Hidden Compartments
The leaves crackled as walkers and joggers went by. The air was chilly and stimulating.
He watched her and wondered how long she could handle sitting on the cold bench with only a thin sweater. She could move into the sunlight at least. It was always the same though. She came, sat for an hour and left. She didn't meet anyone or even watch the people pass in front of her. She was a mystery.
Her job was right across the street from the park and as soon as she hit the lobby she became a different person. Her face suddenly glowed and was animated. She talked to coworkers and bosses. He was intrigued; too intrigued.
He had been watching her for over a year, trying to get her attention, some eye contact, just once. He guessed some would call him a stalker, but really, he was just eating his lunch in the park. I mean, if he happened to go near her house as he walked home, that wasn't stalking, was it?
He didn't know her name or age or anything except the park her and the work her.
***
Spring was here now and he hoped this Spring he could say hello. She was pretty in pink and flowers and he liked how her long hair was caught by the breeze and lifted gently.
She suddenly stirred and he looked around. Something had changed. He felt it, but couldn't see it; a change was coming, but they seemed to be the only two to notice.
She stood, but it wasn't time for her to return to work. She was frightened. She saw me and held out her hand. I took it and we began to run, run away from her work and mine.
We ran faster and faster and soon we were on the other side of the park. We both bent over to catch our breath, but we knew whatever was going to happen hadn't happened yet. We waited.
She climbed to a small rise and I followed. She opened her tote and pulled out juice packs for both of us. We guzzled them and then a small bottle of water as well.
Suddenly she clung to my right arm and looked into the sky. My eyes followed. All I saw was a helicopter. I looked back at her, but her eyes were frozen to the sky. I looked back and watched as the helicopter exploded. Our eyes followed the path of the falling chopper and it was to our sitting area and her work.
I turned slowly, in amazement.
"How did you know?" I asked breathlessly.
"I just knew it would be within the last year, but had no date, just the time. I knew to wait quietly, and my purse would tell me when it was near."
"Your purse?"
She opened it and it seemed bottomless. I could see a small pantry, first aid kit and some type of strange electronic device. It was blinking green now.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I am just like you, but have the ability to recognize a coming disaster by time. The problem is that I never have the date. I waited close to two years in one place before, but I did save a family. Today I just saved you and me."
"Sounds wonderful to me and thank you!"
She smiled and let out a huge sigh. "Now I can relax until I get the next feeling. Your workplace should be fine, but mine was destroyed and all my friends there. You should go back, but after work come to my place, okay?"
I nodded and we walked to my work, hand in hand. She headed to her burning and destroyed workplace and just shook her head. They never listened to her. She reached into her tote and toggled the switch to Ready on her sense enhancer, though she never wanted to be alerted again.
She began to walk home, but stopped and sat near a trash can. She toggled the switch off and placed the machine in the trash. She had done enough. They could find someone else for the next disaster.
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