The Biker Brothers and the Golden Sunset

Chapter 3: The Shooting Star

"Hurry up!" Jamie shouted.

The boys pedaled even more laboriously. The sky was now dark as coal and the sudden thunder brought more dread into the boys' hearts. There was no moon that night, so it was pitch dark in the heavens above, except for the cute twinkling of tiny stars. It was eerily silent around them after the loud boom of the thunder. The crickets and creepy crawlies stopped their music, allowing the blow of the cold breeze to send disturbing echoes around them.

"Did you just hear that?" Bogart asked. His heart beat wildly in his chest, as if exploding each fleeting second. "It was frighteningly loud!"

"It was the loudest thunder I heard in all my life," Tonton seconded. Like him, he was scared by the earlier sight of the haunted house and the sudden thunder.

From out of nowhere, flashes of lightning appeared in the sky. They were random and their bright yellow and white streaks cut across the sky. It was nothing they expected since it was a fine bright day earlier.

The four stopped and stared at the wonder. They had never seen such a thing in Subangdaku. Lightning alternately flared in random patterns, and the once dark firmament glowed in marvelous lights. The contrast of bright flashes against the black clouds was overwhelming.

"It's beautiful!" Bogart bellowed.

"And scary at the same time," Kiko objected. "This has never happened before."

The boys continued watching and after another loud thunder, the lightning exploded into one final burst of radiance. It was like a magnificent show of fireworks in the sky, except it was not colorful. It was awe-inspiring but at the same time, disturbing and worrisome. The sky once again turned pitch black, covering Subangdaku with darkness like seconds before. It was silent again.

"Wow, that one is the loudest ever!" Bogart exclaimed excitedly. He just could not believe what he had witnessed.

"How did that happen?" Tonton asked curiously. He quickly tried to process the science of everything inside his head, but his tired mind and frightened spirit could not make out the perfect reasons.

"Is there a storm coming?" Kiko uttered. Similarly, he wondered how such a thing could happen to their district. "It's not in the news."

"It's actually weird," Jamie said. "Those thunder and lightnings are too close. They were like firework displays but grander and brighter. Yet, there could be no fireworks today because there is no festival or celebration."

"But we can't deny it, guys," Bogart spoke up with smile in his lips. He was ironically beaming. "That was magnificently beautiful!"

The three looked at one another and the boys instantly laughed. Bogart was right; it might be frightening but it was fun to watch the display. For a while, the air lit up and they relaxed.

"That was a crazy thing," Kiko said. "I hope someone has taken a photo of that."

"Or photos," Tonton agreed. "Science books will kill to have those images. Publishers will pay millions to have those."

Once more, they all laughed in unison. After a few seconds, they began their bicycle ride again and despite the sudden peals of thunder and lightning, the night was not as cold as they expected. In fact, the air began to warm again. Passing by the haunted house and seeing the atmospheric showdown did not bring enough chill; the boys were sweating hard. Their wet shirts began to stick to their bodies.

"The sky is clear again," Jamie finally broke the silence. He could not believe the suddenness of the phenomenon. "I thought it would rain after that, or at least some colder breeze."