Damsel in Distress

 A short story.

Anastasia stood proudly with the rest of the noble family, smiling her perfect smile and waving perfectly as always. Clothed in a stunning long sleeved dress made of the finest silk in royal green (yes she did see the irony) and equally expensive heels, she looked every bit of the exquisite, luxurious lady that she was. 

“Lady Anastasia!”

“Lady Anastasia, over here!”

“You look absolutely gorgeous today, Lady.”

“Who are you wearing?”

She was bombarded with questions when she got to the edge of the platform where the news reporters stood, held at bay by the security detail. She smiled politely, posed for some pictures and answered a few questions before leaving. Her parents were just about to get into their limousine when she got to the parking lot.

“Anastasia, dear.” Her mother called her fondly. She smiled at the term of endearment. “We have a prior engagement that we cannot be late for. Be a dear and take the other car back to the hotel.”

Her mother gave her a quick kiss of the cheek before getting into the limousine gracefully. Her father gave her a small smile and somewhat solemn nod before following suit. 

Her security detail led her to a different limousine, smaller than the first, that belonged to her parents. She was pleased to find her bag had been moved to it. She opened her bag and pulled out the book on great philosophers that had enraptured her in the last few days. She settled down for what she knew to be a bit of a drive. 

They had not been on the road for long when there was a sudden commotion. The car skidded to stop and she heard the sound of yelling, scuffles and gunshots. She cursed under her breath. An ambush. 

Denzel, her assigned bodyguard, spoke then. “We have to move.” He tried to take in their surroundings as much as he could from the inside of the car. “They blocked off the roads and shot the tires. We have to escape on foot.”

A surge of adrenaline rushed through her and she fought to control her excitement. It wasn’t everyday something dangerous and exciting happened. Denzel extracted a bulletproof vest from below the seat and handed it to her.
When she’d put it on, he opened the door and shielding her with his own body, guided her out the car. They crouched beside the car, still unnoticed by the men in battle. Anastasia was glad that she wore a dark color. They were almost to the intersection when a shot was fired. She turned back and gasped as blood gushed out of Denzel’s leg. 

“Go! Run!” he screamed at her, clutching his injured leg. She hesitated for a split second before taking off. When she turned down the street, the sight that met her made her blood run cold. More masked men and a waiting car. 

“My lady,” one mocked bowed, inciting laughter from the others.

“Let us escort you.” He gestured to the car. Another ran to open the door, keeping up the charade. 

“Please do not resist. Things do not have to get…bloody.”

Anastasia smiled sweetly, controlling her fear. 

“Sure,” she responded cheerily, to their amusement. “Let me just adjust the straps of my heels. They’re a bit loose from all that running.”

“As you wish, my lady.” The first one mocked once more, giving instructions to his henchmen to wrap it up. They've got what they came for. 

In an instant, Anastasia grabbed the gun and knife strapped to her leg that her dress had hidden. With their backs turned to her, she shot three in the leg before the others were alerted. 

With the slash of her knife, trained punches and kicks coupled with targeted shots, she took down the men. Slamming her gun into the driver’s head, she hijacked the car and sped off. 

She smirked to herself in satisfaction. The first mistake they made was thinking she was a damsel in distress. 

 

Who doesn't like a strong female lead? 

The most typical stock-character-breaks-character story there is.

Let me know what you think in the comments! 

Also, prompts are largely appreciated. What would you like to see?