“Departure”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: “Why can’t I go?”

“Why can’t I go too?” Ren whines, pulling at my sleeve.

I cross my arms. “Because I say you can’t.”

“But I really want to go!”

“Well, tough.” I yank my sleeve away from him, causing his wails to grow louder. I roll my eyes. “Look, we’ll be back before you know it.”

He sniffles and wipes his nose. “I’ll miss you,” he whispers before launching himself into my arms.

I sigh. “Yeah, yeah, okay.”

Finally, he lets me go and takes a step back. I head back to join Orshi at our pod entrance.

“You’re going to miss him,” Orshi murmurs, glancing back at Ren. “Even if you won’t admit it, you will.”

“No I won’t,” I say stiffly. “Plus, it’s for his own good.”

“I know,” she says before sighing. “You never told him the truth, did you?”

My heart crumbles slightly, but I quickly regain my composure. “It’s better that he doesn’t know.”

“And what happens if you end up not coming back?”

I look Orshi directly in the eye. “I’ll come back.” My attention drifts to Ren. “I have to.”

Final Comments: I feel like the characterization didn’t really work. I needed to include more inner conflict in the protagonist.

Overall Rating: 😣