Admin Note: Originally published on BigCloset TopShelf on Monday 07-16-2007 at 6:00:43 pm, this retro classic was pulled out of the closet, and re-presented for our newer readers. This serial is the longest running and longest piece of daily serialized TG-Fiction on BigCloset TopShelf! :) A well deserved Retro trophy for the high quality fiction of which author Angharad has provided us for over 7 years with blood, sweat, and toil, even in some of the worst circumstances in her days to give us a little entertainment, chapter by chapter of the Adventures of Cathy Watts - (aka The Mysterious Lady) from her less than humble beginnings to her rise of fame in Britain and beyond. Life is never easy, when you fall off a bike.
~Sephrena
"Come on," I said to myself, trying to encourage my weary legs to go faster, but the hill was unrelenting and the sky looked ominous. It was mid afternoon but looked like late evening as the clouds darkened and thickened. Cars began to drive with headlights on and I began to wish I had lights on my bike. The first drops of rain began to fall, or so I thought.
The wind which had been in front of me for the past hour seemed to drop away and my speed increased. However, I began to seriously worry about the weather, the atmosphere was growing heavier by the minute.
Here I was in the middle of nowhere, on a race bike with no waterproofs, lights or mudguards. I did have the obligatory spare tube and puncture kit and a mini-pump, otherwise it was zilch beyond the clothes I was wearing, a cycling shirt, helmet, shorts, gloves socks and shoes. I felt something touch my back, then one on my arm. It was rain and I cursed my luck and the misleading forecast. "Rain tonight;" it had said, this was the middle of the bloody afternoon.
If it was possible the sky darkened even further and it became like night. A flash in the sky caused me to worry some more as I waited for the rumble which would soon follow it. A few seconds later the sky roared and I'm sure I felt the ground tremble. Next came the hiss of rain as it deluged me and all around me. In seconds I was soaking and my eyes were stinging as the large drops of water lashed into them despite my supposedly protective eyewear.
I neared the top of the hill; leastways I thought I was near it I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me through the curtain of water and the road had disappeared, replaced by torrent of dark fluid, with ripples in the middle caused presumably by the cat's eyes. I was becoming cold as well as wet and yet I had at least an hours ride for home.
Looking for a place to pull over and wait out the storm became a priority, except I couldn't see anything beyond the hedgerow on my side of the road and that was of no use for shelter.
The rain intensified and a flash of lightning struck somewhere not far ahead, my bowels grumbled in fright. Cars may have a Farraday Cage effect with lightning but not bikes. If I was struck I'd probably be killed.
I could hardly see anything now, except the outline of the hedge the rain was so hard and my speed was irrelevant, I couldn't read the computer anyway. Suddenly my thoughts were wrenched from my control as I was one moment sat on my bike, the next flying through the air. My brain went into hyperdrive and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. I was flying, wow! Then reality kicked in, "Oh shit!" Followed by the shock of being lashed by the twigs and branches of the hedgerow, and I felt myself falling through it. Amazingly, nothing was hurting, well just then it wasn't and I even had time to hope there were no wires, especially the barbed variety or trees nearby.
Then I hit the ground, a soft muddy ditch. It felt cold and slimy as I lay there. My bike seemed to bounce past me and fell a few feet away and I saw in detail the damaged rear wheel, with tyre flayed off and spokes pointing in all directions. I was still alive; I asked myself the major question, "How the bloody hell am I going to get home?" I don't remember any more.
"Are you okay?" came the voice, female from some distance away. "I said, are you okay?" This was almost shouted at me and getting nearer, followed more quietly by, "Oh fuck; oh fuck, I didn't see you in the rain."
I heard the next clap of thunder and saw another flash, the cold and the wet made me realise I wasn't dreaming. I managed a groan.
"You're alive, thank God," came the female voice.
"Yeah, I think so. Where's my bike?" My prioritisation was faultless even under duress, it was valuable or had been I hoped it still was.
"Can you sit up?" I shook my head but she pulled me into a sitting position and before long I was standing, shivering and wanting my mother.
"Look, lets get out of this rain, my place is not far away and we can sort things out from there."
By taking off the front wheel, I managed to stuff the remains of my pride and joy into the boot of her car and I almost fell into the front passenger seat.
The rain continued to hammer down on the roof and windscreen of her car and I could still hear the odd rumble of thunder as we drove towards her place, whereever that was. I wanted to go to sleep and wake up with this having never happened, but I knew I couldn't. I was shivering uncontrollably, my helmet was in my hands and broken, and I had scratches on my arms and legs and probably on my body as well. I was so cold I couldn't feel anything except my coldness and I felt sick.
"Not far to go now," she said hesitantly.
I seemed to be in a trance, it was probably the beginnings of hypothermia because I couldn't seem to focus on anything, it was like I was inside myself rather than looking out, it was weird and unpleasant.
The next bit was hazy to say the least, I think she parked in a garage and manhandled me into the house, up to the bathroom where I threw up in the washbasin then sat down on the toilet. She must have run a bath because she began to help me to stand and undress.
"Oh!" she said, as she pulled on my ripped shirt my breasts were wrapped in a crepe bandage. "I thought you were a b.."
"I am sort of," I replied and grabbed my shorts as she was about to pull them down.
"It's okay, I'm a nurse so you won't have anything I haven't seen before." There was an apprehensiveness in her voice which belied the words.
I held on to the top of my shorts, she pulled at them and I resisted. "Look, I don't care what you are let me help you into the bath to warm you up."
I was still shivering and wanted to sit in the warm water, but somehow my embarrassment held sway.
"Come on, drop 'em," she laughed and I laughed too. I was too tired to resist any longer and reluctantly stepped out of the torn and muddied shorts, my hands dropping to cover my genitals, all two inches of them.
The bath soothed my aches and pains although it hurt at first, feeling like I was being boiled. Gradually my body came back to normal temperature and I began to function mentally again. Now things were beginning to hurt as bruises and scratches made themselves known, but the mud was washing off as I stood in the shower and rinsed off the dirt and dried blood. It was all superficial stuff, I was going to be okay my worry now went to my bike, four grand of carbon fibre and high tech engineering. I wanted to cry.
Comments
Nice start
Had no idea my big sis was working on anything new, guess that's what I get for being sick. It's a nice start, just enough to hook the reader's interest. Can't wait for more!
Karen J.
"Never ascribe to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity." Anonymous
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
This an experiment in that I
This an experiment in that I am writing it directly onto the website, so there are no drafts. It could be just three or four parts or longer depending upon how the characters and storyline develop and if readers want it to continue. It will contain more adult themes than my stories usually do. Let me know what you think.
Angharad.
Angharad
Interesting idea
Not everybody could make that work. I myself need multiple passes for proofreading just to keep the mistakes down to an acceptable level.
As for the adult themes, as a Gaby fanfic writer most anything you do would be on a more adult level wouldn't it?
Yes, may I have some more, please?
Hugs!
Karen J.
"Never ascribe to malice that which can adequately be explained by stupidity." Anonymous
"Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.”
George Carlin
That's brave, kid.
I mean writing straight onto the site :) I'm too much of a pedant (sometimes an unsuccessful one) even to attempt that feat. Of course starting with a bike ride is ALWAYS going to grab my attention, though going for a ride without even a racing cape is asking for trouble at any time :) I got caught out myself earlier in the year in a big way on short(ish) ride in Burgundy and as for the 'Summer' we're having in the UK this year ...
Well your protagonist should already have the shaved legs so that'll save a bit of time lol.
Keep it up - please
Geoff
That Would Explain...
...why none of your usual proofers have seen this before. Great start, Auntie :)
Never let it be said that I don't enjoy the occasional delusion of grandeur
Never let it be said that I don't enjoy the occasional delusion of grandeur
"It could be just three or four parts"
Two and a half THOUSAND parts later... :D
(One day I'll catch up with those I've missed... one day...)
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
Hmm...
"It could be just three or four parts..."
I think that it is safe to declare this prediction to have been slightly off the mark, now that the number of parts has passed 3000.
nice
Been there didn't like it! Bikes and rain doesn't go together!
hugs
grover
They so do....
Bikes and rain do mix... but not with cars. :(
Good story looking forward to more.
JC
The Legendary Lost Ninja
A Good start I hope to see
A Good start I hope to see this continue
Easy as falling off a bike
A very nice start looking forward too how this develop's .
a nice start, let's see how
a nice start, let's see how the story develops...
Yeah I know that
Yeah I know that feeling.
You crash and the first thing you think off is.
How did it go with my Bike.
On the other hand :)
If you worry about other things first.
It just might be time for you to stop driving them :)
Yoron.
Ps: bikes as bikes right :)
(( except for those big ugly slow black ones, that is ::))
Thank you, TdF
I have only just realised that the inspiration for this amazing story that we have all come to love and enjoy so much must have come from your marshalling of the British stage of the TdF.
All I can say is, “Thank you TdF.â€*
Gabi
*Better late than never!
Gabi.
The journey of a thousand miles
Begins with the first step.
I'd say this expetiment was definitely successful, if more than a little unexpected. And here's a shout out to all the other serials - may you be no less successful than this one! :)
Faraway
P.S. YAY! I was the first one to coin this one on this chapter!
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Faraway
Big Closet Top Shelf
Where you can fool around like you want to and most you get is some bemused good ribbing!
Just now starting this on a
Just now starting this on a recommendation from the wonderful Cyclist. Looking forward to the journey.
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
The Road goes ever on and on
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
J R R Tolkien
One day this road must end but please not today Angharad and thank you so much for the journey so far.
Rhona McCloud
Thank you,Angharad,
Such memories, lovely! The time has come ,the Walrus said,
To speak of many things,
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax,
And why Bikes do not have wings!!!
ALISON
Still reading
I've read every one of the segments of this series/chapters. I watch like a raptor each and every day for each new part. When there is a day without anything new, I have a short period of dejection near unto tears and I feel like my day is just not quite up to being complete. As I've said after many of the chapters, thanks so very much Angharad. For the time, effort and loving care to spend precious time, even when your world is crashing down around you or you're not feeling well, to write an entertaining story which is well thought out and in all essence could actually happen. It is so real yet so refreshing!
Dahlia
In the beginning
There was a bicycle and a car bumper. The world has never been the same since. I was lurking BCTS at the time when this started way back when, and The Daily Dormouse has been a wonderful part of my life ever since. I have had and lost, so many computers ,had children, gotten divorced, survived trying to be an unseen homeless person living in a school bus, and a whole lot more since Catherin's story sprung on the scene, and yet this story has remained consistently lovely and a great reminder of what anchors me. it is simply wonderful that it is here,
Huggles
Michele Whitewolf.
With those with open eyes the world reads like a book
bike accident
Very sneaky way to introduce a person in transition, I LOVE IT.
Brilliant story
I’ve read this story so many times, it’s brilliant ,please continue after 3232 or something like that, otherwise I am going to read something else
Such a good story!
Its been years since I read this.
I'm going through it again, again.
Just amazing.