It took me a few seconds to remember where I was. Oh yeah, my house. I rolled out of bed and hit the floor. After a quick breakfast I prepped for the next race. It was 7:30, the next race was at eight. I threw on my leather jacket and gloves, my racing helmet and flipped on a pair of sunglasses to keep me from getting headaches. I glanced at busted Oswald in the corner. Just looking at it gave me the creeps. Tonight I fix that thing. The sooner it’s out of here the better.
I made my way to the racing pits leaving busted automatons in my wake. I was right. Edmund was mad, but if you know him he gets over things quickly. After his usual “Give me some competition out there or you’re fired!” We were off.
It was just like any other race, except on the third lap I found myself catching up to Edmund. I decided to take advantage of it. I gunned my airship and edged closer. I gained altitude and started passing overhead. Edmund was hardly paying attention. I could see the look of victory in his eyes. It wasn’t until we were nose to nose before he started panicking. He pulled up hard and would’ve hit me if I hadn’t pulled away.
“He’s crazy!”
I pulled up, almost out of the canyon we raced in, and then shot down and ahead at full speed. I came down just in front of him and crossed the finish line with not more than ten feet to spare. I had beaten Edmund.
I took a deep breath and leaned back with a grin of satisfaction. Edmund stormed out of his airship and stomped up to my window.
Uh oh.
“What do you mean going and doing that?!?” He growled. “I can’t have someone on my team beating me! You. Are. Fired! I want you out of here NOW! He whirled around and stomped off. My mouth hung open in surprise. I gave him the competition he wanted and he fired me? What was I supposed to do?
My surprise quickly turned to anger. I jumped out of my racer. People flooded me, congratulating me, asking questions, but I didn’t hear a word. Suddenly someone asked, “Did I hear Edmund right? He’s firing you?” “That’s not fair, someone beats him and he fires them?” “I say we should give him a piece of our minds!” Before I knew what was happening they were all complaining to Edmund. Not everyone felt like him, Edmund’s biggest fans were as mad as him.
“It was about time someone beat him.” A man said as he grabbed my hand and shook it. Just then Edmund shouldered past. “I changed my mind,” He said to me. “You can stay.” I frowned. “Really.” “Yes. It seems the people like you. At least they say they’ll stop coming if I don’t let you stay.” My anger subsided a little. “Well thanks Edmund...” I looked over his shoulder. There was a man. A man looking at me. A man I recognized. Oh no...
I spun around hoping he didn’t see who I was. “... but it’s time that I should go anyway. I quit.” I started walking briskly away. “Hey, wait! You can’t just quit!”
“Sorry Edmund.”
I quickened my pace.
There’s no doubt that bounty hunter is working for Lucky... and I know who Lucky is after.
I slipped out the back exit. There my fast pace became a run. I ran until my sides ached.
He’s too good. He will find me.
I came to a two-story building and climbed it using the gutter and various windowsills. Once on top, I lay down as flat as possible on the roof. For a few minutes it was nothing but my heavy breathing and my heart pounding in my ears. My mind raced. If he doesn’t find me, He’ll get an army to track me down. I had only one option. Get him before he got me. I wouldn’t be easy, but I had to. I rose up to my knees and straightened my jacket.
Just then I heard a slight noise behind me. I whipped around to see a blur jumping down about to land on top of me. I hunched down, grabbed his arms as he landed, and vaulted him over my back. He landed on the roof with a thud, rolled off the edge, and crashed into a pile of boxes below. I teetered off balance and fell sliding down. As I was going over the roof edge a sharp nail caught on my boot and jerked me to a halt.
I was hanging upside-down off the edge of the roof with my boot firmly caught on the stout nail.
“Agh, great!” I said, staring up at my predicament. I looked down. The bounty hunter lay in the pile of boxes, apparently unconscious.
“Looks like I’m stuck here.”
