Haunted Bicycle By The Roadside - Part 2/2

“Don’t let go!”

“Haha, I won’t, I won’t.”

“That’s what you said last time!”

“I’m serious this time.”

Samuel turned back to glare at Samantha. She returned his gaze evenly for about 5 seconds before giggling.

“I knew it!”

“Hehe, but, giggle, but if I just keep holding it, you’ll never actually learn.”

“Y-yes I will! It’s just a little…scary. Seriously, just don’t let go!”

“Aye aye, cap’n.” She gave him a mock salute and Samuel chose not to point out that she had already let go.

He faced forward and balanced himself on the bicycle the way Samantha had taught him to. The bicycle wobbled dangerously but Samantha held him steady.

He began to peddle slowly. They moved together like that for a while, Samuel peddling and Samantha at his back.

“Hey, I’m doing it. I’m doing it! Ok, let go now.”

“Sure, hehe.” Samuel frowned. Her voice was further away than it should’ve been. He looked behind and saw Samantha waving at him, a distance away.

“You traitor!” The bicycle wobbled as he lost his concentration. “Woah!” He tried his best to stabilize it, drove in circles and finally crashed into the tree.

“…Ouch.”

“Hey, you did really good that time.” He looked up into Samantha’s grin.

“Gee thanks.” He brushed himself off and stood. “Haaah, welp. Guess we’re both going to die here.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. We almost got it down.”

“We?”

She just giggled. The sun, having decided it had done enough for the day, was beginning to sink slowly. It would be dark in a few hours.

“Ok, listen. As an experienced bicycle rider, let me give you a tip.” She gave him a stern look.

“Yes, ma’am!” He gave her a salute and sat cross-legged on the ground.

“Right. Now listen carefully, I’m only going to say this once.”

He nodded seriously, but after a moment passed she still kept silent. “Ma’am?”

Samantha, unable to hold it any longer, burst into laughter. “I-I can’t. Your face, your face.” She held her stomach with her good hand as she doubled over in laughter. “Don’t- don’t look at me like that, hahaha.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying this,” he said dryly.

“Sorry sorry. Look, there’s only one trick to riding a bicycle.”

“Yes?”

“It’s simple. Once you start peddling, just don’t stop.”

“…”

“…”

“Ya think?!!”

Laughter filled the field once again.

The sun was setting and taking all light with it. Samuel was finally ready.

He climbed astride the bicycle. “Alright, let’s do this.”

“Yeah!” With that cry, Samantha got on behind him. Samuel was surprised at how light she was. It almost felt like she weighed nothing.

“Onward!” Samantha cried, pointing forward.

He nodded and began to peddle. They had left his motorcycle behind. He would have to come back for it later.

They wobbled a little at the start but soon they were riding steadily down the road.

“You’re doing pretty good.”

“Thanks, just don’t distract me.” He didn’t need to look back to know she was smiling.

“I would never.” She said just as he felt a poke in the side.

“Hey!” The bike wobbled dangerously but he managed to right it. “Do you want us to crash?!”

“It wouldn’t be the first time for me.” She laughed and Samuel had no choice but to smile at that.

They rode on.

Soon, the sun was gone and the stars had come out. It was the moon’s turn to inch lazily across the sky.

“Hey, look! Stars!”

“I’d rather look at the road, thank you.”

She sighed. “It’s beautiful.”

He risked a peek then. It really did look nice, passing by all those stars. “Yeah, it is.”

She giggled.

“What?”

“Nothing, just thinking about when you did a swan dive into the road earlier.”

He blushed. “Please forget about that.”

“Hahaha, what were you even thinking?”

“That the road looked like the sea.” He admitted.

She laughed again. “A sea of road, huh? I’d rather have a sea of stars, though.”

He said nothing but cringed silently.

“Hey, say something! That was really poetic.”

“It was something anyway.”

She hit his back and he laughed even as they wobbled.

They rode on in silence for a while.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m really glad your bike broke down today.”

“Hey!”

She giggled. He knew what she meant though. He was glad it had broken down too. Had it not, he might have driven right past her without even realizing. And that would’ve sucked.

“I had a lot of fun today.”

“Even with a broken arm?”

“Even with a broken arm.”

“…Me too.”

There was a moments silence again.

“So Sam, are you gonna use bicycles from now on?”

“What? Where did that come from?”

“It’d be a waste not to now that you know how to ride one. I mean, they won’t break down like your motorcycle.”

“No, I’m pretty sure bicycles break down too…”

She wasn’t listening however. “Plus, they’re way better for the environment!”

“I guess…But I don’t have the money to buy one anyway.”

“Oh, that’s no problem. I’ll give you mine.”

“Eh?! Why?”

“I mean, I’m not going to be riding one for a while anyway, haha.”

“Oh yeah, you broke your arm. I dunno, still doesn’t feel right to me.”

“Come on. Say yes!”

“Why are you being so pushy?”

“SAY IT!”

“Whoa! Ok ok ok. Fine. But I’m returning it as soon as you get better.”

“Yay!”

“Whoa! Seriously, don’t shake around so much.”

“…”

“…”

“…Take good care of her for me, Sam.”

“Sure thing, Sam.”

“…”

“…”

“Hehe.”

“What?”

“…I’m just really glad I met you today.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“…”

“…”

The bicycle, already light, suddenly felt a little lighter. Samuel frowned.

“Sam?”

There was no response.

“Samantha?”

He almost turned around to look at her but something stopped him.

Once you start peddling, just don’t stop.

He didn’t stop.

Samuel spent the rest of his summer, riding back and forth across that stretch of road he once passed but it was never the same.

A few days after the incident, he did some digging around and found that a year back to that day, there had been an accident on that road. A young female cyclist had been run down by a sleepy driver. There hadn’t been much of a buzz about it as hardly anyone ever used that road. He had only found a small blurb about it in an old newspaper.

The article went on to talk about how Samantha Bolton, a country crossing cyclist had been tragically involved in a terrible accident. The article said she had died on impact. The strange thing about the incident was that her bicycle had mysteriously disappeared. People speculated that someone had stolen it during the commotion that happened after the incident. It was clearly a crock of bull, as hardly anyone passed by that road, much less just to steal a bicycle but it was the only possible explanation for its vanishing.

Samuel got his bike back but soon after fixing it, he sold it off.

Bicycles were much better for the environment after all.

Author's Note: I'm not actually sure how long a mile is.