Part 1:
I broke into a sprint with the bag of oranges over my shoulder.
Dale right beside me.
Strange people on our tail!
“Don’t blink yet,” I told him. “Wait till we’re out of sight.”
We fled the park down a small avenue, hoping to find a discreet side street.
We encountered six lanes of busy highway.
“Come on,” I said.
“Come on where?”
I jumped the guardrail.
Dale reluctantly followed.
In front of us howled three lanes of northbound traffic; three more lanes beyond roared south.
Dale right beside me.
Strange people on our tail!
“Don’t blink yet,” I told him. “Wait till we’re out of sight.”
We fled the park down a small avenue, hoping to find a discreet side street.
We encountered six lanes of busy highway.
“Come on,” I said.
“Come on where?”
I jumped the guardrail.
Dale reluctantly followed.
In front of us howled three lanes of northbound traffic; three more lanes beyond roared south.
Sirens blared in the distance and I wondered if they were meant for us.
Our pursuers remained at the guardrail, seemingly disinclined to come any farther.
Exhaust fumes tickled my throat.
Time to move.
We darted across the first lane, steps ahead of an SUV, but stopped dead.
A green Volvo swerved and blared a horn.
A Metro bus nearly kissed me.
Our pursuers remained at the guardrail, seemingly disinclined to come any farther.
Exhaust fumes tickled my throat.
Time to move.
We darted across the first lane, steps ahead of an SUV, but stopped dead.
A green Volvo swerved and blared a horn.
A Metro bus nearly kissed me.
Undaunted, we saw a gap after a truck and dashed across the second lane.
“It sounds like a roadway,” said a voice. The bag rustled and Sal poked up through a break in the zipper. “May I be of service? I’ll help navigate the best way to – ”
“Get back inside!”
“Let me know if you need me. Godspeed.”
“Beware the spinning wheel, you two,” Axxey added. “Beware the spinning wheel.”
“Be quiet and let them think,” Cray barked to his companions.
“OK, after the Ferrari … move!”
“It sounds like a roadway,” said a voice. The bag rustled and Sal poked up through a break in the zipper. “May I be of service? I’ll help navigate the best way to – ”
“Get back inside!”
“Let me know if you need me. Godspeed.”
“Beware the spinning wheel, you two,” Axxey added. “Beware the spinning wheel.”
“Be quiet and let them think,” Cray barked to his companions.
“OK, after the Ferrari … move!”
We sprinted and jumped over the divider separating north and south lanes.
“Do it!”
In an instant we vanished from the highway, circumventing time and space in the hastiest of escapes.
Dale and I, plus our band of fugitives, reappeared at the hotel.
“That was wild,” Cray said, leaping and springing around the room. “You guys are fearless!”
“This is twice you’ve saved us. Stars and ribbons to you, my loves.”
“Amazing. You’re quite adroit at avoiding apprehension.”
“What happened?” Rick asked, in the midst of putting bandages on his cuts and scratches.
“Do it!”
In an instant we vanished from the highway, circumventing time and space in the hastiest of escapes.
Dale and I, plus our band of fugitives, reappeared at the hotel.
“That was wild,” Cray said, leaping and springing around the room. “You guys are fearless!”
“This is twice you’ve saved us. Stars and ribbons to you, my loves.”
“Amazing. You’re quite adroit at avoiding apprehension.”
“What happened?” Rick asked, in the midst of putting bandages on his cuts and scratches.
We informed him of the situation. His response surprised us all.
“Maybe you could … maybe you should come home with us. At least for a while. The climate might not be optimal, but it’s nice in summer.”
The oranges said nothing, leaving the uncomfortable silence that sometimes follows bold declarations.
It was Axxey who finally spoke.
She hopped up on Rick, balancing on his right leg.
“You wouldn’t trick us, would you? If so, it shall bruise me beyond measure.”
“Maybe you could … maybe you should come home with us. At least for a while. The climate might not be optimal, but it’s nice in summer.”
The oranges said nothing, leaving the uncomfortable silence that sometimes follows bold declarations.
It was Axxey who finally spoke.
She hopped up on Rick, balancing on his right leg.
“You wouldn’t trick us, would you? If so, it shall bruise me beyond measure.”
“We would never hurt you, I promise," my brother answered. “We’ll never let anyone take you away.”
“What say you, fellows?”
“We could do with a change of scenery. Twixt friendship and fear, I’ll choose friendship.”
“I’ve got a good feelin’ in my pulp. We’d like to come with you guys.”
“It would be very nice to have your help,” Axxey said. “More of your help, I mean. More of your wonderful help!”
We packed our things and went to the front desk to check out.
Reconvening behind the hotel, it was time to savor the last bit of Florida’s warmth.
“You wanted souvenirs,” Rick said. “Guess you got some.”
Smiles filled our faces as Dale blinked us back home to Town Worth, NY.
“What say you, fellows?”
“We could do with a change of scenery. Twixt friendship and fear, I’ll choose friendship.”
“I’ve got a good feelin’ in my pulp. We’d like to come with you guys.”
“It would be very nice to have your help,” Axxey said. “More of your help, I mean. More of your wonderful help!”
We packed our things and went to the front desk to check out.
Reconvening behind the hotel, it was time to savor the last bit of Florida’s warmth.
“You wanted souvenirs,” Rick said. “Guess you got some.”
Smiles filled our faces as Dale blinked us back home to Town Worth, NY.