"The Last Hero" by Erica J. Kingdom
1
Tim
Tim
I’m drenched with dark and sticky blood. The copper smell goes up my nose. I want to be sick. It might be for the best that I’m stuck here for the foreseeable future. It means I’m safe. It means I’m home. Although my eyes sting whenever I look at the light and it’s hard to get up and drink. At least I’m alive, though.
“I never stood a chance, did I?” I say, with timidness soaking through.
“That’s the sad part you did, once.” He sighs. “If you didn’t mess around and think you were ready; then you would have fought the great One and become victorious. Right now, you are lying there, bloody and broken.”
“But I…”
“No, Tim. Overconfidence became your downfall, and you knew it. I told you so many times.”
I hang my head. “I bet you’re disappointed in me, then?”
“No, Tim. I could never be disappointed in you. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Loss of?”
“Me. I’m leaving you. Ending this partnership. You don’t listen to me.”
“But master-”
“You don’t get to speak, Tim. It’s over.” He lets me feel the ice cold temperature in the room. It’s made worse by everything else. Right now, none of the other stuff matters. He licks his lips. Once. Wets them. He goes to speak, but doesn’t. He sighs. The twilight outside sprays on the books, casting half of his face in shadows. I know Master well, but I didn’t think it would ever come to this. “I’ve left the books on the side for you. When she comes back around, then I won’t be here. I’ll only come back if the world is ending - and that isn’t likely.”
Master removes his hood, glancing at me in the eyes. His wolf-like, blue eyes show me the error of my ways. I was too overconfident. He lets his blue robe fall to the floor. His grey facial hair starts to dry. The wetness of his clothes, drenched in my blood shows me how much he cares.
“It’s tearing me up inside to do this…”
“Then don’t, Master.”
“I need many other places. The day has come too soon, but alas, I can’t do anything else to help you. You don’t listen to me. Because of that,” he pauses, grabbing the piece of half burnt paper, placing it onto the table, "I hope you’re going to realise your mistakes.”
Without saying another word, he walks over to the door. He looks at me once, ripping his red hood off the hanger and putting it on. “Goodbye, Timothy.”
The door slams shut.
The hollow feeling in my heart expands, reaching deep into my chest and ripping my heart out. It’s like I’m being shown my heart, beating with sorrow and a twinge of loss.
Oh Tim, you know what you’ve done. You shouldn't ever try that again.
I know that I need to get back up off my feet, but the world feels too heavy. The responsibility as the chosen one - the hero to rule them all really weighs down on me. I don’t know if I can do it. The worst part is that I don’t know who I can turn to, now that Master is gone.
All I know is that if the world comes to an end, I need to make sure I can save him. I need to save everyone.
“I never stood a chance, did I?” I say, with timidness soaking through.
“That’s the sad part you did, once.” He sighs. “If you didn’t mess around and think you were ready; then you would have fought the great One and become victorious. Right now, you are lying there, bloody and broken.”
“But I…”
“No, Tim. Overconfidence became your downfall, and you knew it. I told you so many times.”
I hang my head. “I bet you’re disappointed in me, then?”
“No, Tim. I could never be disappointed in you. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Loss of?”
“Me. I’m leaving you. Ending this partnership. You don’t listen to me.”
“But master-”
“You don’t get to speak, Tim. It’s over.” He lets me feel the ice cold temperature in the room. It’s made worse by everything else. Right now, none of the other stuff matters. He licks his lips. Once. Wets them. He goes to speak, but doesn’t. He sighs. The twilight outside sprays on the books, casting half of his face in shadows. I know Master well, but I didn’t think it would ever come to this. “I’ve left the books on the side for you. When she comes back around, then I won’t be here. I’ll only come back if the world is ending - and that isn’t likely.”
Master removes his hood, glancing at me in the eyes. His wolf-like, blue eyes show me the error of my ways. I was too overconfident. He lets his blue robe fall to the floor. His grey facial hair starts to dry. The wetness of his clothes, drenched in my blood shows me how much he cares.
“It’s tearing me up inside to do this…”
“Then don’t, Master.”
“I need many other places. The day has come too soon, but alas, I can’t do anything else to help you. You don’t listen to me. Because of that,” he pauses, grabbing the piece of half burnt paper, placing it onto the table, "I hope you’re going to realise your mistakes.”
Without saying another word, he walks over to the door. He looks at me once, ripping his red hood off the hanger and putting it on. “Goodbye, Timothy.”
The door slams shut.
The hollow feeling in my heart expands, reaching deep into my chest and ripping my heart out. It’s like I’m being shown my heart, beating with sorrow and a twinge of loss.
Oh Tim, you know what you’ve done. You shouldn't ever try that again.
I know that I need to get back up off my feet, but the world feels too heavy. The responsibility as the chosen one - the hero to rule them all really weighs down on me. I don’t know if I can do it. The worst part is that I don’t know who I can turn to, now that Master is gone.
All I know is that if the world comes to an end, I need to make sure I can save him. I need to save everyone.
Erica J. Kingdom is a seventeen-year-old dual national writer from the UK who has been writing since she was thirteen. "The Last Hero" is an excerpt.