Average Joe (2018)

41

Tori sighed, watching the cars below sway to and fro. The Thomas Williams Memorial Building, which Norman had introduced her to, had become a favorite of Tori. Tori put one leg over another and stared at the large city buildings stretching into the sky.

Tori thought more about the anomaly that is Norman Knight. Why did he have to tell her that? Why did he have to... No, this was her fault. She should've noticed before, it was so obvious! The way Norman stared at her, the way his eyes looked, it was all so obvious, but she didn't even look twice.

After a while, Tori decided it was time to pack it up and head home. Tori stood from the ledge where she and Norman Knight fell from only weeks earlier. Tori walked across the gravel-covered roof and back to the rusty fire escape.

After a ten-minute climb, Tori was back on the streets of New York City. Cars slowly disappeared from the street she walked next to, the dark sky unleashing a torment of rain. Tori took the hood of her pink jacket and flung it over her head, blocking out the rain.

Tori stopped in her tracks, as a sleek limo cut her off at an intersection. Tori paused and stood there, waiting for the sleek-black limo to continue its path. Instead of continually driving, a door opened and exposed a leather and wood interior. Inside was a man who dressed nicely, and someone who looked familiar.

"Miss Robson?" Tori asked.

"Hello, Tori!" Miss Robson greeted. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

"Just... out for a walk."

"Well, come on in. I'll give you a ride back to your house."

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

"Are you kidding? It's freezing out, and it's raining."

"Umm... okay."

___

I opened my stinging eyes, a white light burning them. A voice in the background became clearer and clearer.

"Mr. Knight? Mr. Knight, please respond."

The light went away and I realized the light was a flashlight being shone in my eyes. There was an oxygen mask on my mouth, helping me breathe.

"Mr. Knight? Norman?"

"What?" I croaked. "what's going on?"

"Sir, what were you doing in that building? Sir?"

"Bryan?" I gasped. "He's inside. He's with him."

"Who's with him?"

I slowly realized I was in an ambulance, my body resting on a gurney. The ambulance wasn't moving and I saw my leg was heavily bloodied.

"You..." It was difficult to breathe. "Have to save him."

"Who?"

"Save Bryan."

___

Outside the ambulance, Cora watched as the flames that previously danced around the building sputtered out. The street was covered in ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, and bomb squad officials. Once the building blew up, cops assumed the fake bomb was just a ploy, and the real bomb was in the abandoned building.

Three firemen walked out of the crumbling building, their uniforms covered in ash and soot. Cora rushed towards them, practically tripping over herself.

"Did you find him?" Cora asked, frantically.

"Ma'am, trust me. If anyone else was in that building, they're not now." The firemen walked away, and Cora was left speechless.