Jack did not intend to be a hero. In fact, on the day when this all started, Jack was actually planning on doing the most unheroic thing he could. He had been planning it for weeks and was sure that his plan was the best it was going to be. Plans had been checked twice. Three times. Some days even saw four checks. Every aspect of his plan had been scrutinized and developed. It was not going to get any better than this plan.
On the day chosen, Jack went down to the pawn shop. He sorted through the options of knives that were available. Each blade was tested for sharpness, easy of opening and difficulty in closing. Some knives were as dull as butter knives. Other knives were a struggle to get open. Many of the knives sprung close with the least amount of effort. Eventually Jack settled on a knife that was sharp, the size of his palm, that came with a black handle and a locking blade. On the blade was a little nub that Jack could flip the blade open with little care. After haggling with the pawn shop owner, Jack forked over the last few dollars to his name and left the store.
Jack stuck the new to him knife in his pocket and was running his finger along the closed blade's ridge that bounced against his leg as he walked along the sidewalk. He was only a few blocks from his destination and was anxious to put his plan into place. If everything went according to the plan, money would never be a problem for him again. The excitement and nervousness ran through his body. It was such a distracted feeling he almost did not hear the screeching tires. Just in time, he not only heard the tires, but he saw the car slam into the side of the building.
Somewhere in the course of veering off of the road and colliding with red brick, the car snapped a fire hydrant off of its mount and a close resemblance of Old Faithful was now spewing from the pipes below. The water reunited with gravity and began fill the car through the windshield.
Jack could see at least two occupants fighting ferociously against seat belts and other restraints holding them to the metal coffin. Jack ran over. Quickly he propped the driver door open. The woman was shouting and flaying around. Jack grabbed his knife from his pocket, flipped it open and cut away the safety restraints and pulled the woman from her Venus fly trap of a seat. As he dragged her to a safer, dryer location, the woman screamed in his water soaked ears, "My baby! Save my baby!"
Jack left her with some people who had also stopped to help. He rushed back to the car that now resembled a water slide with water pouring out of every window but the one where the car seat was located. Jack inhaled a short breath and dove into the cascade. He found that the baby seat, too, had stopped releasing the restraints on its tiny occupant. Using the knife still in his hand, Jack carefully cut away the tiny straps and attempted to grab the child. But the child proved too much to handle and Jack had to drop his prize knife.
Now gliding with the exiting current, Jack floated out to the waiting audience. As they reached the mother, the baby let out a scream - with a gathered crowd cheering with joy. Within moments emergency and news crews arrived to mop up and report. Pictures from cameras and cell phones were swapped with reporters and at least one person had video taped the daring rescue.
Jack was taken to the hospital with the family from the car. Because of the amount of water he had swallowed, Jack was kept for over night watch. His hotel filled quickly with cards and flowers from well wishers thankful for his heroic act.
Meanwhile, Jack lamented the loss of his knife and the fact that tonight he would not be able to slit his wrists.
Antioch, CA
