This week’s flash fiction is based on my most recent writing prompt on Pinterest. It was pretty popular over there, so I thought I’d write my spin on the story. To set the stage, the prompt is the featured picture for this post, and if you guys want to see more like it, you can check out my writing prompts board on Pinterest. There’s a little bit of everything over there, pretty much!
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The girls hurried along the sidewalk past the alleys and storefronts. Jen listened to the chatter, but her mind wasn’t on it. Anna and Rianna didn’t seem to notice since they just kept talking. The streets became more and more familiar as they got closer to the restaurant, and she shivered. She pulled her cloak closer with a sigh. Last time she’d been here, she’d almost ended up being the victim of some guy looking for a little more than just a wad of cash, though he’d taken the cash and run in the end. The man who’d scared him off before he could truly do her any harm still lingered in the back of her mind.
Well, maybe man wasn’t quite the right word. He’d been young, and he certainly hadn’t seemed human. She wasn’t sure exactly what had scared the other guy off since she hadn’t actually seen her savior until after her attacker had gone, but for someone who was practically a boy to scare of an armed, grown man? She wasn’t sure she wanted to know.
“Earth to Jen!” Anna waved a hand in front of her face. “You’re, like, a million miles away, girl. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
She winced. Anna didn’t know. Neither of the girls did. They hadn’t known her back then, and she’d agreed to come here because she wanted to move on. In fact, she’d been the one to suggest this location. “Sorry, guys. I’m just… My head’s somewhere else, is all. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. Brings back memories, I guess.”
“Ooo… Memories. What kind?” Rianna grinned. “You have a fling with some really hot guy here?”
“She doesn’t do that kind of thing, Ri.” Anna scowled at their bubbly friend. “You’re the incorrigible flirt, remember? The rest of us aren’t guy crazy, and you’re well aware how Jen feels about guys.”
“Look, it’s not important. The memories aren’t that kind of memory, Ri.” Jen hugged herself and scuffed a shoe along the sidewalk. The street sign up ahead read Elmswood. She’d been attacked there and dragged into the alley in the dark. Was it really a good idea to come here? It was dark now. Would they be attacked like she had been all that time ago?
“Jeez, Jen. I’m sorry…” Ri cleared her throat. “That bad?”
She shrugged. “I’m fine. Really. Let’s just get to the restaurant and have a good time, okay?”
Anna linked her arm through Jen’s with a smile. “We’re going to make sure you have the night of your life, okay? You’ll have new, better memories of this place after tonight.”
A siren wailed nearby, cutting off her remark. People streaming past paused to watch the cop car rush past, followed by an ambulance. Someone slammed into her from the right, and she sucked in a breath to snap at them just as the stranger stopped and put a steadying hand on her arm. “Sorry. So sorry. Are you okay?”
She frowned and lifted her head to gaze up at the tall stranger. Dressed all in black, the man cut an imposing figure. But she recognized him immediately. The boyishness was gone, and whatever gentleness had lurked in his dark gaze back then had also fled to be replaced with sharp observation and a sly twinkle. He raised a brow at her, a glint of recognition lighting in his deep blue eyes. “Jen Ashton?”
She swallowed past a now dry throat. “D-do I know you?”
A smile lit up his face. “Maybe not. You might not remember.”
“Jen, who is this weirdo?” Anna tugged at her arm. “Just tell him to shove off and let’s go eat.”
Tall-dark-and-mysterious frowned. “Do you always address everyone so disrespectfully? One of these days, it might come back to haunt you. You never know who you’re speaking to.”
Ri laughed in that bubbly, light-hearted way she always did. “Are you the President or something? Because if not, I’m not that worried. If Jen won’t tell you to shove off, then I’ll tell you–“
Why did Ri just cut off? Unlike her. Jen frowned and turned to look at her friend. Ri stood frozen in mid-sentence, her mouth open, and everyone around them had frozen too. Her heart thudded loudly in her ears, and she stared until strong, warm fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her out of her daze.
“Now… With them temporarily indisposed, where were we?” His grin faded. “I know you remember me.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I… Yeah, I do. I never got the chance to thank you.”
“Oh, don’t thank me yet, darling.” He gave her a wry grin. “I’m not here to catch up, and I didn’t bump into you by accident. You’re coming with me.”
She tugged her wrist out of his grip. “No, I’m not! Unfreeze my friends and leave us alone. Otherwise I’ll call the cops.”
“They won’t come. The whole city’s suspended in this state, and no one will get to you soon enough.” He crossed his arms. “You are coming with me. I need your help, and unfortunately, I don’t have time for the nice way. I’m sorry. Truly, I am. But this is how it has to be.” He reached out and smoothed her hair out of her face.
A cool tingling spread over her forehead, and the world around her spun then tilted crazily. Everything went black, and she lost her balance, dizziness washing over her. His arms wrapped around her, and a feeling of calm and safety swept her off into oblivion before she had time to register just how terrified she should’ve felt.
~~~
What do you think happens to her? Why does he need her? Well, I’ll let you guys go wild coming up with your own endings. But that’s it for this week! I hope you guys enjoyed this, and I’ll see you next week for another flash fiction Friday.