PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook
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His name is Alec Plisken now. Periodically, he found it convenient to change identities. That didn’t mean he could change his past.
This night he stood on the Pont de Pierre. His steady hand placed a red rose on the walkway. This was where his wife had fallen.
There was peace now, but not so in Nazi occupied Bordeaux in 1940. He had been sent to England not realizing his beloved wife would not escape France, even with a falsified Portuguese visa. This is where she was shot and killed by the fascists. Unlike him, Amélie was not an immortal.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to participate in Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ 5 April 2024 edition of Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image above as the prompt for crafting a poem or short story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.
I decided to find out where Sandra’s photo had been taken. Thanks to Google’s image search, I discovered the bridge was Pont de pierre in the French city of Bordeaux (unless Google has failed me again).
The city has a rich history I was determined to mine. According to Wikipedia:
“During World War II, Bordeaux fell under German occupation. In May and June 1940, Bordeaux was the site of the life-saving actions of the Portuguese consul-general, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who illegally granted thousands of Portuguese visas, which were needed to pass the Spanish border, to refugees fleeing the German occupation.”
Literature is replete with immortal characters including those who have married many times across the long centuries only to watch each beloved spouse perish while the immortal goes on. I put all that together and came up with today’s tale.
To read other stories based on the prompt, visit inlinkz.
My science fiction short story “I Don’t Want To Be Human” is currently featured in the anthology Spring Into SciFi 2024. If you choose, buy and download it onto your Kindle device. Once you read it, don’t forget to leave an honest review.
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Although immortality has its appeals, I suspect it’s a hard lesson to learn to let go. I like how you wove that fantasy into a very real piece of history.
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Thank you.
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I wonder how many others he has had to say goodbye too, and if any of them are as equally tragic.
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I suppose if you never age and everyone around you does, they’re all tragic in the end. Thanks, Iain.
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Not easy loving a mortal when one lives on forever.
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There’s no one else to love, Dale. Thanks.
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I hear ya, James.
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I like the nostalgic start, and the character of Alec who raises a query in my mind from the start – ‘ His name is Alec Plisken now.’ By the end, with its satisfying twist, that little bit of foreshadowing becomes clear. I do like the fantasy element of Alec being immortal. Very good.
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Thank you, Margaret.
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Dear James,
This reads like a scene from The Highlander. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’m honored. Thank you.
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This is an impressive combination of reality and immortality. Well done, James.
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Thanks, Linda.
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Oh how sad.
A moment with a rose for a love long gone. You showed this emotion beautifully. Well done
I don’t think I would want to be immortal if everyone I loved was gone either
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Thank you for your kind comments. Yes, being an immortal would ultimately be tragic.
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This was a good story until the last five words. Then it because a remarkably beguiling story!
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You had me worried for a moment, Michael. Thanks.
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Immortality would indeed be a cruel curse. I enjoyed this story, James.
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Thank you, Thomas.
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A hard story to read. I wonder if he regrets his immortality.
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There have been stories of immortals deliberately trying to die (depending on how you define immortal, it’s not impossible to perish), so yes, I can see that.
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An intriguing yet sad story. I don’t think I’d want to be immortal, watching those I love pass one after another. Well crafted!
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Thank you, Brenda. The upside is you never get sick or infirm.
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James, very well-written story. Was not expecting that last line, but a great, though sorrowful, ending. Am watching “True Blood” again and it visits the topic of immortality and saying good-bye to loved ones while living on.
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Thanks. I don’t watch much TV anymore so I’m not familiar with the show.
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It’s a vampire show where they are all beautiful and sexy, but they do get reflective from time to time 🙂
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We can only imagine what it would be like to outlive everyone one knows, but we mere mortals experience enough tragedy and loss in our short lives. I wonder if one eventually grows accustomed to loss or if it wears one down to the point of insanity.
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There are lots of takes on the immortality theme. Some end with the immortal finding a way to end their existence. Also, as we progress forward into the digital age, it’s harder to create new identities to hide the fact that you don’t age.
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What a great story with such an unexpected twist although you foreshadowed it expertly. I too wonder about the immortality dream… it only is fun for a while when it is paired with eternal youthfulness though.
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Humans are defined by their mortality so what happens when we take that away. You’re right, not as fun as it seems. Thanks.
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This is the dark side of immortality. How may loved ones do you lose if you are immortal?
That’s gotta be tough.
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A lot. Maybe it never gets easier.
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I agree with everyone, it’s a great story with a great twist.
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Thank you.
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