Once In Motion...
starter for @wolfskrieger
Its the perfect day to go outside. The sun not trying to bleed itself into the side walk, and the winds off the ocean not trying to blow you away. A perfect in between. And like many New Yorkers today, Sasha decided today was the day for a outing. So Pooka's harness is found, treats and his water bowl attached because if he's coming he's going to be responsible for his own things. That is how it works. For animals and people alike. Something that has two water bottles and and snack for herself packed into a small sling bag. One that finds rest on her shoulder as she clips the leash to Pooka's harness.
"Okay you, time to go see babushka i dedushka."
She smiles at the way Pooka's tale instantly fires up like a whirly gig. It makes her giggle in the wake of the front door closing and her keys tinkling to lock it. And off they went into the bright mid morning. The trip to her parents' house only taking two bus rides and a fifteen minute walk. Her parents of course trying to feed her and make her stay for longer but that's just how they were. And maybe she'd stayed an extra hour longer than intended but well no harm came of it. Wouldn't anyway. They were her parents. Even if the elephantty in the room was still there. Her ever absence elder sibling that most of the time just--didn't have time for family affairs these days. But maybe she understood why more than her parents. Not that she would ever tell.
That had been two hours ago. Now her and her trusty best friend were walking lazily through the afternoon market. Fruits and vegetables she will need for tonights dinner, purchased and tucked away in her bag. A brief pause at a stall selling sweets and pasteries. And while she could make the latter fairly easy--she buys a couple anyway. Because someimes even chefs take the easy way out. But only when cooking for themselves. Never anyone else. And she'd just taken the bag of afformentioned assorted candies when--
The sound hits her first it always does. Rakes through her like its her that's experiencing the horror that unfolds before her minds eye. Screaming metal crunching bone ripping flesh. The gut wrenching sound nearly turns her stomach. Would if her self wasn't entirely frozen in place, at the complete mercy of the future fated to happen in the next five minutes.
A red light entirely disregarded. A sleek black beauty of a bike that quite certainly outshines the fixer upper her brother left to rot in their parents garage. The rider thrown like a ragdoll for as not small as the man--clearly a man--is. Into the windshield of the traffic violater's SUV. Then up and over only to hit pavement and--
Bright blue eyes squeeze shut like she can block it out. The horrid sound of a person being run over. The blood--christ's cross she's never seen without seeing so much of it. And the bag of candies is fisted. She forgets entirely her manners and leaves the shop keep holding his payment while following the blonde and blue jean blur she's become down the side walk.
She's got time. She's got time. She just has to find---corner of seventh and eighth. She snags the information from the vision she plays back over and over again. She has to get the location right. There isn't enough time to be wrong. And she almost misses the turn if Pooka hadn't accidently tripped her. A scrapped knee and torn jean leg for her trouble she gets back up and bolts again. Sneakers tearing up concrete and body weaving between people. She would never normally do this and the people she accidently clips are offered all she can give them. A half yelled half squeaked
"Sorry!"
Eventually she comes to a skidding halt. The few people waiting on the crosswalk not even bothering to look up from their phones and then...then she hears it. Echoing over the traffic noise and bustling people. The unmistakeable sound of a finely tuned motorbike engine. She has seconds...fifteen at most and blue tears towards the direction she knows the soon to me vehicular manslaughterer is coming from. And maybe right then everything slows down. Moves like the air's thickness just grew expoentially. Yet she herself remains uneffected. Just like always. And in the interveneing seconds that stretch into the eternity she's only ever heard her brother be able to put into words--
Sasha lets go of Pooka's leash. Runs out across the barren crosswalk and stops dead center of the oncoming lane. Eyes that squeeze shut tighter than she's ever asked of them in her life. Hands that come up against her ears and ball into fists. She won't die. The SUV will stop. Her choice has changed the future and she can see clear as day---
Tires screech on asphalt. A horn begins to blare after it. And all she can do is remain. Quietly singing the only thing that comes to mind. The one thing that always makes her feel better. The lullaby her mother used to sing to her and her brother when they were little. And so it trickles out of her quiet and probably not loud enough for anyone to hear or so she assumes.
"Baju-bajuški-baju, Nie ložisia na kraju..." [ Bayu-bayushki-bayu, Don't lie on the edge ]
One heart beat.
Two.
Oh please don't let anything else have changed. Please don't let her blind spot that everyone has be the reason Pooka will have to watch his mom learn how to fly and come crashing back down like a some failed kind of pigeon.
Please.