A Knight in the Big City

A Knight in the Big City

            It was just a normal Friday night as Gabriel Thompson was driving home from his double shift at the office in the glamorous New York City. Mr. Thompson wasn't just an ordinary office drone in the corporate world, he actually had an interesting job as a children’s book writer focusing on adventures of a different time and land. Little did he know, that night as his overtired body and mind were focusing on the fact that his body was deprived of sleep, he was going to fall asleep at the wheel and cause an accident that would alter the rest of his life. Once recovered by the first responding EMT’s, Gabriel awoke with a head wound altering his perception of reality. Left inside the hospital he was alone, for his wife was on a business trip and his family estranged.  But Gab didn’t know he was in a hospital, after the crash it led him to believe he was back in medieval times, like in the story he was just working hard that evening to finish for the approaching deadline. Gabriel glanced around astonished at the new world around him, he wasn’t just writing about a knight, but he was a knight himself, Sir Gabriel.  

            He believed he was in a dungeon and he must get out at all costs. Gabriel grabbed his suit of amour and swiftly started walking out of the room. A doctor started to chase after him telling him he hasn’t been discharged, Gabriel swiftly turned around pushed the doctor down and told him that “A dungeon keeper cannot stop him not even the King himself can stop a knight from fulfilling their destiny”. Once that happened security was called, he took this as an opportunity for him to test his skills in stealth and agility. Ducking and dashing Gab went from room to room staying out of sight from the guards. After several minutes of this cat and mouse game he emerged from the dungeon of a building we call a hospital.

Now alone in a place like New York City the only thing Gabriel knew to do was to search for his princess, for he believed she would know what to do. Wondering aimlessly Gabriel asked everyone on the street and every car on the road if they have seen the beautiful Princess Malinda. With receiving nothing but dirty looks, and the light growing dimmer his search was at a dead end. Gabriel decided the best thing to do was to get a goods nights rest under this large bridge nearby. Underneath this bridge he found a group of beggars huddling around a fire in tattered clothing and dirty faces. In his mind they looked like villagers in need of rescuing, they must be save he thought. “I shall help all ye if it be my last breath, to make your lives better is my mission but first I need help finding my maiden, princess Malinda, will anyone assist me on my quest?”. Of course these were no villagers, they were hobos huddling under a bridge seeking a place to rest their heads and most did not pay any attention to any of the nonsense Gab was muttering. They all believed he was crazy, yet one man by the name Edward stepped up and talked to Gabriel about helping him, believing that although his request was outlandish he would truly help them. After a night of sleeping on a trash bag and soda bottles Gabriel had decided to allow Edward to come with him on this journey. They set off that day but neither knew where to even go. Edward had to teach Gab about streets, cars and technology (though he wasn’t educated himself). They didn’t know how to get money for food and water and they were in need of resources. As a knight Gabriel wouldn’t beg for that is a poor man’s doings so Edward begged for a while and got enough money for some drinks and sandwiches. After a day of wondering about Gabriel decided if they were going to find the princess they needed a swift steed. For the princess was far away and the men wouldn’t be able to get there on foot anytime soon. Realizing that he couldn’t just take these creatures on leashes called “dogs” he must find another way of transportation. Edward and Gabriel found two bikes unchained outside a grocery store and took off with them. But there was a problem, Gabriel did not know how to ride one so he rode atop Edwards handlebars. A funny sight to see they rode off as the sun started to go down once more. After finding an empty lot the two men conversed about their lives and Edward realized that there was no way Gab could actually help when he needed help himself. When awaking the next morning Gabriel was left alone, Edward was gone and so was the bike, it seemed to him he had lost his helper. On his own, Gabriel just wandered towards the direction he believed the princess would be found. Gabriel passed an alley where he heard a women yelling and in distress. A maiden was being robbed by a thief, trying only to help he attacked the robber and tried to save the women. She ran off screaming and the robber ran too leaving him standing there in the alleyway. . Seeing the women fleeing a police car stopped to investigate what Gabriel was doing. The policeman asked what Gabriel was doing and he said fulfilling my duty as a knight and saving the damsel in distress. The cop found this explanation absurd and started to approach him figuring he was the robber himself. Gabriel started to run away from this unknown man and the police officer caught up and shoved him to the ground. Unknowing to what would happen to him he fought back with all his strength but it was no good. Next thing Gabriel knew he was being shoved into a larger moving chamber, with bright lights and fast wheels. The whole way back to the station he asked questions like “where am I?” “Where are we going?” and “Who are you?”. The cop stayed silent due to him not wishing to alert and upset him anymore. Once at the station Gabriel was put into a cell while the cops tried to figure out who this man was. After sitting there for hours in silence, a cop finally came up to him and said he has been released. At the end of the hallway was his princess, his wife Malinda. Now calm and relaxed that his princess had been found Gabriel was taken back to the hospital and tests were run to figure out the severity of the brain damage.  It was found that the damage caused by his accident was irreversible and he would be stuck in that state for the remainder of his life. Next, as found to be too much of a burden on his family Gabriel was then then placed into a mental institution. Malinda visits him every day and even helped the homeless people under the bridge by giving them food, water and money one day. The story he wrote that one night he crashed actually became a big hit with families and it was called A Knight in the Big City. So that one book provided for his family the rest of their lives, so that knight was both a blessing and a curse.