FINDING FORTUNE

RIMS OF WATER RAISED TO THE TREAD HEIGHT AND STOOD for what seemed like minutes after his bike left the spot. It was top of the line, this new PHOENIX by Yamaha. All the rage among kids his age... and now, he had one. It spun off the lot where he paid the last of his first earned paycheck, cantered down the two lane roadway and out onto the north road toward their hangout. This was going to set them on their bare asses. So many fast scenes had raced through his mind up until now, that he could not settle on which scenario he'd play first. Instead, he revved the motor, popped his front wheel up and spun the back tire in a display for anyone who had not seen his pride as he left the lot. The tire caught the pavement and all atop it causing him to spin out on the electric green bike. It spun high after one quick flip upside down slide putting the highlight of a chartreuse yellow trail overhead... the divider line of the pavement... his last clear vision. When he awakened vision restored light of a different sort. Bright glaring white and trails of blue, blinking red and blurred sounds of voices near enough to reference him with unsure instructions to "move"... "roll" and "say."

It had begun to rain a light sprinkle as he stood inside concluding the transaction that got him this new big boy's toy. The leathers purchased along with the bike was to display his full regalia to the speed club joined over a year ago. Until now he only hovered at the back of the crowd, tagging along screaming excited ooos and ahhs at the voracity presented by the other guys... older guys in the group. Now he would bring his own exhilaration to the game. He would bring the avarice of youth and the exhilaration of skill thrown so luxuriantly by the nem who had won his heart. He was one of them. He was one until the skid. Had they been watching there would have been the sighs and gasps that floated across the massed watchers of the daredevil scenes he so admired. There would have been shrieks of excitement... thrill of seen a death defying stunt that could, yet wash forth life albeit humbled by the awe of he that survived. The green glint of light that reflected his bike slipping from under, rolling then flying overhead as he swung beneath it tied by his leather chaps string was all that. At the end of his streak of green spun around the visage of light would be his demise. Bloodied, slickered in what remained of his protective red leather and a distanced green residual of expenditure toward BEING one with the crowd. His bike was not wrecked, but a bit rumpled. His ego, dashed but enamored that this outcome had left him intact. He was intact and whole no missing parts... extrimities as bruised as his ego, but whole. His pride in having accomplished what even so many of the older crowd had not... staying alive in the terror of a tumble that could end life before the blink of an eye. Surely his own fortune was that. His fortunate stance was in holding the image of himself before the departure from the store, mounted on that devil dare bike of his and shining red in his leather outfit and helmet. The awesome reveal shown him of himself in the mirror before his departure into the realm he could now claim. He was a SURVIVOR.