Unlikely Hero

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.

The prompts: This story must contain the line: "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Unlikely Hero


“I’ll do it.”

All eyes turned to the voice; surprised to see it came from one so small.

“I volunteer to be the one. I’ll save you.”

There were a few nervous chuckles at first. The idea of such a match-up was so unthinkable as to appear humorous. Certainly, this was a joke. The boy wouldn’t survive ten seconds.

Then they looked past his slight frame and saw what they missed at first glance.

It was his eyes.

Those “windows to the soul” showed the crowd that this was no mere boy they were dealing with.

The crowd stood back a few steps as they felt the boy’s eyes pass over them. They knew they were exposed. They knew they were being judged; not by the boy, but by the power behind the dark brown eyes. One by one, they dropped to their knees and raised their hands to the heavens. They prayed to be found worthy.

They prayed to be saved - by this boy.

They didn’t understand how they knew, but there was no doubt. This was not a reckless youth looking for a moment of glory in martyrdom. He displayed neither fear nor bravado. The outcome, it seemed, had been predetermined in his favor. Such was the confidence that hung in a not-quite-seen aura around him.

An elder stood and made his way through the crowd. He stopped in front of the boy. The murmuring crowd grew quiet.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he said.

The boy nodded.

The elder stepped aside and allowed him to pass.

The crowd parted as the boy strode towards the field of battle.

David smiled at the sight of the giant Philistine.

He fingered a rock into his sling and charged into his destiny.

Word count 296