I am Rome (Complete)

Chapter Two

After making his final delivery, Joe hopped back on his bike and cruised through the sleeping town. He yawned as he casually peddled through the quiet streets. The cool summer-night breeze hit his face, giving him a second wind, but he still had a long ride ahead of him. All was quiet as there was not another vehicle or pedestrian on the road. Traffic lights were still operating, but he hardly paid any attention to them. Using various shortcuts, he eventually found his way onto the highway and maintained a steady pace toward the family farm.

The highway was barren as well, which made for a rather peaceful ride. At about the midway point, Joe was miles away from any sort of civilization. The moonlight, as well as the headlamp affixed to his handlebars, provided adequate lighting, but it was still a little sketchy riding a bicycle down a highway at night.

Staring up at the stars, he let his mind wander. As he continued to peddle, his pant leg dislodged from his sock and became ensnared in the jagged metal teeth of his bike sprocket. Joe fought to free his leg, but he just ended up ripping the thin, cotton fabric. He had now become so entangled that it jammed up the bike, sending him into a mild panic. In haste, he squeezed the hand brakes, which caused the back tire to lock up and fishtail in the loose dirt. The front tire fell into a pothole and jerked violently, breaking Joe's grip. Before he had time to react, he flew over the handlebars and came crashing down on his helmet. It all happened in an instant.

Joe laid in the dirt, tangled in a mess of bent metal and one spinning wheel. His palms were bleeding from skidding on the asphalt. He grimaced in pain as he tried to dislodge the dirt and rocks that were imbedded in his skin.

Joe's pants were still wedged in the sprocket and had a large tear in them. He pushed the bike off him and began to unhinge himself. Once free, he slowly rose back to his feet and dusted himself off. He was fairly banged up, but still in one piece. The headlamp that was affixed to his helmet also survived the crash, which was a blessing. It casted a faded cone of light on the pavement as he looked up and down the long stretch of road.

Just as Joe was bending over to pick up his bike, a strange object flew overhead. He did not catch any more than a glimpse as it just caught his peripheral vision. Whatever it was, it was moving very fast and didn't make a sound. Joe quickly spun around just in time to see the object crash in a large cornfield that encompassed both sides of the highway.

Dumbfounded and remaining perfectly still, he gazed across the vast cornfield, waiting and listening. He wasn't sure what the object was, and for a moment questioned whether he had in fact seen anything at all. He knew all too well that his mind tended to play tricks on him at night, especially when he was alone. Plus, he had recently banged his head and hadn't exactly regained his wits.

He was confronted with the possibility that the large object in the sky was nothing more than a figment of his imagination, a late-night adrenaline-induced hallucination. Then he heard the impact. It was apparent that something had crashed less than a mile away from him. He thought if he hurried, there may be some survivors requiring assistance.

Joe picked his bike off the ground, set it back on its wheels, and pushed it to the edge of the cornfield. The large bruises on his tired legs caused him to limp, but he moved as quickly as possible. Once at the edge, he hesitated on whether he should enter the field. Growing up in those parts, kids were constantly warned about the dangers of playing in the cornfields. Once surrounded by the tall cornstalks, any reference points become lost and it's impossible to see which way the exit is. Some think they are exiting when in fact they are walking deeper and deeper into the encompassing maze. Fortunately for Joe, it was a clear night so he could rely on the stars to navigate.

With his headlamp firmly affixed to his helmet, he laid his bike down at the edge of the field, and parted the large plants so he could enter. Pressing onward through the tall brush, Joe marched toward the wreckage.

  **Please remember to vote, comment, and follow. Thanks!**