Broken Acorn

Brase, Thomas Del. Thomas Del Brase Pictures. Digital image. Getty Images. Getty Images, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2015. <http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/broken-bicycle-on-ground-picture-id539440109>.

“Come on, you're falling behind Toby,” I said.

“I’m peddling as fast as I can, why are you so reckless you don't even slow down when we change streets,” Mark said.

“If you pedal any faster your old rusty chain will pop and you'll hurt yourself,” he said, breathing heavily. We were on route to Zack’s house who organized the meeting for this week. It was a sunny sweltering day. The clouds had retreated and the usual loud car noises of the city streets were but distant memories. Instead, people were walking, biking, and talking in cafes on the street. I halted my bike and found a red glistening acorn on the ground; it’s condition looked poor.  I picked it up. The body was cracked and falling apart as I held it in my right arm. After staring at the acorn for some moments, I threw it hard to the ground as we biked through streets and crowds of people on the sidewalks. Lucky for us, we owned two bikes.

Turning and peddling, we advanced into the city park where we executed stunts such as the "wheely", where a biker leans back and bikes on one wheel.

“Do something interesting,” I said to Mark as we were reaching the center of the park.
“Do the Freeman,” I commanded.
"I can't" he said.
"Why are you always scared?" I asked in anger.
"Its not fun and its reckless, and besides only you could do it" he commented.

“Yeah I know, you’d never accomplish such a stunt,” I laughed. “Here I'll show you how a real man does it.”

I peddled even faster and took a sharp turn where there lay a large ramp made of a fallen tree.

Showing off my speed, I yelled “Here I go,”as I left the tree ramp and began flying. With my bike hovering, I released my hands above my head, bent back, and closed my eyes performing the Freeman.  I felt like an angel, and as I was flew, a red glistening acorn fell from a nearby tree branch and caught my attention as it bounced and fell hard from one of the tree's’ branches on the hard dirt. I began to descend back to earth. I opened my eyes, gripped my handlebars and landed with my bike perfectly on the concrete path a few meters from the wooden ramp.

“Amazing job Toby you even closed your eyes half way in!” Mark shouted as he peddled to my direction.

“Wasn’t that glorious,” I bragged. “Come on I don’t want to keep Zack waiting, let's go.”

“Wait,” Mark said, “I want to-”

“We’re going now it’s getting late,” I commanded. I turned around and began pedaling quickly, I followed a road going down hill. Minutes passed when suddenly I saw again a red glistening acorn fall off a tree branch and smash into the hard wet dirt beside the road. Realizing, I didn’t hear the exhausted exhales and inhales that Mark usually does, I shouted,

“Mark!” Nobody answered.

“Mark?” I whispered. Nobody answered. He must have lost me somewhere. I began to peddle as fast as I can to the last time I saw him which was in the park.

“Mark!” I shouted as I pierced the perimeter of the park where I last saw him. Suddenly, I saw Mark's red glistening bike lay damaged in two pieces near the tree ramp with the front bright red wheel of his bike broken, it’s rims were shattered, it’s paint covered in mud, and a piece of ripped red cloth was stuck on the handlebars. I jumped off of my bike and searched his bike for any clues.

“Nothing,” I said finally. I stood up, walked two meters east, and noticed the tip of a boot covered in leaves.

“Mark!” I shouted. It must be him, it must be him, please be him I was thinking. I cleared the leaves away and saw Mark's body half covered by leaves with his back facing the floor with a dislocated left arm. I cleared his face of leaves and grabbed his arm. Something lay inside. It was an acorn shattered in many pieces, and it was the one I gave him when we met.

“Mark you did it?” I whispered. Suddenly, Mark's’ eyes began to slowly open.

“Was that...interesting?” he whispered in a weak and low voice. I raised his head up of the ground but it was too late. His head rose as well as his eyes. I shut his eyelids. His hand now was white, emotionless, and fragile. I checked his pulse but there was only silence. My tears began to drop like rain long stored in a cloud.

“I’m so proud of you Mark, you finally made it, you finally listened to me” I said.

I smiled, and even laughed from joy.  My enemy was lying before me cold and dead. At last he became reckless and at last my revenge was achieved.