Friday Flash: The Fortieth Time

What do I do with this tho.

(What? It’s Friday here!)

This is my entry for the Second Campaigner Challenge, which is kind of the King of Clusterfulandia. Basically, a 200 (oh excuse me, LESS! So I shot for a nice 199) word flash fiction based on five different prompts. Oh Lord. (I’m not listing all the requirements here. If you’re interested, click on the link!)

That said, here is my entry. Writing in my same genre, not sorry. Then again I write just about every genre except YA Paranormal Romance (why I will never be able to support myself writing, apparently) so I suppose it doesn’t even matter =P

As usual, this story takes place in the CROSS// universe. But you’ve never heard these names before.

No ~dirty language~ this week, but there is gun violence. (Also, I’m entry #80.)

Once children ran and played with each other on that bridge. But not today.
Not ever again.
Karra’s body slumped forward from the support beam and landed in the mud, her leg too broken to support her. Ireya sobbed beside her and readied a pistol for the inevitable.
The world crumbled around them. Ireya brushed the wet hair out of her face and gazed down at Karra’s vacant eyes and trembling breath.
Ireya stood; the pistol cocked. Looking down the barrel and towards Karra’s muddy blond hair made Ireya choke on her courage, but so long as Karra “lived” there was no room for hesitancy in Ireya’s failing heart.
“I always love you.” Her lips quivered, but the finger on the trigger held in resolution.
With one shot Karra no longer felt pain.
Ireya had one final choice:  join Karra of her own volition, or let the collapsing planet claim her.
A shot.
Ireya’s body fell with a thud in the rain. Blood spilled from her body and joined Karra’s, together at last, as they died for the fortieth time.
The rain fell upwards as two butterflies departed for the cosmic Void.
The world ended.
For the fortieth time.