Note from Author
Hi all and welcome to my story! After celebrating my (not old) age, I realised that it has been 10 years since I last wrote a fanfiction. I have plenty of dreams and stories in my head, so it's time to put pen to paper (figuratively) and try writing again. Critical feedback is always welcome and I would love to hear your thoughts on my little head thoughts
Please enjoy!
- Fellow Fanfictioner64
Prologue
Calm.
The evening sky above Paris brought with it an invitation to rest. Street lights lit the path for walkers, on their way home from their final jaunts, maybe carrying small bags of shopping to feed them over the next few days and just enjoying the breeze and quiet of the day's end. Distant laughter was heard from restaurants and bars, still several hours from closing and whiffs of delicious smells followed, encouraging the patronage of those passing by.
It was a regular Wednesday evening for locals, who relaxed into their surroundings to discuss personal updates, celebrate wins and debate current affairs. Glasses clinked with every pour, smiles all over to drink the evening away and put aside small differences in the name of unity and friendship.
Their laughter and eager conversations suddenly broke when the deafening screech of tyres and track disturbed the night.
A driver had lost control of their vehicle, veering dangerously towards oncoming cars and swerving to avoid the traffic ahead. The movement now aimed them towards the pavements, where a young parent and child stood. The mother twitched as if willing to move but stood frozen, staring into the headlights with wide eyes. Yells escaped from others around, volumes increasing in urgency as the car appeared to speed up across the 2 lanes towards them. Expecting the worst, some closed their eyes and screamed in fear, not quite drowning the sound of a collision between metal and brick. Hurrying ahead to survey the damage and help, a student crouched down and pulled some debris to find a lack of injury or even any human presence against the front of the car. Surveying his surroundings, he stopped to see victims on the ground several feet away, thankfully uninjured from the crash.
In the moment, a bystander had leapt through the air and across the street to gather the potential victims and move them to a safe spot. After a cursory once over to check that both were okay, they got up and glowered at the now halted car, where several intoxicated teens had crawled out. They moved quickly to restrain the driver, throwing her to the ground with arms behind her back before securing the remaining culprits. Staying in place, they found the gaze of the student who promptly called the emergency services.
The night sky lit up with hues of red and blue and the wails of sirens meddling into the cries of a terrified child, warming up the once quiet evening to growing activity. A crowd gathered, some people taking it upon themselves to comfort and support the near-victims while others kept guard of the drunk group until police arrived. Arrests were made and statements taken with the accompanying flashing lights of eager reporters. A hero who, within all the activity had moved back to collect their belongings, was praised for their courage and speedy reaction to protect two lives. The mother looked back to give her thanks, but found street empty. The stranger had left without a word.
Placing greater focus on the arrests in front of them, the police took no further notice of this disappearance and instead continued to push the 19-year-old driver and friends into the back of the police van. The van moved slowly through the city, as there wasn't an urgency to see the back of a cell and growing paperwork on the police desks. Moving away from the shouts of anger towards the culprits and into the unaffected streets of Paris, the scenes soon returned calm, peace and quiet.
The final wanderers were reaching their homes and preparing for the following day, the night sky brightened by the street lights displayed the quiet beauty of the empty Parisian roads, the final patrons leaving restaurants to close up for the evening and the slightly inebriated giggling to their next destinations.
It was very early the following morning, when reviewing the incident report did more attention lay on the saviour of the moment. Because the answers brought with them memories of a long forgotten past.