Prompt: A picture of a bicycle in a tree
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Third Road Incident This Month680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHMCkkdU4l
The busy streets of Maytown have claimed their third life last Sunday. A 17 year old boy (who has been requested by his family to not be identified) was run over while crossing Hampton St. The driver of the vehicle stated that it was like the boy 'simply appeared from nowhere'. Pedestrians are encouraged to cross streets with the utmost of care.
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First Sunday of the summer holidays. Down at the old dirt track in the forest, with that age old mindset of the world being ours, jumping on bikes like we'd never fall.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClZRwolGps
I had to bring Charlotte along too - had to look after her, my parents said, but they should know that I wouldn't give a damn about what she did or didn't want to do.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8dvgl1WsW
'I'm bored, Bran.'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy9IK6syssU
'Shut up. Read your book.' Everyone laughs at my sister, but only momentarily - we paid her little attention.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLsgy6PGNk
We'd all waited six months to get our RX-4s, and I wasn't going to let Charlotte ruin this day of celebration.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOrJcopzi7
'Oy, Brandon, watch this sick flip.' Jake flashes a smile, jumps the bike over a large rock, turning clockwise in a full revolution while airborne.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhr9uJUOIK
'Yeah?' I start grinding the pedals of my RX towards the lift in the road. Propelled into the air, I take my hands of the bike - clap once, clap twice, oh shit - I land it just in time, absorbing the shock of the ground with a forward lean at the last second.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzwrHF6vaNt
Not to be outdone, Liam does the same, but claps once, twice, again, three times! And lands it with a whoop.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd4O4ejBre6
Charlotte wails in consternation. 'Bran, mom said that you should be careful.'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsqdcPicuN
'I told you to shut up!' I take the jump again with 4 claps, and pump my fists at Liam and Jake. 'Who's the man?'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRVBZjJT3C
Jake sneers playfully, and goes down the track a bit to build speed - when he's in the air, he gets one, two, three, four, five, six - shit! He hits the ground with an elegant thud, and, swearing loudly (with some admonishments from Charlotte), we rush over to him.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaK9VWuPLbp
'Crap, did you break anything?'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmslMs0JmHX
Jake props himself up on our shoulders as he rises with a groan. 'Nah, it'll be fine. Where's the bike?'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ORaJCslSv
It wasn't on the road. 'It... it must have tumbled out somewhere. Charlotte, did you see it?'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQEGssPSS5
She let out a 'hmmph' noise in response. I sigh. 'Just sit down here. Liam 'n' I will see if we can find it. It won't be far.' Even as I speak the words, confusion begins to pass over our faces - how did we not see the bike?680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHcmL8238B
Jake settles down on the track and inspects his injuries as Liam and I trek a little bit into the trees. Where could it have gone?680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4RpYBPzkd
'Bloody hell, guys, take a look at this.'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS61OmfFucZ
I sprint over, and -680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpvvrnfuKH
A bike, in the middle of a tree trunk, rusted and bent, frozen in the clutches of the tree. 'Holy shit.' I grab a stick to scrape off the rust. Just visible, almost entirely worn away, is the engraving RX-4.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAImXBgBOqT
'Get away from it.' Liam was staring at the tree. 'I don't like this...' I back off. It was making me uneasy.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZX3SEkzzr
We head back to the track. Jake looks up at us.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ65h4IO5qgI
Liam is the first to speak. 'We couldn't find it.' I give him a quick glance of surprise. He swallows. 'I dunno where it's gone.'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxXRWtzj7S
'Whaaaat? That's my frigging bike!' Jake attempts to stand in shock but collapses on his still unstable legs. 'It can't just have disappeared!'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPDmBSTuWw
'We'll come back tomorrow to find it.' I manage. 'It'll be somewhere.'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3gxgcV7vnX
Jake stares at us in disbelief. 'You guys are crazy. That's my bike.'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPDi4RrOfR5
Liam is pale. 'You can search if you want. Bran and I are going.'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wGPC6AeTj
'Charlotte, come on, we're going.' Pause. 'Charlotte?' Crap. 'Jake, where the fuck did she go?'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGTWArjmSW
'I don't give a bloody damn!' He stumbled off into the trees. 'I'm going to find what's mine, you find what's yours.'680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuDt2if0bI
'Jake, you can't just go off and - Jake! Come back.' He disappears into the thicket.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HwUlWpES6
Liam tugs at my arm. 'Let's just go, Bran, I don't - ' His voice trails off.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡchKYFYOKJZ
I pause. Shout out for Jake once more. Shout out for Charlotte. Nothing. I nod.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4RLmyX06L6
We get onto our bikes and go as fast as we can back to Liam's place, breathless and dragged down by drenched clothes.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEyjtu5nx5
'They're gonna be okay, aren't they?' Liam asks.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlliQA03kDa
I don't know. I really don't. 'They'll be fine.' He heads into his house, and, calmer now, I cycle slowly back home.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqErkiEHOAM
From across the street, I can see Charlotte sitting on the front porch. How did she get back so fast? It doesn't matter - at least mom isn't going to kill me now. I get off my bike and wait on the curb.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bk5IYFOra
'Charlotte! Why the fuck did you go?' She doesn't answer. 'CHARLOTTE!' Bloody hell. Hopeless girl. She'd better be ready for another beating after the next car passes.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63QreDYCL6
She raises a hand - but it's not in greeting. Flick - 680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLktUDRno5
The world spins.680Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ025SNnzOiz
The screeching of tires.
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