Icing

[Rorye Shannon-Kearney]

April 31st, 2018

8pm

Johann's Harbor Property

 

 

 

Light flicked on in the waning light.  Hot, even hotter in a leather jacket and her normal feminine Harley’s.  Jeans.  Sweat was already beading at the nape of her spine.  Nightly runs with the new beast had been habit.  The truck was well running, and she knew winter would lead her back to it without fail, but this had called to her the second she saw it for sale in an apartment complex in Hells.  Negotiated, chastised by Nina, it was hers.  Bikes were insane.  THIS was insane.  People were morons on the road.  She had to be faster.  With her reflexes, loathe of cars, and need to be in open air it was a perfect match.

 

Johann had been gracious enough to let her run the gamut of his harbor area, falling, failing, choking out.  Learning on her own was lot she’d been thrown in life.  Nobody she knew drove a bike and she was damn determined to close the gap.  She could get it to move, balance… shift, not near the speed of what the bike was capable of.  The concrete was a hindrance, debris.  It was a great chance to learn how to maneuver, but…skid was sharp, the sound of leather rolling over itself as she came to a stop several feet from the bike. 

 

Hands slapped the pavement in frustration.

 

Damn it.  There was no way she would learn until she opened it up where it was supposed to be driven.  Of course that meant the highway, highways that took her to places that she’d promised not to go again.  She wasn’t going anywhere, just far enough to open up the bike.  Arms were already resting on raised knees.  She’d promised.  Fuck.  Not far, just far enough, a mile or two out.

 

Groaning, plait was re-done in her hair, pulling the helmet from the back and almost putting it on- she strapped it back down.  What was the point of being free, when you weren’t?  The bike was examined for damage other than its primer black scratches.  It wasn’t new, by any means… but it was hers and she loved it.  Only a few things lately she loved, and they were something other than her shop.  Branching out, becoming more than just a community savior.  Living.  Finally fucking living beyond the shadow of the Resonance.

 

Kickstarting it again, she slowly guided herself out of the bramble of harbor to the street.  Heart pounding, skin flushed- prickled.  This was the real thing, she couldn’t fall and catch herself in the real thing.  It was easier than she thought, guiding through traffic for a while, and suddenly through proxy on an on-ramp.  Inhale sharp, she leaned forward to gun the engine once, taking off like a rocket…