Meeting the Sun

He stood in the cavernous room, staring blankly at the sun that would end his existence.  His sons and daughters stood stoically behind him, knowing nothing could be said to change their father’s mind.

He had lived for thousands of years, waging wars while seeking peace to protect his family as well as his species.  When the truth of their existence had come out, the world had not taken kindly to them.  They could have easily wiped out the humans, but that would mean death for them as well.  It had been easier when they were underground, feeding off the willing.  Nowadays, those were impossible to come by as fear had taken hold of the population.  The humans spread rumors of disease and death to all who would listen, causing his kind to either feed by force or die a slow, agonizing death by starvation.  As neither of these options were appealing, there was only one other way his story could end.

He hadn’t come to this decision lightly and, as he stood in the room he’d chosen, gazing at the sun, he smiled.  He knew his children were trying to stay strong and he ached for them.  No human could ever know the love that connected his species.  It was a bond like no other.  They had been together for years, some for centuries.  Now, he would leave them forever.

He turned to them and bowed his head, a sign of respect.  He turned towards the sun and slowly walked, dropping the robe that had enveloped his body.  He wanted to feel the warmth of the sun before it consumed him.  It had been so long since he had felt it upon his skin.  He hoped it would soothe him before the fire erupted from within.

He came to the edge and paused.  He turned once more to face his children and noticed the tears running down their faces.  His youngest was visibly shaking, holding her older brother’s hand for support.  They were strong.  He told himself they would be fine even though the journey ahead of them would be filled with difficulty.  They were all half-starved and on the run from the humans.  He said a quick prayer for their safety, hoping that when their time came, it would also be on their own terms.

He gave them a shaky smile and turned towards the opening above him.  As he stepped onto the platform, a jolt of fear ran through him though it quickly dissipated as he looked up to the sky, the warmth cascading down his skin.  He howled with laughter, wishing he could hold onto the moment a little longer but, in an instant, the fire erupted and he was gone.

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