Third Road Incident This Month681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡooo8DGQU06
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.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaRUlMekK4
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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.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0X0wAKGf3
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.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbAq6b3Fy7R
'I'm bored, Bran.'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡma1PsR6PdS
'Shut up. Read your book.' Everyone laughs at my sister, but only momentarily - we paid her little attention.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWSQ2wtGnv
We'd all waited six months to get our RX-4s, and I wasn't going to let Charlotte ruin this day of celebration.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVuT0AqfC8
'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.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRutlksORy
'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.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmAPh2SFn9
Not to be outdone, Liam does the same, but claps once, twice, again, three times! And lands it with a whoop.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRnipg9udJ
Charlotte wails in consternation. 'Bran, mom said that you should be careful.'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaD6e4SoAam
'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?'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvQE1GNl0L
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.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEChd1YHMz3
'Crap, did you break anything?'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPhh35JjWN
Jake props himself up on our shoulders as he rises with a groan. 'Nah, it'll be fine. Where's the bike?'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOfZsBppP1
It wasn't on the road. 'It... it must have tumbled out somewhere. Charlotte, did you see it?'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUhwjkrtFT
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?681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxfRS8qM1w
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?681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6mcOLcARs
'Bloody hell, guys, take a look at this.'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR2sqsKDaW
I sprint over, and -681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucGIO6Kfyn
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-4.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9BSyqR2lIs
'Get away from it.' Liam was staring at the tree. 'I don't like this...' I back off. It was making me uneasy.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa78OX5ZF1F
We head back to the track. Jake looks up at us.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8sqMmPd7L
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.'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbou2Od2Iw2
'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!'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQpL7TfglX
'We'll come back tomorrow to find it.' I manage. 'It'll be somewhere.'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bbBbwi5zR
Jake stares at us in disbelief. 'You guys are crazy. That's my bike.'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVQSGQ8JT3
Liam is pale. 'You can search if you want. Bran and I are going.'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHTV6hwS6d
'Charlotte, come on, we're going.' Pause. 'Charlotte?' Crap. 'Jake, where the fuck did she go?'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7x3tyM5EF
'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.'681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFT24gn6210
'Jake, you can't just go off and - Jake! Come back.' He disappears into the thicket.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4b9vbdwfB
Liam tugs at my arm. 'Let's just go, Bran, I don't - ' His voice trails off.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42bRoUwMWZ
I pause. Shout out for Jake once more. Shout out for Charlotte. Nothing. I nod.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uoVwbxUsC
We get onto our bikes and go as fast as we can back to Liam's place, breathless and dragged down by drenched clothes.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ612ht41sji
'They're gonna be okay, aren't they?' Liam asks.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CgdMuVKLE
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.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenb6xtX4Vy
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.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpSKBceN0w
'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.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpaMkD7Dw1
She raises a hand - but it's not in greeting. Flick - 681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVXtlOnenP
The world spins.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LTDKiTAhv
The screeching of tires.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡav84Nh8EIj
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