Storiesonline.net ------- The Absent Hero by Cold Creek Copyright© 2009 by Cold Creek ------- Description: A different type of hero story with ladies, water and a very reluctant hero. Codes: MF rom humor ------- ------- Chapter 1: Carl "Wow it got cold" I muttered to myself as I hauled my equipment out of the rink to my car. The temperature must have dropped a good 15 degrees from when I went in about 10:30pm. It was probably 5 below now at 12:30am on Saturday morning. I guess winter doesn't want to give up the ghost yet, even though it was pretty mild earlier in the day for late March in Ontario. It had rained a fair bit today and the snow had all melted. My name is Carl Johnson, defenseman extraordinaire for our weekly Friday late night hockey game. Ok, so I'm probably the worst one out there and the oldest too, but I usually have fun and it helps keep the weight down. Since I sit behind a desk for 10 hours a day plus behind the wheel to and from work for another hour and a half, I don't get much time to exercise. My svelte polar bear physique allows me to stay behind to help defend our zone, usually bent over gasping for air saying "no you go ahead- I'll stay back". I threw the bag in the trunk and the sticks in the back seat and got the car started. I checked my cell for messages, not that there usually is one, but found the damn thing dead, even after I played with the battery. I knew I should have gotten that new battery for it but there never seems to be enough time in the day to do everything. I pulled out of the parking lot and headed home. Home is in a small town called Cranville about 45 minutes out of the city of Westfield. I know it's pretty far to go to play pick-up hockey but I play with some guys from work and it's only once a week. I got out of the city pretty quickly and got into some fog with the change in temperature. The highway was pretty slick with the rain earlier and, with the fog getting denser the farther out I got from Westfield, the normal 45 minutes looked like it would take over an hour tonight. Luckily there wasn't much traffic, so I didn't have to get stuck behind some poky driver. I hit the real rural stretch between Westfield and Cranville, with pretty much just farm fields and ditches on either side of the road with no street lights for miles. The fog rolled in and I was real glad they put in the yellow curve ahead signs in or I would have run right of the road into the ditch. These ditches were not your normal 2 or 3 feet shallow ones; no these were 10 to 15 feet down from the raised highway and collected all the run-off for all of the fields on both sides. Right now with the snow melt and rain they were full to the top and they had a wicked current happening too. I took the curve at about 60km/hr (40 mile/hr) and even with my fog lights on I couldn't see more than a couple car lengths ahead of me. Suddenly, out of the fog in front of me, comes the light's of a vehicle on my side of the road! I leaned on the horn, hit the brakes and swerved to the right. He swerved back to his side and we just missed hitting each other. My car fishtailed and I fought to keep it on the road. Looking in the rear view mirror I saw that the vehicle was one of those small quarter size buses and the driver over steered and had spun out behind me. I finally got my car under control and pulled over to the side of the road. I sat for a second to calm down from the adrenalin rush and looked back to see what happened to the bus just as the rear lights disappeared over the side of the road. "Aw shit" I thought as I put my flashers on and backed up the car. "What the hell is a bus doing out here at this time of night" I wondered as I got back to where the bus had crashed through the side rail. I got out of the car and looked over the side of the road. The bus was down in the ditch on its side with water covering everything but the side facing up. Unfortunately, that side was not the side with the door so whoever was in there was in big trouble. The side of the bus had the words Westfield Academy written on the side and I could see a few shapes moving around inside even though it was pretty dark. The lights were still on thankfully so I could see something at least. I tried my cell again but it still had no power. No cars were in sight coming either way through the fog so it looked like I had to be the hero and go save the day. Just fricking peachy! That water looked cold and here I left my insulated diving suit at home. So, I gingerly stepped off the road holding a small bush as I angled my body back to the side of the ditch. Ok, that was the plan. What really happened was as soon as got on the slope of the ditch I immediately started sliding on my ass and landed in the water over my head. Very, very cold, very fast moving water as I earlier suspected. I went for a little swim in the rapids of the Colorado River without appropriate safety gear and proper means of propulsion and promptly got swept 20 feet past the back of the bus until I met a tree with big pointy branches. After coughing up half of Lake Erie and removing said swords out of my stomach and leg, I pulled myself out of the ditch using the tree and walked back to the bus. Ok, that went real well. I didn't have much in my car that would help and I still didn't see anyone coming along to help. Just swell. I saw a few people at the windows trying to push out the windows and yelling for help. I figured I better jump for the bus rather than trying to brave the rapids so I yelled for the people to move away from the back windows and waited until they moved to the front. I backed up and took a running leap to try and reach the top of the bus. I flew gracefully as a polar bear onto the bus landing on a steel beam between two windows. The beam broke my fall (and maybe a couple of my ribs) and my right hand broke the window on the right and my left leg broke through the window on the left. "Damn that hurt" I muttered as I lay there gasping for air. Peering into the dark bus I saw a few people standing on the bottom row of seats with the water quickly filling up the bus. They appeared to be all late teenage girls/women all dressed in some kind of uniform. "Hmm, this just got a bit more interesting" I thought. "Hello Ladies, have no fear, your friendly Spiderman is here" I joked. From the front of the bus I get the reply "More like the Chubby Hippoman I'd say. We saw your swan dive remember?" "It's the coat. Ruins the aerodynamics something awful and adds 20 pounds to my normally svelte figure" I quip back. It got me a couple of giggles so all was not lost. I asked the girls nearest me to move back so I could try and break the window so we could get them out. I waited until they got out of the way and then used my elbow to finish breaking out the right hand window, top and bottom. I stood up and kicked in the metal cross beams and then yelled for them to start reaching up. I grabbed the hands of the first girl and pulled her up and out of the bus. I told her to move over to the side and reached for the next one. Eight good looking girls later I asked if that was everyone and one of them said there should be ten girls plus their coach. I looked in but couldn't see anyone else so I grabbed the window edge and lowered myself into the bus, just squeezing into the window. I was near the back of the bus and started checking the seats that were under water. The first 3 were empty and then I felt a body and pulled her up. I quickly put her over my shoulder and walked back through the water and yelled for some help. Two girls bent over and helped pull her up through the window. I yelled at them to start CPR if anyone knew it to get her breathing. I turned back and swam back to the front of the bus to find the last girl and their coach. I found the tenth girl holding the coach's head above water. "Hi there ladies, are we enjoying your evening swim?" I joked. Well the girl obviously has no sense of humor as she frowned and said "She's unconscious and her leg is stuck". "Ok, let me go down and look" I replied and followed the woman's body down to her legs. I felt her left leg trapped between some twisted metal. I tried to manipulate her leg to pull it out but it wouldn't budge. Next I grabbed the edge of the metal and tried to pull it apart. Damn thing wouldn't budge. I moved around to get a better platform and a better grip and tried again. I felt it give a bit but my feet slipped and I fell headfirst into the water, cutting my head on the seat and tearing my hands on the metal. "Hurry up and quick fooling around, the water is rising in here" the girl shouted. I swore a bit and gave her a look and went back to her coach's leg. Now I was pissed, and that's usually not a good thing. I tend to go a bit berserk when that happens. I reached down and grabbed the metal again and started yanking the metal, lunging back with my full weight over and over until finally the metal broke and I flew back, again bumping my head. I laid there for a minute, a bit dazed from the hit on the head. The girl shouted "You can nap later ok; I could use a little help here". I felt like telling her off but superheroes don't swear at damsels in distress so I just ground my teeth and waded back over to them. I went down and got her leg untangled and then lifted the woman up. "Ok, get moving to the back, princess" I told her and followed her back. The water was up to middle of the upper seats now so we had to swim underwater to get to the back of the bus. The girls were screaming for us to get out of there before it filled up. Damn that current was strong. The girl swam and pulled herself to the back of the bus using the seats and finally reached the window. I found the going a little more difficult as I keep missing the bottom seats with my feet and my hands being full. After swallowing the other half of Lake Erie and hitting every protruding object on the way back I finally reached the window. The girl yelled for some help and two girls grabbed the coach from above while we pushed up from below. "After you princess" I said and, after she gives me the finger, jumped up and grabbed the window edge and pulled herself up. I pushed her up and then starting pulling myself out. I felt hands trying to help pull me up as my coat got stuck on the jagged edge of the window frame. "Geez, forget Hippoman, we should call you Whaleman" mocks the Wicked Witch of the North. "Could you get your butt out of there sometime this century? I glared at her and kept wiggling as she helped pull me out. Of course my coat ripped down the back; well better it then my back! I finally pop out and laid out on the top of the bus, again gasping for air. "Ok, enough lying around like a walrus. We have work to do" said the evil step sister. "You know you don't act like a princess, Princess. You are more like a grumpy old witch" I growled back. "He got you there Rachel" says a cute redhead close by. "Bite me Vanessa!" retorts my grumpy damsel in distress. "Maybe later" Vanessa quips and a couple of the other girls giggle. That got my imagination going let me tell you. Well, I figured it was time to get my but in gear. I rolled off my back and stood up to access the situation. The girls had the coach and the other girl laying flat on the side of the bus and one of them was giving mouth to mouth to the one girl. The coach looked like she was breathing but had a nasty bump and cut on her forehead. I covered her with my wet jacket and checked the other girl out. She started coughing and throwing up water (the 3rd half of Lake Erie apparently) so that was a good sign. "What now Einstein?" asked the smartass girl Rachel. I looked down at her frowning. "Well, how are we going to get back up there?" she asked, pointing up to the road. "Give me a minute Princess" I said as I looked over the situation. "Does anyone have a working cell? I asked everyone. A couple of girls grabbed a phone from their pants pocket and try it out. "Mine works" said the cute redhead Vanessa. "Good. Please call 911 and let them know that we are on highway 14 about 10 miles out from Westfield" I instructed. While she did that, I looked up at the highway, hoping to see someone stopping to help. No such luck yet and I was afraid that we would be missed in the fog anyway. I heard gurgling coming from the window and looked to see that the water had just about filled the bus. It looked like we got out just in time. I decided to try and get back up to the road. That slope sure looked worse from down there then from the road. It was 8 to 10 feet away and about 8 feet up to the road. "Ok, I'm going to try for the road and get some help. Stay here and huddle to stay warm" I said. "This should be entertaining! Are you going to swim like Whaleman or fly like Hippoman?" asked Rachel the she-devil. "Well I left my flippers at home so I'll try flying. I wish I brought my cape though" I bantered back. I backed up to get a running start, took a deep breath and lumbered forward. I jumped for the side of the ditch, angling for a small tree to try and grab onto. I of coarse fell short of the ditch side (the whole hippo flying thing) but managed to grab a branch with my face and hands (it's all fun and games until you poke your face with sharp pointy branches). I pulled myself out of the water and started scaling the K1 side of Mt. Everest. One step upwards, two slides back is what actually happened. Princess had to put her two cents in of course. "Quit playing in the mud and get up there already" she yelled. I gave her the finger without looking back and kept up the ascent. I finally reach the peak and pull myself to my feet. "I would like to thank all the little people who have helped with this amazing feat" I said to myself. The evil female from hell had to burst my bubble saying "Ok, quit dislocating your shoulder patting yourself on the back and get us off this bus damn-it!" "Can't I just go home now?" I asked the sky. It started snowing. Someone up there just loves me. "Don't get your knickers in a knot Princess" I yelled back. I walked over to my car to see if I had any rope. I actually found an unopened 50 foot long nylon rope that I had bought last year. I grabbed it and ran back to the opening in the side rail. I opened the package and quickly tied the one end to the post and threw the rest at the bus. "Nice throw Sasquatch" yelled Medusa from one of her heads. I ignored both of her heads and reeled in the rope and looked for something to attach onto the end — like a sword or something. I found a boot in the trunk and tied it on. I reared back and threw it actually hoping to hit the mouthy witch. "Missed her by that much" I muttered. "Can you tie that to the window frame Princess" I asked the Bride of Chucky. She sweetly told me where to go and grabbed the rope and tied it to the window beam. "Now what genius?" she bellowed from the bus. "Hang on Princess" I said to the middle head of three. "Let me make you a yellow brick road so you don't get your size 47 glass slippers wet". I heard some of the girls laughing at her so at least some of them thought it was funny. Alright, back to the saving the Damsels in Distress. The slope of that rope looked too severe to get them to climb up it so I looked around for something to help. A large piece of the side rail had broken off and had gone down the slope but not into the ditch. I slid down to the rail and tried to anchor one end into the slope and move the other end towards the bus for a ramp. The piece weighed a ton and one end was pretty stuck in the mud. Of course the Bride of Frankenstein had to pipe up with "Hey pig, quit wallowing in the mud and move that thing over here". I would like to say I turned green, picked up the rail and lopped off her six heads all at once, but in actuality I slipped, fell on my ass and hit my head on the rail. That got me a "Clumsy oaf" comment which I couldn't respond to as I was seeing a lot of stars at the time. I staggered up and tried again. Thankfully I got the one side up in the air and duck-walked it until it pointed more or less to the bus, while the other end was still stuck in side of the ditch. I dropped the end and it actually hit the bus under the water but only about a foot down. It looked like they might be able to use it as a bridge while holding on to the rope above. "Your bridge awaits Princess" I announced to the wicked stepsister. She promptly told me to get my ass over there to help with the coach. I shot a heat ray from my eyes that should have cut her in half but the Alien queen seemed to have a force field that couldn't be penetrated. What a pity. I jumped up to catch rope — ok I reached for the rope and luckily it had looped down enough for me to grab it — and walked across the rail like I was balancing on a tightrope across Niagara Falls. "Hurry up twinkle toes, we don't have all night to let you crawl over here" said the 12 heads all in unison. I didn't waste my breath responding because frankly I couldn't catch my breath anyway. I hit the side of the bus and stepped on to the bus side like it's the first solid ground I've walked on in two months. "Ok girls, time to depart the ship and go to shore" I said to the huddled girls. "What about them?" asked the cute redhead Vanessa, pointing to the girl and coach lying down. "Ok, someone please help the girl who was trying to be a fish while I carry Sleeping Beauty over" I replied. "Well you definitely look more like the Beast then Prince Charming" said the second evil stepsister, before she moved to help the fish girl. "Trusty sword, where art thou when you are needed?" I thought. One at a time the girls walked over the bridge and pulled themselves up the slope to the road. There was a bit of slipping and sliding but they were definitely more graceful then the polar bear earlier. Evil stepsister and the cute redhead slowly guided fish girl to the ditch side and got her up the side with only a couple of falls, unfortunately it was the cute redhead and fish girl and not the evil stepsister. No Karma whatsoever. I loaded up sleeping beauty on one shoulder and grab the rope with the other hand. Someone has traded in the bridge for a wet thread as I slowly step off the bus. I slipped and went down on one knee but kept hold of both the beauty and the lifeline. "Not time to pray Quasimodo" said 16 of her heads while the other 16 yell "Get moving". I got up and continued the walk of death and finally reached the side of the ditch. I started the scaling of the CN tower before the heads start yapping and found the ascent slightly more difficult than before due to beauty's extra 400lbs. Ok, it turned out she was actually pretty thin and light, but she certainly didn't seem like it at the time. Maybe she lost weight after or something. Anyway, I got her near the summit where surprisingly Medusa and Red reached down to help grab her. They took her from my shoulder just before I started slipping again. Beauty got saved; I slipped and fell back down the slope, hit the bridge hard and got washed down the rapids, again. Luckily the tree stopped my swim abruptly, with only three or four pointy sharp branches to dig out of my body, again. I heard sirens in the distance as I pulled myself up the slope back onto the road. I waddled over to the car and the girls and saw that they had the coach covered with a blanket they found in the trunk. I reached in and found the first aid kit and started checking her out to patch her up. Evil stepsister grabbed it from my hands it and said "Give me that, like I want those bear paws getting anywhere near her". "Whatever Princess" I mumbled as a lean back on the car and close my eyes. A couple of cars and a van stopped and people got out to help assist. Blankets were wrapped around everyone, even Princess got one. The new comers didn't seem scared of all of her heads - they obviously didn't know her like I did. I grabbed a towel from my hockey bag and attempted to dry off and get some of the mud off me. Sleeping Beauty got moved to the bench seat of the van as did fishgirl. The rest of them got into some of the other cars to keep warm while they waited. I grabbed some of my stuff and put it back in the trunk and got in my car and started it up. Finally the ambulance, fire trucks, police all showed up and took over the rescue. Just a tad late people I thought, but the girls went all gaga over them. The scene got crowded so the cops started moving the cars along. One of them tapped on the window and asked me to move it out of the way. I told him sure and moved it down a bit and parked. I watched as the coach and the fishgirl got packed in one ambulance and saw it tear off back to the city. The rest of the girls piled into a large police SUV and it followed. Nothing happened for a while so I put the car in drive and got out of there before the cops came back to clear us out. When I got home, it was about 1:30am, only about an hour late. Wow, it seemed like it lasted at least two hours. I brought in my dirty hockey clothes in and put them in the open washer. I took off my wet and dirty clothes and put them in as well. Maybe my wife won't see them till after they are cleaned. I waddled to the bathroom and inspected the damage. It wasn't a pretty sight, cuts on my hands, leg, arm, body and head, bruises on my head, face and on my body. I looked like a bloody half drowned shivering bear. I stepped into the shower and let the warm water warm me up and clean me off. Of course all the cuts stung like shit but I needed to get them cleaned up. I got out and dried off and got the first aid kit out and started patching up the cuts. The one on the leg looked a little deep but shouldn't need stitches. There was nothing I could do with my ribs so just I cleaned up the bathroom, put the towel and stuff into the washer and started it up. I finally got into bed around 2:30am. My wife mumbled something about being so late and I told her we played later that's all. She reminded me we have to get up early to go on vacation. Shit, I forgot about our March break trip down south with the kids. Great, now I'll get only about 4 hours of sleep before having to drive all day. I turned over on to my side and groaned. She asked what was wrong and I made up a quick story about a guy giving me a hard check from behind that hurt my ribs and having a bit of a fight after to explain the cuts and bruises. Hopefully she will buy it in the morning when she sees some of them. I fell asleep thinking about Medusa's 100 heads all bitching about something. The horror, the horror! ------- Chapter 2: Rachel "It's really getting foggy out there isn't it mom?" I worried. "Sure is Rachel. Don't worry honey, we're almost home" she assured me. "Good, it's been a long week" I replied. Mom is Linda Madison, the coach of our girl's basketball team for Westfield Academy, a girl's only university. She also doubles as our trainer, driver, phys-ed teacher and mother to me, Rachel Madison. I am our starting point guard, first time a freshman has won that position in a long time. And no, before you ask, I had to earn it fair and square; my mother definitely did not play favorites! We were coming back from a tournament in Kingston, a city a few hours to the northeast. We had done quite well, coming in second out of 16 teams, most of them much larger Universities. Vanessa, our shooting guard earned MVP of the tournament, and a couple of us received honorable mentions-including me! We were so pumped. We played in the championship game Friday afternoon and left right after the awards ceremony so we could all get back for March break. A couple of the girls were giggling up a storm in the back and got a bit loud. Mom looked back in the mirror to tell them to keep it down as some of the girls were sleeping. I was looking out the front window when I saw a car coming out of the fog and coming right for us. "Mom look out!" I screamed. Mom swore and cranked the wheel to the right. We missed the car but we went into a spin. The girls started screaming as mom tried to get the bus under control. The road was so slick that we kept spinning around until we hit the guide rail and broke through. The bus slid down into the ditch and then tipped over. We all flew out of our seats to hit the top of the bus. The girls were screaming and crying as we finally came to a rest at the bottom of the ditch. The water started coming in from the broken windows on the side of the bus pointing at the bottom. "How is everyone? Is anyone hurt?" I asked. A few of the girls started talking at once as I looked around in the darkness. I couldn't see the back of the bus but I could see the water rising. We had to get out of there. "Girls! Shut up and start looking for a way out!" I shouted. Some of them stood up on the bottom seats and started pushing at the windows. I looked up front to see how my mother was. I couldn't find her so I l started looking for her under the water by the side door in the front. I felt a body and lifted her head above the water. "Mom, Mom can you hear me?" I shouted. I felt her take a breath but her eyes were shut. There was blood on her face and a bump on her forehead. I tried to pull her up farther but she was stuck on something. Just as I was going to ask for help I heard a voice from outside calling out to us. I could hardly hear it but the girls started moving away from the back of the bus. "What's going on?" I asked. Vanessa let me know that someone asked us to move away from the back windows. I looked up in time to see a dark figure jump off the road and land on the top of the bus with a huge bang that shook the whole bus. A couple of windows broke under his weight and I heard a couple of screams. "Wow, did Sasquatch land on us or what?" I asked. A couple of the girls giggled. We saw guy peering down through the cracked window and make a quip about being Spiderman. "More like the Chubby Hippoman I'd say. We saw your swan dive remember?" I retorted before I could help it. "It's the coat. Ruins the aerodynamics something awful and adds 20 pounds to my normally svelte figure" he shot back. Some of the girls giggled. Well he was kind of funny. I heard him ask the girls to move back so he could break the window. They moved towards me and then I heard glass breaking and then some stomping on some metal. He yelled in for the girls to come over and I saw them reaching up. He reached down and pulled them right up out the window. Wow he was strong! He did it eight times in a row without stopping and these were no light weight stick thin model types that he was hoisting out like they were five year old kids he was giving a swing. I heard the girls moving on the roof of the bus-actually the side of the bus and started getting panicky that they were going to leave mom and I behind. The water we were in was getting cold and I started shivering. Just then I saw his head pop in and look around. He didn't acknowledge that he saw us but before I could say anything, he had lowered himself into the bus. He started checking the seats that were under water. I saw him getting closer and then he stopped and started pulling up a girl. It looked like a small blond, maybe Cindy, our reserve point guard. She's been down there underwater the whole time? Oh no! I hope she's ok. He put her on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Did I mention he was strong? He walked back through the water and yelled for some help. Two girls bent over and helped pull her up through the window. He told them to start CPR if anyone knew it to get her breathing. Don't leave us back here I was going to shout but he turned back and swam back towards us. He found us! Man he was a big guy! I noticed he was cut and had blood running down the side of his face and he looked totally soaked. I could see he had a beard that was dripping water but I couldn't see much more as it was too dark. "Hi there ladies, are we enjoying your evening swim?" he joked tiredly. I'm not sure why but he looked and sounded wiped out already. I frowned wondering why but I was worried about mom so I told him that I couldn't get her leg unstuck and she's not waking up. "Ok, let me go down and look" he said. He knelt down and followed mom's body down to her legs. I felt him trying to get her leg unstuck for a bit. That didn't work. Next, I saw him grabbing the edge of the metal and tried to pull it apart. I heard him straining and saw his whole body tense up as he pulled at the metal. He must have tried for over a minute before he stopped, panting for air. He re-positioned himself to get a better grip and he went at it again. I felt something shift below but before it could break away I saw him slip and fall headfirst into the water. I heard something clang real load and when he got up he looked woozy and I saw his hands were all cut up and bleeding. Oh shit that must have hurt something awful! He just seems to stand there ready to fall down on me so I had to say something to get him focused. "Hurry up and quick fooling around, the water is rising in here" I shouted. Ok, I'm not the most sensitive person out there but one - I was not at my best mentally and two- It looked like he would need some prodding to get back into the game. Boy that did it! I heard him muttering under his breath and the look he gave me would have me backing up and shaking in my boots if I could. He looked real mad. He moved back and reached down and grabbed the metal again. This time he started really yanking the metal, lunging back and forth while holding the metal in his hands. The bus started shaking and swinging he was trying so hard. I heard the metal snap and saw him fly back to the other side of the bus. He hit the wall so hard and fell back into the water. He didn't move for a least a minute and when he did he groaned and looked out of it. The poor man looked like a train had hit him off a bridge into the river canyon below. Unfortunately, when he hit the side of the bus, he must have jarred something loose, because the water started gushing in. He didn't seem to notice so I had to get him out of his daze "You can nap later ok; I could use a little help here" I shouted at him, cringing inside. I could tell he got mad again but he did get up and come over and help me get my mom up. "Ok, get moving to the back, princess" he said. He called me Princess! Somehow I don't think he is using it as a compliment. Too bad! I got up and started moving to the back. I pulled myself back underwater using my hands on the seats and my feet on the seat backs below. I got my head above water and heard the girls screaming for us to get out of there before it filled up. I peered back to try and see my hero and mom but they were still underwater. I don't know how he was going to do it with no hands but just before I started their heads pop out of the water. I was so relieved. Mom still wasn't conscious but I saw her take a small breath. I looked up and asked for some help with mom. Sue and Carol leaned over and helped grab mom while the guy and I pushed up from below. "After you princess" he said like he was talking to a child. Ewwww I hate when someone does that and shot him the finger without thinking. Now I was mad, so I jumped up and pulled myself up just like a gymnast. I felt him pushing from below, right on my ass, which normally I might have liked from a hunky guy like him, but pissed me off after the condescending bullshit I just heard. The girls started helping him out of the bus but he got stuck on the jagged edge of the window frame. "Geez, forget Hippoman, we should call you Whaleman" I teased him. "Could you get your butt out of there sometime this century? He gave me another of his looks could kill glare I was still mad at him so it didn't scare me. I reached down and started pulling him out. His coat ripped all the way down the back just as he popped out of the window. I laid him on his stomach to check to see if he was cut but thankfully he wasn't. I rolled him onto his back and knelt down beside him to check him out. He was a wreck. He had a bump on his forehead, with a cut running through it just oozing blood. His hands were all cut up and bleeding and he was wheezing like a 90 year old emphazema patient without his oxygen tank. He looked like a big grizzly bear just come out of a river. He looked a little like that Grizzly Adams guy I saw on an old time movie from way back. He had his eyes closed and he looked like he could pass out at any time. I waited for a minute to let him rest while the girls were working on Cindy trying to get her to breathe. I knew we couldn't wait anymore so I decided I had to get him motivated to get up and help. He wasn't go to like it but we still needed to get off of this bus before it got full of water and decided to move on us. "Ok, enough lying around like a walrus. We have work to do" I said, cringing inside. "You know you don't act like a princess, Princess. You are more like a grumpy old witch" he growled back. Did he just call me an old witch? I was just about to lay into him with both barrels when he opened his eyes. He had the most piercing blue eyes I had ever seen. Right now they seemed to be looking straight down to my soul. I kind of lost myself in his stare for a few moments. "He got you there Rachel" I vaguely hear Vanessa say. "Bite me Vanessa!" I reflexively replied, while still looking into his eyes. "Maybe later" Vanessa quipped and a couple of the other girls giggled. He got a sort of thoughtful expression on his face like he was thinking about Vanessa and me together. Gross! As if! Well at least he got up. He went over to mom and did a quick check on her. He then covered her with her jacket. How sweet was that! He looked over at Cindy just in time to see her start coughing up a whole lot of water. He stood there watching for a bit so I had to get him going. "What now Einstein?" I asked. Grizzly looked at me a little spaced out from seeing Cindy throwing up. "Well, how are we going to get back up there?" I asked, pointing up to the road. "Give me a minute Princess" he said, looking around. "Does anyone have a working cell? I had left mine in my purse but it looked like a couple of girls had one in their pants pocket. "Mine works" said Vanessa. "Good. Please call 911 and let them know that we are on highway 14 about 10 miles out from Westfield" he told her. Alright, Grizzly looked like he was back in business. He looked around obviously trying to find a way up at the highway. I heard gurgling coming from the window and looked to see that the water had just about filled the bus. It looked like we got out just in time. "Ok, I'm going to try for the road and get some help. Stay here and huddle to stay warm" he said. He didn't look too encouraged. I didn't think anyone could make it the way the current was running. The side of the ditch was way too far to reach from here. Of course I had to egg him on a little to give him some support. "This should be entertaining! Are you going to swim like Whaleman or fly like Hippoman?" I asked. "Well I left my flippers at home so I'll try flying. I wish I brought my cape though" he bantered back. Good thing he turned away to back or he would have seen me laughing. I moved out of the way and he ran by and took a leap for the ditch side. Oh no, he didn't make it. He landed face down at the edge of the ditch right on a tree. That must have hurt big time. He pulled himself up and I saw more cuts on his face He tried to scale the side wall but it was crumbling apart as he tried to get up. Grizzly kept sliding backward the more he tried. This was getting us nowhere fast and the water was coming over the top of the bus. It was time to make him angry again. "Quit playing in the mud and get up there already" I yelled. I saw him tiredly give me the finger without looking back but he seemed to try a little harder. He reached the top and just stood there mumbling to himself it looked like with a big smile on his face. He looked so proud of himself. I had to burst his bubble or he would have been there all day. I really didn't want to do it. He was going to hate me later but no one else seemed to be worrying about it. "Ok, quit dislocating your shoulder patting yourself on the back and get us off this bus damn-it!" I yelled. He looked skyward probably asking why me. "Don't get your knickers in a knot Princess" he yelled back. Knickers? Nobody said that anymore did they? He was really showing his age. He had to be 35 or 40! He walked over to the car and started rummaging around in his trunk. He pulled something out and ran back to the hole in the side rail. I saw him tying a rope around one of the wood pillars for the side rail and tiredly throw the rest of the rope to us. It didn't make it and started floating downstream. He just stood there watching it. It was time for bitchy Rachel to appear again. "Nice throw Sasquatch" I shouted. He ignored me as he reeled in the rope and turned around to look for something to attach onto the end. I saw him tying something around the end and threw it back to us hard. Hah, he missed me by that much. "Can you tie that to the window frame Princess" Grizzly asked way too sweetly. "Go to hell" I mouthed back and grabbed the rope and tied it to the window beam. "Now what genius?" I asked. "Hang on Princess" he yelled back. "Let me make you a yellow brick road so you don't get your size 47 glass slippers wet". The girl started laughing because I do have slightly bigger feet than normal. I stomped my foot on the ground and was going to retort on Bigfoot calling the kettle black but he was already sliding down the ditch to a long piece of metal from the side rail. What did he think he was going to do with that? That looked like you would need four big guys to lift that up! Well he started to lift one end up and over to the bus. Amazingly, he got it off the ground but he really seemed to be struggling with it. He needed to get mad again. Bitchy Rachel had to go to the rescue. "Hey pig, quit wallowing in the mud and move that thing over here" I shouted. He looked up at me looking pretty pissed and then slipped and fell. Oh no, he hit his head again, this time on the rail. He sat there so long I got really worried that he knocked himself out. "Clumsy oaf" was the only thing I could think of saying but he didn't react. Finally he staggered up and tried again. Grizzly actually got the one end up in the air and walked it pointed it at the bus. He dropped it and it hit the side of the bus. Brilliant "Your bridge awaits Princess" he announces like a knight in shining armor. Just then my mom groaned and I looked over at her. She was shivering and looking really grey. I yelled at him to get his ass over there to help and turned away to care for my mother. I looked up after a couple of minutes but he was still trying to get over here. He looked real timid on the rail but we didn't have time to waste. "Hurry up twinkle toes, we don't have all night to let you crawl over here" I yelled to get him to hurry. Finally he stepped on the bus real gingerly like he just got back from the moon or something. "Ok girls, time to depart the ship and go to shore" he said to the huddled girls. "What about them?" asked Vanessa, pointing to Cindy and mom. "Ok, someone please help the girl who was trying to be a fish while I carry Sleeping Beauty over" he replied. "Well you definitely look more like the Beast then Prince Charming" I retorted without thinking. I quickly moved to help Cindy along with Vanessa and we got her up standing. One at a time the girls walked over the bridge and pulled themselves up the slope to the road. There was a bit of slipping and sliding but they made it in good shape. Vanessa and I helped Cindy over the rail to the side of the ditch and then helped her scramble up to the road. Cindy and Vanessa both fell a couple of times but we eventually got to the top. I looked back at the bus and saw Grizzly putting mom on his shoulder and start across the bridge. He slipped and went down on one knee but kept hold of both of mom and the lifeline. He just stayed there kneeling for a bit and he looked out of it. It looked like time for a wake-up call. "Not time to pray Quasimodo" I teased, "Get moving". Grizzly finally got to the side of the ditch and labored up to the road. Vanessa and I reached down and grabbed mom from him. We put her down and Vanessa found a blanket to cover her. I looked back but Grizzly didn't come up. I walked over to the hole in the rail but didn't see him. Where did he go now? We finally heard sirens in the distance before Grizzly showed up. He looked like a drowned rat and he somehow got cut again. We walked by and got a first aid kit from the trunk and knelt down by mom to patch her up. He looked all done in so I grabbed it from him. "Give me that, like I want those bear paws getting anywhere near her" I teased. "Whatever Princess" I heard him whisper as he leaned back on the car. A couple of cars and a van stopped and people got out to help assist. Blankets were wrapped around everyone while I saw Grizzly drying off as well. We got my mom and Cindy off the cold ground into the van while the rest of the girls got into some of the other cars to keep warm while we waited. I got in with mom in the van to take care of her. Finally the ambulance, fire trucks, police all showed up and everything got real busy. The paramedics got busy looking over mom and Cindy and the rest of the girls. They were talking about subdural hematomas and possible internal bleeding for mom so I got real panicky and worried about her. They quickly got both of them into the ambulance and I got in with them. They turned the ambulance back to Westfield and we sped off to hospital. It wasn't until the next day that I thought about Grizzly. ------- Chapter 3: Carl "Well it's good to be back home finally isn't it?" I asked my wife Patty. "Sure is! It was a fun two weeks but it's going to feel so wonderful to sleep in our own bed" she replied. We had just gotten back from our March break vacation to Florida with our two kids Steven, age 10 and Rachel, age 8. It took two days to drive down, getting there Sunday evening after leaving early Saturday morning. I didn't do it all in one day and night because we had two weeks to spend rather than the normal one week. We had a ball, visiting Disney World, the Epcot Center, Disney's Hollywood Studios, SeaWorld and the Aquatica Center, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens and we took a couple of days to drive to the coast and hit a couple of beaches. It was a lot to pack into two weeks but we got lucky that we only got a couple of days of rain, which we luckily spent inside at one of the venues. Now we were home. I was dreading being back because of the accident two weeks ago. I had realized Saturday morning while I was on I75 south driving through Ohio that I had not stayed at the scene of the accident and gave a report. I didn't have much to say except that the bus was on my side of the road but I didn't know what the other driver might have said to get out of trouble. I hadn't even told my wife about it. She didn't like the look of some of the cuts and bruises so I had to tell her that the check and subsequent fight was a bigger deal then I had let her to believe. She was pretty upset about the fight but we got so busy packing that she dropped it on the drive down. I left a shirt on and wore some track pants to bed for the first couple of nights to hide some of the bigger bruises and cuts on my legs and body that couldn't have come from a hockey fight or check. I wore long shorts and some long sleeve tee shirts during the first week as well. One good thing that came from it was that my wife had to try out a couple new positions in bed. Usually I have to initiate things and even then it's mostly plain Jane missionary position when we do something. Don't get me wrong, we usually have a good time but with the kids and us both working, and my wife usually working midnights, our sex life had become pretty monotonous and events few and far in between. We had booked 2 rooms so we could have some alone time but with me being so sore I didn't start anything. By the fifth night my Patty was feeling horny and took charge. She had brought some new lingerie with her and but it on under her robe after the kids fell asleep in the other room. She was in bed under the covers when I came back from the bathroom still in my track pants and tee shirt. I turned off the lights and got into bed and under the covers. There was some light shining through the curtains so I only stubbed my toe once on the way. I gave my wife a kiss and lay on my back. Patty rolled over and gets real close to my face. "No way are you going to sleep mister!" she growled. "I didn't put this on to hear you snoring again!" She pulled down the covers to show me a sheer purple babydoll and thong set she had on. That woke me and Carl Junior below real quick. He certainly didn't get damaged that night! "Hubba-Hubba" I said. "You look gorgeous! I haven't seen that before" "Nope, it's new. It looks like someone else likes it too" she said looking down at Junior. "Oh yah" I replied wittingly as the blood rushes from my big head to my little head. "Let's get some of these clothes off of you shall we?" she teased. "Okie Dokie" I agree. She helped me get my shirt off and rubs my chest and abdomen and then starts pulling my pants down while I raised my hips to help. My underwear got pulled down with them so my cock bounced up and stuck straight up while she pulled the pants off my feet. "Hmmm that looks so good" she purred as she grabs my cock with one hand while she moves back up to give me a kiss. I mumble something into her mouth as we twirl our tongues together. Kissing always turns her on so she got real hot real quick. I caressed her back and ass with the one hand and felt her start to rub her pussy against my thigh. I followed her thong through her ass checks and starting rubbing her pussy through the shear lace. She sucked in some air and moaned into my ear. I could feel her wetness as her pussy opened and my fingers rubbed her clit. I slid a finger into her opening and she gasped and starting bucking back onto my hand. She started jacking my cock at the same speed as I fingered her. Finally she couldn't take it and sat up quickly. She put her hips over me and grabbed my cock and started rubbing it into her pussy, first just in to get it wet and then up and down to work her clit. I reached up and started caressing her tits and lightly pinch her nipples. This drove her even crazier, so she pushed my cock into her opening and started working it into her wet pussy. Boy she was so tight even though she was soaking wet. She finally hit bottom and wiggled her ass back and forth, grinding her clit into my groin. I slid my hands to her hips and helped lift her up to get her moving. That was a bad move as my ribs gave me a reminder that they were there. Patty saw me wince and pushed me back down. "You just lay there mister, I'll do the work for a bit" she ordered me. Who was I to argue? She started moving up and down and every once and a while would add a little circular twist with her hips or squeeze my cock with her pussy. I just lay back and played with her tits, squeezing them and pinching her nipples. Sometimes I reached down and tried to rub her clit or her ass. All good things must come to an end unfortunately, so she started speeding up. They got me panting and groaning as I told her I'm getting close. She sped up even more with her hip motion and I could see she was getting close to. I held off coming until I felt her let go and she collapsed on me burying her head in the pillow while she screamed. Her pussy was squeezing my cock and it made me let go as I rammed my hips into her, thrusting my cock as deep as it could go. Wow. What a ride! We lay there for a while until she started getting cold and she rolled off of me and pulled the covers up over us. We cuddled for a bit and whispered the sweet nothings couples do afterwards and we both got up and got cleaned up. After that night we made love just about every night, mostly with her on top. Near the end of the trip I started feeling better so after she had ridden me cowgirl style for a bit I lifted her off me and put her on the bed. I turned her over and pulled her ass up while I got off the bed. "Hmmm, we haven't done it this way in a long time" she purred. "Too long. Now get that ass over here so I can fuck you senseless" I ordered. I could tell that got her real hot as she gave me this real sultry look. I had never really talked dirty to her before or been so commanding but it seemed to turn her on big time. I filed that away for future use. She scooted her body back and got onto her hands and knees. I bent over, pulled her hips back to me and grabbed my cock and fed it in. She moaned loudly as I slipped in. "So deep, Awww that feels fantastic" she moaned. "Hmmm, you are so hot" I answered, caressing her ass as pumped into her. I reached down and grabbed her tit and pinched her nipple making her moan. I sped up and started really pounding her. She kept moaning louder and started talking dirty back to me. "Yea, fuck me harder, pound me, take me yea, yea, fuck my ass" she started chanting. She was getting too loud so I pushed her back down so her head was on the pillow but kept her ass up in the air. This changed the angle that I was entering her and she went wild. She came real quick, screaming into the pillow. I just kept thrusting into her and she started back up again, pushing back against me after a minute or two. We went at it for a few more minutes until I knew I was close. I told her I was close. "Yea, cum for me, fill me up, fuck me, cum in my pussy big boy" she panted while looking over her shoulder at me with such a sexy look. "Aw yea, fuck I'm cumming!" I shouted as I pulled her ass tight to me and shot my cum deep inside her pussy. "Keep going, I'm so close" she ordered me. I kept at it for a bit and she reached down and diddled her clit until she screeched into the pillow and started shaking and shivering on my cock. I held her tight to me as I lowered us both to the bed. "That was fucking awesome!" she gushed. "No that was fucking magnificent!" I panted. "We are so going to do that again mister. You made me so hot when you threw me around like a caveman" she announced. "You can bet your ass we will" I said as I ground my groin into her ass. "Hmmm goody" she cooed. "And we are going to do a couple more things as well that we don't do" I told her. "Like?" she asked. "Oral sex, both giving and getting" I said. "You've been holding out too long". "Hmm, I don't know about that" she said. "It wasn't a request" I stated. I felt a spasm in her pussy and heard her gasp so I knew she liked the idea. I just wasn't sure if how she would react when she hadn't had the best fuck in a long time. She turned around and grabbed me tight and gave me one hell of a hot kiss, like she was trying to get her tongue right down my throat. "I see someone likes the idea" I chuckled, once she released me. "Oh, I don't know if I will like it, but you are making me so hot with this take charge attitude" she purred. "Good to hear it. Now lie on your back and spread your legs woman" I commanded. She actually did it! Who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth? I quickly got between her legs and started kissing my way down her body, from her breasts down to her pussy. I hadn't done much pussy licking — she really didn't like giving or receiving- but I had read a lot about what to do. I just starting licking her up and down and sticking my tongue deep into her. Then I found her clit and started lightly licking it and sucking it, while I finger fucked her pussy. She started getting into it, moaning and wiggling around her hips. She grabbed my head by the hair and pushed me into her pussy and wrapped her legs around my head. She quickly ramped up and had to grab a pillow to scream in as she came all over my face. Man she was so hot! She collapsed back on to the pillows and just laid there for a bit. My cock was so hard after that it was almost hurting. It turned me on so much to be able to make her cum like that. I wiped my face off and went to get us some water. She opened her eyes after a few minutes and I gave her the water to drink. She drank the whole glass and fell back to the bed. I got in and covered us up and gave lay beside her. "That was the best ever lover" she whispered in my ear. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. We will have to do it again" I replied. "You can bet your ass we will" she said, mimicking me. "Hmmm Goody" I replied as we both laughed. She fell asleep on me before I could get her to do me, but I had gotten farther with her that night then in 15 years that we had been going out and were married so I was pretty happy on how it went. I went to sleep with a grin on my face. So, like I said, now we were home after two weeks. We unloaded the car, unpacked and Patty started the usual 10 loads of laundry while I checked the phone messages and mail. There was nothing but solicitations on the machine and bills in the mail. Patty called the neighbors and let them know we were back and thanked them for watching the place. Then she called the newspaper and got the delivery started again, as we stopped it for the 2 weeks. We relaxed for the rest of the day and went to bed early so we would all be ready for work and school tomorrow. ------- Chapter 4: Rachel "Well it's good to be home finally isn't it?" I asked my mom Carol. "Sure is! It's going to feel so wonderful to sleep in my own bed" she replied. "That hospital bed was so hard and I didn't get a good night's sleep the whole two weeks I was in there". "It's good to see you a bit chipper finally" I said. I got out of the car and ran over to help her out. She still moved pretty slowly two weeks after the crash so I grabbed her around her shoulders and walked her to the door. I got the door opened and moved her to the couch in the living room. "How's this for now mom?" I asked as I lowered her down. "That should be good for now" she said. "Maybe you can get me some tea later?" "Sure thing mom, I'll put the kettle on now" I replied. I slipped into the kitchen and plugged the kettle after filling it up. I got the big teapot out so we could both have some as well as the cups, sugar and the creamer. While I was waiting I checked the mail and the answering machine but it was mostly bills and ads. My mom and I lived alone since my Dad died a few years ago from cancer. We've had our ups and downs but now that I've started University we've become pretty close. I poured the boiling water into the teapot and carried it into the living room. "Here we go" I said cheerfully. "We just have to wait for it to steep. "Can I get you anything to eat?" "Maybe a few cookies would be nice" she replied. "Ok, you stay there and relax. Here's the remote" I told her. "Thanks darling. You take good care of me" she said as she lied back. I went back in and got a mix of cookies and put them on a plate. I carried it back, nibbling on one and placed it on the coffee table near her. I sat on the loveseat across from her and curled my feet underneath me. "So how are things at school?" mom asked. "Well we are just getting back into it now. It was kind of slow the first few days after March break but the teachers are starting to pile on the homework again" I told her. "Everyone made a big deal about the accident but it's died down now". "Good. I should be able to get back after the weekend, but I will be moving pretty slow for a bit" she said. "Any word on the guy who helped us out yet?" "Not a thing. It's like he disappeared off the face of the earth" I stated. "The paper ran articles and even ran a sketch that Vanessa worked on with the police, but no one's come forward yet". "That is so odd. You would think he would want some of the recognition that comes from saving all of us!" she said. "Well I guess, not everybody likes the limelight" I replied. "I wonder if he is still mad at me. I had to say a few mean things to him to get him going". I don't know how he did some of the things he did that night". "Yea, from what you told me earlier he seemed pretty amazing" she said. "I'm surprised he wasn't in the hospital along with us". "Me too. I talked to the policeman that was moving some cars out of the way and he said he didn't remember anyone looking all beat up but then I remembered that he was cleaning himself off just before all the emergency vehicles got there. He must have looked normal enough in the low light to not get noticed" I stated. He did say that no one matching his description was seen at any of the local hospitals or clinics. "Well that good to hear that he wasn't hurt too badly. I for one would certainly like to see him and thank him for saving all of us" mom said. "So would I, So would I" I agreed, sighing. "Hmmm does someone have a little crush on our hero?" she teased. "As if, mother! He's probably old enough to be my Dad" I retorted. "I think the lady doth protest too much" she joked back. "You've been talking non-stop about him since I woke up last week in the hospital. "You should have seen him carry you up the ditch. You should have seen him lift that side rail. He was so awesome" she teased. "Yeah right mom. Here, I better make you a cup of tea. You must be dehydrated — you're getting delusional" I rebutted. She giggled at me and kept quiet as I poured her a cup. She looked at me for a bit and sighed. "You've grown up to be such an intelligent and strong woman Rachel. I am so proud of you how you helped take charge that night and all week when I was out of it." She said softly. "Just don't build him up to be something that no man could live up to". "Oh mom don't worry, it's just a little hero worship" I giggled back. "Ok, are you all set there? If so, I'm going up to my room to get some homework done" I asked. "Yes I'm good, nurse Rachel. You go ahead and get cracking. We can order in for supper tonight" replied mom. "Alright, just call if you need anything" I said as I walked out of the room and up the stairs. I got to my room and put my book bag down on my desk and flopped down on my bed. I was lying to my mom and I think she knew it but she wasn't going to call me on it. I had it bad for Grizzly. Every time I was alone I couldn't stop thinking about him. I don't know what it was about him but he made me go all tingly inside every time. He wasn't that good looking at the time and I couldn't see what his body looked like under his coat and clothes, but I kept coming back to his eyes when he stared at me. They were such a bright deep blue that they kept sucking me deep into him every time I got that image in my head. And there was something in the way he handled himself that night, how strong and powerful he was, how he kept going when other men would have crumbled. Then he just leaves and doesn't take advantage of his hero status — that was the final nail in the coffin for me. I was crushing and now I was getting hot again. I lay back down on the bed and started caressing my breasts while thinking of him. I pinched my nipples as they hardened and then started moving a hand down to massage my pussy through my jeans. I was getting so wet. I quickly unbuttoned my jeans and shoved my hand down into my panties into my pussy. I got my finger wet and then started rubbing circles on my clit. I started humping the air as I panted for air. I quickly pulled my pants off and grabbed the dildo I had in my drawer and lay back down with my legs spread wide. I quickly wet the tip and then moved it up to my clit and rubbed it around. I got so hot thinking about him and picturing him lying above me ready to fuck my pussy. I shoved the dildo deep inside me and quickly started fucking myself with it. It got me so hot as I worked my hips up to meet him. Faster and faster I fucked him until I lost it and came so hard. I must have screamed or moaned real loud because I could hear my mom calling from downstairs. "Rachel is everything all right up there?" she asked. "Yeah mom, just stubbed my toe" I replied shakily. "Sure you did dear. I hope your 'toe' feels better now" she laughed back. "Sure does now!" I let out before I could think properly. "I'm glad someone's toe feels good" I heard her muttering. That should hold me for a few hours I thought to myself. I slowly got up and changed into some sweats and got my homework done. I went downstairs and we got some pizza delivered and ate it while we watched some television. I helped mom to the bathroom and got her undressed and in the tub. I came back later to check on her and heard some moaning and a little shriek. "Did you stub your toe in there?" I called out. She laughed and said "Oh I stubbed it real good". "Do you need more time in there for the other toes or are you ready to get out?" I giggled. "My other toes are just fine young lady. You can come in and help me get out" she said sternly. I went in and saw she was blushing and ready to laugh. "I can come back later if you want mom" I teased. "Oh you brat you. Just come and help me out damn it" she fumed. I giggled and helped her out. She still looks so hot at 36. She really needs a man I thought. It's been long enough. I helped her get dressed and got her to bed. I gave her a hug and wished her sweet dreams. She was asleep before I left the room. I shut down the house and climbed into bed, dreaming of my hero. ------- Chapter 5: Rachel Mom and I drove to school and I helped her to her office. She thanked me and told me that the basketball team should have a meeting after school. I told her I would let everyone know and would see her later. "Call my cell if you need me ok?" I told her. "I should be ok but I will if I need you. Thanks sweetie" she replied. I ran into Cindy in my first class and had her help pass the word on to everyone. Luckily Cindy came through her ordeal without problems. I guess she wasn't underwater too long for any damage and the bumps and bruises had all healed. Vanessa and I had lunch together. We talked a bit about Grizzly since we were the two to have the most interaction with him. I think she had a bit of a crush on him as well but she had a boyfriend to work out her frustration instead of a girl's little helper. Me, I haven't had a serious boyfriend in over a year since we moved here. It's been pretty busy and going to an all girl school doesn't lend itself to a lot of opportunities. The basketball team met in the small meeting room off the gym at 4:00pm. Mom wanted to talk to everyone to see how they were doing after the accident. Everyone seemed to be ok with no emotional or physical issues other than mom. Then Vanessa had to pipe up. "Well Rachel has an emotional problem" she said. "Rachel honey, why didn't you mention it to me already?" She asked me. "I don't have a problem mom" I told her. "What are you talking about Vanessa?" "Well she seems to have developed a deep emotional attachment to our hero from that night Coach" she stated in a professional voice. "Aw, bite me Vanessa" I yelled at her blushing. The whole team started laughing and my mom smiled at me. "Well we all do owe that man a lot" she said as they calmed down. "I for one would not be here if it wasn't for him" she said. Cindy piped up "Me either!" There was agreement from everyone. "Seeing that I just got back into things, what has been done to look for him other than what was put in the paper" she asked everyone. "Not much else" replied Vanessa and Cindy. "I think there were a couple of radio interviews and it might have gotten play on the national news that weekend, but nothing in the last week". "Well girls, should we try and ramp up the exposure a bit? Maybe try and get a reward offered to get him to come forward? What do you think?" asked mom. "I think that's a great idea" I said. Vanessa laughed "of course you do, you have the hots for him" Everybody laughed as I turned pink. Was I that obvious? "Ok, I will get with the university brass and the insurance company to see what they can kick in. We can also see what there is in the public domain for rewards. Why don't you see if any of your parents want to help out? I will certainly be adding to it as well" she announced. "What's that Rachel, your whole bank account" Vanessa exclaimed. "We really need to get her boyfriend girls, now she's trying to buy a gigolo!" Everybody started howling. That bitch. She had a crush on him too but made fun of me. I stared daggers at her as my eyes watered. She came over and gave me a hug. "I'm sorry girlfriend. I'm just teasing you" she whispered in my ear. "I knew you liked him but I didn't know how much you were tripping on him. I'll cool it ok". I nodded without speaking. "I'll come over later and we can have some serious girl talk ok?" she asked. I whispered ok and said thanks. Mom got the meeting back on track and said we will meet every day after school to practice and to also go over the hero project, as she called it. We broke up for the day and mom and I went home. I helped mom make a quick meal of spaghetti and got her bunked out on the couch with a heating pad, a cup of tea and the remote. Vanessa showed up soon after and we went upstairs to my room. She immediately apologized for making fun of me, saying she was just teasing. "I didn't know you had it so bad for him Rach. I wouldn't have teased you if I knew you would get so upset" she said. "I know Vanessa; it's not your fault. I see his face and his eyes all the time and I can't stop thinking about him" I sobbed. "He gets me so hot I need to keep an extra set of panties in my purse. I've just about warn out Grizzly junior!" "And who is this Grizzly junior" she asks. "He's my little helper in the drawer over there" I giggled. "I don't have a Brad to help me when I get lonely". "Well, I can let you borrow him if you want" she laughed. "I'm sure he won't mind helping you out". "Hmmm, I might just take you up on that" I replied faking seriousness to see what her reaction would be. "What" she gasped in shock". "Could you call him over? If not we can both go over to his place right?" I enthused. "Rachel! I can't do that" she exclaimed. "Why not, you volunteered? I asked. "I was just kidding' she retorted. "Hah! Got yah!" I crowed. "You should have seen your face". Vanessa grinned sheepishly. "Oh you got me good alright. I should have known you were joking". "Well if Grizzly doesn't show up or I get a boyfriend, you just might have to share Brad or I will go bonkers" I sighed. "Alright, I guess we better rename the hero project the 'Get Rachel Laid' project" she stated. "Damn right" I replied. ------- Chapter 6: Carl Damn, I thought I was home free. There had been nothing mentioned about the accident for the first few days after we got back from Florida, nothing in the papers, radio or the newscasts that I saw. That is until today. The Westfield Sentinel had a front page story about the accident along with a mention of a reward being offered to the person who saved the Westfield Academy's Girl's Basketball team. The reward was about $25,000.00 which the school, the insurance company and even some of the girls' families had put up. It wasn't a huge amount but who couldn't use that much money to pay off some bills? There was also a picture of the whole team with their coach attached to the article. I read the story and it mentioned that the bus driver took the blame for being on the wrong side of the road. That was a load of my shoulders to say the least. It also mentioned that the driver, who was also the coach, was pretty banged up and was in the hospital for a couple of weeks. She was ok now thank goodness. Fish Girl, or Cindy Archer as the picture stated, only had to stay overnight for observation and was released. The rest of the girls were also all ok according to the article thanks to the hero who got them out before they all drowned. That was all good news. What wasn't good news is that they attached an artist's sketch of the hero. It wasn't a good resemblance of me (don't they say the camera adds 10 pounds? - I guess the damn artist added another 10 for good measure) but someone might be able to make a guess using it and the description that the girls gave in the article. The picture did not show my glasses and showed a beard. I wasn't wearing glasses that night because I wear contacts when playing hockey, and I just had shaved my beard when we got down to Florida to get a better tan on my face. It definitely changed my look versus the sketch. I would have to keep shaving for awhile. I really didn't want to be known as a hero or have to put up with all that comes with that label. It wouldn't be as bad here as it was in the States; the media there would blow something like this way out of proportion and would hound that person for months, digging until he had no private life whatsoever. Here, in Canada, there wasn't much sensationalistic reporting or hero worship but I really was a private person who kept to myself and my family. I was lucky I didn't need the money that badly. I looked at the picture and I found the Princess standing by the coach. They both had the same last name and they looked similar so they could be related. Rachel Madison was her name. She was quite pretty, but then all of the girls, I should say ladies as they all were in University, were very pretty. Somehow the photographer managed to hide the rest of her heads — it's amazing what they can do with Photoshop these days. Rachel was one of the girls that were interviewed in the article and she actually had some good things to say about me. She specifically stated that she hoped her hero could be found so she could thank him personally as she was sorry she didn't at the crash scene because she was so worried about her mother. Hmmm, I guess the stress could have made her a little witchy but I still thought it was a really great job of photo-editing. A couple of days later I saw Rachel on a local Sunday talk show. She described the accident and really went on about how well I did. Someone had even made a computer simulation of the accident and they really played up some of the issues like the force of the water, the distance the bus was away from the side of the ditch, the height of the ditch and the fact that the water filled up the bus just after I got them all out. They had even had the side rail piece weighed for Pete's sake! They were making me out to be some type of superhero with amazing strength and agility. I guess the girls, or I should say women as Rachel was definitely a woman, must have missed my floundering attempts to swim in the ditch or get up its side. I don't know why they were making such a big deal about that night; anyone would have done it and probably done it faster and better. As it was I just got them out in time, meaning I almost didn't get them in time. I turned the television off in disgust. That evening my wife and I watched the Canadian National news. Near the end of the broadcast they usually do a human interest story. Of course it had to be about the accident. I saw the Princess along with the redhead Vanessa describing the event. I peeked at my wife and she seemed engrossed in the story. This was bad, very bad. If anyone could recognize me from the sketch if would be Patty. I asked her if she wanted anything from the kitchen to distract her but she said no. I went and got a glass of water before the sketch came on the screen. Thank God the story was over and the television was turned to one of her shows when I got back. I told her I was going to read in the other room and she said fine. She didn't look suspicious so maybe I got lucky. She didn't mention anything that night so I guess she didn't put two and two together. Time went on. I saw an article here and there in the paper and saw Rachel on the local programs once in a while. The reward slowly moved up to $50,000.00 but luckily I wasn't desperate for money so that didn't sway me. I even saw her once at the mall but I quickly looked away and turned into a store. She kept walking so either she didn't see me or didn't recognize me. The stories and articles finally stopped. I breathed easier and forgot about it for a few months. A full year went by before I saw anything about it again. Rachel went on the local news show on the anniversary of the accident. Patty and I were watching it together. Rachel did not look as good as she had in the past. She seems thinner and sad when she talked about it. She said this would be the last time she would try and find her hero. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. At the end of the program my wife shut the television off and looked over at me. "I think you should call her" she said quietly. "Call who dear? I asked. "That girl, Rachel. She looks so sad and it looks like it's affecting her health" she replied. Uh, oh, this is not good. "And why would I want to call her? I asked her. "Do you think I wouldn't know my husband's face when I see it? Do you think I bought that fight story after that night? Cuts and bruises all over your body. How stupid to you think I am?" she retorted with an angry look on her face. Shit, Shit, Shit. I was so busted. "I don't think you are stupid at all, you are very intelligent and smart and gorgeous" I told her, trying like hell to get out of her doghouse. Patty angry was ten times worse than 100 Princesses all bitching at once. "Then why would you not tell me about it when it happened or anytime in the last year?" she asked. "It wasn't a big deal and I really didn't want you to worry about it. I didn't want any of the hero crap so I just didn't talk about it" I said. "I know how hard your head is so I wouldn't have worried and I would have easily burst your bubble so you wouldn't have gotten a swollen head" she laughed. "Don't I know it!" I replied. "So, I wrote down the number and you will call that poor girl. She obviously has a bad case of hero worship and must be really getting to her. You have to at least talk to her" she ordered. "Listen, if I call her this could get real ugly" I argued. "I do not want this publicity or the reward". "I know. You will have to call her from a public phone and explain things so she can have some closure. You don't have to meet with her and you could tell her to donate the reward to a charity or make a scholarship with the money." my wife reasoned. Didn't I tell you my wife was smart? And persistent too. I made the call the next day. ------- Chapter 7: Rachel "How are you Princess?" I heard in my ear after saying hello. Was it him? It sounded like him, but I've had a couple of crank calls in the last year so I wasn't sure. "Who is this?" I asked. "It's your friendly Spiderman Princess, or should I say the Chubby Hippoman, or the Whaleman or the walrus, pig, Sasquatch, clumsy oaf, the Beast, twinkle toes or my favorite, Quasimodo. You did call me Einstein and Genius as well but I don't think you meant them as compliments." he laughed. It was him! Only some of the girls knew what I had called him and no one but me and him knew all of them. Oh my God, Oh my God! I can't believe it after all this time! What do I say? At least he was laughing when he listed all the horrible things I said to him. "Princess, you there?" he asked. "Sorry, I'm just shocked. I had given up hope that you would call" I said. "Well I wasn't going to but my better half wouldn't let me off the hook. She was watching you yesterday and let me have it about not calling you. I didn't suspect she knew until then. She's worried about you and so am I" he said. Well isn't that a fine how do you do? He's got a wife damn-it. But he's worried about me? "Why are you and your wife worried about me?" I asked. "You've lost a lot of weight and you look tired and run down. You don't look like you are taking good care of yourself." He replied. "What's going on Rachel?" "How do you know that I've lost weight?" I asked. "We've seen you on the television a few times and we can tell. So what's going on?" he asked again. Where should I start? The last year after the accident did not go well. I put my heart and soul into finding my hero and long after all the others had given up I was still trying to find him. The stress of doing all the interviews, homework while still playing basketball started wearing me down. Once that happened I started getting sick. I was just getting over a long bout of the flu just before the last interview. "I'm just getting over a really bad case of the flu, so of course I look tired. I lost about ten pounds in about a week" I replied. "Hmmm I guess that could explain it but it looks more to me than that. You need to drop all this extra hero stuff and get on with your life" he stated. "Well I would have if you had just called me! Where have you been the last year? Why haven't you come forward? I was worried that you were seriously hurt and we couldn't find any record of you at any hospital or clinic" I cried. "Princess, don't get upset. I don't want any of this hero crap. I did what any other person would have done if he or she came along instead of me. I don't want the publicity, I don't want the reward. I'm just a regular guy who wants his privacy" he said. "You could have called and told me that a year ago" I said angrily. "I'm sorry Princess; I didn't know you were so caught up in this. I didn't like how you treated me that night so I didn't want anything to do with you" he responded. "Don't you think I know how it must have sounded when I said those things to you? It was the only way I thought I could get you to do those things you did. You looked so hurt and exhausted but we needed you to get us out of there!" I sobbed. "I know that now Princess, after hearing some of your interviews" he said. "I didn't know back then. Listen Rachel, you have to let this go; I'm just a regular guy. Don't hold me up on a pedestal or keep trying to make me into something I'm not ok?" "No it's not ok. I have to see you. There's a reward you have to come get" I quickly stammered. "No Rachel, I don't want the reward. Give it to charity or start a scholarship in your name at your school or something. We are not going to meet. I just called to try and get you to move on with your life. I'm thankful that you all made it and are healthy now. Please Rachel, Princess, let it go ok?" he replied. "Please don't go. I'm sorry I upset you. I need to see you Grizzly. How can I get a hold of you" I begged. "Princess, I'm not upset, I called you to try and get you to move on, not upset you! I don't think that it would be wise for us to meet. Let's just leave it at this ok?" he urged. "No, No please don't end it like this. At least give me a number where I can reach you. Please? I have to make this better!" I demanded. "Rachel, I will call you in a few weeks ok. No more interviews, articles, nothing. I want you to get healthy and get back to living your life. Enjoy university. I will be watching and will know if you aren't. That's the best I can offer now" he stated firmly. "Ok grizzly, if that's the best I'm going to get I will have to take it. Just don't make we wait long for that call Mister" I retorted. "Now that's the Princess I know! Talk to you later" he laughed. "Ok, bye Grizzly and thanks for everything" I said. "You're welcome, bye" he replied and then he was gone. I lay done on my bed and cried for a while. It wasn't fair. I wanted him so bad and he wouldn't even meet with me. At least he will call me in a few weeks. Hmmm he said he will be watching me. I guess I better pull myself together and get healthy and looking good again. I wonder if he will be watching and where. I guess I better start dressing to impress when I go out. At least I won't have to worry about the interviews and stuff anymore. I really didn't like doing any of that and it got me too much of the wrong attention from scumbags and jerks. So that's what I did. I stopped thinking about him and started worrying about me for a bit. I studied harder, got more sleep and played better basketball. A couple of months went by before I heard from him again. I missed his call while playing a basketball game but he left me a message. He said he liked what he was seeing from me and that I looked a lot better. He said not to get angry that I had missed his call because he planned it that way. He said he would call soon. I even went on a date. Vanessa and Brad set me up with a cute friend of his and we went out for dinner and a movie. It went well and we started dating. Life was looking up. He called once more and we had a good chat. He even knew I was dating! Hmmm I had been watching for him but hadn't seen anyone that looked like him. Sneaky devil. We talked every couple of months for a year and the less over the next couple of years. I finally moved on and got on with life and put that night behind me. Epilogue I sat with my classmates in our robes in the gymnasium waiting for our turn to walk on the stage to get our diplomas. It's finally over. I was happy and sad as I thought over the four years I had been there. I was sort of daydreaming when I heard the speaker introduce my mother to the stand. This was a surprise! She didn't tell me she was going to speak. "I'm up here today to introduce a new scholarship program we are implementing to award financially strapped young women with full four year scholarships. Two will be to basketball program and two for academic achievement. It is my honor to welcome the four selected girls to our stage and I would ask my daughter Rachel to come to the stage as well" she announced. What is she doing? I slowly got up and climbed the steps and stood beside her. "I would like to take this time to announce the winners of the first annual Rachel Madison Basketball Scholarship as well as the Grizzly Academic Scholarships" she shouted smiling at me. I was shocked. I went through the motions shaking the hands of the 4 girls after my mom did. She led me to the back where we sat down. "So, you and Grizzly set you up did he?" I asked her. "Yep, we thought you would be surprised" she grinned back. "I'll get you for this" I grinned back. The girls started coming up to get their diplomas and I walked across to get mine. As I walked back to my seat I saw a family in the back get up and start walking out the back. The man was a very tall muscular man and his son looked like he was growing up to be the same, while the woman was shorter but beautiful and the girl the splitting image of her mom. Just before he went out the door, he turned, looked at me and smiled. ------- The End ------- Posted: 2009-01-29 ------- http://storiesonline.net/ -------