Flash Fiction: Guardian Angel

This week’s Flash Fiction Challenge from Chuck Wendig is to use an online plot scenario generator that amuses him. The random plot scenario generator gave me:

In response, I’ll give you “Guardian Angel”. (Enjoy! Comment! Critique! Bathe me in your adoration! Point out typos and how I use too many run-on sentences!)

Guardian Angel

The train’s momentum was building unmercifully as it slid out of the Chatsworth station, slowly gathering speed and completely oblivious to Elizabeth’s cries for it to stop. She valiantly chased it all the way down the platform. She was almost catching up to it when the last car cleared the platform’s end and Elizabeth was forced to skid to a halt before crashing into the railing there.

For half a second she realized logically that she couldn’t have done anything even if she had caught up with it. Logic’s embrace was fleeting and she immediately found herself clinging to the rail for support, sobbing, trying to see through the tears and haze to find a bench.

This was the last straw. The rock bottom of her struggles was still to come but her fate was sealed with the lights of the train disappearing to the east toward Pacoima. She would inevitably get fired for being late. Then she would lose her apartment. She couldn’t even think of what would come after that. Her life was now completely in free fall.

What made it all worse was how close she had come to getting out of this precarious existence and on to the next level, where she could relax just a touch, pay off the bills, put some money in the bank, maybe even be able to afford a car or take a vacation. For two years she had worked in that miserable discount outlet store downtown, trying to get noticed, trying to get a little bit of overtime, trying to get a better position.

Elizabeth had found herself in that job after she had been forced to put her design career on hold. Times were tough and no one cared that she had an art degree and a knockout portfolio. So instead of working in New York or Miami, she worked eight hour days doing alterations in Los Angeles, cuffing pants and sewing hems for customers who needed it instantly or sooner.

All the while she had been battling Amanda.

Amanda had joined the shop as a tailor shortly after Elizabeth had. She had once been a designer of some small fame. Amanda’s design career had taken off for a couple of years but had ended with alcohol and an auto accident. Five years of in an ultra-competitive field had been a lifetime, leaving Amanda to start over.

Elizabeth and Amanda had been at odds for the whole two years they had been there together. The situation had finally come to a head with a notice that their small store was being sold to a much bigger chain of men’s clothing stores. But while the new company would be paying better and giving better benefits, they were also consolidating. That meant that either Elizabeth or Amanda would get their pink slip this morning.

Crying on the bench, Elizabeth couldn’t focus at all. For several minutes she was consumed with panic. There was no other way for her to get downtown, and the next train wouldn’t be for over an hour. The interviews with the new supervisor were scheduled this morning at 9:00 sharp. Could she call in sick and hope that they would put off her interview until tomorrow? Or would that just make their decision easy?

It took a moment for Elizabeth to realize that someone was trying to get her attention. As she looked up, still hunched over and hugging herself in her misery, she saw a dirty pair of sneakers and black slacks. From far away she heard someone saying, “Lady, are you OK? Lady? Ma’am, do you need help?”

Elizabeth sat up and wiped her eyes, focusing on the young girl standing there and reaching out tentatively towards Elizabeth’s shoulder. It took several seconds for the questions to register. Suddenly feeling terribly exposed and ashamed for having a breakdown in public, she lurched to her feet.

Elizabeth tried to run away. Running was all that she could think of. She had no idea where she would go or how she would get there but she had to get away. But her legs would not cooperate and Elizabeth lurched and almost fell. She was caught and held up by the young girl.

“Lady, you’re not OK! Do you need me to call 9-1-1 for you? Are you hurt? What’s going on? Just sit back down here for a minute and let’s see what I can do for you.”

Defeated, Elizabeth slumped back onto the bench, eyes closed. She felt the young girl sit down next to her, and then felt her shift her weight. Elizabeth opened her eyes to see the young girl pulling out her cell phone.

“No! Don’t do that, don’t call. I don’t need help. I’m not hurt.”

“If you say so. If you’re not hurt, why are you crying like that? There must be something pretty bad going on.”

Elizabeth tried to pull herself together, taking in a deep breath but at least holding the next crying jag at bay. She realized that she recognized the young girl from somewhere. In a second before she remembered where.

“You’re from the place on the corner, the all-night coffee place. I’ve seen you working there late, when I have to take the last train home.”

“Yeah, I thought I recognized you, too. I’m Teri, I usually work the graveyard shift so I can go to school during the day. My dad owns the coffee place.”

“Right. Thanks, Teri. Sorry, I’m pretty much a mess. I’m Elizabeth.”

“What’s going on, Elizabeth? You seem pretty upset.”

“Yeah, I am. I just missed my train and today I’ll get fired if I’m late. Things are already pretty shaky and this is just too much. Give me a second and I’ll be OK.”

“Can I give you a ride? Where do you work?”

“I’m downtown in the garment district. Unless you can bring that train back or you have a genie in your pocket, I think I’m just screwed, but thanks anyway.”

“Get up and let’s go, I’ve got this covered. I’ll get you there.”

“Thanks, Teri, but even Mario Andretti couldn’t get downtown in a car during rush hour in LA. Do you have a helicopter that I don’t know about?”

Teri stood up and started pulling Elizabeth to her feet. Elizabeth was startled, but let Teri pull her along toward the parking lot.

“We’re burning daylight,” Teri said. “As a matter of fact, yes, I do have a helicopter. That’s what I’m going to school for, to get my commercial ticket. It’s your lucky day. We should be at Whiteman in twenty minutes, and from there it’s only ten minutes by air to downtown.”

“A helicopter? But you can’t just drop me off in the middle of downtown, it’s all buildings and skyscrapers and houses!”

“No worries. There’s a public helipad at the hospital at Olive and Venice, right by the freeway. I’ll drop you there and you’re about three blocks from the fashion district, right? You’ll be the first one in the office and I’ll get a good start on the solo work I’m supposed to do today.”

As Elizabeth got into Teri’s car she was staggered by the turn of her fate. She was going to get her shot to keep her job after all. She looked in stunned amazement at Teri.

“This is unbelievable. Are you my guardian angel?”

“No ma’am, I only fly like an angel. I’m a pilot.”