“invincible”
You would be surprised how long the cloak of invincibility lasts. I had been hit by a motorcycle and walked away. I was 27 and still felt invincible. I guess invincible changed a little bit: it went from I will never die to There is the possibility that anything can happen to me, but I will survive it. Jess’s first car accident made her feel less invincible, but it wasn’t her fault and she was a good driver, so the cloak wrapped more firmly around her shoulders. Now, it lies in a pile at the edge of the median. Mine does too; I needed it for the plane, but I took it off, standing there as the cars raced past. I think Ashley left hers in the doorway of Jess’s room. When I talk about Jess, I feel people shrugging their shoulders, folding into their cloaks. I walk around the city and can see everyone draped in velvet like Harry Potter characters, chanting to themselves I will never die. Some hold their cloaks closer, as if there is a cold wind encircling them. These are the ones who repeat There is the possibility that anything can happen to me and I will survive it.
