Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 08:06:32 MDT From: Robyn Meta Herrington Subject: SUB: CONTEST: Midnight Ride Ah, some busy fingers got their stories to me by the deadline. Now read up, think hard and VOTE between today and October 30th. Critiques to ME: rmherrin@acs.ucalgary.ca ============================================================ Midnight Ride "Last one there's a rotten egg!" Jack called to Tim, who was lagging behind. "Hey! You don't have a cat to hold on to. I can't pedal as fast. Ow!" Tim almost dropped the black cat, which apparently didn't want to ride with the rotten egg. Or maybe it did, considering how deeply it was holding on with the claws of all four feet. "Why couldn't we've swiped a *declawed* cat?" "You know it's gotta be ... um ... virgin for this. And that means untouched, just like Mr. Bertech said." "Well I'm touching it now. Ow! Why don't you carry it for awhile?" Jack's answer was drowned out by the Williams' dog barking. The Saint Bernard threw itself against the fencing, pacing the boys as they rode by on their bicycles. By the time the light came in on the Williams' patio, the boys were well out of sight. "How'd you get out of your house?" asked Tim when they were out of Alp's range. "I snuck out. Whadja think? I asked?" Jack simpered and batted his eyelashes in a parody of his sister, "'Oh, mommy, Timmy and I wanna go riding tonight, is that okay?'" Tim laughed. He couldn't see Jack's face but he'd seen the impression often enough to know it. They shoulda used Barbie for the sacrifice instead of this obnoxious cat. Certainly the ride would've been less painful. Soon the boys came to Mr. Bertech's home. The front yard was a veritable jungle and looked as if it had never been mowed. No lights could be seen on in the house at all. Jack pulled into the darkened driveway and braked quickly, sliding his bicycle sideways in a show-off maneuver that Tim hadn't yet mastered. He jumped off and let the bike drop to the cement, then waited to help Tim off his bicycle. The cat wouldn't make dismounting very easy. Tim came gliding up the driveway and braked to a smooth stop, steadying his bicycle while he tried to give the cat to Jack. It wouldn't go. As they peeled loose one set of claws, another dug in. "I got an idea," said Jack, taking off his shirt. Sweat glistened in the light of the full moon on his bare chest. "Wrap it in this, like the vet does." They wrestled with the cat, trying to get its head wrapped securely. When they thought they had it, they began again with the claws. One foot, two feet, three feet... the cat came loose from Tim's shirt and began thrashing. Both boys tried to grab tighter and the cat fell out of the shirt. In a flash it was gone into the underbrush of the front yard. "Now what?" whined Tim. "You lost it." "I did not. You did." "Did too. I carried it all the way here. Here, kitty, kitty..." There was no movement in the bushes. At that moment the front door opened and Mr. Bertech peered out. "Have you brought the sacrifice?" "No," said Jack, and "Yes," said Tim, at the same time. ------------------------------------------ -- ---------------------------------*=*=*=*=*=*-------------------------------- Robyn Herrington,Editor rmherrin@acs.ucalgary.ca InfoServe www.ucalgary.ca/~rmherrin New Currents in Teaching and Technology Communications Media MacKimmie Library University of Calgary Ph: 220-3716 (temporary) == Inter tormentia latitia == ---------------------------------*=*=*=*=*=*--------------------------------