
“Did it make a difference?”
Jaimie wasn’t sure if there was a point to asking. Would Death even answer?
The figure shrugged. “Does it ever?”
“But it has too,” Jaimie said, “I can’t have sacrificed my life for nothing.”
“No, not for nothing,” Death answered, “For time. For those whom you love.”
Jaimie sighed, “When it is over, said and done, it was a time, and there was never enough of it.”
Death nodded. “Whether enough or not, they can thank you for whatever time they now have.”
Jaimie nodded. When the alarms sounded, he had acted on pure instinct. One punch, and the airtight-sealed emergency doors had shut and locked. The pathogen would not escape. No one else would be infected. Including his family.
“I’m ready.”
The figure smiled. “Close your eyes.”
As the darkness closes in, don’t curse it: light a candle.
for dVerse Poets’ Prosery Monday: A Time (pubtended by Merril Smith)
The pub is still open! Come join us!
Categories: haikai, haiku community
A true hero. Thank you for this take on the prompt.
The conversation part reminds me of Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal,” where the knight and Death play chess.
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Nicely done. I enjoyed reading this.
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