A Straight Line to My Heart

by Bill Condon

  Zoe jumps in to help him. ‘Have you all got your sparklers?’

  We have.

  ‘Then turn off the lights – yeah – everything! Okay. Good. We’re all set. You finish it, Bull.’

  ‘Righto,’ he says, back in control now. ‘Get your sparklers lit up. That’s it. Now everybody. Everybody! Give Reggie a waaavvve!’

  It would be a fantastic sight from the air: all these twinkling lights swaying back and forth in the middle of a starless night in Gungee Creek.

  Kayla grips my arm. ‘Hey, Tiff.’

  One tiny, flickering beam is heading down the road.

  ‘Looks like a bike . . . what kind of idiot would be out riding a bike at this time of night?’

  I run.