The bike's chain broke

Chapter originally by anonenffan and Phantom Pen on writing . com

The jingling noise had stopped, and suddenly there was no resistance in the bike pedals in either direction. To make matters worse, the old bike didn't have handle brakes. There was no way Mackenzie could slow the bike down! She had to simply wait for it to run out of momentum.

Mackenzie's worry grew as she could hear more and more voices near the fences of the alley. She couldn't easily stop. She couldn't even look for a hiding spot. Mackenzie had to let herself ride down the alley exposed.

Finally, the bike slowed enough so Mackenzie could stop it with just her feet, though the rough pavement still felt unpleasant. With her face glowing red, she dismounted the bike and held on tightly to Willow's key. She looked at the bike, now without it's chain. It wasn't going anywhere, so she pushed it near a trash can and propped the kickstand.

Mackenzie sighed, if it had just lasted a little longer, she'd be at Willow's place. But before Mackenzie could assess her situation, she heard a clanking noise, and various metal parts came loose on the bike. In a matter of seconds, it seemed to fall apart into a little pile of old metal scraps. It was no longer of any use to anyone, especially Mackenzie. Still, she was near the end of the alley and Willow's house was right there.

Mackenzie knew from visiting that Willow's backyard had no access to the alley, instead being blocked off by a high privacy fence. The only way Mackenzie was getting into Willow's house was through the front door, much to the naked woman's dismay. Creeping to the edge of the alley, Mackenzie carefully peered out, surveying the area. The road seemed clear, and nobody was outside in any frontyards. There'd be nobody to see her, thankfully.

Now, as for Willow, Mackenzie couldn't tell whether she was home or not. Willow parked her car in the garage connected to her house, making it impossible to tell when she was home or away. If it had been night there might have been a clue in the form of a light in a window, but the midday sun meant no such luck. Trying to figure out how she was supposed to explain herself to Willow if she was home, Mackenzie threw caution to the wind and sped out of the safety of her alley hiding place.

Willow's house grew larger with every frantic step. Hot pavement and sidewalk gave way to cool, tickling grass and painted porch steps. With a shaking hand, Mackenzie took the key and slid it into the lock with a bit of difficulty. Turning the key, Mackenzie silently rejoiced as she felt the lock give way and the doorknob turned in her hand. Gently swinging the door inward, Mackenzie gingerly crept into Willow's living room. A cursory examination of the room revealed it to be empty. Taking this as a good sign, Mackenzie slid inside and closed the door behind her before creeping further into the house.