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Worth Living: Article 2

Based on a strange but not similar event.

"The Bike Ride."


Caroline was 9 years old when she visited her aunt Stephanie in New York.
It was a hot summer day and they were bored. Her cousin Antonio offered to take her to the park along with his friends. Bored and with nothing to do Caroline decided to come along.
They walked just a couple of blocks down the street to a nearby park.
"Hey Caroline, do you want to ride my bike? I'm going to play football with my friends."
Caroline loved riding bike so when her cousin Antonio offered his bike so she could go around the park, she didn't say no. She owned a bike back home and had practiced countless times riding alone without a helmet.

Antonio ran off with his friends and Caroline immediately hopped on the bike. Then suddenly Antonio remembered an important detail. He ran back to Caroline just as she was taking off. "To stop the bike  you have to pedal back!" He yelled. 
"Pedal back....pedal back..." Caroline repeated. But the soft wind and the view of the beautiful trees and the other kids playing in the park completely made her forgot Antonio's warning.

She was so happy riding along she completely forgot how much she missed home. Earlier that morning her dad had called and they had both cried on the phone. She hadn't seen her dad in almost a month. He was getting divorced from his current wife and didn't want Caroline in the middle of that.

"If I go visit Aunt Stephanie, I'll feel lonely without you daddy."
"I know sweetie, I'm going to miss you too. But you need to distract your mind. I don't want you to be sad. Your mom is going to pick you up then, okay?"

Caroline was so into the bike ride, she found herself in a tight spot.  She tried to reach the breaks usually located by her hands. There was nothing. Ahead of her a light post. Her eyes opened wide. "How do I stop this bike?"

Just as she did the day of the fire, Caroline completely froze.

She closed her eyes and waited for the collision.

But it never came.

On her little hands Caroline felt soft hands turning the bike. A voice that she could somehow remember whispered in her ear: pedal back, pedal back.

Caroline did just that. She pedaled back and the bike came to a stop. When she opened her eyes the soft hands were no longer on hers and she could no longer hear the voice.

Caroline looked around but she couldn't see anyone. What had just happened?

 Suddenly, Antonio came running after her. "Who was that riding with you? I told you not to talk to strangers."
"But..."
"Come on, let's go home."

As Caroline and Antonio walked home, Caroline looked back and notice a young woman smiling at her. It was her step mother.

When Antonio and Caroline arrived at the house, Caroline's mother Ann was waiting for her. "Come on sweetie, you are going to live with me."
"Why?"
"Your daddy did something really bad."
"What did daddy do?" Caroline asked. In the distance she noticed her step mother waving at her. Antonio walked right through her and she disappeared with the wind.

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