Monday, August 28, 2006

Entry #68

The Good Samaritan
by Al Kramer


I looked up and saw it all – murky clouds giving way to brilliant light. Perpetual flooding. Everyone seemed so startled. Not me. I knew it was coming, and the world would never be the same.

Twenty years ago, in Jersey Park, a man pulled out a Colt forty-five and pointed it at a pregnant
woman. Tears dribbled down her face; shaky hands encircled her belly.

I leaped in front of the man, just as the gun fired. The bullet burned through my chest. In agony, I
lunged for him, screamed at the woman, "Go." As she sped away, the shooter, confused, stumbled in the opposite direction.

I slumped onto the dewy grass and the world faded.

A moment later, I felt air-born as if I grew wings. I knew where I'd be heading. After all, I had
saved two lives.

When I finally landed on solid ground, I opened my eyes, jumped up. For a moment, I stood transfixed by the feral beast before me. My body quivered.

"Welcome."

"Where am I?"

"Where do you think?"

I glanced around and saw nothing but black rock. Sweat began to trickle into my eyes. I now knew
my home. But why? My act had been selfless.

As if reading my thoughts, the beast said, "It is I who impregnated the woman. Angels dispatched a human to destroy my child. You saved his life. In twenty years, he and I will enslave the world. Thank you for being a Good Samaritan."

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nicely put togeter.

Anonymous said...

An unexpected twist. Just the way it should be.

Joni said...

Gee, I didn't see that one coming. Nicely constructed.

Anonymous said...

I really REALLY didn't see that coming! Nice.

anne frasier said...

very nice twist, al!!

great job!

The Wandering Author said...

I can't help thinking the angels ought to have done more to save the world and keep an innocent man from suffering punishment for an act he couldn't understand the consequences of.

briliantdonkey said...

I knew a twist was coming , I just had NO idea that would be the one. VERY nicely done Al!

Thanks,

BD

Robert Ball said...

"Let no good deed go unpunished" seems an appropriate theme for this story. Nice twist!

Anonymous said...

Ah, the eternal curse of a good deed gone wrong. Nicely done with an excellant twist.

Scott said...

Well that will teach the guy to mind his own business now, won't it?

Anonymous said...

ohh...what a twist that was. Creative writing and very interesting.

Flood said...

This is probably how the earth will be destroyed. Some idiot with good intentions. Ha!

Great twist.

Story Blook said...

Dark, wonderfully dark and a nice twist.

Jaye Wells said...

I agree with everyone else. The twist was unexpected and played out well.

Anonymous said...

This is one the the best endings I have read. Good Job.

Anonymous said...

One of THE best. whoops

Anonymous said...

I'll be damned if I do any more good deeds (pun intended).

This is very good- I like a good story with a surpise at the end.

Bhaswati said...

What a way to tie the end to the beginning! Very smart work.

A. M. said...

Hi! Love the twist.

He'd have been sent back anyway for lack of modesty, braggery, sense of entitlement and being a drug-dealer.

That's why he threw his own life away in the first place, right, to escape the cops that where just around the corner? Technically, a suicide, then? :)

Anonymous said...

That was devilish! (Pun intended.) That guy got the punking of the millenium!