Prompt: A picture of a bicycle in a tree
739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxjJ5DxlVV
Third Road Incident This Month739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwOin9395u
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.
-
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.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5DQBQJFBiU
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.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquVo7KbIoN
'I'm bored, Bran.'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4ga6aCwrM
'Shut up. Read your book.' Everyone laughs at my sister, but only momentarily - we paid her little attention.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsIIpSiBnV
We'd all waited six months to get our RX-4s, and I wasn't going to let Charlotte ruin this day of celebration.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNz30WE235
'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.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP595tqXKU0
'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.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZNeQKZJN9
Not to be outdone, Liam does the same, but claps once, twice, again, three times! And lands it with a whoop.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxpWDEoDDu
Charlotte wails in consternation. 'Bran, mom said that you should be careful.'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIfX7CsWwq
'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?'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlE0dFcpT0O
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.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztkrPIVtnq
'Crap, did you break anything?'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK162f4zXQK
Jake props himself up on our shoulders as he rises with a groan. 'Nah, it'll be fine. Where's the bike?'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5w5tntkjVj
It wasn't on the road. 'It... it must have tumbled out somewhere. Charlotte, did you see it?'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNujpu0YMqr
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?739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpBCjCDvUU
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?739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVJwxO8SQGY
'Bloody hell, guys, take a look at this.'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBpDEdbcM3
I sprint over, and -739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW16T8b4Pg
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-4.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FJgiN01d5
'Get away from it.' Liam was staring at the tree. 'I don't like this...' I back off. It was making me uneasy.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZgLfCfOis
We head back to the track. Jake looks up at us.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHur1edmsa
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.'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCUFv89HUGC
'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!'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Li1SAdO57
'We'll come back tomorrow to find it.' I manage. 'It'll be somewhere.'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBY32yOoyDE
Jake stares at us in disbelief. 'You guys are crazy. That's my bike.'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1h7IFhlKbW
Liam is pale. 'You can search if you want. Bran and I are going.'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3HxXhfaFL
'Charlotte, come on, we're going.' Pause. 'Charlotte?' Crap. 'Jake, where the fuck did she go?'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtK9e1jbju
'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.'739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8LsTwdBJtI
'Jake, you can't just go off and - Jake! Come back.' He disappears into the thicket.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPbzARoKDb
Liam tugs at my arm. 'Let's just go, Bran, I don't - ' His voice trails off.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEdRUPZHio
I pause. Shout out for Jake once more. Shout out for Charlotte. Nothing. I nod.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxQ5eTNj4L
We get onto our bikes and go as fast as we can back to Liam's place, breathless and dragged down by drenched clothes.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzF4uqvnEBd
'They're gonna be okay, aren't they?' Liam asks.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCWy8OLmsk
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.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmItr6aOlBJ
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.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡngiWHI7Hl8
'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.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4lFNuoyEvy
She raises a hand - but it's not in greeting. Flick - 739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpTOgiWSAIe
The world spins.739Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡon9gCCAbQ7
The screeching of tires.
-
ns216.73.216.94da2
