Push Back [#Occ]

The girl in front of me was so shrill, her screaming voice bored itself into my brain like a power drill. I tried to back away as best I could, but there were others pushing from behind too.

With a bunch of "scuse me's" and a bit of muscling, I managed to work myself onto the sidewalk and into a doorway. Standing on the step, the crowd, riddled with those carrying signs, seemed like a sea of angry faces threatening to burst upon the line of dark blue uniforms that had formed across the street a few yards away.

"Great", I thought.

Just wanting to get this freaking package to the office address up the street was getting impossible. Worse than that, I'd had to leave my bike about 2 blocks away because the crowd was so thick. I hope the lock works and I'd be able to get it back again. I liked that bicycle and didn't want to lose it. Being a courier can suck huge sometimes, but this was almost worse than crappy weather and watching for morons that opened their car doors without looking.

What do these people really want anyways? I've heard just about all I want to know about the 1% and the 99% and, sure... I don't make much doing what I do, but I sure wish I could get this one done and get back to my bike.

My cell went off for the umpteenth time and it was that office again, asking for the package. I told her that there were cops blocking my way and didn't think they'd let me through.

"Stay put where you are", she said, "Come through when the there's an opening. We need that package."

OK... stay put? Yeah, why not? Maybe I'll get a nice tip on top of the delivery charge. Gotta love it when that happens.

The crowd kept pushing and falling back, just like waves on a beach, but the cops never moved an inch. They looked pretty damn serious.

After a few minutes, there were several burly guys dressed in black and wearing balaclaves that began to push towards the front, yelling and screaming about Nazi's. Out of nowhere, they began to grab signs from the protesters and tossing them at the police line.

Oh. oh, I thought, this is gonna end badly.

The crowd reacted kinda weird, though. They attacked the guys dressed in black before the police even began moving. In seconds, they were on the pavement and getting pummeled. A hole opened in the crowd and the next thing I saw were those balaclavas getting ripped off their heads. Their eyes were wild with confusion and fear.

The police line couldn't move ahead at all. The crowd was too thick even though they hauled away the protesters at the front. More protesters just took their place.

Meanwhile, the seven guys (I counted 'em) dressed in black were trapped. All around them people were yelling and pushing them back down onto the pavement.

That's when I saw that badge fall off one. The NYPD gold badge just clattered on the pavement and the crowd went wild,

"Cops!", they yelled "They're COPS!!!"

The cameras came out and they became the the focus of the whole street.

"Cops!!! They're cops!!!"

Oh, joy. Now I'm in it for sure. The police line started going bananas now with billy clubs smacking everyone in their way. I shrunk deep into my little alcove hoping to avoid eventually getting arrested myself when suddenly one of the seven made a real effort to get into the doorway too. He almost made it and, just as he got within reach, he made a grab for my package. I held on though and the result was it got ripped open and bundles of green dollar bills spilled onto the sidewalk.

"Crap", he said.

"Oh, Jesus", I thought.

The crowd was now looking at me kinda funny too.

reply to post by masqua


I like how you leave the reader hanging.

Will the courier escape? Will he be hunted for losing the package? Will the crowd mistakenly lynch him?

Stay tuned for another exciting episode of “Push Back”!

NOooo!!! Please keep going! You had me and for a minute I was thinking it was a bomb...

reply to post by antar


HA ! I thought it was - can't mention it...against the T&C - just something highly illegal...

And...............................................

then what happens ????

I never liked cliffhangers...

Well... maybe...

The money lay where it fell and a hundred pairs of eyes flickered back and forth from that green patch of lettuce on the concrete, me and those unfortunate characters being held down by a crowd that was literally thickening by the second. The police line was actually backpedaling to that crush of bodies. By the look of all the cells flashing, I knew that half of New York City, if not the world, was already aware of what just happened.

I threw the rest of the package down and just yelled at the flashing cameras.

"I'm just a courier! I was supposed to deliver that parcel to...!"

Why couldn't I say it? I knew in my gut that if I said where it was supposed to go, there'd be trouble for that office. Choking it off, I couldn't think of anything else to say.

Everybody was still staring at me.

"I didn't know what was in it, OK?"

Something started to dawn in their eyes, though, I could see it. Synapses were snapping in those heads. Connections were being made.

A girl, I think it was the same one that had been screaming so shrilly earlier, said it first, though. She pointed at the seven guys dressed in black and, as loud as ever, speculated that the money was for those cops to start a little riot.

'They're provocators and that cash was their payment, right?

Can't say the thought hadn't crossed my mind a dozen times already and now there was maybe a little hope here. A glimmer of me getting out of this jamb.

The girl looked at me and, grinning, said "You're gonna be famous now, ya know? What's your name, fella?"

reply to post by masqua


Fantastic writing, great story.

reply to post by masqua


Very well written, Masqua. I like how you have two story lines going, and I always ALWAYS love a hook at the end of a story. Good job!

reply to post by masqua


wow there is a lot in there!

your metaphors brought a smile to my face!
There was a conspiracy lurking in the background, yet to be discovered.
The twist *when the discovery is made..
and the whistle blower - > "They are Cops!"

Really exciting to the point that I had to re read a sentence because I was racing to the next one so I could find out the ending. LOL

reply to post by masqua


Finally got to reading it ! I like the way you write, you like leaving a good suspense up in the air, don't you?

I really enjoyed. You are an excellent writer. And I wish I could flag it again !!

Excellent story masqua! I wanted to read more, but it ended.

Suprise, the Short Story forum guru is going to be good at writing them.

S+F.