by Josiah922
I was in the 7th grade and was just being allowed to stretch my wings a
bit. I had saved for a while to buy a nice 10 speed bike. It was fast
and I loved to ride it.
Some of the kids at school had started riding their bicycles from the
nearby neighborhood seeing that spring was here and I was aching to ride
mine. Even though we live a good 5 miles away I begged my mom and dad
to let me go.
“You will have to get up earlier so you can get there on time,” said my Dad.
I promised to do just that and the next day I awoke early got my
breakfast, books and etc. ready to go in record time. And then I was
off. The book bag jiggled on my back as the bike picked up speed and I
took off down the rode. I knew the way and I could get there on time
with no problem.
I started up the hill from right down the road from the school. I slowly
trudged up the hill past the few larger houses that were at the end of
the road. Another mile or so and I would be there.
The barks echoed in the air on the spring morning. Loud barks coming
around the brick house to the left. The pounding of feet came as the
biggest mixed breed dog came rushing out at me. It look like a mix of
chow and German Shepard. My aching muscles not used to the work strained
at the pedals to pick up speed, and going up hill added to the
strain.Through sheer terror my legs moved and forced the bike to barely
out run the large dog.
When I finally arrived at school I was greeted with wow’s and cool’s
galore. The ten speed was the fastest at school and everyone knew it. It
was a glorious day in the eyes of a 7th grader. I bragged and talked
all day and answered all of the questions people threw at me.
I started back that afternoon as free as a bird. My ten speed zipped
down the road and my thoughts were of the great day. I was going down
the hill with hardly any pedaling when the barks echoed across the road.
Teeth and claws were rocketing toward me and I sat open mouthed as I
could not believe I had forgotten. Had I remembered I could have gained
speed coming down the hill and flew past the beast.
Something snapped me back and I pushed the pedals. He was almost on me. I
pushed harder and this time the hill in the road helped me push. The
bike accelerated and the teeth missed their mark by an inch. The bike
was pure speed till it reached the end of the hill and I stopped to look
back. The dog stood in the road and barked at me. I turned and road on.
When I reached home my Dad and Mom asked about the trip. Well, not
really asked. My Dad asked the way all Dad’s ask when they want to make a
point that the action you just under took was a bad idea and was I
ready to admit as much. I said it was FINE. Better than fine and that I
looked forward to tomorrow.
I went to my room and thought about that dog. Truth was, it wasn’t fine.
It was far from fine. That dog could have ripped my leg off and I would
have been dog food. Why weren’t its owners keeping it behind a fence?
Why wasn’t it on a leash? That’s it!
The owners had a fenced yard. It was coincidence that the dog had
escaped its fence that day and chased me. Surely the owners would see
the dog was out and have it returned to its rightful place in the
morning. After all my dog was in our backyard contained by our fence.
Surely these people were as good as owners as us.
I got ready the next morning again and took off on the bike. I was
making good time today. I was hitting the hills better and resting when I
new a longer hill was coming up. Yep, this would be a better day.
I started up the hill on the road of the school and not a dog in sight. I
knew it! I knew it! That was just a accident that the dog was out and
everything would be fine now. I eased up the road slowly. It was such a
long hill and nothing happened. It was another glorious day.
I headed home after school better than the day before, if that was
possible. The kids had asked about the bike again and there was no dog
to torment me. Ah yes, and the hill started to pull me along. Down, down
I went.
The barks tore through the peacefulness of the ride. Fangs, muscles and
fur flew after me. It was closer than yesterday. Was it waiting beside
the road for me?
The bike answered my call. SPEED! It flew down the hill as I popped it
to a higher gear, but the beast was so close. Fear danced on the back of
my neck to the point of making my skin electric. Once again inches
separated my ankle and teeth.
When I got home I almost could not hide it. Dad’s demeanor was getting
to the point of wanting to bring an end to this foolishness. I knew that
he and mom were just simply worried about me. I dare not tell them
anything was wrong. I would NOT tell them of the dog or that would end
my freedom right there.
I got to my room and in the middle of my homework I figured it out. I made the plans and prepared my equipment.
Tomorrow came and once again I mounted my trusty steed. Most of the ride
was forgotten, my thoughts on the confrontation. The miles came and
went and the last hill was in sight. I stopped the bike on the side of
the road and prepared.
I pushed on the pedals and clicked the bike gears into a little bit
higher gear just in case I needed to go faster. The higher gear would
have meant more strain to get going but the acceleration would be
faster.
I moved past the house and nothing was seen. I turned the bike back and
crossed in front of the house again, but nothing. I stopped the bike and
looked closely at the back yard. And from where I was standing I saw
nothing, no dog, no dog house, no water bowl and no dog toys scattered
around the yard. Whose dog was it? Fear crawled up my neck again and I
pushed at the pedals.
School was just up the road and my preparations could not be taken in
there. I stopped my bike again at the wooded lot on the side of the road
just up from the school. I looked for the dead tree that was in the
middle of the lot. I went South two pine trees and found a low place
beside the tree. I placed the preps there. It was wrapped in a large zip
lock bag I acquired from the trash and then in a small brown paper bag
left over from the last grocery store visit.
I got the bike and went to school. The day dragged on and somehow I
stopped talking about the bike. I didn’t really care about what people
thought about the bike anymore and in truth since it was now three days
old it was OLD news indeed.
The day ended and I mounted the bike. While others waited for their
parents to come or the proper bus to arrive, I pushed off to defend my
freedom. The bike pulled onto the street with purpose and soon it was at
the woods. I had retrieved the bag and emptied its contents into my
coat. The bag went into my backpack and I started back through the woods
to the road.
The hill pulled me along and the house was coming up. Excitement slowly
crept up from deep within. I wasn’t scared today. The fear was gone.
I focused my thoughts on my surroundings and continued down the hill.
The barks came, but they did not hold the power they once had. Movement
was detected to the right and I slammed on the brakes. I needed to
concentrate and having the bike still meant the beast had to come
further because I was no longer moving towards it. Seconds passed and
the beast came rushing toward me knowing it had won.
I was calm inside because I was prepared and the fear was not there.
Just like the cowboys and Indian shows I watched every Sunday with my
Dad whether I wanted to or not, I unleashed my most terrible battle
weapon against the animal. The wooden handled single shot pump BB pistol
my Dad had bought me earlier that year flew out of my belt and the
makeshift holster I had made, and came to bare on the enemy charge. A
shot rang through the afternoon wind and yelps of a defeated enemy and
the pounding of retreating paws filled my ears.
I am older now. I am wiser one might say. No longer do I fear animals
knowing that I am now bigger, faster and more prepared than before. I
work downtown now and am now walking to my car down the block getting
off a long day at work remembering the story of my youth. The sun is
almost gone and night is claiming the streets.
“Hey man! Whacha got in your pockets?!” tore through the peacefulness of
the walk. I turned to face a large man wielding a pipe in his hands and
who brows shaped in anger. I'm calm inside because I was prepared and
the fear was not there.
THE END
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