by John Xero
Mass immortality had become the bane of Samuel’s life. Science was to blame. No
disease, no old age, no natural death.
What work for a gravedigger when nobody dies?
Sam had a god-given gift. There were so many pretenders who
thought any hole would do, so few who understood the nature of the abyss. There
was a hole left when a person died, and a hole to be made, and the two were not
entirely unrelated.
He took up his shovel; it was a fine tool and it would serve
him twofold now. Not an elegant solution, but needs must.
Author bio: John Xero knows that not any hole will do. And that even the same hole will fit different people in different ways. Twitter hole. Blog hole.
"There was a hole left when a person died, and a hole to be made, and the two were not entirely unrelated..." such a beautiful way of putting it - and the ending! I loved this story.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chris. =)
DeleteParticularly proud of that line. =)
I like'd that line too.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking it'd also be disturbing if Sam was an optician or a plastic surgeon...
Thanks, Pete. =)
DeleteWe keep striving for advances that make the old professions more and more redundant, don't we...?
Sooo good. I liked the above-mentioned line, too. And the one before it, and after it...etc. Great stuff, mate.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jack. ^_^
DeleteDitto, ditto, ditto. What a pleasure to read, savour, read again. And again.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Thanks, Sandra. =)
DeleteGreat to know it was worth more than one read. =)
"There was a hole left when a person died, and a hole to be made, and the two were not entirely unrelated."
ReplyDeleteI'm not the first to love this line I see, but still I must say - it is brilliant! Such a profound statement in so few words.
Great one John!
Thank you, Deanna. =D
DeleteOh a grave digger that creates his own bodies to bury - shivers!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Helen. =)
DeleteOhhhh what a nasty little twist! Well done :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sylvia. =)
DeleteI guess there's nothing quite so unsubtle as a shovel at the back of the head, but it will keep him in work.
ReplyDeleteMakes a great noise. I would imagine... ;)
DeleteAn out of work obsolete grave digger from the future is surprise enough but I especially liked the depth you gave him, when he shares how graves are specially made for the dead person etc.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brinda. =)
DeleteI join the others - great line. Great flash.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Callie. =)
Delete