***
Fifteen years later a solitary sparrow flitted across an August sky over the small country cemetery in Longbranch, darting in and out of a copse of fir trees before landing softly on one of the gravestones. Etched into the stone were the words, ‘Here lies Rick Seljin, a man who dedicated his life to the service of others. To many he was a teacher, to some he was a friend, but to all he was a hero.’
The voice of a young boy interrupted the sparrow’s reverie. “Papa, what are we doing here?”
Ely Carter, now thirty three, walked hand and hand with his six year old son. They stopped before the gravestone and Ely looked about, breathing in the clean air and the serenity of the scene. He looked down at his boy who was waiting expectantly for an answer. “I want to give an old friend something.”
“Who, Papa? Who’s buried here?”
They stood still for a moment, looking at the gravestone, the sparrow adamantly maintaining its perch. “A long time ago someone helped me. He died when I was young and this is where he was buried. I want to give him a gift.”
Ely reached under his arm and removed a hardback book. The sparrow fluttered away as he walked slowly forward and placed the book gently on the top of the grave marker.
“Do you miss him, Papa?”
“I miss him very much.” The little boy, sensing his father’s sadness, was quiet as they turned around and walked hand in hand back to their car. The little sparrow watched from the branch of a nearby fir tree, and seeing that the intruders had finally left, flew back to its resting spot next to the book. The book was a hardcover fantasy book, the cover depicting a mighty warrior in silver armor holding aloft a glowing sword, and in the background a city of white stone glittered in the sun. The title of the book was, ‘The Lost Hero’, and underneath it were the words, ‘Written by Ely Carter.’
THE END
More books (fantasy) by Jason L. McWhirter
The Cavalier Trilogy
Look for them at http://www.twiinentertainment.com or online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Visit Jason McWhirter’s Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TwiinEntertainement
About the Author
Jason McWhirter has been a history teacher for eighteen years. He lives in Washington with his wife, Jodi, and dogs Meadow and Macalan. He is a certifiable fantasy freak who, when he wasn’t playing sports, spent his childhood days immersed in books and games of fantasy. He’d tumble into bed at night with visions of heroes, dragons, and creatures of other worlds, fueling his imagination and spurring his desire to create fantasies of his own. When he isn’t fly fishing the lakes and streams of the Northwest, or wine tasting and entertaining with his wife and friends, he spends his spare time sitting in front of the computer writing his next novel or screenplay.
The Life of Ely Page 22
