The Ride - Chapter 7

[OMR]

When Glen dove between the trees into the trail he felt a sense of deja vu … not from his journey 10 years ago, but sometime further back in his past. But, this was just a fleeting memory as he was concentrating on his surroundings, not sure what to expect. Every sense was heightened ready for a fight or flight response. He braked hard and came to a sliding stop. He wasn’t sure whether it was disappointment or relief he felt but everything seemed normal. The sun was still shining and it was hard to tell if the trail was glowing. But the longer he stood there the more he realized it wasn’t normal here. There had been a soft breeze blowing and the sun had warmed his back on the main trail. Here, there was only stillness. The sun rays were no longer warm… more colder and feeble. No bird sounds… in fact no sounds at all… and the sky looked a little off color. Like somebody had added a little green around the edges of everything. Even the trees looked like they had lost their color.

Glen glanced back at the place where he had entered the trail and could not quite make out the space between the trees where the trail had started. In fact, the trail just seemed to end at the tree line. Very strange, he thought, yet had no thoughts of turning back.

Glen looked down at the trail and was surprised to see another set of tire tracks leading off into the distance. They were the same tires that he was riding on. Nevegals. He couldn’t mistake those aggressive knob tracks in this tacky dirt. Glen decided right then and there that he was going to follow those tracks where they lead come hell or high water. He stood hard on the bike’s pedals. The light bike literally jumped forwarded. Keeping the tracks in sight, he flew down the trail.

After a good half hour, it dawned on him that he was no longer riding in the park as he knew it. He couldn’t be as the park was just not this big. Glen thought many times of turning around and heading back to the entrance… that safe place where he knew the wind was slowly blowing and the sun would be warm on his face… a place where birds sang … where trails didn’t glow… where lives ran their normal course of existence… where dead wives didn’t suddenly coming back to life as though nothing had happened.

But Glen didn’t turn back; he just seemed to pick up speed trying to get to the end, or to what ever lay ahead. There was now an almost a physical need to find out what was up ahead waiting for him. And then he saw it, lying in the middle of the trail. A brown plastic Boy Scout flashlight with a clip and compass built into the handle. Coming to a stop, he bent over and picked up the slightly cold flashlight and flicked it on.

A memory long suppressed rose up of a time long ago and far away of holding such a flashlight. A memory so far back he wasn’t even sure it was real or imagined. A memory of looking for a lost friend… what the heck was his name. All he could think of was Pain in the Ass. Then, as though a key had been turned, the lock opened … the memories flooded back.

“Glen…Glen!” Glen opened his eyes and saw Mike Paine in the Ass standing over him prodding him with his foot. Glen sat up and looked around. He was almost back at the fort. How had he gotten back here… he couldn’t remember. The last memory was of a piece of blackness coming at him, falling and being touched on his leg and after that only …. only… nothingness.

“Where were you, Mike?” Glen asked. “I got up to take a leak and saw a heard of deer and tracked them down into the valley. It was really cool. I didn’t want to wake you as you were sleeping like a rock… and I didn’t want to loose the deer. They were so cool, dude. When I came back you weren’t at the fort, so I went looking for you…. Couldn’t find you and came back to the fort and here you were. Where were you?”

Glen couldn’t answer him as he didn’t know himself. All he knew was that he really didn’t want to think about it… now or ever. “Let’s get back to the fort, Mike. I‘m really cold and we need to build that fire back up.” Mike grunted, turned around and started back toward the fort. Glen picked himself up and started to follow. It occurred to him that he didn’t have his trusty Boy Scout flashlight. His eyes quickly searched the area hoping to see its brown outline in the moon light. But nothing was there and he had no thoughts of going back into the trees onto the glowing trail to search for it. Only blackness waited there. Too bad, he’d always loved that flashlight.

30 years later Glen held that same flashlight in his hands. Could it be the same one? He didn’t see how. He had lost the original one near his uncle’s ranch in Utah. He was now standing in Southern California… and yet, it looked the same and felt the same. More questions rose up, but Glen glanced down the trail and knew he had to keep going. Something was waiting for him… somewhere ahead.

Clipping the newly found flashlight to his belt, he climbed back on the bike and continued to pedal down the trail… only this time the trail seemed to lead upwards. Gradually slowing down, he shifted down into a lower gear and started to spin. The surrounding countryside had slowly turned rockier and the trail was become more technical. Glen found he had to pay closer attention as a series of tight switchbacks forced him to get off and walk around each one. Although the trail had turned rocky, he could just see the distinctive Nevegal tracks in the sand between the rocks. They continued to lead him onward.

It was then that he noticed that it had somehow started to get darker. That was odd since he didn’t think he had been riding more than an hour at the most. It should only be around 10 am or so, Glen thought. He wasn’t wearing a watch since the battery had run down the previous week and he hadn’t gotten a new one yet. At least he had a flashlight with him now.

Finally cresting the top of the hill, he looked into the distance through the gathering darkness and thought he saw movement. Yes, he could just barely make out the biker crossing ahead of him. Glen thought about calling out… and then remembered that “this was Kansas anymore” and kept his mouth closed. The trail had turned downward and Glen started making good time on the other rider. The old downhill juices kicked in and pretty soon he was jumping over rocks rather than going around and speed became his friend again.

He could tell he was gaining on the other rider as he seemed to grown in size. Both riders seemed to be locked in a rhythmic ballet following the trail downwards. Glen came upon a fork and took the left fork and then realized that the other rider had taken the right fork. He almost turned around until he saw that his fork actually intersected the trail ahead of the other rider. Quickly accelerating he got the intersection and could just make out the rider approaching through the darkness.

The closer he got Glen could see that there was something familiar about the way the rider was riding. Even his jersey seemed familiar. It was grey and black with lettering of some kind. In fact Glen realized that it was an old STR jersey… the same type as one that he was now wearing. He now called out to the other rider who seemed to take no notice. Maybe he was caught up in the rhythm of the trail and couldn’t hear anything … was in a zone….

Standing off to the side of the trail, he called out again with no response. Then, Glen did something he never would have done had he been rationally thinking. He reached out and touched the other rider’s arm as he went by. That was just before the other rider screamed and disappeared… but not before Glenn recognized the other rider.

It was himself!

[foofighter]

woohoo you're spoiling us

***EDIT***

This is more twisted than the twilight zone!!!! I LOVE IT!!

[OMR]

Originally Posted by foofighter

woohoo you're spoiling us

Yes, grasshopper... there is a benefit to all this rain....

[Kid A]

Originally Posted by OMR

Yes, grasshopper... there is a benefit to all this rain....

don't you mean. there are "prose" to all this rain

beside what's up here. with your rep thought you might use the "rain time" for some other "creative" inside activities.

[53-12]

Good way to end my lunch break.

[OMR]

Originally Posted by Kid A

beside what's up here. with your rep thought you might use the "rain time" for some other "creative" inside activities.

Hey Adam, I'm trying to let my back heal as well... not put it through some unusual positions.... ouch!

[Rob]

Originally Posted by 53-12

Good way to end my lunch break.

My thinking exactly

[sdyeti]

Wow...this keeps getting better and better!!!

[PacMan]

I sure hope to see Chapter 8 REAL SOON!!!

Awesome stuff Greg!!

[KeepsWhatHappens]

oooooh! Chills and goosebumps! Good stuff !

KeepsWhatHappens

[Schecky]

Most excellent Gregg! Thanks for the Xmas present!

[DDB@OCR]

[SIZE=5]Yer freaking my little head out here man! [/SIZE]

[genusmtbkr5]

Very nice my friend. Looking forward to the next chapter. Thanks OMR!

[OMR]

Merry Christmas, Gene. See you at Rwanada! PM me and I'll let you know the sweep schedule.

[genusmtbkr5]

Originally Posted by OMR

Merry Christmas, Gene. See you at Rwanada! PM me and I'll let you know the sweep schedule.

Merry Christmas to you and Nancy as well buddy. PM sent.