Thingy Thursdays #4

A fascinating object that begged at the chance for a story. 

It's just a pen....

(Pinterest)

     The day started out completely ordinary for Michael.  He got up.  Took a shower.  Had breakfast.  And prepared for work.  He slipped on his jacket and walked out the door.

     An ordinary start for an ordinary man. 

     The city street was already full of life despite the early hour.  Cars and people moved past, some faster then others.  Michael made sure to keep out of peoples' way, and hoped that they had the courtesy to do the same. 

     Michael glanced down at the object in his front pocket.  He had borrowed the pen from his coworker the other day.  The guy had seemed reluctant to give it to him, but Michael promised to give it back. His pens were always disappearing from his desk. But his coworker left in a hurry that day before Michael could hand it off.  So the first thing he was going to do today was give his coworker back the pen and hope there's no hard feelings.  It was just a pen. 

     Michael had been walking for about a block when he felt it.  That strange, unnerving sensation in the back of your neck that alerts you to danger.  This time in the form of a tail.

     He risked a quick glance back over his shoulder, scanning the thin crowd for an obvious suspect.  No one stood out as far as he could tell.  But that feeling wouldn't go away. 

    He picked up his pace. The sensation of danger only grew, but he forced himself to look straight ahead.  Looking paranoid only makes you a bigger target to muggers.  But Michael couldn't hold back any longer.  He turned his head just enough to look behind him.  That was when he saw him.  A gruff looking man who returned Michael's stare.  The man started to run. 

     Michael's heart rate shot up, adrenaline flooding his system.  He shot forward in a panicked sprint.  Someone was after him!  He didn't bother to stay out of peoples' way anymore.  He didn't even apologize for bumping into them.  There was only one thought on his mind, and that was to run. 

     Michael's lungs started to burn.  He needed a break.  He stumbled into an alley and leaned against one of the buildings, chest heaving.  Michael was careful to stay within full view of the public--or at the very least within earshot--in case that guy caught up to him.  

     He waited two minutes--five minutes--ten.  His pursuer still had yet to show.  Michael suddenly felt incredibly stupid.  Maybe that man wasn't after him at all.  Maybe he had just realized he was late for a meeting.  Michael must have looked like a paranoid idiot to the guy. Whatever.  Michael straightened his jacket, gathered up what little dignity he had left, and stepped back out onto the street. 

    Turns out that guy wasn't as gone as Michael had hoped. The gruff man grabbed Michael and pinned him against the uneven surface of the building. 

     "My wallet's in my back pocket!" Michael sputtered.  The man laughed at him. 

     "I don't want your money."

     Michael looked slightly terrified.  "What?"  Michael wondered why none of the passerby seemed to notice the crime in process.  

     The man let go of Michael's jacket with one hand and slipped the pen out of Michael's front pocket.  "Ah, what do we have here?"
     Michael was even more confused now.  What was so special about this pen?  The man grinned--it wasn't a nice smile. 

     "You're coming with me."

     Michael's eyes widened.  "Why? Because I have a pen?" 

     The man calmly turned the pen so that Michael could see the tiny camera lens. "This is not an ordinary pen, my friend.  This is a camera.  And that makes you the spy we've been after."
     "Spy?" 

    

     Michael's coworker was a SPY?!

     

     "Yeah. Spy."  The man freshened his grip on Michael's arm and dragged him along.
     "But I'm not a spy! You have the wrong guy!" Michael insisted.  "I'm just a quiet businessman. I have a meeting in fifteen minutes!"
     "That's what they all say."  Before Michael could plead his case any longer he was shoved into the backseat of a black van. 

To be continued....

God bless,

~Amy Rochelle