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It is a strange thing to see your friend half-limping, half-running through a busy street at lunchtime; if you care and you are in a car, you will drive up beside him and try to find out what is happening … but get ready for a strange story, because normally, men aren't half-limping, half-running through busy streets at lunchtime.

“Lauri – what in the world?”

“Unlock the car door! Unlock the door!”

Tom Trent unlocked all four doors, and, still at a half-limp, half-run, Lauri Torvaldson yanked the door open and jumped head-first into the car.

“Lauri – what –?”

“Drive, Tom, drive!”

“Where?”

“Any place with a roof! An underground parking lot – or a barn, or something – get us out of here!”

An underground parking lot was more accessible in downtown Big Loft than a barn, so Mr. Trent drove into one – “You're paying for the ticket, Lauri!” – and at Mr. Torvaldson's insistence, drove down to the very lowest level, parked, and then demanded again. “Lauri – what in the world – I thought you had gone to see Maggie!”

“I did, but she is dealing with something not of this mortal plane!”

“What are you talking about? It's too late in the year for sunstroke … .”

“Right – it was Thor's hammer, near missing me!”

“What?”

Mr. Torvaldson told Mr. Trent the story, albeit with a few kinks on the truth to make himself look like the victim, but he did get one part strictly right.

“As soon as I uttered the words Thor's hammer, there came the crack of thunder in my ear – I mean it was like every crack of thunder you have ever heard in your entire life, rolled up into one earth-shattering peal! I was flung by the force of it into a pit nearby, and only a heroic police officer nearby saved me from certain death – he looked like a Greek god, so maybe a Norse god would respect him! My ankle is all messed up and I'm sure I'll be permanently lame from having to hightail it out of there! If you hadn't come along there is no telling what would have happened to me!”

“Right – you were running headlong into traffic up what was about to become a one-way street going opposite of the way you were running.”

“That's not what I mean!”

“I need to get you to the hospital, for a bunch of good reasons.”

“Oh, no – I'm safe here with all this concrete over me. I'm not going back out there until I can see a clear night sky. What I need you to do is go get me a couple of sandwiches and sodas and bags of chips, and a wrap for my ankle – here, here's the money for it all.”

“Are you serious?”

“I just handed you a $100 bill – of course I'm serious! Once you bring me the goods and receipts, you can even keep the change. Anything so I can stay safe, right here!”

“You know you can't be in the parking lot just hanging around all day.”

“Yes, I can – once I eat, I'll find a car with a sort of high bottom in a spot with no oil leakage and just take a nap under it until I wake up, then eat the rest of my food and lie back down under another car until it is night and I can head for the hospital. I have to remember to tell them I need an interior room, away from windows… .”

As Tom Trent drove away to get his friend some food, there were exactly two thoughts on his mind:

I know Maggie is beautiful, but shoot – the whole thought that he thinks she's that beautiful as to get a mythical character as a lover – I haven't seen her in 12 years, but I need to check her out.

Still, the fact that he is carrying on like this is every reason she couldn't be bothered with him 13 years ago and shouldn't be bothered with him now!

Photo by Moritz Mentges on Unsplash