Ollie

Lillie Robertson Rain was falling hard on my helmet. I rode my bike down past the playground, past our neighbour, Ms Numerman, and along the driveway, trying to avoid every pothole I came across. As I passed the bins, that were supposed to be put out this morning, I saw that they were still filled with rubbish. //What had happened? Did mum forget to do the job? I **was** the one that was supposed to do them this morning but I called and said that I was going to be late.// My thoughts had strayed too far. The front of my wheel dipped suddenly and the seat of my bike lurched forward. My body was propelled through the air like I was shot out of a cannon. It was like watching a bird fly in slow motion and time seemed to slow down. I could see the rain drops freeze in mid-air and my bike flip and crumble. Then I felt my body fall. It seemed like an age for me to hit the ground. I stretched out an arm to prevent the fall but as soon as my fingers touched the gravel, time started up again. It seemed time was eager to catch up what it had lost. The arm that I stretched out to stop my fall twisted around to my back making dirt fly everywhere. The buckle of my helmet cracked and shattered into a thousand tiny little pieces, making the helmet fly off as my head hit the ground. The bike went whizzing over me like a frizbee and then went out of my view as it crashed to the ground. Then there was silence, except the pattering of the rain and the close drip, drip of blood near my ear. The memory of what had happened in the last three seconds hit me. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, pain struck me like a rampaging rhino. I screwed up my face in the blood-stained mud to prevent tears, but as soon as I opened my eyes I still could tell which drops where mine and that of the havens. Once I clambered laboriously to my feet, I realized that my bike had landed in one of the bins. ‘Well, doesn’t work anyway.’ said a voice behind me. I whipped around, spraying mud and blood everywhere, to see a girl in a long black dress, holding an umbrella in her left hand, while holding something red in her right, and wearing pointy shoes. The umbrella was lowered too much so that her face was covered, but coming down from her shoulders was long, dark, red hair. ‘You must be Oliver Mori.’ said the girl. //How does she know my name?// I opened my mouth to reply but no words came out. Instead I coughed and choked. I held out my hand in front of my lips and spat out a mouth full of blood. Everything seemed dizzy. The world was turning and my head was spinning. I didn’t even realize that the girl with the red hair had dropped her umbrella and ran forward. I fell to my knees with a dull thud. The girl plucked something from over my shoulder and wrenched my jaw open. She placed the something underneath my tongue and clamped my mouth shut. At once, soft yet strong, sweet scent filled my nostrils and I blinked. The world had stopped spinning, images where coming back into focus and I could see a face beaming up at me. ‘All better?’ she asked as she grabbed my hand and helped me up. ‘Yeah, I, um....... thanks.’ feeling my face turning very hot. I had a good look at her now. She had a circular face, wide cheeks and a smile that showed every tooth. She also had bright green eyes. ‘No problem, just glad you’re all right. I saw you fall from my window so I ran down to see whether you were ok. Oh, and you can take the mint leaf from your mouth now.’ I felt inside, under my tongue and pulled out a leaf. ‘It’s a mint leaf. They’re really helpful with headaches, hangovers and if you’re about to fall to the ground,’ she said smiling and winking. I felt my face go if possible even hotter. She walked over and picked up the umbrella she dropped and the red thing that she was holding. She reached it out and held it for me. It was my helmet that fell off. It had a humongous dint in it and I saw the buckle that had held it on my head was now broken. My name was also written all over it in tiny letters. //So that’s how she found out my name.// ‘Thanks.’ I mumbled in embarrassment. She smiled at me as I lowered my eyes, staring at my shoes ‘My house is just right up there.’ She said pointing to a little one-story house, painted white. ‘Feel free to come and visit any time.’ And with that she turned on her heel and ran up the driveway, her dark red hair flying behind her. I gazed after her for a while, then, before the thought had even entered my mind…. ‘WHAT’S YOUR NAME?’ The girl stoped and turned around so that her red hair whipping around her neck, looking at me with her grin wider than ever. ‘It’s Lillie, Lillie Robertson.’ The end.