The End of the Rainbow (Hudson 4)

He started off again. The homes we passed looked smaller. older. We didn't go through much of a village either. There was a garage, a quick-stop store and a small restaurant. After another fifteen minutes or so, a red pickup truck shot out of a gravel driveway just ahead of us. causing Harley to slow down quickly. He cursed under his breath. I could see two young men in the truck, the passenger wearing a baseball cap. They were going very slowly now, so Harley pulled out to pass and accelerated. As we went by, the driver leaned out and shouted. He was a thin man who looked like he was in his early thirties but prematurely balding. When he widened his smile, I could see he was missing some teeth on both sides.

I didn't understand what he shouted. but Harley ignored him and went even faster. I thought that was the end of it, but moments later, the truck was right behind us, dangerously close in fact. The driver started to lean on his horn.

"Harley!"

"I know. A couple of idiots," he said. Suddenly, he whipped to the left and slowed so the truck had to go by us. It continued on around the next turn and disappeared.

"What were they doing?"

"Just having their idea of some fun. I guess."

He kept our speed down. When we made the turn however. I didn't see them ahead of us.

"Where are they?"

Harley didn't respond. He sped up again. I held tightly onto him. Then, out of a field of corn stalks, the truck came shooting onto the highway and fell right behind us again. Again, they drove up behind us, dangerously close and leaned on their horn. A few cars whizzed by in the other direction, but no one paid any attention to what was happening to us. We were now on a long stretch of what looked like an unpopulated area, just cornfields and woods.

My heart was pounding and I could see from the way he was holding himself that Harley was very worried, too. This time when Harley tried to pull m' to the left lane and slow down, they did the same.

"They'll cause an accident!" I screamed.

I knew Harley was afraid to stop. He tried to go faster, but they were able to keep up with us and I thought, with our not knowing the highway that well, it was even more dangerous to go faster. Now the wind was tearing at my skin. Our bags flapped madly.

"Harley!"

"Just hold on!" he cried. We were coming up to a sharper turn. Now, they were just pressing down on their horn continuously. I wanted to put my hands aver my ears. The noise was deafening.

"They must be drunk or crazy," Harley shouted.

At the end of the tarn was a gravel road into the field on the right. Harley made an instant decision. Without hitting the brakes because he was afraid of their truck smashing into us, he whipped to his right and into the gavel drive. They flew by us. but Harley lost control and we spun and then fell over, both fortunately landing in the grassy area where there were no rocks, but when I rolled, my left foot got caught and I felt it twist badly. The pain shot up my leg. I barely had time to scream.

The motorcycle stalled. Harley got to his feet as quickly as he could and I rolled over on my back and reached for my ankle.

"Summer, are you all right?" he cried dropping to his knees beside me.

I waited a moment, listening for the sound of any other pain announcing itself somewhere else on my body, but nothing else came. My ankle was enough. however. I groaned, the tears coming to my eyes.

"My ankle," I said.

He went right to it and pressed softly around the ankle bone.

"It doesn't feel broken," he said. "You probably twisted it badly."

"Who were those men?"

"Just two idiots out for some thrills at our expense," he said looking back at the road. We both listened for a moment, but thankfully heard no returning vehicle. "We'll have to get some ice on that ankle as soon as possible." Harley said. "You hurt anywhere else?"

"I don't think so.-'

"I'm sorry. Summer. Damn. I thought that

was the best thing to do."

"It probably was. They wouldn't let you lose them any other way."

I started to sit up and he held me.

"What about your motorcycle?"