He leaned the bike over on its side and felt the car sail by, missing him by inches. Moon tumbled from the bike and rolled into a gutter across the street.
Paulie headed down the block back towards his car, his mind racing.
“Them no good dirty bastards,” he raged. “They tricked me into going to the woods. There was no bear.” He yanked open the car door.
“Now they’re all getting a good laugh out of this.” He pounded on the steering wheel.
“Bastards!” he screamed. Paulie took a deep breath. He clenched his teeth and muttered, “These hicks don’t know who they’re dealing with. No problem, you assholes, it’s my turn now”.
Moon slowly sat up. He stretched his legs. They seemed to be working. He flexed his arms. His shoulder was scrapped and bleeding but nothing seemed to be broken. He climbed to his feet and picked up the bicycle for support. The handle bars were cocked at a weird angle and the chain was off the sprocket. He pushed the mangled bike over to the Freighter View, leaned it against the building and limped in.
He walked past Scott, Joe and Stephen. Scott took one look at him and asked, “What the hell happened to you?”
“I just got run over by old man Johnson.”
“You must be loaded,” Joe replied. “Old man Johnson’s never driven over thirty miles an hour in his life.”
“Well, he did tonight and the old fool almost killed me. Look at me.” Moon thrust out his elbow.
His shirt was ripped away and his elbow was scrapped and bleeding.
“You should see the bike. He’s gonna pay for a new one, that’s for sure!” Moon declared.
Stephen walked over. “Are you okay?”
“I think so. How about getting me a beer?” Moon smiled and rubbed his shoulder. Stephen saw three dead leaves stuck in his hair.
“I knew this sob story had a purpose.” Scott said.
“I’ll get you a beer,” Stephen replied.
Joe looked over the bar. “Hey, Scottie…see that blonde sitting over there?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s been staring at me since we walked in here.”
“Right, Joe. Like they all do.”
“No, I mean it. I’m going to walk over there and get her a beer.”
“Geeze, Joe. You’re obsessed!”
“Good luck.” Stephen said. He turned to Scott, “I better be getting back. I don’t think my uncle was too pleased to see me go, so I don’t want to stay out too late. But, thanks for the great story. Let’s hope our big friend has had enough of the Upper Peninsula and heads back home.”
Moon grabbed the beer, walked over to a group of people he recognized and started telling them about his near death bicycle experience.
“Come here. Let me show you what’s left of my bike,” Moon said as he grabbed a disinterested onlooker. They followed Stephen out the door.
Stephen backed the MG out of the angled parking space and headed south on Lake Street .
Paulie watched as Stephen left the bar and got into the car. He started the rental car and pulled out. Paulie began following close behind the MG. He wasn’t about to let this kid disappear again.
Moon picked up the mangled bike and was pointing out the damage when he stopped talking mid-sentence. He watched as Stephen drove by in a red MG, with Paulie following close behind.
Stephen noticed bright lights bearing down on him as soon as he pulled out of town. Thinking it could be some drunk behind him, Stephen pressed on the accelerator. The car behind him inched even closer. Stephen punched the accelerator and the MG sped ahead.
The car behind him sped up and then pulled out to pass. Stephen let off the gas to let the maniac driver get by. Instead of passing, the car started moving over towards him. Stephen jerked the wheel hard to the right and headed towards the shoulder. Paulie kept moving the car over and watched as
Paulie headed down the block back towards his car, his mind racing.
“Them no good dirty bastards,” he raged. “They tricked me into going to the woods. There was no bear.” He yanked open the car door.
“Now they’re all getting a good laugh out of this.” He pounded on the steering wheel.
“Bastards!” he screamed. Paulie took a deep breath. He clenched his teeth and muttered, “These hicks don’t know who they’re dealing with. No problem, you assholes, it’s my turn now”.
Moon slowly sat up. He stretched his legs. They seemed to be working. He flexed his arms. His shoulder was scrapped and bleeding but nothing seemed to be broken. He climbed to his feet and picked up the bicycle for support. The handle bars were cocked at a weird angle and the chain was off the sprocket. He pushed the mangled bike over to the Freighter View, leaned it against the building and limped in.
He walked past Scott, Joe and Stephen. Scott took one look at him and asked, “What the hell happened to you?”
“I just got run over by old man Johnson.”
“You must be loaded,” Joe replied. “Old man Johnson’s never driven over thirty miles an hour in his life.”
“Well, he did tonight and the old fool almost killed me. Look at me.” Moon thrust out his elbow.
His shirt was ripped away and his elbow was scrapped and bleeding.
“You should see the bike. He’s gonna pay for a new one, that’s for sure!” Moon declared.
Stephen walked over. “Are you okay?”
“I think so. How about getting me a beer?” Moon smiled and rubbed his shoulder. Stephen saw three dead leaves stuck in his hair.
“I knew this sob story had a purpose.” Scott said.
“I’ll get you a beer,” Stephen replied.
Joe looked over the bar. “Hey, Scottie…see that blonde sitting over there?”
“Yeah.”
“She’s been staring at me since we walked in here.”
“Right, Joe. Like they all do.”
“No, I mean it. I’m going to walk over there and get her a beer.”
“Geeze, Joe. You’re obsessed!”
“Good luck.” Stephen said. He turned to Scott, “I better be getting back. I don’t think my uncle was too pleased to see me go, so I don’t want to stay out too late. But, thanks for the great story. Let’s hope our big friend has had enough of the Upper Peninsula and heads back home.”
Moon grabbed the beer, walked over to a group of people he recognized and started telling them about his near death bicycle experience.
“Come here. Let me show you what’s left of my bike,” Moon said as he grabbed a disinterested onlooker. They followed Stephen out the door.
Stephen backed the MG out of the angled parking space and headed south on Lake Street .
Paulie watched as Stephen left the bar and got into the car. He started the rental car and pulled out. Paulie began following close behind the MG. He wasn’t about to let this kid disappear again.
Moon picked up the mangled bike and was pointing out the damage when he stopped talking mid-sentence. He watched as Stephen drove by in a red MG, with Paulie following close behind.
Stephen noticed bright lights bearing down on him as soon as he pulled out of town. Thinking it could be some drunk behind him, Stephen pressed on the accelerator. The car behind him inched even closer. Stephen punched the accelerator and the MG sped ahead.
The car behind him sped up and then pulled out to pass. Stephen let off the gas to let the maniac driver get by. Instead of passing, the car started moving over towards him. Stephen jerked the wheel hard to the right and headed towards the shoulder. Paulie kept moving the car over and watched as
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