Seven days…
Seven saintly virtues…
Patience
As he took the bullet, centuries passed before his eyes.
His body thumped against the steps, the blood of innocents collecting on the rock from his pouring veins. She kept running.
His sacrifice bled out unnoticed.
He’d seen it coming. He’d always seen it coming. Waiting had been the hardest part.
Her life flashed before him, a fraction of a second he’d spent meticulously following from its mortal birth. Millennia ago, the Fates had warned him of his death.
Like a fool he’d scorned it until it was clear how to save her…
His mortal daughter…
His flesh and blood…
This post is part of the Seven Days, Seven Saintly Virtues Blog Challenge started by the lovely Lady Antimony of the blogThoughts, Musings and Broken Promises.
Are your virtues this instinctual…?
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Saving a moral means the end of immortality. I like it! I also like that he was waiting for his death but didn't understand why he was going to die until then. (also like your taste in photo accessories, I think I used that one for my temperance post)
Ooh, I really like this one. Nice work.
I like your take on Patience, waiting for your death even if is to save someone you love is tough. You've captured the feel of the moment the warning comes true.
You've captured so much in here – I love the enormous breadth of his vision and experience contrasted with the selfless brevity of his death. And it's truly virtuous, which I don't think I'm managed once!
Great fiction post. I want more!!!
He'd known it was coming but he scorned the truth? Ah, it seems even immortals don't always listen. And yet once his daughter was born, the need his sacrifice became apparent and he waited patiently for its fulfillment. How sad that she didn't even notice.
Bittersweet piece! That's a worthy death though.
Sorry Susie, the challenge is only a hundred words, but perhaps when I go back to normal fiction posting you'll get a bigger bite with that.
Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments!
Poignant. Touching. So much left unsaid.
Yeah, I'm betting that she knew the weight of what he did for her–or will discover it that he gave up an immortal life to save her mortal one. That sort of paternal love is really inspiring, I love your worlds and characters.