He turned towards his son and then back at her. The boy was too far away for Eddie's liking. As he turned to face the woman again, he spotted a white panel van approaching the south entrance of the park. He bolted into action, yelling for his son to come back. The van came to a stop, and the side panel door slid open.
Eddie shouted for Colin to come back again. The boy swerved his bike off the path onto the grass, causing him to lose his balance and fall. Eddie saw a hooded figure advancing towards his son, who was wearing the same helmet, sweater, and riding the same bike from her dream.
Pernita had been trying to keep up with Eddie. She witnessed the takedown and saw the confusion on Colin's face. She called to the boy to come to her, and he ran to her, standing behind her leg. She gently placed her hand on his head as they silently watched the two men struggle.
Eddie had gained the upper hand with a spear tackle, though he was winded. The would-be abductor attempted to fight back, and they became entangled like two boxers in a corner of the ring. Eddie managed to free one arm and delivered two solid blows. The figure went limp, and Eddie held his arm ready for one more punch if necessary. He then turned to check on Colin.
Eddie's next words were ones he never thought he'd utter. "Somebody wanna call the cops?" It wasn't a question. A crowd had gathered to watch the scuffle, and one person responded to his plea, rushing to a payphone in front of the convenience store. Eddie glanced at Colin once more and then at the woman now protecting him. He had many questions for her, but they would have to wait. Eddie held the hooded figure in place and lowered the hood, recognizing him as the same man from the convenience store.
Pernita had moved closer to get a look at the man. She, too, recognized him from the convenience store and the statue. She smiled at Eddie, who had successfully thwarted the abduction. Colin, having reached his father, held onto him tightly. Pernita approached them, her heart still racing.
Eddie turned to Pernita, a mixture of gratitude and curiosity in his eyes. "Thank you," he said with genuine sincerity, extending his hand to shake hers. "I don't know how you knew, but you saved my son today."
Pernita extended her hand with a warm smile. "It's not important how I knew, just that I did," she replied. "I'm just relieved he's safe."
Colin, still trembling from the ordeal, gazed up at Pernita with wide eyes. "Are you an angel?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Pernita knelt down, gently ruffling his hair. "No, sweetheart, I'm not an angel. I'm just someone who wanted to make sure you were okay." She then turned her attention back to Eddie, then pointed at the man Eddie was sitting on, "Can you hold him while I find a payphone and call the police? They'll want to know about this man and what happened."
"I got him. He'll have to kill me first to get away," Eddie said, still gasping for air.
Eddie nodded, his hand shaking slightly as he reached for the man's head to hold him in place. Pernita took Colin with her as she tried to locate a payphone. She found one just outside the convenience store. The police dispatcher informed her that the police had already been notified, and a cruiser was en route and should be at their location very soon. Inside the store, she allowed Colin to select a treat and grabbed a coffee for herself and one for Colin's dad before heading back to the park.
By the time they returned to the park, the police had already arrived and taken the man into custody. They were now busy gathering statements from witnesses. Pernita hesitated at first about giving her entire statement, including the dreams, but she decided to recount the truth in as much detail as possible. As they took Eddie's statement, Colin stood at Pernita's side, watching his dad. Pernita kept a close eye on the young boy. Once the police left with the man, the park began to regain a sense of normalcy.
After everything settled down, Eddie and Colin sat on a bench, still somewhat in shock. Pernita joined them and handed Eddie his coffee. He took a long sip.
"Just how I like it. How did you know?" he asked, his voice trailing off.
Eddie and Pernita began to converse. Eddie had numerous questions about Pernita's dream and how she had known about the potential danger. Over time, they shared their stories and uncovered an inexplicable connection between them.
As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over Central Park, they found solace in each other's company. They would become friends and support each other in the days to come, both grateful for the strange twist of fate that had brought them together on that fateful Saturday morning.
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