Pike Place Peril
by Cheryll (Gabby) Ganzel
Ellie wandered down the cobblestone street of Pike Place, absorbing as many of the sights and sounds she could. She had been coming here daily for as long as she could remember, yet she never grew tired of it.
She passed booth after booth of fruits and veggies, fresh flowers, handmade jewelry, and canvas masterpieces painted by local artists. Although it was still early in the morning, the marketplace bustled with activity, crowded by both locals and tourists just as it had been everyday for the last hundred years. No wonder they called Pike Place “the soul of Seattle,” she thought.
Ellie jumped, startled by an obnoxious, blaring car horn. She stepped sideways and watched as the white knuckled driver inched the silver SUV through the crowd. Must be a tourist, she thought, and not a very bright one. Vehicles were allowed on this street but nobody with any sense ever tried it.
Ellie’s heart rate was just returning to normal as she approached the first of her only two stops.
“Mornin’ Sam.”
Sam smiled at her through sightless eyes. “Morning Ellie!”
She loved talking to Sam. He seemed to remember the smallest details, even ones she couldn’t remember sharing with him in the past.
“How about an apple today?” Sam asked.
“Sounds good.”
“Do you want a plastic bag or are you just going to put it in your book bag?”
“A bag please. And throw in some of my favorite cheese. I’ll take it to the park and finish reading my book.”
“Still reading Fragments?”
“Nope, finished that one. Now I’m reading Children of the Lost Moon.”
“Any good?”
“Yes! And scary too. Shapeshifters and werewolves!”
“Oh my!” Sam said and laughed.
She placed her hand in his and squeezed gently. “See you tomorrow, my friend.”
Sam gripped her hand tightly, his smile faded. “No, you won’t.”
Ellie tried to pull her hand away, but Sam held on. “What are you talking about? Let go Sam, you’re hurting me.”
He relaxed his grip. “I’m so sorry, Ellie. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’m just an old fool. Forgive me?”
“No worries. I’m okay. There’s nothing to forgive. Have a good day, Sam.”
A little more rattled than she would like to admit, Ellie walked the last half block of the cobblestone street and entered her other daily stop, Starbuck’s. She inhaled deeply, loving the smell of roasted coffee. She headed for her favorite table at the back of the shop. Perched at the small round bistro table, she had a clear view of everyone inside the store. A large tinted picture window diffused the sun’s rays, casting a warm glow on both the store’s patrons and the passersby outside.
“Hey Ellie, what can I get you this morning?”
“Just coffee please, Jerry.”
“Tall French roast, cream and sugar, to go, as usual?”
“Yeah, except I want a cup here first. This is turning out to be a two-cup day.”
“I hear that!” He stood there a moment, then turned and walked away.
Ellie sighed as she watched Jerry leave. She had been hoping he would ask her out sometime. There were times when she was sure he was about to ask, but instead he would just smile and say have a nice day or like now, just run off.
She put her book bag on the table, pulled out her book and began reading. She was so engrossed in her book, she didn’t notice when Jerry brought her coffee until the rich aroma filled her nostrils. Wanting to savor every sip of the strong hot liquid without distraction, she marked her spot with a bookmarker. She hated it when people bent the corners of the pages, or opened the book too wide and broke the back. Each book was a treasure and except for a slight yellowing of the pages, even her oldest books looked brand new.
Screams and screeching tires caused Ellie to drop her coffee. Without warning, the glass window exploded. Walls, tables, and people rushed toward her. The last thing she saw was a white panel van, half in, half out of the now glassless window.
Firemen dug through the debris. Teams of paramedics handled the injured both inside and outside the shop.
“Is she alive? Is she all right?” Jerry asked the paramedic.
“What’s your name?”
“Jerry. Is Ellie going to be okay?”
“I’m Bill. That looks like a nasty cut on your forehead. DAVID!” Bill yelled.
“Jerry, David’s going to take you out to one of the ambulances and have you checked out. We’ll let you know about Ellie as soon as we can.”
Ellie felt the heavy weight lift as the firemen dug her out of the rubble. She opened her eyes, but her vision was blurred by the bright light. Slowly Sam’s face came into focus.
“I’m so sorry Ellie. I saw me, but I didn’t see you.”
“Blood pressure’s dropping, 60/40.”
“Sam? Sam, what are you talking about?”
“She’s going into V-fib.”
“I should never have said anything. If I hadn’t said anything, you wouldn’t have been here. You would have been at the park, having lunch, reading your book. It’s my fault you’re here.”
“CLEAR!” Ellie’s body jerked violently.
Sam held out a gnarled hand.
“Flat line. Again, CLEAR!”
Ellie took Sam’s hand. “Where are we going?”
“You’re not going anywhere. Not yet anyway. Come on Ellie, breathe!”
Outside of Starbucks looked as chaotic as inside. Shattered booths, paintings, flowers, fruits and vegetables, lay scattered in the street. Most of the injured had already been transported to the hospital. A few people milled about, dazed and confused, trying to salvage what was left of their booths.
Bill found Jerry sitting on the back of the ambulance.
“How is Ellie? Is she going to be okay?”
“Is she a close friend of yours?” Bill asked.
“Not really, but I’ve seen her every day for forever. I’ve been meaning to ask her out, I just never got around to it.”
“Well it looks like she’s going to be fine. And what are you waiting for? You should ask her out. You never know what’s going to happen or when.”
“Yeah, who could have seen this coming? What did happen here anyway?”
“From what I hear,” Bill replied, “some drunk decided to play Death Race 2000. It’s a miracle there was only one fatality.”
“One person died? Who?”
“The old blind man who owned the fruit stand. He was crossing the street and was hit by the van. Died instantly. Come on, I’ll ride with you to the hospital.”
Bill closed the back doors. “Okay David, let’s go.”
“Are we going to the same hospital they took Ellie to?”
“Yes, we are,” Bill said.
Jerry smiled. “Good!”