“I will never forget the sacrifice they made, nor let it be in vain.”

Clara stared at her captain. She hated when he got like this, all self-righteous and misty eyed. It was annoying, and it was dangerous for now only him, but the entire crew as well. They’d lost 4 members before when he went on a tirade like this, and she wasn’t prepared to let them lose another. “So this means that you’re gonna have us go into a heavily guarded facility, all guns a-blazin’ just for a few vials of a vaccine?”

“Clara,” he started. It was a warning, but this time she wasn’t going to back down.

“No! God damnit, listen to me!” She pulled herself upright, stood in his face so he had nowhere to look but at her. The rest of the crew held back, some even lingering at the door. It was a risky move, and out there in the edges of space his word was absolute. He could hit her or discipline her in any fashion he saw fit. And that even included shoving her dead weight into Pre-Boarding and dumping her ass into space. She was hoping he’d be more rational than that. “I get what you’re fighting for. I get it. You’re like that old tale of that guy who stole from the rich and gave to the poor…only this time you’re giving to a society instead of the general public… But Captain, those people, they don’t even have a Homo-sapien gene in them. Who’s to say the vaccine will actually work? Hell, it could make them worse! It could kill them! We have no idea the effects our medical practices will have on an alien species!”

He stared at her, his grey eyes cold, unfriendly, set on a course. “It’s a chance we’ll have to take.” He turned to walk away but she called him back.

“Thayden!”

He reared on her, grabbed her by her collar and flung her backwards into the table. She didn’t fight, she didn’t even yell. She just gathered herself, turned her pleading desperate eyes to him as he breathed heavy and shook. After all, he wasn’t all Homo-sapien either. “They died for me!” He screamed. “They believed a lie and I let them and they died for me!”

Clara countered. “They were an uncivilized colony who believed in magic and polytheism. Of course you looked like a god to them!”

Thayden angrily cleared off one of the counters. Everything went to the floor in loud crashes and clatters. If he gave in to that other side of him, the alien side of him, one of his tantrums could tear the ship apart. “They killed themselves getting me off that planet, and I will kill myself saving what is left of their race!” He bared his teeth angrily, pointed at his crew. “Get your weapons ready. We leave in an hour. Anyone who doesn’t come along will be punish by me and sentenced to space.” He stormed off and left the crew in a stifling silence.

497 words w/o Prompt
511 words w/ Prompt
@TheWriterMegan

...Now I forgot the title.

It's "Homecoming".

F “I will never forget the sacrifice he made, nor let it be in vain,” Saul said.

“But you were caught by Great Pig anyway. It just doesn’t feel right. Something happened in Great Pig Hall that we aren’t aware of.” Gappé paused, waiting for Saul to return from the Space Between. The never-ending cycle of stepping out and being pulled back into its slime had become tiresome and he did not have to endure it as Saul did. “As I was saying,” he started again when Saul came back into view. “Something happened in there that we don’t know about. You always trust them no matter what and this time look what it’s done for you.”

“You don’t know what happened. You only speculate and expect the worst from everyone. I admit Frank isn’t always the most trust worthy of my friends. He acts sly on the Second Plain as well as on the other side. Well he did on the Second Plain; now that that part of his is gone I can…”

“Believe that he did it for you,” Gappé interrupted then stopped, thinking of a new way to approach this topic but he couldn’t think of anything. “I guess you’re right. I don’t have any proof that he didn’t do it for you. I just find it odd that Great Pig knew exactly where to find you and keep me and the others away on the other side of the crater.”

“He has other people working for him all over the place. Someone else could’ve seen us up there and reported us.”

“I suppose.”

“Besides, I don’t think that is our biggest problem of the moment…” Before he could finish his statement, the gooey tendrils of the Space Between pulled Saul back within its lair. “Damn it, that’s getting old. Nasty shit. We need to figure out how to get me out of this.”

“We’re working on it. Keiradra is asking around at the Agency. Everyone is doing what they can. I do have an idea but I need to be sure before I get your hopes up.”

Saul shook his head. He felt the pull start and just let it happen. It didn’t make any difference. This was all his fault and he would take the punishment, even if it meant staying in the undulating ooze surrounding him for a lifetime.

“You enjoyed it didn’t you?” He opened his eyes to Gappé staring at him expectantly. “Playing hide and seek with him. Did helping to free the ones you could along the way matter?”

“Yes of course helping them mattered. The game with him was just part of it. It was exciting though.” He smirked.

“Then quit feeling sorry for yourself. This is not going to be forever. I promise.”

For the first time in quite a while, Saul actually felt as though there was hope.

@ChuckWesJ

479 Words

<em>We will never forget the sacrifice they made, nor let it be in vain.</em>

Diana traced her fingers across the plaque. It had almost become a ritual, the time she spent with this plaque. It was the last momento he’d left.

Of course, she had his clothes—some of them; she couldn’t bear to keep them all, hanging across from her so still, still so full of his smell. And she had games—he’d always been a child at heart, but she’d loved him for it. He’d made her realize how much joy could be had in even the simplest things. And she had his car, which she’d never sell, but hadn’t been able to touch for years.

Their son asked her every now and then, when was long enough to start living again? She didn’t know how to tell him she didn’t know how to live without him. She didn’t even know where to start.

The routine was easy—get up, get dressed, go work. Come home, cook, go to bed. But anything else? How could she possibly do it without him? What was the point?

He had been her life, had given everything meaning. And now that was gone. Meaning was gone.

She felt a burn so familiar in her eyes that she didn’t question it, but simply let the tears scald her cheeks without reserve.

She traced her fingers across the engraved words one more time, then noticed the time. She was late. She stood so quickly that she knocked the plaque aside. She barely caught it before it flew off the table, but beneath was a folded handkerchief.

She sat the plaque aside, picked up the handkerchief. It was the one he;d tucked into his jacket pocket when they got married. She pressed it to her nose, uncaring of dust and found that yes, somehow he lingered there, too. Something hard bumped her nose and she unfolded the slip of fabric.

His ring fell out, bounced to the floor and rolled under the bed. She stared after its path. He’d died with his ring on. Hadn’t he?

She ducked to her knees, scrambled after the ring and sat on the floor with it once recovered. She rolled it between her fingers, let the light catch its inscription.

“Always means just that. Remember.”

She pressed it to her trembling lips. How could she ever forget? She closed her eyes and for the briefest moment, she thought she felt something, something like him, a memory, a whisper, a fragment that sat beside her.

“Remember. But let go, baby.”

Her eyes flew open and she dropped the ring when she heard the voice, jumping up. The room was empty.

She picked the ring back up, placed it back in handkerchief and under the plaque.

<em>…nor let it be in vain.</em><em> </em>

She wiped her eyes. It wouldn’t be in vain. Never.

@J_M_Blackman
481

Based on characters and events in my new novel, Terminal Restraint:

I will never forget the sacrifice they made, nor let it be in vain. It was not a human sacrifice, as the media so often erroneously implied, but rather a human effigy, a doll really, made of straw and hastily sewn together scraps of cloth. The old woman had disrobed, and she was chanting and screaming, tears streaming from her eyes. These were the Satanic, greater black magic spells that I’d never had the fortune to witness, and despite my condition, I was thankful for that. I knew they were trying to help me, trying to save my life, but Jillian’s aunt was even scarier than me in my current state.

The man in the suit was on the ground in front of me, his face pale and his eyes distant. The bullet had entered under his armpit, and I could only imagine the organs it punctured as it barreled through his innards. Just like his knife had done to me.

I faintly heard Jillian’s aunt screaming something at me, and so I dove on top of the huge man, pulling his face toward mine and feeling his life drain from him. That same high I got from the other encounters, the old security guard and the two drug-addicts, overcame me with an incredible ferocity, and for a few moments I really did believe this wild story.

Jillian’s black magic protection spell really had turned me into a soul-stealing, undead monster. A wight, I believe, is what she had called it. I had no idea if this was going to work, if I would ever be able to hold Malaya in my arms again, but as I felt myself slipping away, I knew one thing: I had gotten my revenge. My friends were safe, and I had found my murderer.

311 words
@rastrohman

“She will never forget the sacrifice she made, nor let it be in vain. To Eliana!”

Loud guffaws filled the room, and the crowd echoed with whistles and catcalls, “To Eliana!” and drank enthusiastically to her health.

The bride in question guffawed loudest of all and tossed her champagne back with melodramatic flair. It would be followed hard and fast by three beers, two margaritas, and four B52s. Nobody counted, not today; but when the last of the guests stumbled out of the chilly hotel ballroom, nobody remembered to look for her, either, or wonder why they’d not sent her off in a flurry of bubbles or rice or sparklers to her honeymoon.

Nobody remembered except the groom who, bleary-eyed with exhaustion, eventually found her dead asleep beneath the head table, veil missing, gown torn.

She stared up at him in groggy confusion when he gently shook her shoulders. “Are you the DJ?”

“Eliana. Let’s go, my love.” He spoke quietly, patiently.

A grin lit her face as recognition struck. “My husband! You’re my husband.”

“That’s what the preacher said.” He helped her up, but after an unsteady moment, she collapsed at his feet, snorting with laughter.

“I can’t stand up, Husband.”

“I can see that. Perhaps I should carry you.” He grinned back down at her.

“That would be nice, Husband,” she said, still giggling. “You should carry me anyway. I’m your wife now.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said, scooping her up. It was an awkward and ungraceful undertaking, with the white gown billowing around them, blocking his view, and the bride unable to provide the smallest assistance; but he managed the long trek to their room, dropping her heavily onto the bed at last with a sigh of relief.

“You’re nice,” said Eliana.

“Always a pleasure to be of assistance,” said the groom. “Now how about I help you out of this contraption?”

“Okay,” she said, not moving. He rolled her over, still gently, and she felt him fumbling with the hooks and buttons. “It was a pretty wedding, wasn’t it?”

“The prettiest, though not half as pretty as my bride. Ha! Got one.”

“I had to sacrifice, you know. That’s what everybody says. Marrying you was a sacrifice.”

“And I will always be grateful. Another one! I’m on a roll.”

“A sacrifice!” she shouted. “I sacrificed!”

His fingers at the back of her gown stilled. “Yes.”

“I gave up the world for you!”

“Yes.”

“I had everything before I met you!”

“Yes.”

She twisted to look up at him, slender fingers lightly brushing his cheek. “No, you sweet idiot.”

“What?”

“They’re wrong.”

“Who?”

“All of them.” She smiled, sadly now. “Every last one of them’s wrong. I had nothing before I met you, do you hear me?? Nothing.”

His eyes glowed. “Oh?”

“And sacrifice? They wouldn’t recognize sacrifice if they were bound, gagged, and lying on an altar.”

His glow became a bonfire. “To Eliana!” he whispered, and turned out the lights.

496 terribly late and uncooperative words
@postupak