The Pilgrimage

Special thanks goes to The Capillary for all her help and encouragement. I highly recommend reading some the excellent flash fiction she has posted on her blog.

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The Pilgrimage ~ 437 words

Shadows crept across the wall as the five pilgrims walked in silence. Each carried a single red rose that stood out like a drop of blood against their drab attire. They picked their way through the rubble until they could go no further.

They waited beneath the age-worn statue of a soldier. Chelsie began to sob; her tears leaving shiny white tracks on her dirty cheeks. Those nearest to her stepped away, only one of them glancing at Chelsie as she did so, lines of worry creasing her face. Everyone else busied themselves with looking elsewhere.

Above the sound of her sobs, they heard someone approaching. A man, dragging his right foot with each step, drew near and it was not long before he stood in front of them. He stood as straight as a stick as he looked them each over and his gaze rested finally on the sobbing young girl. “Why so sad little one, are you not honoured to be here?”

She nodded as she began to cry harder still. Coming closer, he put an arm on her shoulder. “This is no place for a child like you. Such a sad place for one so young. What’s your name?”

Sniffing, she finally looked up at him and smiled tentatively. “Chelsie”

“You’ve come a long way, Chelsie. You should be proud of yourself.” He patted her head and looked at the other four people that were with her. At his gaze, they all glanced away. “My name is Colonel James McElhanney. You can call me Mac.”

Chelsie’s eyes went wide as she stepped away and looked down at the ground, her smile melting. The rose in her hand shook and a single petal drifted to the ground between them. Mac reached out and lifted her chin until she was looking up at him. “You should lay your rose down to honour the fallen. That is what you have come to do, isn’t it?”

Trembling, she leaned down and touched the rose to the ground near the base of the statue. Looking up, her eyes searched his before releasing the stem. He smiled and placed her arm in his. “That is such a sweet gesture.”

Mac took one last look at the others and made a sweeping motion with two fingers towards them. With a hurried step, he led Chelsie away. They hadn’t gone far enough for her to miss the sounds gunfire. She shuddered.

“Their sacrifice shall not be forgotten.” She said in voice too quiet to be heard. The words that had been said so often meant more now than they ever had before.