Send It or End It

teen lifestudent advice
Written By Ryan Ch.

A downhill mountain biking experience that changed my life.

Down the steepest berm and into an even steeper descent, I was finally staring down my first real downhill mountain biking obstacle. My heart pounded like a drumline before battle. My friend, Ryan Fung, had demonstrated this exact drop to me, time and time again completely calm, fearless, effortless. I studied every inch of his form, every flick of the pedal, every subtle lean of his shoulders. But now, none of that mattered. The moment had come. It was just me, gravity, and whatever courage I could summon.

I inhaled sharply, my chest tightening as adrenaline swirled through my veins. Fear clawed at the edges of my thoughts, whispering warnings I tried to ignore. I could almost picture myself conquering this drop, basking in the triumph, finally proving I belonged on this trail. Then I looked down again, and the sight nearly stole my breath. Maybe not yet?

Minutes passed like hours as I battled myself. Courage versus terror, thrill versus disaster. Finally, with trembling hands, I seized Ryan’s ancient mountain bike. The metal felt colder than it should have, as if it knew what was coming. I rushed to the berm, heart in my throat, and looked down one last time. Ryan’s shouts echoed from behind me “Go! Send it!” his voice drowning out every doubt. My body moved before my brain could protest. Foot on pedal? Check. Breath held? Check. And then the wheels began to spin. Too late to turn back now. His brakes were useless, and the slope was merciless. All I could do was surrender and let the bike do its thing, and pray I stayed upright.

The first turn was chaos. Loose dirt, shifting weight, the trail threatening to swallow the front tire. My arms burned as I fought the bars, every muscle screaming for control. Then came the final drop: the monstrous, bone-rattling downhill. I went flying into it, gravity snatching me like a puppet on a string. My thoughts splintered realizing I was going too fast. I’m going to crash. I’m going to die. The ground blurred beneath me, a swirl of brown and green and terror. Then, a sudden edge, a stair-like ledge I hadn’t seen before… and I was airborne…

My mind panicked. Stick it. Don’t lean. Avoid the leaves. But negativity took the wheel. The suspension bottomed out with a violent crack, launching me sideways. My arms locked in desperation. “Don’t let me go,” I whispered through gritted teeth, as if the bike could hear me. “Please don’t let me fall.” and yet it did… My chin slammed into the dirt, the impact exploding through my body. Pain tore through my skin and bone as I slid, just a ragdoll but across leaves and dust in a blur of a helpless and harshly unrelenting motion. When I finally stopped, the silence was deafening. I lay there, tasting earth in my teeth, body trembling in shock, and half amazed I was still breathing.

Then the pain arrived. A second, merciless wave, scorching through me like the master bolt thrown by Zeus himself. Every nerve screamed. I tried to stand, groaning, and clutching my knees as the world spun around me. My legs refused to cooperate. I stumbled toward a nearby bench, dragging myself across the ground like a wounded animal. “Ryan!” His voice cut through the air. “Are you okay? Sit down! No… lie down!” I obeyed, the words barely reaching me through the deafening haze. I wanted to vanish, cry, or both. Obviously not okay, I thought. And now I might throw up.

Something rustled beside me. My head snapped right, faster than instinct, but nothing was there. I blinked, dizzy, realizing Ryan was still to my left. My mind was unraveling as time was stretching, warping, echoing in another dimension. He said he’d run home to grab an emergency kit, leaving me alone on the bench, broken and dazed in the whispering trees. Twelve endless minutes passed, and  twelve endless minutes of fear, pain, and the heavy silence of the forest pressing in. Then at last, headlights flickered through the branches. His mom’s car. Rescue.

I tried to stand, dusting off blood and dirt, but my body betrayed me. My knees buckled, and I nearly collapsed again before stumbling into the car. The seatbelt clicked, the world outside a blur. As we drove away, the trail faded behind us… still  defiant and awaiting for my return. “Never again,” I whispered to myself, though deep down I already knew the truth. The fear would fade, the pain would never dull… and the next time Ryan asked, I’d grab the handlebars and send it all over again.

Ryan Ch.

8th Grade, Bernal Intermediate School
Hobbies/Interests: Rubik’s Cube, Swimming, Math

Why I write: I wish for the best when it comes to my country, which is why I have a question. What do a fantasy book, chess, a Rubik’s cube, and math have in common? For me, it's a branch of my life to depict images, explore challenges, learn, and improve. That’s how I think when I write, and how I hope I can help others. Everything has technique, practice, and dedication, something I work my hardest for and writing is no different. I always plan to have anything I make be great, so in the future, I am able to say, “I dedicated my life to this, and hope to pass this on to others.” That is why I love to write.

Next

1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back