(Page 1 of 2) Good Deeds by Jim Washburn
 (3 ratings)
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SUMMARY: Flash Fiction contest entry. Theme: Unintended Consequences The man stood by the busy intersection. Beside him a somewhat familiar little old lady was standing nervously. He'd seen her before, usually walking past. Curious he asked her why she was crossing at this tricky intersection.
"Well young man I usually cross at the pedestrian bridge." She pointed down the street.
"I don't walk good no more but its busy here and I'm afraid to cross." She said.
"Allow me to assist you then ma'am." He replied, feeling a little like the Boy Scout he once was.
For some reason she felt certain she should stick to her routine, but it was tempting to save a few blocks walking. Looking at the darkening clouds she considered for a moment.
"Ok. These old bones tell me there's an ill wind coming and I hope to get home soon."
The light changed and he assisted her across. They did not quite make it but he forced the cars to wait. There they parted, he returned to the other side, she headed up the street.
Several blocks later the little old lady was passing an alley when a punk whispered at her. She paused a moment and he lunged and grabbed her purse. She did not let go, but screamed instead as her slight frame was dragged into the alleyway. A policeman was passing on the other side of the street and charged in their direction.
The punk gave one last yank and the handle broke. The woman fell into a pile of half rotten garbage bags. Prize in hand the punk ran down the alley with the cop in hot pursuit.
Near the end of the alley, just when the punk thought he was free, the cop lunged and tackled him. He struck his head hard on the cobblestones breaking his nose. The purse flew free and arced out into the street.
The bicycle courier was routinely weaving his way through traffic approaching a red light when out of nowhere a heavy purse struck him in the side of the head. Stunned he fell from the bike landing badly and possibly breaking a wrist. The bike continued rolling on into the intersection.
Brakes screaming there was a crash and a truck ground to a halt in the middle of the intersection. Fuming and cursing the driver got out of the cab and pulled the wreckage from underneath his front wheels never noticing that it had gashed one of the tires.
Looking around he saw people gathered around the fallen courier and he just tossed the crushed bike to the sidewalk and got back in the truck because he was running late and now blocking the road.
Blocks later the driver sped up trying to beat a stop light. At this point the gash opens and the tire exploded with a loud bang. Going too fast for this the truck swerves as the surprised driver frantically tries to regain control. Failing the truck ploughs into and over a fire hydrant. The driver, not wearing his seatbelt, smashes hard into the steering wheel.
The gushing hydrant is blocked by the truck body and the water jets sideways out into the street drenching cars and pedestrians alike.
Whipping around the corner speeds a red Ferrari convertible. The rich playboy is chatting into his cell phone and he does not notice the problems ahead.
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