fallen

Paul Thompson

A few days ago I got up early and decided to go on a mountain bike ride - there's a nice area within riding distance of my house. As I approached the twisty road leading up to the park, emergency vehicles suddenly appeared and closed off the road. I took a different route and wondered the entire time what had happened.

This evening I again went to the same place, but this time in my car to hike to the top and watch the sun set. It was completely dark by the time I returned to my car and headed down the hill. As I navigated the sharp turns my headlights suddenly caught a bright object, and I knew immediately what it was. Fresh flowers marked the spot where a bicyclist had lost his life, and friends had left music and words in a small shrine on the side of the road. I'll think about "Derrick" every time I pass this spot.

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