Page 87 of Clash
“Yes.”
“Hold on to those, okay? It can be kinda scary when we turn, but I promise to go slow and take it easy for you.”
Nodding, I grabbed where he told me to, laughing when Mr. Wasp fired up his motorcycle and it rumbled between my legs.
“It feels so silly! Like I’m riding on an earthquake!” I said excitedly. Then I laughed some more. “And my voice sounds like when you talk into a fan.”
Mr. Wasp laughed, and even though I should’ve been scared, I wasn’t. When the bike began to move, it was the funnest thing ever.
We drove down the road as the wind hit my face. It was so cold, and all I could think about was how an airplane must feel when it’s flying in the clouds.
I’m not sure how long we rode for before we pulled up to this really big gate, and more big scary men who wore the same jacket as Mr. Clash, pulled open the big doors for us. Mr. Wasp drove us inside, and excitement spiked inside of me when I saw a familiar face getting off his own bike near the door.
“MR. CLASH!” I screamed, waving my hands around as Wasp settled in the spot next to him.
Mr. Clash’s eyes got super big. I’ve never seen eyes get that big before. He looked silly, like a cartoon. “Alex? What on earth are you doing here?”
“Looks like you lost something,” Mr. Wasp said, smiling as he got off his motorcycle and helped me off.
“Alex, I thought you were supposed to be with your mommy today?”
Sadness took over as I thought back to those mean men who grabbed mommy. Tears formed in my eyes, and all the happy feelings I felt on that motorcycle went away.
“Mommy told me to run.”
“Run? What do you mean run?” Mr. Clash dropped to a knee, looking me in the eye to see if I was lying. I wasn’t. Mommy told me never to lie.
“These mean men grabbed Mommy. I didn’t get a good look at them because the second Mommy was grabbed, she told me to run. Mommy said if she ever told me to run, to run because that means danger is around and it was most important to get me out of the way.”
“That is very important, Alex. But who grabbed your mommy and where?”
“Near the flower shop. They had a big white car with one of those doors that move side to side. I forget what they are called. And then one of them took Mommy and put her in the car, while the other chased me. But I was fast. I got away by goingthrough a fence into a backyard and hiding. It was very scary, but Mommy says I’m the bravest boy she knows.”
“You are very, very brave,” he said, making me smile. I like knowing I’m a brave boy. It makes me very happy.
“Mr. Clash, there’s something else.”
“What’s that, Alex?” Mr. Clash asked, looking very concerned.
“I think I saw my daddy there too. Does that mean he’s going to hurt my mommy?”
“Shit!” Mr. Clash yelled, making me gasp. I noticed that Mr. Clash likes to say a lot of bad words. Mommy would tell him he has a potty mouth and put him in timeout if he wasn’t so big.
“Mr. Clash, are you mad at me?”
“No, Alex, I’m not mad at you at all. You did very good by coming here and finding me the way you did.”
“I didn’t think I could. I was so lost, but then I heard Mr. Wasp’s motorcycle, and I remembered you had a motorcycle, so I waved him down. I figured if you’re nice, then Mr. Wasp would be nice too. And he was. He brought me to you.”
Mr. Clash ruffled up my hair. I hate that, but it’s kinda funny when he does it because he makes silly sounds.
“Don’t worry, Alex, we’ll find your mommy. Come on, I need to find more people to help me.”
“Okay.”
I started to follow him inside, but then my tummy started to make growling noises like a monster.
“Mr. Clash, do you have anything to eat? My tummy is making monster noises, and mommy says when that happens it’s because I’m hungry. I really like Skittles. Do you have any Skittles?”
