Calvin walked out the comic shop, his employee nametag reflecting the dim light of the street lamp above him. He turned the key and locked the shop door as the rain pelted him, drenching his hair and outfit as he ran to the same beat up Chevrolet he's been driving since he was sixteen. 'damn'… he thought, 'it's raining again? That's like the sixth time this week.'
He turned the car key in the ignition, the engine stalling a few times before settling into a low growl of smoke and exhaust as he pulled out of the parking lot. As her rounded a corner, his phone buzzed, the caller ID showing 'that one long nosed bitch.' He answered, chuckling to himself at the stupid nickname he had given his best friend as the call connected…
"Yo, you getting off- *crunch* -work soon, Cal?" The voice on the other end was deep, but not masculine, more like a guttural, back of the throat deep… also, was that fucker eating Doritos on the couch again?… "Jason, hey man, yeah I'm actually heading home now… what about you? Aren't you still suppose to be at work too?…" silence. The line seemed to go dead for a minute, Calvin would have actually assumed so if he didn't know how Jason behaved. "Nah, man… I got fired…" the words seemed to visibly way heavy on Calvin, knowing bills were already hard enough to pay, and the absence of Jason's rent certainly wouldn't help.
Calvin sighed, rubbing his temples with his free hand as he continued to drive. "Alright… well… we'll figure it out, I'm sure you can find another job soon… I trust you." Calvin lied… he lied about it all, he knew Jason wouldn't find a job, he could barely keep one longer than a month, but he wouldn't say that… wouldn't let himself say it… that was Calvin's biggest flaw… he was too damn nice.
As Calvin and Jason talked, he had pulled onto the highway, only to jerk the steering wheel and narrowly avoid being crashed into by a large semi truck. The truck swerved as it missed him, wobbling across the road as the driver, who was clearly drunk, blacked out…
Calvin watched as the eight wheeler veered off the road and barreled straight into a empty tattoo shop for sell.
Without thinking, Calvin unbuckled and rushed onto the crash site, which was already starting to catch flame. Keeping his elbow covering his nose, he searched through the thick smoke, his visibility already hindered, and that's without the fact that the smoke made his eyes sting. Calvin forced open the door to the driver seat, 'thank you, adrenaline' he thought as he unbuckled the hammered driver, who was bleeding from the forehead.
As Calvin pulled him from the wreckage, the driver began to stir, eyes fluttering open as his fight or flight kicked in, and he immediately started to kick and try to break free. "Let me go! Somebody! Help, I'm being kidnapped!" Calvin of course was dumbfounded, did the drunk not see the smoke and flames of his burning truck? It didn't matter however.", Calvin still pulled him safely from the crash… and that's when he heard it.
*BARK!* *BARK!*
Calvin turned to see a shaggy, golden retriever straped to a harness in the passenger seat. "Ryder!" The truck driver screamed. "Get out of there boy!" But before the driver could even stumble up to his feet, Calvin was already moving. Bolting across the ceramic floor tiles of the tatto parlor, he arrived shortly, freezing for but a moment as he spotted a flaming ember stretch… and light a trail of gasoline…
Calvin moved as fast as he could, unbuckling and loosening every strap and latch on the harness he could. But it was too late the flames crawled up the side of the truck and into the fuel tank, so as a last ditch effort, Calvin threw himself around Ryder, protecting him the best he could as…
*BOOM!*
Both Calvin, and unfortunately, the dog as well… passed away. 'Great…' Calvin thought as the last embers of life were snuffed out. 'I guess… that's what I get fo being so damn nice, huh?' And then… nothing.