Fortune, Motorcycle, and Parachute

Welcome!

This is a short story of a guy with a motorcycle and parachute, navigating his life through mountains, valleys, rains, thunderstorms and lightning to find some fortune.

Roger was a young man, single, who lived in a small town surrounded by mountains. His parents and siblings also lived in the same town. He loved riding his motorcycle, which he had bought from his family.

Although he was known for his adventurous spirit and burning desire to explore the world, he was lazy. He did not like to work and often procrastinated, getting by doing odd jobs.

His biggest dream was to ride his motorcycle across distant lands, chasing thrilling experiences at every turn.

One day, after much taunting and cajoling from his family, Roger decided to venture out. With the little bit of pocket money he had collected over the years, he packed his small belongings, put on his helmet, and left the town.

Roger had no destination in mind. He just wanted to ride, away from all the hustle bustle of his mundane life, into some unknown distant land.

As he was passing by, he noticed the village life, and familiar people greeted him.He watched cows grazing, goats and livestock feeding on food.

Farmers were busy cultivating their crops and local shops were doing business as usual.

He rode past his school, where he had studied and then dropped out. Children were playing in the yard with teachers watching over them.

People were busy with their lives.

As he kept driving out of town, he felt guilty about leaving the town. At the same time, he also felt the need to get out and discover something new for himself. This thought kept him excited and fearful.

He continued his ride beyond the outskirts of the town.

After riding for a while, he reached the edge of a forest. He briefly paused, sensing a flutter of excitement within his heart

He had never come this far on his bike before. He felt a little fear. Fear of the unknown. Yet, he moved ahead, passing through jungles, valleys, rivers, and mountains.

It was a bright sunny day, and he was soaking in the beauty of nature surrounding him. A smile adorned his face.

In the middle of his ride, he stopped to enjoy the scenery. For the first time in his life, he felt invigorated.

Roger was amidst lush green trees, immersing himself in the sounds of flowing rivers, birds chirping, and blooming flowers. He suddenly felt that he had a purpose in life. He did not know what it was, but for the first time, he felt alive.

He rode his bike for a few miles further. He found a deserted spot. He parked his bike in a secure area and got out of his bike.

He grabbed his backpack and his personal belongings, and entered the forest. He hiked for a few hours. He rested near a stream and drank some fresh water.

As he walked inside the jungle, he found few fruit bearing trees. He was able to pluck and savor some of the ripened fruits. It was delicious. He ate to his heart's content.

It was mid-afternoon. It was temperate, sunny, and pleasant. He rested under a tree and enjoying the sight. Slowly the tiredness of all that riding took over him, and he dozed off.

Strong thunderstorm clouds were gathering in the sky.

The sky was getting darker. After few hours the thunderclouds had completely covered the sky.

Suddenly, there are a loud sound. Roger woke up with a start. As he opened his eyes, he noticed that the sun was behind the clouds setting near the horizon. It was evening time.

He was trying to ascertain what that sound was. It was not an animal. Then that sound came again. Then he saw a lightning, followed by a loud thunder clap. A premonition for rain.

The sun was almost setting. He had not planned whether to keep riding further, stay in the jungle, or go back home. He decided to camp out.

Luckily, he had all the camping supplies in his backpack. He walked a few yards, found an empty spot, and set up his tent. He had carried a two-day supply of dried food and a bottle of water that would be sufficient until the next day.

Roger collected some dried twigs and wood to light a fire at night. He did not see anyone around him and felt alone.

At dusk, he lit a fire and heated up his packed food. He ate his meal and drank some water in front of the campfire.

As the fire slowly extinguished, Roger suddenly started reminiscing about his childhood days when he and his family would go hiking and camping in the mountains. He recalled the fun times he had with his siblings, without worries about tomorrow.

While lost in his memories, the campfire crackled with a gentle flame. The clouds had cleared.

It was dark, and the stars shone brightly through the clouds in the sky. The moon was on the horizon, slowly rising.

Roger noticed that it was getting cooler, and the clouds were building up again. Soon, it became dark as the dark clouds completely enveloped the sky.

After a while, it started raining—a light drizzle. Roger huddled inside his tent, prepared his bed to sleep, and lit his small portable lamp.

He began reading a book amid the sounds of raindrops falling on the surrounding grounds and his tent.

After sometime, it started raining heavily, and small rivulets made their way into the tent.

Roger heard thunder and saw some lightning, and then slowly, he dozed off. As the night progressed, the rain continued.

After a while, the rain stopped.

Roger was in deep sleep.

Sometime after midnight, there was a sudden shattering sound of thunder and lightening.

He woke up startled. It was pitch dark. He got up and searched for his flashlight. He stepped out of his tent guiding himself with flashlight. He felt a sudden cool, chilling breeze hit his face. He shivered but, at the same time, felt thrilled.

The rain had stopped completely.

He went around his tent through the safety of his flashlight to confirm that there was no one around. After checking the surroundings, he hurriedly packed his belongings and folded his tent.

Carrying the load in his backpack, and waving his flashlight, he slowly started making his way back to where his bike was parked.

The sky was pitch dark, and now there was a light rain falling, making the ground wet. He struggled to walk, trying to find his way.

After half an hour, he reached his bike. He placed the torch on the seat and carefully stowed his belongings inside the bike's compartment.

He put on his emergency jacket, to protect himself from rain, gusts, and debris. He switched off his torch and strapped it to his jacket.

Then, he kicked his bike into life.

At first, the bike would not start. After several attempts, the bike roared into life. He switched on the headlight and he was off. He slowly pulled out of the muddy, slushy ground and made his way to the paved road.

It was now raining heavily, and the visibility was poor. Unsure of the direction he was heading, he put his bike into gear and started riding.

As he rode, the roads began to curve left and right. He then realized that he was passing along the cliff of the mountains.

Since the roads were in a hilly area and slippery, he had to slow down several times to ensure a safe ride.

Suddenly, the bike's headlights started malfunctioning, and he could not see anything ahead. While riding at a higher speed and attempting to adjust his headlights, his bike slipped and slid on the road. Before he realized what was happening, both he and his bike slid off the cliff, heading straight toward the ravine below. It was pitch dark, and he could not see anything.

He felt a sudden gush of air, rain, and mud hitting his face. He had his helmet and face visor on, but now he was swiftly falling down below at high speed.

Roger suddenly remembered that his jacket also came with an emergency parachute. He had never used a parachute before, but he knew that if he pulled on the wide, strong cord hanging close to his chest, the parachute would open.

As he was falling, he grabbed the cord and pulled on it with all his might. Lo and behold, the parachute opened, and he felt a sudden tug on his body, slowing down his rapid descent.

A sense of relief washed over him, and he reassured himself that everything would be fine. Descending, he could witness a spectacular display of lightning illuminating the sky, accompanied by loud thunderstorms. It was exhilarating.

Looking down at the ground below, he noticed that it was pitch dark, making it difficult to determine his landing spot. Operating a parachute was entirely new to him.

During the brief intermission when lightning struck, he caught glimpses of tree outlines and patches of flat land below. Unfortunately, the sight vanished as soon as the lightning subsided.

He felt a little scared. He pulled out his torch light from his jacket and tried to ascertain his surroundings. With all his might, he grabbed the two ends of the parachute cords that were hanging by the side, hoping that the parachute would slow down the descent for a smooth landing.

As the parachute descended, his feet touched the tops of the trees first, followed by branches. He tumbled through the trees, getting scratched on his face and body by the branches. Eventually, he passed out.

Roger couldn't remember anything.

After sometime, he heard birds chirping and light shown on the roof. When he woke up and opened his eyes, he realized he was still in his tent.

It had all been a dream.

He emerged from his tent and discovered that the rain had stopped.

As he glanced down at the campfire, it was extinguished from yesterday's rain. He decided to add a few more twigs and kindled it, preparing to make his morning cup of tea.

He yawned and then turned his face to the east. The sun was slowly rising, painting the clear blue sky with a streak of bright orange on the horizon.

The world was gradually becoming brighter.

A bright smile adorned his face. It was the first time he had camped overnight in a forest all by himself.

The strange thing is he vividly remembered his dream. Suddenly he felt a strong passion to do something rise inside him. He was now full of energy.

He retrieved his kettle and prepared his morning tea.

After completing his morning routine in the forest, he packed his backpack and folded his tent. Then he returned to his bike and secured his belongings inside the compartment. He wore his helmet, started his bike, and rode back home.

During the ride, he finally made a decision about what he wanted to do with his life. This adventure had taught him something profoundly important.

Roger had resolved to become a school teacher in his hometown.

He aspired to teach young children the valuable lessons of life: to be bold, brave, and adventurous, to not worry about tomorrow, to overcome fear, and to always embrace new experiences.

Fortune will follow those who dare.

Experience life, and manage the changes that bring with it.

Thank you for reading this story.

I hope you enjoyed this story. I wrote this story as part of the Vocal puzzle challenge. This is my first submission.

If you enjoyed the story and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them below.

References for pictures:

All pictures from Pixabay website https://pixabay.com/photos/