Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Fire-fighter (10/05/06)
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TITLE: Rescued | Previous Challenge Entry
By Larry Elliott
10/12/06 -
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The air was black. He did not know where he was.
His arms ached, but he could not feel his legs. His eyes and nostrils burned.
Seizing a cautious breath, thick rancid air stifled his lungs. He coughed again and a freight train punched through his chest.
He tried to move but could not.
Painfully stretching out his left hand he fumbled around the darkness. He retrieved a lighter from his jeans pocket.
The tiny spark resurrected a small blue flame which yielded little illumination on the grim reality of his situation. Now he remembered everything.
Joey recalled noticing a guy hurriedly exiting the restroom on the basement floor of the train station - minus the black briefcase he had gone in with.
Life on the streets taught Joey to notice everything. The smallest detail could mean the difference between a meal and ending up lifeless in a dumpster.
A briefcase might contain any number of pawn-worthy treasures, if not a cash reward.
He waited for the stranger to realize his folly. The instant the stairwell door clanked shut Joey slinked quickly in to claim his spoil. He checked every stall and under each sink- no briefcase. He searched the trash can- only soiled paper towels. Something was wrong.
Then he noticed a ceiling tile slightly out of place above the farthest stall. Balancing atop the metal partition he slid the tile aside and, using a disposable lighter, found what he was searching for.
With the case on his lap he tried the locks- surprisingly they snapped open. Common sense whispered there must be something very valuable inside for the guy to hide it. Maybe it was full of cash for a drug deal or payoff of some kind. He would be rich- and never go without another meal.
A second thought occurred to him- the intended recipient could arrive any second.
Joey slowly lifted the top and instantly knew he was in deep trouble.
Bright red numbers counted backwards from fourteen.
Joey stood dropping the case, not necessarily the wisest thing to do, but he was too freaked out to think. He slammed into the stall door, forgetting he had locked it, then hit the floor and slithered underneath. Then he ran- impossibly fast.
He recalled reaching the landing half way between the basement and first floor of the station when the stairwell exploded.
Suddenly he realized the only noise now was an annoying ringing in his ears. He grabbed a nearby chunk of concrete and struck it on the floor- no sound. The blast must have deafened him- temporarily of course.
Joey thumbed the lighter, but the feeble flame could not penetrate the thick dirty air very well. He had to get out of here. He did not do well in small dark places. Memories returned of his last foster home- bad memories. He escaped from there two years ago, just days before his fifteenth birthday, and lived on the streets since. He would willingly trade places now.
His forehead throbbed, though he dared not touch it.
Why had this happened to him? Why did he have to be at this particular place and time?
He began the blame game. He blamed his parents for going out to dinner and getting themselves killed by a drunk driver when he was six. He blamed the foster families he had lived with. He blamed God. He blamed the nurse at the orphanage for telling him about God. Right now it would be easier to believe there was none.
Then he prayed.
Suddenly a light broke through from somewhere above. He could hear someone coming- yes he could hear.
“Help me.” He wheezed.
A voice called out, “Don’t be afraid. Hold on I’m almost there.”
Soon a man was kneeling beside him, though he could not see him clearly in the bright light.
“Are you… a fire-fighter?” Joey managed. There was a time he dreamed of becoming one.
“Yes, I guess so. I battle daily against fire of all sorts. Take my hand. I will have you out of here very soon.”
“Thank you.” Joey coughed and shut his eyes against the glare.
Where he expected a thick fireman’s glove the man’s hand was cool and soft.
Joey released a long relaxing sigh. Then he looked into the smiling face of his rescuer. The light did not hurt his eyes anymore.
In fact there was no pain at all.
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