Prompt: A picture of a bicycle in a tree
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Third Road Incident This Month689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlvrSqPATe
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIfsG6MnjJ
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq02fy53OC8
'I'm bored, Bran.'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3VLzMWRCTB
'Shut up. Read your book.' Everyone laughs at my sister, but only momentarily - we paid her little attention.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfNsmbIGgmk
We'd all waited six months to get our RX-4s, and I wasn't going to let Charlotte ruin this day of celebration.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7s4dQcVmDD
'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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFuaueWZGI
'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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmRsa6siXo
Not to be outdone, Liam does the same, but claps once, twice, again, three times! And lands it with a whoop.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLBDCeQX0Z
Charlotte wails in consternation. 'Bran, mom said that you should be careful.'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJKu2kKWwwE
'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?'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ876xmtv8cu
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4auuUQC9S3
'Crap, did you break anything?'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOTNJGnzMUZ
Jake props himself up on our shoulders as he rises with a groan. 'Nah, it'll be fine. Where's the bike?'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFxUv2Wx7Z
It wasn't on the road. 'It... it must have tumbled out somewhere. Charlotte, did you see it?'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeH3iGAPdDA
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?689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDNLDtzTMU
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?689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXNh6djssD
'Bloody hell, guys, take a look at this.'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1w77R6UQB1
I sprint over, and -689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3aoRnWsKp
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-4.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHd274nY0ck
'Get away from it.' Liam was staring at the tree. 'I don't like this...' I back off. It was making me uneasy.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVSjNyAhLP
We head back to the track. Jake looks up at us.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0e38yDh64B
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.'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMnBRWCyFdo
'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!'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTOpEr0KZj
'We'll come back tomorrow to find it.' I manage. 'It'll be somewhere.'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqdzZnW8pJ
Jake stares at us in disbelief. 'You guys are crazy. That's my bike.'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHMTgCg5Ma
Liam is pale. 'You can search if you want. Bran and I are going.'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAbbZkmWPH
'Charlotte, come on, we're going.' Pause. 'Charlotte?' Crap. 'Jake, where the fuck did she go?'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dmtWBNnOb
'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.'689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9R6vzixX7c
'Jake, you can't just go off and - Jake! Come back.' He disappears into the thicket.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5BOYcVGU5E
Liam tugs at my arm. 'Let's just go, Bran, I don't - ' His voice trails off.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNWA70T7l7
I pause. Shout out for Jake once more. Shout out for Charlotte. Nothing. I nod.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLq3NWcFPi
We get onto our bikes and go as fast as we can back to Liam's place, breathless and dragged down by drenched clothes.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUasAvjte0
'They're gonna be okay, aren't they?' Liam asks.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpimOVAx23x
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq83QP8DcuE
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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1fC0Mh7qX
'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.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ82ZlLU48Zj
She raises a hand - but it's not in greeting. Flick - 689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHiitEfiUV
The world spins.689Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzm4VUpdVnd
The screeching of tires.
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