“Naptime”

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: Sleep.

“But Mama, I’m not tired,” Vella whined, reaching out so that her mother would unstrap her from her seat.

“I know, sweetie, but it’s naptime,” Brina said, stroking her daughter’s hair down. “Just close your eyes.”

“Can’t we play some more?” Vella asked, sticking her tongue out as she tried to undo her seatbelt. “Just five more minutes?”

Brina glanced over her shoulder before turning back to her daughter. “Not now,” she said, her voice trembling. She took a deep breath to steady her breathing before adding, “Naptime will be over before you know it, I promise.”

“Really?” Vella asked. “Promise?”

“I promise,” Brina whispered, a tear dripping down her cheek.

“Mama, why are you crying?”

Brina couldn’t hold her tears back any longer. They flowed freely as she looked into her daughter’s eyes. They still held the innocence only a child had; Brina intended to keep it that way.

“Mama?”

Brina leaned down and kissed the top of Vella’s head before smoothing her hair down again.

“Mama loves you,” she whispered. “Always remember that.”

“Mama?”

Vella reached out for her, but Brina had already pulled away.

“Mama loves you,” she repeated as she closed the door over the small capsule.

She pressed the button beside her and the capsule was ejected from the ship. Even though she couldn’t hear her daughter’s cries, her heart broke all the same.

Seconds later, the ship exploded, pushing the small capsule even further into space.

Final Comments: This feels like the beginning of every hero story ever…

Overall Rating: 🤔