It was a humid summer day. It was day that you could feel the stickiness in the air. It was seemed to be a normal summer day. But little did I know it was not just an ordinary day. I woke up early to the sounds of birds. Getting out of my bed I felt my muscles tense from staying in the same position all night. I stretched my arms out wide to ease the tension and found myself squinting my eyes. Somehow the sun found its way through a small crack in my shades. This angered me because my pupils were still adjusting to the new atmosphere. I put my feet on the floor. My toes were greeted by the soft carpet. My toes liked the soft carpet. My goal was to make breakfast. It wasn’t a summer day without my daily eggs and toast. I walked downstairs, and the stairs made creaking sounds while my feet would strike the old wood. I got out my pan that I always use, a spatula, some butter and a farm fresh egg ready to make my breakfast. Putting the toast in the toaster, I smiled because I knew it was going to be a good day.

Some time had passed, and I had eaten my egg and toast. It was mid-day and I had just finished watching the Price is Right like I always do. The day was still virtuous, and I wanted to get some exercise. I normally don’t go on bike rides when my parents weren’t home, but today was an exception. Opening our back door, I was greeted by the change of temperature from an air-conditioned house, to a scorching summer sun. The aroma of fresh cut grass from our neighbor, Steve, was pleasant to my nose. It seemed as if he is always constantly mowing his grass daily. He never gets off that lawn mower. While I was watching him, we made eye contact, and we gave each other a friendly wave. I started to walk towards our garage where my bike was kept. Entering the metal garage, it was hot. Looking around it was very dark. My eyes were used to the bright sun and adjusting to the dark room. I walked to my bike, it was hanging up on the ceiling of the garage. I was only in fifth grade during this time, so it was a struggle to retrieve this bike from the ceiling. I got on the bike and proceeded on my adventure.

  We live out in the country and nobody really comes around these parts. It was a calm road with no cars to be seen. There are houses along the road that are about 100 - 200 yards apart from each other on average. Little did I know it, but this one bike ride would change my outlook on life completely. I started pedaling with a steady pace. Looking to my left I saw a field that had cows. I looked at them and they looked at me. We stared at each other for a long time and it almost made me uneasy. I continued and passed several houses. I continued the ride with my bike and I tried to go no handed and I felt like a professional. Then what stood before me was the hill. This was a long hill that had a long steady incline. Normally I can conquer this hill but I’m normally exhausted when I get to the top. In the coming moments, this hill and what feelings I experienced while on this hill will always be remembered my whole life. The hill was steady and long. Looking back like I normally do, I was surprised to see what looked to be a car in the distance.  It was odd to see cars in the country at this time of day. I decided to ignore the car. I continued to pedal, and each pedal was getting harder because of the long steady incline of this hill. I had a goal and my mind was set. In the distance I started to hear the rumble of the car. I looked back and noticed that it was not a car it was a truck.” It was going awfully slow,” I silently thought to myself. The trucks lights were off the first time I looked back, but for some odd reason they had turned on. Those lights were an eerie yellow green color that I will always remember. It was like an old witches’ eye, a color that is disgusting in its own way. The truck had to be a hundred yards away from my and it was slowly getting closer. The speed of that road is 55 miles per hour, this truck had to going at least 35 miles per hour. I was still pedaling slowly but surely up this hill. Looking back nervously, I wanted to look back and not see the truck but sure enough it was gaining on me. I tried to look and act normal, but I knew deep down possibly in my gut area that something was odd. I wanted to think that my own mind was just scaring myself and this truck was going to just pass me. This truck pulled to the middle of the road right next to me. It was not going 55 miles per hour, no it was going the speed I was going on my bike. Turning my head, I instantly made eye contact with the driver of this old run down rusty white truck. It was an old man that had a scruffy grey beard that had white hairs at the end. He was squinting his wrinkly face right at me. He was looking into my soul. He wore a beanie that had holes in the top of it with a dirty jacket that had holes around the right shoulder. The sound of the engine as the truck was coasting beside me is a sound that I can still hear today. My heart was beating out of my chest. I remember thinking that I was going to drive my bike down into the ditch and run off into the woods if it really came to that. That was my only option. I was paralyzed with fear. Seconds felt like hours as this man in the truck seemed to be studying me as a rode my bike.

He was just looking at me, he didn’t say anything. It was the first time in my life I felt alone and helpless. My adrenaline was pumping throughout my entire body. I was going to ditch my bike and go for the woods because I was running out of options. This man was really starting to scare me, then the unexpected happened. All the sudden the man in the rusty truck slammed on the gas. His truck took off and he was never to be seen again. I could smell the exhaust of that car and it polluted fresh the summer air I was breathing. I instantly turned around and went back home as soon as I could no longer see that rusty white truck.

That day on that bike ride I experienced feeling that I never knew existed. I escaped the possibility of being possibly kidnapped or worse. It turned from a normal summer day to a day of constant paranoia. I never knew If I was being watched or not. From that point on I waited until my parents got home from work. I questioned myself if I should tell them what happened because I knew that they didn’t like me to go on bike rides by myself when nobody was home. I ended up telling him and we never found out who that man was. I think I could assume what his intentions were, but it was still a moment in my life that will forever chill my skin.