Cowards Don’t Die by Terveen Gill — Gobblers / Masticadores
Hello everyone! Hope the weekend was good and the week ahead is even better.
Sharing another flash fiction piece with you. Published by Gobblers/Masticadores.
A big thanks to Mr. Juan Re Crivello for this opportunity.
Please click the blue link to read the whole story. It’s a tale of guilt and regret. Hope you enjoy it!
A coward can never be a hero. I am that coward. They carried me home upon their shoulders. If only they knew the truth. But a dead man cannot speak, and I would never reveal what really happened. Asim’s burial was quick. Nothing much was left of him. His aged mother shed ample […]
Terveen Gill is a versatile author and writer who has had the pleasure of growing up on two different continents. Having spent her childhood years in the United States, she returned to India, and has since been living in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India. Choosing engineering as her path, she obtained a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. However, paths are discovered only to be changed. Life's unpredictable tale made her realize her passion for writing, and thus began a journey that is transforming into a wonderful literary experience. The author of graphic novels and short stories, versatility is her secret weapon. From a storyteller to a film-maker, script-writing, film direction and film editing are pursuits that challenge and enhance her creativity. Her motto is, ‘If it can be imagined, it is already half-done’.
28 Comments
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That was a heartbreaking story. Short but heavy. Wonderfully written Terveen.
It is a grim one.
Too late for remorse. A bad, spontaneous decision.
Thanks so much, Vignesh. 🙂
Yes, too late. Welcome 🙂
Wow! Did you ever make that look easy! Well done.
Thank you so much, Shawn.
Appreciate it! 🙂
Coincidentally, I was watching documentaries on spies and soldiers. This was goooooood.
Wow. That is a coincidence.
Thanks so much, Bharath!
The ending is very nice. Different people react differently to death in different situations.
Well written!
A lot of people would say they would have handled it differently. It was a choice in the heat of battle. Just one choice.
Incredibly heartbreaking, but it was a great story!
It was definitely a split-second decision. Had to take it. The repercussions and afterthoughts linger on afterwards.
Thank you so much! 🙂
You did a great job. The opening was intriguing and my heart got a momentary cut from the last paragraph. Numbed by cowardice, he does the unthinkable. The grenade hardly misses a target, a cowards rifle might. Asim doesn’t deserve to die. Again, well written.😊
Thank you so much, Florence.
I suppose most soldiers are trained, physically and mentally, to fight. But basic natures can only be influenced to a certain degree. It’s unfortunate how some lives are lost by the indecisiveness of others. Combat doesn’t give the time to think and then act. It’s supposed to be a spontaneous and conditioned reaction.
I appreciate your thoughts on this. 🙂
I agree with you, Terveen. Nature manifests itself sometimes no matter the kind of training one is exposed to. Even though he is a trained soldier, he is still human. But I’m sure for him, history won’t repeat itself.
So true, Florence. Realization often comes, maybe a bit too late, but it can be extremely bitter.
Yes, it can. Have a great day, Terveen.
You too, Florence. May the creative flow be with you.
Thank you so much.
Actually I have often wondered how I would behave if I was sent to the front line as a soldier. I am probably going to be a coward. I don’t feel like fighting, let alone killing people. And the world has already too many fights that I can’t escape quick enough.
War has always been a bittersweet story. So many lives lost in the name of power and freedom. But then, living in oppression is not acceptable. Soldiers are at the front of it.
I can understand what you mean about the daily battles we fight and survive. Makes a person very tired.
Thank you for your wonderful thoughts. They inspire me to think deeper and write even more. 🙂
Congrats, Terveen. Loved the story. 😊
Thank you so much, Jeff.
I appreciate it. Grateful for your words of encouragement. 🙂
You’re welcome, Terveen. Always. 😊
I read the full article on the other site and I’m impressed by your simplicity and economy of words. Being accessible is something many writers don’t consider important, but I felt you. Your style is elegantly straight forward.
I was afraid with and for the cowardly soldier, and Asim was so steady I wanted to hide behind him.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. I really appreciate it. 🙂
I feel writing is a creative craft that should be accessible to every interested reader, hence the writer behind the words cannot afford to be aloof.
Yes, Asim and the narrator are two sides of the same coin. It was the flip and fall that decided their fates.
Thank you once again.
Wow, it was such a great story, had me hooked till the end. You’re too good! 🙂
Thank you so much, Simmi. 🙂
I’m so glad that you liked it.
What a situation the one left to live have to deal with! I can’t help but feel for the one living but not able to be living.
It’s a dilemma without suitable resolution. One goes on but so much is lost in guilt and regret.
Thank you so much for feeling this. 🙂