Goodbye
By Mark_Daniels
- 1619 reads
PLEASE PLEASE BE BRUTALLY HONEST. EVEN IF IT YOU WORRY IT SOUNDS RUDE, I REALLY APPRECIATE CRITICISM OF ALL FORMS. THANKS.
He ran to her side where she lay silently amongst the rubble of the battle. He crouched down to cradle her head in his hands. Feeling the warmth of his hands she smiled and opened her eyes and looked into his. Her piercing green eyes met his, but they were withering. She was dying. He placed his sword next to her and smiled back although his eyes revealed the sadness. Up to this point everything the Book had prophesised had come true. The war, the battle, and the eventual victory of the Chosen who would bring salvation to the Empire.
“Hi,” Jacob said as their faces were close. “You did it. You killed him. You saved us all.” Her eyes closed for a moment and she opened them again, the relief in her face was obvious. Dirt and blood covered her. To him she still looked beautiful. She always would. Metres away the body of the General lay. His arrogance had been his downfall. He had tried, and failed, to enslave everyone in the Empire through murder, dishonesty and aggression. Sara’s powers were based on love, happiness, and joy and when he killed the innocent, it made her stronger. Each time he took life, her power grew until she was strong enough to face him. The battle could be seen for hundreds of miles as the bright incandescent lights and explosions caused by the diametric forms of power as they shook the ground and burnt the air. The immense powers had destroyed the town and the brick townhall lay in pieces nearby along with wooden homes that littered the surrounding ground. Survivors crawled out of the smouldering ruins trying to make sense of everything. Some stood nearby holding themselves watching Jacob and Sara.
“Okay," he said with sudden resolution. "Sara, let’s get you up and to a healer. The injuries don’t look too bad.” He looked down at her broken body. His optimism was a deceit even to himself. A part of him tried in vain to believe she was okay, but he knew the truth. Her eyes seemed to glaze for a second as she looked into the blue sky, and then she looked at Jacob again.
“No Jacob. The prophecy has to be completed. Victory came at a price, and that price is my life. You know it. Destiny can’t be altered… Take my hand” He looked away for a second as he accepted it. He knew. Had always known, and now he had to say farewell. Her life force would return to the life stream whence it came. Her physical presence on the Earth was to end, although a part of her would live into eternity.
“Sara...” he started now grabbing her hand tightly but stopped as pain shot through his side and he grimaced. She suddenly livened up a second with concern, “what’s wrong? Are you injured?” Jacob held his side in response.
“It’s nothing, I was slashed a little by the General’s men but the armour saved me. I’ll survive. You know me" He said and flashed that cheeky grin she loved so much. "Sara, listen. The war is over because of you. It’s over so why do you have to go?” She smiled again slightly, and coughed a little bringing up blood in her mouth that trickled down her face. Jacob’s anguish overpowered him and he began to cry.
“The prophecy has to be completed,” she said as her breath began to labour and her eyes closed again. He held her hand tighter.
“I don’t want to fight anymore. I have been a fighter my whole life, but meeting you… Everything has changed. Thanks to you I don’t have to fight anymore. We can have peace now. I… love you.”
Her eyes were closed as he spoke, her face calm, but opened them again for the last time and looked into Jacobs with one last smile. Her grip loosened. She was slipping away. “I love you too.” She laid her head on the ground again closing her eyes as her body went limp, “I will see you again.... Jacob"
“When?” he said shaking her hand gently tears running down his face. “Please… tell me when?”
But there was no answer. She was gone.
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Comments
Good piece, a dramatic scene.
Good piece, a dramatic scene. I like the idea that Sara drew strength from the crimes of the General and was able to destroy him.
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Very nicely done. Fantasy is
Very nicely done. Fantasy is not my thing but you kept my attention. A good balance of description and action.
A couple of suggestions for you:
Feeling the warmth of his hands she smiled and opened her eyes and looked into his. Her piercing green eyes met his, but they were withering.
Too many eyes in this. also I don't think withering is the word you're looking for - perhaps fading? beginning to glaze over?
Up to this point everything the Book had prophesised had come true. - should be prophesied.
Some stood nearby holding themselves watching Jacob and Sara.
Are you sure you don't mean holding each other?
Her eyes seemed to glaze for a second as she looked into the blue sky, and then she looked at Jacob again.
two lookeds very close together - find another word for the second one - maybe turned to Jacob instead?
She suddenly livened up a second with concern, “what’s wrong? Are you injured?” Jacob held his side in response.
Her concern for him revived her for a moment..
but opened them again for the last time and looked into Jacobs with one last smile
..with one final smile
Hope that helps - do write more soon!
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for me...
I felt you rushed your explanations of the powers used and the war... I admit that short stories aren't my genre however, this kind of fantasy usually lends itself well to longer writing.... altogether.
great drama however, even if, a bit hackneyed.
maisie Guess what? I'm still alive!
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Good story. Solid concept
Good story. Solid concept behind it, and a dramatic scene. Using the scene as the focal point and bringing the rest of the story in through that works well. However, I did that perhaps a bit too much explanation was pushed through in too big a lump, a bit too much to digest as once, and could maybe have been split up, or split between dialogue and exposition.
I agree that "withering" is probably the wrong word, and the general feel was that a bit too much of the emotional weight of the story was put into words directly and could benefit from having been implied more. But I thought this had a lot of good stuff in it, and could definitely shine with a little bit of editing.
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