A Hero's Funeral

A Story by Brian C

This is my first story on here. I was feeling inspired the other day, and came up with a little something. This is the result.

A Hero’s Funeral

Our boots met the cold, rough floor again. It was the only thing to focus on. Not the sound of boots meeting stone, as there was hardly a sound, but the feeling of throwing a foot down and feeling yourself move forward. It was the kind of focus where we weren't distracted at all; we could feel every step, and that knowledge gave comfort.

Our GloFriend lights pierced the cold darkness ahead of us. Behind us was the warm dark. It was only the past. No going back now. Our heads would not turn around, out of sheer exhaustion, and out of the fear that we might look back and see we were only a few steps gone; surely this quest was only a dream. Our lights shining off the sharp edges of the cave reminded us that no, we were actually going through with this.

We could feel the floor starting to slope up. It couldn't be too far now. Again, I could almost feel the white lights of the tubes glowing on my back. I could feel the Vice Minister grabbing me by the shoulder and whipping me around: Where do you think you're going, son?! I shook the thought from my head and marched on. Glancing sideways at Varine, I took a deep breath. She looked back at me and nodded. It was time. No more hesitation.

Just like that, a wall was before us. We quickly pulled out our RadiaFriends. In the yellow. How many times had we looked at the gauge and saw only green? Of course, we had no helmets. No one had owned a helmet in 200 years. Ahead of me, Varine was touching the wall. I walked over to her. We both watched as her fingertips felt an uneven surface. It was rough on the wall. Rocks. Yes, this was it. But it was over before it even began.

We examined the rest of the room. I couldn’t believe it. All this time, all this work. Blinded with tears, I punched the wall with fury. This couldn’t be it. My dream was shattering before my eyes.

A voice broke through my nightmare. Varine cried out and waved me over. There, on the bottom of this cave wall. Another rock. And it was loose!

We both looked at each other with wide eyes. Could this be it? The secret passage? We quickly pried the rock loose. A hole just big enough to crawl through. Who knows what we would find at the end of this tunnel. Varine stepped aside and let me go first. The whole thing was your idea, she said. You should lead us on.

We crawled on our bellies for what felt like hours. After a while, I saw it. That beautiful, dim, barely visible wonder. I couldn't contain myself. I raced forward on my elbows and knees. Our journey was coming to an end. The tiny tunnel finally ended and we stepped out into a larger cave passage. Now, the light was huge. It was the most light I had ever seen. The only light I had ever seen. We walked side by side towards the end. Rather, we glided. I didn't feel my boots hit the floor this time.

We decided to check our RadiaFriends one last time. They were approaching the red. This truly was it. How many miles had we walked? How many chains did we break?

Finally, I could see dark among the light. Our shining beacon became less amorphous, more defined. Soon, it was right in front of us. My heart seemed to slow down. Everything slowed down. We were waving and kicking our feet against the current. Everything stopped. Just in that moment.

Suddenly, I felt something coming from deep within. That warm feeling that courses through your veins. I could feel a force moving forward. It was like a fist that flew out and shattered the barrier. We were free. Together, hand in hand, Varine and I walked into the night.

We saw nothing but gray and brown. A vast expanse of nothing but drab. A beautiful, amazing, humbling expanse of desolation. We could not see the ceiling of the sky. We could not see where the world ended.

We looked up and gazed at the ocean before us. Lights upon lights. Bright, crisp, piercing through the sky. Nothing in our way. Just us and this wondrous maze. They were called stars, if I recalled correctly.

I felt a hand grip my arm. Confused, I quickly turned towards Varine. Her eyes were crazy, panic stricken across her face. She shakily lifted a hand towards her neck. She gasped. Nothing.

It all happened in a blur. I suddenly felt tight, narrow. Deflated. The cold of the night was nothing compared to the numb that washed over me. I managed to look up at the sky. The stars were sharper still. Sharper than I could have imagined. Each one reached me like a companion. The gray and brown around us was flooded with clarity.

We both doubled over, clutching our necks. I could barely see Varine in my frantic display. Arms and legs jerked around, trying to stop the numbness. Soon, we could struggle no more. We both slumped to the ground. With my strength seeping from me, I turned my head towards Varine. When our eyes met, they were no longer filled with terror. They were filled with calm realization. Satisfaction. In that moment, I felt no heartbreak. We had done the impossible. We had seen our planet, in all its brief glory.

The stars loomed above us as our eyes finally closed. Though my world was fading to black, it seemed like the stars brightened. They shone down upon us. Here lie the bravest humans who ever lived. May their spirit continue to climb the heavens. To them, the world gives its thanks.

© 2015 Brian C

Author's Note

Looking for feedback of any kind.

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JazmanianDevil

I liked this story a lot. I was just a little confused on the actual death. Were they soldiers? or were they like adventurers? I'm not the brightest bulb in the shed and sometimes things go over my head. It was well written and vague enough to make me want to finish it. Keep up the great writing and I'll definitely read more of your work!