Adding Action to 21 Gun Salute

There was a loud crashing sound, matched with a high pitch screeching. The entire train was shaking. Paul turned, opened his eyes to see that it was dark outside. They were still moving along the track, but not as smoothly as before. He turned to see Doug waking as well, as confused as he was. What was going on? Paul propped himself up to see what was happening behind him. Just as he turned he saw the train car begin to bend. He could see out the window that the train was beginning to jack-knife. He literally saw a corresponding train car bending directly towards the side of the train he and Doug were seated on. Paul’s heart was racing. He grabbed Doug’s arm and pointed out the window.

“Move,” Paul shouted desperately.

Suddenly Paul felt a wave a pressure push him into Paul and against the train wall across from where they were sitting. He was thrown from that wall to the ceiling and then crashing to the floor. The car was full of screaming. Glass was breaking and you could hear metal grinding against metal. Paul didn’t know which way was up. It kept changing. He felt like a helpless rag doll being tossed around. He had pain all over, his leg especially. It felt like thousands of hammers and knives taking their turn over and over again. It was so bad he could hardly bare it. Every time he was tossed around the train car his leg would hit a seat or the floor or a loose piece of baggage and the pain would shoot up Paul’s entire body.
Suddenly the movement stopped. It was still. Paul’s leg was throbbing, he could feel, what he assumed to be blood, dripping down his face. It was warm, and mixed with tears pouring out of his eyes. He heard several women crying, men screaming in pain, and yet he could still hear the silence of the night. He knew they were in a remote area, far from nearby help. Paul attempted to call out to Doug, but he couldn’t. The pain in his body was so unbearable he couldn’t move. All he could do was lie there and listen to the others call out in pain. He briefly prayed that someone would come and find them, but as time passed and Paul grew weaker, he began to fear he’d never see his wife again. He closed his eyes and thought back to their last night on their honeymoon. Paul was so sunburn he couldn’t move. Jo wanted to feel bad for him, but it was just so funny to her. He was not the type of guy to burn, but when you fall asleep on a beach for hours, it’s bound to happen to anyone. Their last night was spent in their hotel room Paul covered in Aloe and Jo sitting far enough away not to touch and disturb the sunburn. They just looked at each other and made small talk. Jo would make fun of Paul and he would pout. It was a night that, at the time, he thought was ruined, a bad end to a good trip. However, now as he lied on the bed of this train, unable to move, filled with an indescribable pain, it was this night he thought of. He found comfort in knowing that it was never anything that he said or did for Jo that made her happy. It was just the time they spent together. He missed that time, and would do anything for even just one more minute of it.

The Rookie

Jimmy was filled with emotion. Did that all really just happen? Just months ago he was a chemistry teacher and a high school baseball coach, now he just pitched in a Major League game. His hear was racing after that final strikeout. As he ran off the field he saw his friend Brooks, who had been called up with him, standing their waiting to congratulate him.

"Awesome work man," Brooks shouted over the sound of the crowd.

"Thanks," Jimmy responded.

As the team entered the tunnel and headed toward the clubhouse, Jimmy could feel his heart racing. He had wanted this since he was a little boy. His dad's military assignments forced him to move around a lot and it wasn't until he was nearly 14 that he got to play consistently on one baseball team for an entire summer. Of all places, in the football state of Texas. Jimmy had many cards against him, but he still did it. He made it to the majors, against all odds and his Dad's unsupportive attitude. He made it.

As Jimmy exited the clubhouse after the game, he was swarmed by reporters.

"How does it feel," one shouted.

"What pitches did you throw," another reporter followed.

"I, um, I feel great. It's a dream come true. Fastballs, I threw fastballs," Jimmy was overwhelmed.

As the questions kept coming, Jimmy saw a familiar face at the back of the player entrance. It was his father.

"Excuse me," Jimmy said to the reporters, "I'll be right back."

Jimmy walked to his father and asked him what he was doing there.

"I wasn't going to miss this one," Jimmy's dad said softly. Jimmy's dad referring to all the baseball game of Jimmy's he had missed in the past.

"I'm proud of you son," he continued holding back his tears.

Jimmy smiled a little, unsure what to do. His dad turned and began to walk away.

"Dad," Jimmy stopped his dad from walking away. "I'd like you to have this," Jimmy said while pulling a baseball out of his pocket. Jimmy was giving his dad the baseball from his first Major League start. He realized that despite the man his dad was, he was trying to make up for it now. His dad knew that Jimmy loved baseball and that this is where his dreams came true.

His dad smiled, turned, and walked away, tossing the ball in his hand. Jimmy felt a calm within him that he hadn't felt in years. Like he had finally settled his differences with his dad.

Jimmy then turned to see his loving wife waiting for him, tears in her eyes at what she just witnessed.

Bad Date Good Date?

Yesssss! I finally have a date. Haha. I knew the picture of my neighbor at the beach would draw some lucky lady to want to meet me. Yea so I'm not the "best looking" guy in the world, but everybody has their issues. For some, it may be a faded tan, or a bad hair day. For me? We who needs all their teeth anyway. I'm so excited, only 12 minutes until I get to meet her.

We are meeting in a centralized location. I chose the Mall of America. She gets the idea that we are going to hit up one of the ritzy restaurants. I'll buy a dinner with all that money I claim I have. But oh no, don't worry. I have a plan. We'll end up in the food court, I'll make her buy her own food and she'll see just how humble I really am. I know a woman can pay for her own food. I know a woman doesn't need an expensive meal or a dressed up guy. I am going to wow her with a food court dinner and my rockin' Star Trek t-shirt. I can not wait!

Standing in the rotunda, waiting to meet her. I remember her picture vividly. I keep looking for her. My heart is fluttering with excitement. I've never really had a date before. What is it like? Do you think I'll get to hold her hand?

There she is! I see her. In the blue scarf like she said she's be wearing. Wow, she's pretty, and really dressed up. Hmmm. Maybe a little too dressed up for the food court. I wonder if I should have prefaced my plan with some instruction? Oh well. McDonald's here we come. I'm waving now, I told her I'd have a yellow rose in my hand. She clearly sees me. I'm waving the rose and delicately yelling her name.

"Ashley! Ashley! Over here!" I yell jumping up and down.

She keeps walking though, faster it appears than she was before she saw me. As I walk towards her, to try and keep up, she ducks into a woman's bathroom. Of course, she is just being polite and using the facilities now, as to not take away time from our date. I politely wait out side, sitting on the bench awaiting her exit from the restroom.

As I wait I picture her reaction when she see what our after dinner activity will be. We will take the lightrail to the downtown area, where I will show humility once again as I pretend to "forget" my wallet as we order our drinks, forcing her to pay. This will surely so her how willing I am to never forget how important of a person she is.

It's been a while, I wonder if she's ok? Maybe it was a bad burrito or something at lunch, but she's been in there for like 20 minutes. Hmmm. Nobody has really come out, I should ask someone for help.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," I say to the classy janitor lady, "My date went in there about 24 minutes ago and has not exited yet."

"I'm sorry sir, but the bathroom is empty," she politely answered as she mopped the floor in front of the Dairy Queen.

"That's impossible," I exclaim determined. "I've been watching the door the entire time."

"Hmmm," the lady sounds as she drains the muck water off her mop, "I don't know how to tell you this but that's the entrance to the bathroom sir. The exit is to the left about 20 feet."

Could it be true? Did she really stand me up? Impossible. I picked the perfect picture, I bought the yellow rose, I wore my best Star Trek T-shirt. Why wouldn't she want to date me? She would. Of course she would. It must have been the bad burrito. She was too embarrassed to see me. Of course that's what it is. I'm going to go home right now and send her a Get Well E-Card so she knows it's ok. What a perfect end to a well, kind of evening.

Here's Johnny!

Meet Johnny, or as beach goers call him, "man who sleeps on beach talking in his sleep." Typically you'll find him where the sand and water meet. Sun or rain, light or dark, he's relaxing and wondering from beach to beach living what he refers to as "the life." When I met him, he was face down on a red and yellow striped beach towel. His back was the color of the red stripes on his towel caused by an over exposed kiss from the sun. As I walked by him, he grunted, and muffled some words.
"Are you ok sir?" I ask hesitantly, I didn't want to wake a sleeping giant.
"Murahndamo," Johnny grunted, "Wha? Oh, um, hello Miss." Johnny stands up looking slightly embarrassed for his sleep talk...well sleep grunting.
His skin was a color of it's own, like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be tan or sun burnt. His sandy blond bangs brushed his aging face. You could see years of experience in his eyes. You could see that for every grey speck with in his ice blue iris' there was a story to tell. Johnny brushed off his chest of the sand he had been sleeping in. His hands were naked, no rings or watches. In fact other than his aging straw hat and a tearing pair of blue plaid shorts, Johnny's body was naked.
"May I help you miss?" Johnny interjects my study of his persona. I shrug and pretend like I don't know. Johnny smiles and bends over to pick up his towel. He began walking away as I stood there still curious to who this man was. What did he do? Where did he live? What was his story?
"Wait!" I yelled to him suddenly, I didn't know what came over me. I wanted to know his story. I wanted to meet Johnny, and hear those stories you could see in his eyes. I took of my sandals and began running up to him. I was going to spend the rest of my afternoon in the most relaxing place, learning about a man named Johnny. He lived every day like his last. Stress was a foreign word, the beach was his home, and most importantly, anyone and everyone was his friend.

Who's That Tappin On My Window?

"What was that?" Johnny whispered breaking the silence of the night.

"You heard it to?" Johnny's little brother Gary replied.

"There it was again, what is it? I think it's coming from the outside," Johnny said, his voice now shaking. Sounds like someones tapping on the window."

"You think it could be..." Gary started to say.

"No way, Dad just said that to scare us," Johnny said cutting off his brother before he could finish his sentence. "It's just a scary story to tell us little kids."

"I heard it again, just then, right there," Gary snapped back at his brother, unconvinced that his dad just made the story up. "How do you know Johnny? How do you know it's not true. You sound pretty freaked out yourself over there."

"It just scared me a little, it's probably just a tree branch blowing in the wind," Johnny fired back trying to sound confident, his voice still shaky though. He continued, "Dad would never have let us sleep out here in the loft if it wasn't safe."

"But what if Johnny, what if Dad was right? He's right about a lot of other stuff you know," Gary plead with his brother, "Can we call him, can we go back inside?"

"Fine," Johnny replied trying to sound inconvenienced, but truly relieved. "I'll call him and ask if he can come get us and bring us inside," he continued while dialing his dad's cell, who was across the field sleeping in the house.

"Johnny listen," Gary said quietly, gesturing to his brother to put down the phone. "Do you hear a phone ringing outside?"

Suspense in the Bar

The floor creeked sharply as he walked in, he wonderd if anyone heard. He glanced across the room and quickly hid behind a table. The chairs had been put upside down on top to free the floor to be swept. As he waited, he tried to control his breathing. He needed to calm down. Looking across the room, there was no one there. Empty bottles and peanut shells lined the tables, and there were puddles of miscellanious liquids on the floor everywhere. "Calm down," he tries to convince himself. Instead the silence is broken by the beating of his own heart. Something just doesn't feel right. The clock shows 3:30am. He stands again, moving slowly across the room, this time avoiding the glass shards and loose floor boards that would give away his position. As he approached the backroom, he saw the door. Just like described, a cracked wooden door with a red light glowing from the space between the door and the floor. As he caught his composure, he could feel the sweat dripping down his face. He knew what he had to do, but didn't know if he could go through with it. He knew this one act would change his life forever.

Lunch on the Near Side of the Moon

Freezing fingers and toes, an afternoon like this was colder than normal. The moon was beautiful this time of year. I mean aside from the deathly frigid temperatures, but even that was okay, because you didn't need a cooler for a mid-afternoon picnic. I was running late. I had a date on the south side of the Mere Frigoris. I loved it there. The white powder of the Moon's surface was so smooth, I could bathe in it. The edges of the crater were sharp and deep. It was a clear night and the glimmer of Earth lit up the Moon's sky. A beautiful afternoon, stars shining like the twinkle in a new love's eye.

The natural light of the day made scaling the edge of the bluff into the crater an easier feat than normal. As my hands gripped the hand divots in the side of the moon bluff wall. It was a cold sensation against my pale skin. As I gripped my way down, the light of the Earth dimmed. It was darker and even colder as I climbed deeper and deeper into the abyss. At least my beer was still cold. I got to the bottom and jumped into the shallow white powder. A subtle white cloud of dust gathered around my feet. I walked to the picnic sight and set down my cooler. I laid down my blanket and fell back. I sunk into the ground like on abed of feathers. It was so soft and relaxing. I found myself getting lost in the stars. So close and so bright. It was a beautiful day. The sound of my heart beating, the small puffs of steam coming from my nose and mouth. The artificial atmosphere made it a breathable air, but it was like nothing you have ever inhaled before. I sharp, crisp air. Like an aerosol spray into your lungs every time you took a breath. It was an indescribable refreshment. This was my paradise. Not warm and sunny, but dark and cold. Stars shining bright, the soft moon surface under my head. I couldn't ask for a better setting.