Time Is Up

The parking meter stood in front of her car. She was digging in her purse looking for change, any kind of change she could use to feed the meter. Suddenly a knock on the window startled her and she about dumped the contents of her purse on the floor.

Looking over she saw an officer holding a ticket book in her hand. The woman rolled down the window and said, “I am looking for some change officer. I will get it in just a moment.”

The officer left out a sigh, it had been a long day for her of complaints and people trying to talk their way out of tickets. The violations were all clearly there, but everyone seemed to have an excuse today and she was getting tired of it. “Ma’am,” she said to the woman. “If you can’t pay for the meter I am going to have to ask you to move your car, or I will have to issue a ticket for a parking violation.”

The officer looked away for a moment sure that there was a sob story coming about how she was on a life and death errand. But her thoughts were interrupted by a loud noise. She suddenly felt something warm on her arm and as the woman quickly threw the car into reverse and started to drive away, the officer realized she was shot in the arm.

She hadn’t gotten a license plate or even really noticed the type of car. She had been so focused on trying to clear the parking lot so she could go home that she hadn’t noticed the gun in the woman’s purse. She hadn’t seen her draw it up and aim at her shoulder. She had been lost in her own thoughts.

Now a couple came rushing over from the street to assist the officer. The man asked if she was alright and if she needed to sit down. The officer had a far off look in her eyes and slowly nodded yes. She sat on the curb with some help and began to finally notice the pain in her arm.

Another police car pulled up into the parking lot and the sergeant stepped out. “Beth are you alright? What the hell happened?”

She slowly turned to the sergeant and said, “I got shot on my last day on the force…”

 

 

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – violation