The Ride Continues

Saturday. Gorgeous day here in British Columbia. Sunny and warm. Here's the end of my Tumbleweed 2 story for all you Tumbleweed readers:


I am flung sideways in my harness. I look and see Damion's gleeful face as he attempts to strike me again with his tumbleweed. As we enter Lunar Gully, I see lights flashing not far off. We are close to the finish line. I just need to get across this magnetically charged killing field. Attracted to the silver polarization of Catharsis's two moons, magnetic rays from the planet's molten core spiral upward in bursts of atom pulverizing beams. Blue hues in the ice give indicators of where an eruption is about to take place. The field in front of me is dotted with these death spirals.

Oblivious to the danger we are in, Damion rams me again and a portion of my tumbleweed splinters off. I lose all control and am tumbling awkwardly in all directions. Blue rays shoot off in front of me as a magnetic spiral erupts and shoots neon blue rays skyward. I hear Damion laughing wildlly as he steers his tumbleweed around. Another spiral erupts and catches the edge of my tumbleweed. Flames break out and a quarter of my tumbleweed disintegrates.

In the distance, I can hear the cheering miners. We're almost at the finish line. Damion looks back at me; he is laughing hysterically and making obscene gestures with his hands.

An ice tornado touches down in front of us, Damion veers left and I bounce awkwardly toward it. The edge of the tornado catches me and I am flung violently upward. I look back and see Damion's gloating face and white toothed smile. He is so intent on my destruction that he doesn't see the huge blue neon spiral opening in front of him. In one quick flash of light he disintegrates into oblivion.

I am flying wildly about in the tornado; the colder air has frozen my tear-filled goggles to my face. I cannot see anything as I am flung hard against the ice. I lay dazed under the tangle of debris that was once my tumbleweed. Hands pull me out and slap me on my back.

"Good work, Gunther," says one.

"Congratulations," says another.

I look to see the cheering fans. The tornado has dropped me over the finish line.

Again I am the only one to finish.

The crew of the space shuttle is waiting to take me to my reward - Paradise Planet. I go with them. I will take a short vacations.

I smile through bleeding lips and cracked teeth. I will be back for next month's race. I wouldn't want to miss - Equatorial Abyss...