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The Moment
by David Simms

Five seconds.

His heart beat wildly within his chest. Mere moments stood between life and death for the stranger in the paper and he stood in the gap. He was the variable, the unknown piece of the puzzle that would decide whether or not she lived to greet another day.

Four seconds.

Colors swirled beneath his sweat-blurred vision. Noises collided and faded into silence save the sound of his pulse that echoed like tribal drums in his ears. In the distance, he could see her step into the street and harm's way, oblivious to the fate that he fought to defy.

Three seconds.

His feet beat against the pavement like a madman at the door, his arms pumping in unison with each step. Adrenaline coursed through every vein, pushing him to his limit, then his will pushed him even further.

Two seconds.

Her last breath rested in his hands, her life on his shoulders. Two seconds, two single grains in the sands of time, were all that remained. Live or die, succeed or fail. One chance.

One second.

Like a worried mother to her child, he enveloped the deaf woman in his arms and drew her to his chest as he lunged forward. They could feel the breeze from the passing truck brush against their skin as they fell hard to the unforgiving ground. She gazed into his eyes, her face a canvas of emotions. He could feel the warmth of her breath upon his as she whispered thank you
and kissed him on the cheek, allowing her lips to linger an instant longer than necessary.

And as quickly as it had begun, it was over. One life saved, two lives touched, two strangers brought together by a moment.

Email the author: mrdavidsimms@hotmail.com
 

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