Taking his time, he was cautious, looking right as he came to a halt. The roundabout was clear. He wanted to go right. This was his chance to cross the roundabout.
He started to pebble at quite a fast pace. Still looking right he now began to see a car approaching the roundabout. Already starting to panic, he peddled faster. Quickly looking left, a car had pulled up to the roundabout and waited for the boy to pass. He sat forward and peddled even faster. Looking up he could see his turn off. Without looking anywhere except for straight he headed for his turn off.
With the wind blowing in his face, his eyes became a little bit dry. As the closed his eyes for just a small second he heard the sound of a cars’ horn. The horn was loud and he heard it very clearly in his left ear. A loud screech, the type of screech he thought only existed in films, then followed.
Before he had time to even open his eyes he felt a large amount of pressure on his left leg. The pain was unbearable and as he opened his eyes he let out a large scream of pain. Looking down at the road in between his handlebars, he lifted his hands off the rubber handles and tried to jump of the bike. Still, in an amazingly large amount of pain, he looked right. The large concrete roundabout passed him in the corner of his eye.
The pressure was suddenly off his left leg as the car stopped. He was still moving. Now, pushing himself off the bike, he could see himself heading for the grass on the other side of the roundabout. As he hit the grass he felt even more pain than he had previously experienced.
As he closed his eyes again he could feel himself rolling down the bank. Not knowing where the bank would take him, he was still concentrating on the pain. Suddenly he stopped rolling. Not knowing where he was, he still didn’t open his eyes. He blacked out due to the pain.
~
Opening his eyes now, he thought to himself, where am I? He was very drowsy and tired. His left leg was now numb. He looked around and in the distance he could see people standing on the bridge. They were silent and all watching him. He then realised. He had been knocked off the road and into the river. He continued looking around, trying to see his bike. In the distance he could see one of his shoes lying on the bank but he couldn’t see his bike.
“Are you alright little boy?” an old lady shouted from the bank.
“Yes, I’m fine.” He replied. Still in shock he rolled over onto his side so he could see the old lady clearly.
“The ambulance will be here soon. Don’t worry. You’ll be just fine.” The old lady said, trying to comfort him, “What’s your name little boy?
“James” He said.
The ambulance soon arrived and took James to hospital. His leg wasn’t broken, fortunately. Lying in the hospital bed, he thought of the car that had hit him. Did it stop? Will the driver get arrested? Who was the driver? All these thoughts were running through his head when a policeman walked through the door.
“Hello James” the police man said, “How’s your leg doing now?”
“Oh, it’s fine thanks you.” James replied.
“Do you think you could point out the car that hit you, if you saw it again?” said the officer. James thought to himself. He then realised that he did catch a slight glimpse of the car just before he blinked to dry his eyes. It was a black Vauxhall. That was all he remembered, but James was sure he could spot the car.
“Yes. I think I could.” James replied.
“Good. When you’re feeling up to it, we’ll go out in the patrol car and try to spot it. You see, we have reason to believe that the car that hit you is a stolen vehicle.” The policeman continued to explain, “The man we suspect, a Mister Hans Moleman, stole the car last Friday and drives it past that roundabout everyday to pick up drugs from his friend. With your help we could catch Mr. Moleman and his drugs dealer.” The policeman was silent and waited for a response.
“Yeah ok, I’ll help you.” James said with a smile on his face.
“Great. How about tomorrow?” The policeman said with a pleading look on his face.
“Yeah ok.”
~
James stepped into the police car. The back of the car was separated from the front by a metal, mesh cover. James sat in the back. It was his first time in a police car. His leg was feeling much better. Two policemen sat in the front and one sat in the back, with James. The policeman who sat in the back was the same man who visited James in the hospital.
“You alright James lad?” A policeman sitting in the front turned around. He was a very young man. About 20 years only.
“Yes I’m fine, thank you” James replied. The same policeman started up the engine and drove out of the hospital parking area. Looking out the window, James recognised the tall trees standing on either side of the rood. James looked forward and saw the ugly, concrete roundabout lying in the middle of the road.
The roundabout reminded him of the accident. Sitting there thinking about it, James realised how lucky he was to escape alive, let alone with no broken bones.
The policeman driving parked the car on the bank of the river. He looked around, not expecting to see anything, and saw his bike lying in the shallow water of the river.
“Hey look!” James shouted, “That’s my bike.” Expecting to get a response, he looked around slowly. Through the corner of his eye he spotted the black Vauxhall that had previously knocked him off the road.
“That’s the car that hit me!”
“Lets go!” Shouted the quite policeman sitting on the passenger’s side. The driver suddenly pushed his foot down on the accelerator and we sped off. James’ head jerked back quickly.
Both cars were travelling at a great speed. James leaned forward from his seat and put his hands up against the cold metal barrier between him and the driver. The coldness of the barrier sent a shiver down his spine. James found the chase quite exciting.
The police car slowed down. Ahead of them, about 100 metres, the black Vauxhall stopped outside a warehouse. The police car stopped suddenly and all three policemen got out of the car.
“Wait here James, we’ll be back in a moment.” Said the driver as he got out. James sat in the car. Waiting. He was constantly staring at the door of the warehouse, waiting for the policemen.
Another squad car arrived, about two minutes later. Two police officers got out and ran towards the entrance of the warehouse. As soon as they entered, James went back to staring at the door again.
Soon all five policemen came out of the door with Hans Moleman and his drugs dealer. Hans Moleman was a very large man. He was wearing a black leather trench coat and sunglasses. His drugs dealer wore a blue t-shirt and a pair of navy blue jeans. Both men were put in the other squad car.
“We got em’ Jamie!” One officer said, as he approached the car.
The officer drove me home and the two criminals were tried and put in prison.
THE END
By Alex Selby