived.

"So you know how I feel?" Tommy asked Richie as they walked around the park.

"Some ways more than others." Richie replied. "I lost a lot of people dear to me due to my immortality. But I held on to the good memories and trashed the bad ones."

"But I don't want to just drop Kim and the others. They need me... The world needs me." Tommy protested.

"That part of the world can't have you. Those bad guys you mention, they used you to hurt your friends. If you went back there and those creeps got their hands on you a lot of bad stuff could happen. It's safer for you and your friends."

"Yeah I guess you're right." Tommy sighed. "So I just got to wait till I find the right path in my life."

"We all do." Richie replied. "Just remember.... There can be only one. And you may have to wait for a long time."

"I know." Tommy chuckled. "But who wants to live forever?"

Who waits forever anyway?

End