I Saved Him - Short Story
Updated: Apr 14, 2021
© 2016, Jori Hanna
Strange times call for strange measures. What I did that day should never have worked. I
shouldn't have escaped. Not from them. They were the strongest, the fastest, the most equipped people out there, and I got away from them.
But that's not all I did.
I also took down their hierarchy, foiled their devious schemes, and saved the country.
That's right. I am a hero. At least, that's what I like to think. The story isn't as great as I make it
out to be. All I did was stop a thug from bullying a less experienced coworker. I got in the thug's face a bit. I mocked him. I did to him exactly what he did to the little guy. Oh, the look on his face! The thug never knew I knew how to box. The thug never knew a lot about me. The guy just figured, 'Hey, this one's small, too. I can get his lunch money.'
Never before had I wanted to punch someone so bad. I walked in on him pinning the little
guy up against the fridge in the break room. A wiser man probably would'a walked away, turned a blind eye. But me? Nah. I just got two pretty shiners and a few sore ribs. I guess I didn't quite escape then, either. Not to mention I lost my job. Something about picking a fight where there wasn't no need for one. That had to be the wise guys talkin'.
But I wasn't the only one who took a beating that day. The thug looked much worse than
me. A few quick elbows to the ribs and an upper cut to the jaw ... Yeah. That did him in. It was
his buddies standing guard outside that got the jump on me. Coward, calling for back up. Who
did he think he was? Those two lost their jobs, as well. Good riddance. The company's better off
without 'em. My mama told me, when I got in my first fight at school, that I ought'a be careful who I mess with, that not everyone was worth savin' when it was me who'd end up on the streets, hungry, because of my hero complex. Maybe I should'a listened, Mama. Will you come pay my bail now? Don't you worry about the medical bill, Mama, insurance is payin' that. I did listen to you there. And a smart move that was. You're always so smart, Mama. I know what you'd say to me now. Probably you'd say, "Lance Arthur Williams, how could you? What were you thinkin', goin' in there like that?" And I'd be forced to say, "Well, Mama, I guess I thought I could help."
And you'd say, "Lancey, you always did have a problem with that. When ya gonna learn that
some people aren't worth savin'?"
Everyone's worth savin', Mama. Everyone.
If I saved those thugs today by beatin' 'em up,
then I'll take the black eyes and bruised side. I made a little guy feel safe. And I saved him.
This story, segments of this story, and ideas from this story are not to be duplicated or replicated in anyway. This content belongs to J. J. Hanna alone.
Please note: This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real life events is unintended by the author.
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J. J. Hanna is a writer and reader from Colorado. She loves suspense stories above all else, and is currently working on a debut novel of her own. When she's not writing, you can find her cuddling with a cat, drinking a caffeinated beverage, and watching one of her favorite shows. Go find her on social media @authorjjhanna to keep track of her most recent reads, current adventures, and to get the most up to date news on all things publishing.
