Title: From Across The Room
Part 12: The Countdown Begins II
Rating: PG-13
Author: Alsepang
E-mail: alsepang@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: I lay claim not to the rights of
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, but to this story
itself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

TWO HOURS LATER OR THEREABOUTS


      I saw him from across the street.

      He was walking slowly ahead of us on 
the other side, also clad warmly, but far 
enough for me to watch him without being 
too obvious. His dark head was bent and his 
shoulders seemed to be slumped. I wondered 
where the rose was. Perhaps he had carelessly
tossed it away, into the nearest bin. I caught
my lower lip between my teeth at the thought. 
Too late I remembered that a crimson rose is 
the flower symbolising passionate love and 
wished that I weren't so prone to acting on 
my impulses.

       The sounds of a screech and wailing 
sirens filled the air, cutting through my 
depressing thoughts, and my friends and I 
jerked our heads to look around for the 
source.

      "A high-speed car chase in *this* 
weather?" exclaimed Raye, rolling her 
eyes to emphasise her point. "Couldn't 
that dumb driver find something better 
to do?" 

     She was right.  The roads were wet with 
slush and covered with snowdrifts. However, 
there had been no mistaking the sounds and 
sure enough, a speedy little black roadster 
came into view, its tires squealing and burning 
rubber as the madcap driver made a sharp turn--

     "Oh, my God," gasped Mina. "He'll crash!"

      The speedy roadster was just a little too 
speedy and it skidded on a sheet of ice that 
overlapped the road from the sidewalk, heading
straight for a fire hydrant in front of a row 
of shops as screams tore through the air and 
pedestrians scrambled to get out of the way. 
It looked like a contrived accident scene from 
a Hollywood blockbuster. Unfortunately, between
the car and the hydrant was a small child of 
perhaps three years of age, looking with interest 
at the vehicle, but making no effort to move.  
Where had he come from and where were his parents?

       I knew what was going to happen. He
was near the child and he would try to save 
the little boy at the cost of his own life. 
There was no time for him to save both the 
child and himself. In a flash, I had taken
to my heels, fear putting wings on my feet 
as I dashed down the sidewalk. Behind me, 
I could hear my friends yelling after me. 

      "Oh, my God! Serena!"

      "Sere, you're going to kill yourself!"

      A shriek or two, probably Mina's.

      "You'll never make it! Sere, come back..."

      There were two lives at stake here-- his 
and the child's. He had taken off the same instant
that I had and he had the advantage of distance, 
but I had the advantage of love. I ignored the 
slippery wetness of the sidewalks, leaping over 
the ice and snow, and I saw him doing the same. 
I sent up a silent prayer.

      *God, please give me enough strength and
time to save them both.*

      I watched, my heart shrieking frantically 
as he caught the child up and prepared to carry 
him away. In another second, the roadster would
be upon them. With a determination and speed I 
had not known myself to possess, I flew across 
the remaining distance and hurtled into him, 
wrapping my arms around his strong form, just 
as he swiftly sent the child to safety by pushing
the little boy away.

(c) 2001 Copyright original storyline by 
Alsepang


Did you know?

There was a great king in India called Asoka.
He, like his predecessors before him, waged many wars.
After a particularly bloody war which stretched
ten years and killed 250 000 people, Asoka became
sickened at the thought of so much death and turned
to Buddhism. 

Asoka then became a peace-loving king who lived
and ruled by Buddhist teachings. He had Buddhist 
teachings carved into several tall, slim, beautiful 
pillars-- obelisks. Many of these obelisks still
stand today.

You may have heard of maharajahs. Once upon a time,
India was not the India we know today. It was made
up of several small kingdoms, all ruled by princes
or kings. Asoka's kingdom was one such.