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sidhe_faerieBetty
Prompt: Acrid
Word Count: 654
Characters: Shelly Hastings, Betty :
Shelly knew that sound. It sounded like an exploding car. She knew that smell too. She ran as fast as she could toward it. It was the acrid smell of burning tires and gasoline.
When Shelly rounded the corner into the alley, she saw the car on fire. It was fully engulfed in flames by the time she reached it. She pulled out her phone and called 911.
Shelly had just let a wayward husband out of her sight for nothing. She couldn’t do anything but wait for the fire department.
Suddenly, there was a moan coming from behind one of the dumpsters. Shelly ran over to see if someone needed help.
“Hey.” She knelt down next to a redhead covered in suit that was leaning against the wall. She was dressed like a hooker. “Were you in the car? What's your name?”
“I’m Betty. I was just about to get in for a date. He turned off the engine and it exploded. I need to get out of here.” Betty tried to get up but just winced and slid back down.
“I think you need to go to the hospital.” Shelly glanced over at the car. “Was he alone? What did he look like?”
“Yeah.” Betty rubbed her head. “He was alone. Mid-thirties... I guess. He looked like a stockbroker. Maybe a lawyer. My head is killing me.”
“You might have a concussion. Sit still. I hear the fire truck.”
The truck screeched to a halt at the end of the alley. One of the firemen came to where Betty and Shelly were.
“Hey I’m Bob. Are you hurt?”
“She has a headache. I was the one that called it in. There was a guy in the car.” Shelly stepped back so Bob could look at Betty.
“Don't go.” Betty reached out to Shelly. “Please stay with me.”
“Okay.” Shelly nodded.
“Be right back.” Bob stood up. “Got to radio for an ambulance and the coroner. Sorry about your friend.”
“Yeah.” Betty nodded then rubbed her head again. “My mother told me this was a dangerous life. I should have listened.”
Shelly laughed. “My mother gave me the same speech. I’m a private detective. She worries too much.”
“I think mine worries just enough. I knew i should have stayed in school and learned to type or something.” Betty looked down at her clothes. “I'm a mess. It'll take a week to get the burnt rubber smell out of my hair.”
“Longer.” Shelly ran a hand through her short blonde tresses. “Not my first car fire. At least, it’s not my car this time.”
“You should have listened to your mother too.” Betty grinned. “I bet you never saw someone die though. I'm never going to forget that, am I?”
“No.” Shelly looked back at the car. The fire was almost out. “I remember every dead body i find and some who were not so dead. It stays with you. Betty, you should talk to someone about this.”
“I am. I’m talking to you. I don’t even know your name.” Betty sighed.
“I’m Shelly. Hastings Investigations is my agency.” Shelly pulled a card out of her jacket pocket and handed it to Betty. “You know, I might have an opening for a receptionist. The pay sucks and so do the hours.”
“I'll take it. I can't do this anymore.” Betty looked at the card in her hand.
An EMT walked over. “Hi I’m Ted. Let's get you in the ambulance. Did you hit your head?”
“Yeah. I was thrown back from the explosion.” Betty told him. “Can Shelly come with me?”
“Sure.” Ted winked at Shelly. “Here's my partner now.”
The other EMT helped ted put Betty on the gurney and take her to the ambulance.
Shelly followed them. She was too stressed to worry about the wayward husband she had been following. She would have to pick up his trail again tomorrow.
Prompt: Acrid
Word Count: 654
Characters: Shelly Hastings, Betty :
Shelly knew that sound. It sounded like an exploding car. She knew that smell too. She ran as fast as she could toward it. It was the acrid smell of burning tires and gasoline.
When Shelly rounded the corner into the alley, she saw the car on fire. It was fully engulfed in flames by the time she reached it. She pulled out her phone and called 911.
Shelly had just let a wayward husband out of her sight for nothing. She couldn’t do anything but wait for the fire department.
Suddenly, there was a moan coming from behind one of the dumpsters. Shelly ran over to see if someone needed help.
“Hey.” She knelt down next to a redhead covered in suit that was leaning against the wall. She was dressed like a hooker. “Were you in the car? What's your name?”
“I’m Betty. I was just about to get in for a date. He turned off the engine and it exploded. I need to get out of here.” Betty tried to get up but just winced and slid back down.
“I think you need to go to the hospital.” Shelly glanced over at the car. “Was he alone? What did he look like?”
“Yeah.” Betty rubbed her head. “He was alone. Mid-thirties... I guess. He looked like a stockbroker. Maybe a lawyer. My head is killing me.”
“You might have a concussion. Sit still. I hear the fire truck.”
The truck screeched to a halt at the end of the alley. One of the firemen came to where Betty and Shelly were.
“Hey I’m Bob. Are you hurt?”
“She has a headache. I was the one that called it in. There was a guy in the car.” Shelly stepped back so Bob could look at Betty.
“Don't go.” Betty reached out to Shelly. “Please stay with me.”
“Okay.” Shelly nodded.
“Be right back.” Bob stood up. “Got to radio for an ambulance and the coroner. Sorry about your friend.”
“Yeah.” Betty nodded then rubbed her head again. “My mother told me this was a dangerous life. I should have listened.”
Shelly laughed. “My mother gave me the same speech. I’m a private detective. She worries too much.”
“I think mine worries just enough. I knew i should have stayed in school and learned to type or something.” Betty looked down at her clothes. “I'm a mess. It'll take a week to get the burnt rubber smell out of my hair.”
“Longer.” Shelly ran a hand through her short blonde tresses. “Not my first car fire. At least, it’s not my car this time.”
“You should have listened to your mother too.” Betty grinned. “I bet you never saw someone die though. I'm never going to forget that, am I?”
“No.” Shelly looked back at the car. The fire was almost out. “I remember every dead body i find and some who were not so dead. It stays with you. Betty, you should talk to someone about this.”
“I am. I’m talking to you. I don’t even know your name.” Betty sighed.
“I’m Shelly. Hastings Investigations is my agency.” Shelly pulled a card out of her jacket pocket and handed it to Betty. “You know, I might have an opening for a receptionist. The pay sucks and so do the hours.”
“I'll take it. I can't do this anymore.” Betty looked at the card in her hand.
An EMT walked over. “Hi I’m Ted. Let's get you in the ambulance. Did you hit your head?”
“Yeah. I was thrown back from the explosion.” Betty told him. “Can Shelly come with me?”
“Sure.” Ted winked at Shelly. “Here's my partner now.”
The other EMT helped ted put Betty on the gurney and take her to the ambulance.
Shelly followed them. She was too stressed to worry about the wayward husband she had been following. She would have to pick up his trail again tomorrow.