Into The Up
Karen ran as fast as her heels allowed while balancing the two coffees and a bag of bagels.Tom, her co-worker and friend, would be waiting for her at the lobby entrance to the office passing time with the doorman. Without warning her right heel popped from her shoe. She started to fall. UP!
Falling upward at at incredible speed Karen dropped the coffee and bagels as she attempted to scream. Blue and white faded to black as Karen blacked out.
After an unknown amount of time Karen woke on a floating steel girder. She wrapped her arms and legs around it and looked down to see only distant clouds. What the hell happened to me? The wind felt as if it was pulling her away from the beam with a thousand hands. She screamed.
Over her own scream Karen heard voices both distant and nearby. “ She’s crazy. Call Medic Service.” , “ No, look at the shoes. She’s a groundling.”, “ Still, call Medic Service.”
Karen raised her head to see a number of steel girders floating by. They were in assorted colors and seemed to travel in an organized manner. In the near distance she focused on a platform made up of the same steel beams that floated nearby. On the platform were desks, computers and all the trappings of a modern office. A woman in a sharp business suit watched Karen while making a pot of coffee. Following this she flipped open a cell phone and punched in numbers all the while staring at Karen.
Within minutes police traveling on a red and white beam eased to a stop next to Karen. Two police. Both appeared friendly as they stretched their hands out to help Karen up. “ I can’t. I’m terrified of heights. Can I get to that platform?”
The youngest cop smiled. “ Of course. If you trust us we can get you to our Emergency Service Plat. It’s Okay. take my hand. I won’t let you fall.”
On the ground in downtown St. Louis Tom watched with the doorman as two coffees and a bag of bagels splattered in the middle of Washington Blvd. “ What the hell? That’s what Karen was out for.”
Building as much courage as she could Karen reached for the smiling cop. Just before taking it the older cop pushed Karen with his baton sending her off the beam. Her scream was soundless. She had no thoughts of childhood, friends, her job, Tom. Her mind, all of it, only absorbed a growing black fear. She did not pass out or wonder why or what was happing.
On Washington Blvd. pedestrians pointed upward, shocked expressions on their collective faces. Tom bolted from the lobby followed by Nik the doorman. On the street Tom saw the horrid site of a woman falling from a great height toward the street. She wore a black skirt and red blouse. Karen. Tom fell to his knees as the inevitable bone breaking crash took place. Woman screamed. Blood flew.
Nik looked skyward only to see distant white clouds. Making the sign of the cross he went back to work.
end
