The village we come from was beyond remote. To reach civilization, we had to journey through various roads, paths, and steps. Our way of life was extremely primitive. We grew our own food on self-cultivated land, bathed in shallow streams, and cooked our meals with self-improvised wooden stoves. Our population had always been the same, nineteen, until it was wiped by a lethal virus.
My sister and I were the only survivors while everyone else died within a day. “Take care of your sister,” our father said with his dying breath, “Find civilization, survive this.”
For three days, we journeyed across rivers and farmlands. That first afternoon, my sister began to cough and by the time night had descended, she had become feverish. “You go on ahead,” she urged.
I shook my head, “No, I’m not leaving you.” I refuse to be the sole survivor.
I carried her on my back and journeyed on. By the time we reached the steps, I was exhausted and that’s when I heard my sister murmur, “I’m going home.”
(~175 words)
I am participating in Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writer, where we write a piece between 100 and 150 words (more or less 25 words) in length inspired by the photo prompt above.
This is Another Story 
How sad. She carried her sister on her back to try and get her to survive but she is going to die anyway. She will be the sole survivor! Wonderful story, Yinglan!
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Yes, it’s sure sad. I had an ebbing before I even began writing, the same feeling every time I kill off a character. So I guess you can say this story was in a way written backwards. 🙂
It’s her big brother who carried her, by the way, but I can see it going either way.
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Oh, her big brother. Thanks for the explanation. Hope you are feeling better from killing off your character. 😀
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I felt better after I finished the story. 😀 At least she died peacefully.
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Yes, she did and she was “going home.” That is comforting.
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How very sad, but I admire your narrator for her dedication. I hope she’ll find happiness after her ordeal. Nicely done!
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I hope so too. Thank you for reading.
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Nice post, enjoyed reading it even though it was very sad. Pity the story couldn’t continue may have made a great book, just to find out if she survived?.
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I have a pretty good feeling the narrator survived. Thank you for reading. 🙂
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Heart touching…
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Thanks.
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Oh, Yinglan. I love the dytopia-ish premise and the touching way you have let the story flow. Great, job!
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Thank you, for some reason, I’m into writing dystopian stories lately, maybe it has something to do with the book I’m reading.
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Yes. I experienced that, too. The story I wrote, where you commented, is inspired by the book I am currently reading. 🙂
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Nice.
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🙂
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Powerful stuff. If she survives this, she’d carry the legacy of her entire tribe. What a weight on one’s shoulder.
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I agree, it would be such a huge weight on the narrator’s shoulder to carry but at the same time, I think the narrator’s young enough to adapt and maybe forget the culture of his past. Thank you for reading.
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It sad being the sole survivor. Hope he/she could find civilisation and live to tell his/her children the story.
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Let’s hope. 🙂 Thank you for reading.
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good story, Yinglan.
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Thanks.
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It’s sad that he carried her so far only for her to still die before they managed to reach civilization. I hope he manages to build a happy new life. Good story, Yinglan. 🙂
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It’s sure sad. I hope he’ll build a happy life too. Thank you for reading.
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She did what her father asked of her and what she really wanted to do. It’s sad that her sister could not made it home, yet she did go home…. better place and a peaceful one. Beautiful , heartwarming story.
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Thank you.
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such a sad, but well-written tale
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Thank you.
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My pleasure 🙂
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