Hero — A Flash Fiction

Not all heroes wear capes

No wind that carried the smell of hotdogs and soda. No vibrating drum beat. Absent of any movement.

Only silence.

Normally, I would find this peaceful. Relaxing alone on a beach. Sip a beer and listen to the waves roll in. It irritated me being around people all day, five days a week. Sometimes even on the weekends, if they requested me to. At least it was decent money, though.

Actually, that was a lie. It hardly paid the bills. I hate what I do, but I’m good at it. Not that it meant much to others, though, unless they needed you.

Complete silence. No wind. No movement. Nothing.

I’ve learned to handle this situation, just felt anxious in the moment. Experiencing it differed from learning. Once the initial shock subsided, everything clicked.

I dropped to my hands and knees and blew wind into the empty pipe. Without hesitation, I pushed down on the drum several times, beating life back into the heart of a child.

People applauded, and I nodded to them as the child spat out water. Celebration only lasted so long, though. Everyone went back to their own lives, soaking up the sun. I walked back to the Lifeguard station, eagerly awaiting the end of my shift.

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