A Helpful Monster
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A fictional short story
Squint looked up through the holes in the grate, watching as a woman walk down the dark ally. She did it almost every night, walked this dark, deserted road to get to her car parked at the end. You would think as much money as the bar makes, they could afford to put some lighting up for their employees.
Squint shook his head. Every night he watched to make sure she made it safely. This wasn’t the best part of town, and he kind of liked the girl. She brushed a strand of dark out of her face as she fished in her purse for her keys.
A flash of movement near the entrance caught his eye, and he shifted his focus from the woman to the shadow headed her way. For six months, he sat in the sewer and watched, waiting for this very night.
He drew in a deep breath and waited until the man passed the grate before quietly lifting it and slipping it to the side. This was the day he had waited for, trained for. He was actually going to be able to help someone.
The man pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it open. It was now or never. He hoisted his ten foot long body out of the sewer just as the man grabbed the woman’s shoulder. She turned around and let out a blood-curdling scream that had squint covering his ears.
He hissed and shook the rattle at the end of his tail. The man with the knife froze, his eyes going wide. He dropped the knife and tried to back away but bumped into the car. The alarm on the car beeped to life. Flashing lights and the honking horn sent squint coiling backward.
The noise hurt his sensitive ears, but he couldn’t slither away. This woman needed his help. With a swift flick of his tail, he knocked the man into the air, sending him flying into the nearby brick wall. The woman screamed again and pulled a taser from her pocket.
Squint dropped his head so he could look her in the eye, let her know everything would be okay. She screamed again, and he shook his head, trying to alleviate the pain her high pitched voice created.
The taser sparked in her hand as she pointed it at him. He backed away slowly. Her eyes wide with fear, and she scrambled to get into her car. The engine roared to life, and with her tires spinning, she peeled out of the driveway, and into the main road.
Squint watched her for a moment before slipping back into the sewer, covering the hole with the grate once more. She may not have appreciated it, but at least he was able to save her from that monster of a man. The thought brought him little comfort as he nursed his aching ears. People just didn’t understand him.
