Dignified

Chapter three

Later on that evening, Ryan sat outside testing the brakes on his bike. He hopped on it, riding it around the yard before he would leave for the woods. Clark watched him through the sun room, smiling slightly as his brother jumped over some stones. "Where are you going?" He asked, stepping outside. Ryan looked up at him in surprise, having been unaware that his brother was watching him.

"I was just going to go for a ride in the woods."

"Without asking me? And at this hour?"

Ryan blushed. "Sorry...I guess I forgot to tell you. And yeah, at this hour. I know it's kind of late, but it's cooler and there's less mosquitoes out." He said.

Clark crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry bro, but I think it's a little too late. You can go tomorrow, but it's too dark right now." Ryan groaned. "C'mon, Clark. Don't be like that. This isn't the first time I've gone out at this hour!" Clark walked over to their bike rack and pulled out his own bike. "Alright. But if you go, we all have to go. Zach! Trace!" He yelled. The eleven-year old came out first, giving his older brother a questioning look. "What are we doing?" He asked.

"We're going for a ride in the woods."

"Isn't it kind of late, though?"

"Doesn't matter. I've got my phone and as long as we all stick together, we should be fine."

Zach came out, pulling at the hem of his athletic shorts. "What?" He asked, not noticing that they were all on their bikes. "Get your bike. We're going for a ride." Ryan said. He groaned slightly. "How come I always have to come with you guys?" He asked, mounting his bike. "In case we see a bear. We can throw you at it first." said Ryan, laughing. The boys rode around the woods together in silence, simply enjoying the summer breeze. The branches beneath them seemed to break in unison as the brothers rode over them in a swift motion. Ryan smiled as the cool wind of the night blew his hair back, making his eyes watery and giving him slight chills. He turned back to see where they came from, realizing they had gone quite far. "Hey, guys. I think we should go back. I think we've gone too far." He said, sliding to a halt. The guys stopped as they realized Ryan was right and dismounted their bikes, each of them being a bit tired. Trace looked on towards a small clearing not too far up ahead. "Hey, guys, look. There's a clearing up there." He said. "Can we go up there and stargaze for a while?" Clark nodded, pulling his bike alongside him. As they arrived, Zach set his bike aside and fell to his knees, soon laying back and sighing loudly. "I love watching the stars." He said, as his brothers joined him. They each laid back, smiling and pointing at the stars. They laughed together, including Clark, as they each picked stars and claimed them as their own. "That one right there is mine." Trace said, pointing at a cluster of stars. "Which one?" They asked together, laughing at each other. "That one." He said. "The one that's kind of moving." Zach smirked. "It's not moving, idiot. You're probably just blinking too fast."

Trace sat up, still pointing. "Yes it is, Zach. Look, it's moving." Clark sat up, leaning on his elbows and squinting hard at the stars. "Wait a second..." Ryan did the same, staring hard at the sky. The cluster of stars that Trace had been pointing to lit up immensely, making it clear that it was in fact moving. Clark's eyes widened as he noticed it. "Oh my god!" He stood up, grabbing Trace by his shirt and lifting him to his feet. "Get up! Hurry! It's a freaking meteor!" He yelled. Zach and Ryan shot up, both running in separate directions. "Wait, Clark, what do we do?!" They asked. "Just RUN!" He screamed at them, pulling Trace towards the opposite direction. Zach stuttered, staying in place. "Wait, where do we-" Ryan grabbed onto the back of his shirt, pulling him out of the clearing. "Just COME ON!" He yelled, running away from the spot they were just at. Zach jumped over branches and stones alongside Ryan, confused on what was happening. On the other side, Clark and Trace sprinted together, away from the clearing, breathing hard and minds racing.