Central Park

 I decided that I was going to ride my bike around Central Park for a few hours. It was a really great way to check out Central Park right? It has been a really, really long time since I rode a bike. Thinking that I should be able to pick it up again - I shouldn't have forgotten how to ride a bike - right?

So I play it cool from the bike shop which was ten minutes away from the park. I tell myself 

 'Nah, play it safe and wait until you get to the park before you start riding' 

I get onto the bike and I am on my tip toes balancing myself thinking 'oh fuck, why did I put myself into this' After a few weird jolts and preemptive stops, my poker face slowing slipping. I keep crashing onto the grass and taking breaths, pretending to enjoy the scenery as I figure out how to ride a bike again. After my twentieth pit stop I decide to bike my way through the deep in.

I finally get onto a major bike lane and fuck how do resistance chains work? I go very slowly and wobbly with people speeding past me. I try to pretend to soak up the beautiful views of fucking central park. Until this old fat man with a dark tan, beer belly and spanx on tells me to focus on ahead and trust my feet. He tells me to put the bike lock in my bag. I follow his advice and I start to focus ahead and look around at my surrounding finally being able to soak up the diversity of Central Park. He tells me to follow him and I thought well since he helped me, it wouldn't hurt - right?

We go onto weird terrains, stairs and concrete filled with little tree seed droppings. He shows me the true diversity of Central Park from hidden fountains to rock caves to beautiful flower beds. But each time we stop he stood a little to close and his finger would graze my thigh. I would just slowly move away pretending that something else caught my eye as I took a photo. As he takes me to the next location my mind starts racing 

"fuck, his going to kill me. His going to find some hidden secluded area and fucking rape me and kill me and no one will know" 

He tells me going up hill you need to move loosen the resistance chain and when you go downhill you need to tighten the resistance chain. We zoom and glide around and soon enough we are off Central Park and we cross the lights.

"Gurl. You need to BAIL. You don't need to follow him. You owe him nothing"

But he looks behind and gestures me to follow him. He leads me to this beautiful church hidden amongst hotels. We enter and the light hits the stained glass windows, bringing rich purples and blues. He stands a little to close and points to the other beautiful things about this church. Next thing you know we are back at Central Park riding down a major lane amongst other bikers.

"Alright girl this is where I leave you, I hope you enjoy the rest of New York" and he kicks up a gear and speeds off joining the blur of bikes. And I left feeling bewildered.