Everyday Heroes

Rylie

A/N: Previously posted on Archive. Could be multiple chapters if liked enough.

     Rylie had never felt the fear of dying before. She had never been so blindly stupid before in her life. She was a quiet good girl who did her homework on time, worked in the animal rescue on the weekends; the diner during the week and lived with her mother and grandfather. She unknowingly volunteered to take the place of a mother the moment she opened her big dumb mouth.

     They were in the café; the same quiet, small café that she had been coming to for the past two weeks. The woman across the room from her told the criminal she had no money to give him as she hid her child behind her legs. Maybe that’s why she opened her big mouth. The child reminded her of herself when she was little; her parents had brought her to New York to see the Rockette’s Christmas Spectacular show. After the show let out and they made their way to the train station a man came up to her parents with a knife and demanded their money. She remembered being terrified but her father calmly hid her mother and herself behind him and handed over his entire wallet. The man let them go – but she remembered that feeling of ultimate fear.

     The gunman was shaking in anger. “I said give me your god damn money!” Rylie noticed that the cashier pressed the silent alarm for the police station. Unfortunately so did the gunman’s lookout. “Crap, Jack we have a tattle teller.”

     The gunman started yelling at the cashier. “Dumb bitch! You’re lucky I don’t blow your brains out! Empty the register…. NOW!!” He faced the mother. “Now I won’t ask again. Give me your money.” The woman placed a hand behind her as she pushed her son closer to the back of her legs.

     “Leave her alone ya creep.” Those were the words that sealed Rylie’s fate. Maybe it was the fact that she was surrounded by everyday heroes and bravery that it just came to her as instinct. Her mother was a doctor, he father a fireman, and her grandfather was always telling her about his days in the war and how many people he saved, throwing himself over them to shield them from a bomb explosion. Whatever the reason was she couldn’t worry about it now.

     Jack spun on his heel to face her; his shoulders were tense as he pointed the gun to her face. She figured that she should regret her words but she didn’t. All she knew is that this insane courage had landed on her shoulders. She lifted her head in confidence staring the muzzle.

     “Woo, you’re in for it now girly.” The lookout laughed from his position at the door.

     The gunman took two steps, fairly large steps toward her bringing the gun about a foot away from her face. “Wanna say that again little wench?”

     Alarms were going off in her head for her own self-preservation, her mouth disagreed as she looked over to the terrified small child. She knew this event alone would scar him – but if he didn’t watch his mother die then maybe he would turn out alright. She had to keep the gunman’s focus on her instead. “What are ya deaf?” The words came out in mockery toward the criminal.

   BbThe man shoved her into the wall behind her; hitting her head not too hard but it wasn’t a love tap either. “Better watch yourself girl.” He sneered as he gestured to the gun in his hand.

     “Oh, such a tough guy. Ya must get off picking on girls.” She probably shouldn’t have said that as suddenly she was back handed. The force of the hit sent her tumbling onto the floor; knocking over a small postcard stand in the process. A few customers let out a gasp or a small yelp at his violent act. He turned at face them all.
“SHUT UP!”

     Rylie heard sirens in her head but then realized they were coming from outside; the police making their way to the tiny shop. Her arm was warm, tingly and covered in blood. Part of the metal rack must have cut into her skin when she landed. She winced when the gunman fired a round into the ceiling. “I WANT ALL THE MONEY IN THE BAG! DO IT” He bellowed and the customers rushed to throw their valuable’s into the tiny sack. The mother of the boy pulled out her earrings and tossed them in while giving Rylie a grateful look.