The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

Sacrifice  
by Alex Grehy

When I was young I was a hero, holding the sun

aloft with my upraised arms, my fingertips barely

feeling its pressure. The old ones applauded on

the shore, praising my fortitude with joyous psalms,

then left me to it.

.

I rejoiced, prideful, certain my strength would save the world.

.

Time passed and the sun weighed heavier each

year, crushing my arms, tumbling onto my head,

scorching my thoughts. I begged the old ones for

support but they just scorned my weakness,

then left me to it.

.

I was shamed by my frailty, feared the consequences of my failure.

.

The sun is setting, and I am on my knees in the

rising sea, back straining to hold our destruction

at bay. I scream unheard. The old ones sit in the

gloaming, their orchestra of murmurs whining a

symphony of blame. The refrain? “Our hero let us down!”

yet still they leave me to it.

.

The sun burns through my resistance, sizzles into the ocean,

extinguishes my last dream, had we all been heroes,

could our fate have been different? 

.

Fiction © Copyright Alex Grehy
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from author Alex Grehy:

Last Species Standing

Alex Grehy (she/her) enjoys writing quirky, thought-provoking horror and is a regular contributor to The Sirens Call and Ladies of Horror Flash Project. Her fiction and essays on being a lady of horror have featured in a range of publications, including Spread: Tales of Deadly Flora. Alex’s first poetry collection, Last Species Standing, which explores mankind’s relationship with nature and technology, is available on Amazon.

Available on Amazon!