Z-A Monday: The Final Leg? A fly in the ointment?

Xavier paid the fee for a bus ride to Florence, KY, then up the freeway toward home. He flopped down next to a formless figure and started flapping his gums with him.

"Hi. I'm Xavier. Where you headed?"
"I'm Frank, going to Florence. Tried to fly. Fogged in. I'm a financier, freelancer, work with Fortune Five Hundred firms, mainly."

"Ah, I'm finagling my way up to Ohio. I've been on a frivolous foray, kinda foolish, really."

"Well, you never know what's foolish and what may be fantastic. Just hafta move forward, y'know?"

"That's fine, but I need to function with more focus, find work...among other things."

"Don't get too frustrated, bud. The finish line's still far away for you. Fame and fortune can wait."

"So I fear. That fog is pretty thick out there."

So thick, in fact, that Floyd Franklin, the bus driver, flipped on his flashers and fell back to forty mph. Just then, in a flash, a Ford Fusion forced its way into his lane. Floyd hit the brakes ferociously, causing the bus to fishtail, fracturing the fender and fanny of the Fusion in the process, and flattening the tires of the bus.

Inside, frightened passengers flew into a frenzy. Xavier surveyed the interior, didn't note any fatalities. Unfortunately, Floyd had fractured his fibula in the fracas, so Xavier took the fire extinguisher and flailed it to force open the non-functioning door. He noticed a couple small children frozen in fright in the fifth seat back, and fearing the engine could spill fuel and flare up any time, he firmly grabbed them and helped them flee. Then, while everyone else filed out and all seats were surveyed fore and aft, he offered a firm shoulder for Floyd to limp out into the frigid fall weather.

Along with the fire engine, first responders, and EMS squad came the WFTV Five News crew, looking to find a fabulous feature for the five o'clock news. Floyd faced the cameras as Francine Fetterbaugh of the Five News Crew forced a microphone on him.

"I faced a choice...and the feasible choice was to force a turn, avoid flipping...but I owe a fervent thanks for a faultless evacuation to that guy", he said, fingering Xavier.

Frank spoke up.

"I was formerly talking to this fine fellow. He helped facilitate a first-rate escape. He was flawless, really, forsaking his own..."

Xavier had to cut in.

"Thanks, Frank, but the fact is, that's a bit of a fabrication, a little far-fetched. I was just functioning as anyone would."

"OK, thanks, fellas" said Francine, finishing the filming and fleeing to the Five News Crew studios.

Xavier fell to the curb, feeling a bit faint but otherwise fine. And he was famished. Where's some fast food when he needed it?