Flash Fiction Friday – The Immortal

Hey guys! It’s time for Flash Fiction Friday!

I was watching the first half of Return of the King today with my parents, and tonight’s flash fiction piece, rather than being a Dixit prompt or from some prompt generator, is inspired by the character Arwen and the idea of an immortal sire to mortal progeny.

Here it is:

The girl had hugged her tightly around the waist, tears stinging in her eyes. Saying goodbye to her had been the hardest part.
“But why must you leave, great mother?” she had asked. “Don’t you love us anymore?”
“Of course I do, my sweet. And you above all.”
“Then why?”
She had not been able to answer. “When you are older, maybe you will understand.”
As she rode, she wondered if the girl every would understand. If any of them, any of those who touched her heart that extra little bit, ever did understand. If they knew, years later as they studied their aging faces in the looking glass, that this was the sight she had fled from. For cruel as it may seem, of all the generations she had sired, it was only the rare few she could not stand to see die.
She could see the castle in the distance now. She knew they would treat her like a queen. They would greet her with all the respect and admiration a great mother deserved and, gradually, the pain of departure would fade into the warmth of belonging. And for a short while, a few decades or half a century, she would be very happy there.

This was a quick job but I like how it turned out. I may turn this notion into a larger story at some point. And now I must be off, because it’s the first day of Camp NaNo and I haven’t really gotten started yet.