I skidded to a stop. A small cloud of grey smoke ballooned into the air right above the engine. I snapped back into action and sprinted the last few feet to catch up to the float, before grabbing a metal railing to pull myself up onto its back end. I peered down at the smoky engine. Right in the middle of a tangle of cut wires, small flames licked skyward, striving for grander destruction. I looked around. The float trudged onward of its own accord, the stretch of road to the peak of the hill narrowing quickly. I looked back down at the engine. I was willing to bet one of those cut wires had something to do with the brakes.
I had to do something. Think, Bremy. Think!
My eyes darted around the float. Dammit! Why was there never a big red button that screamed PUSH IN CASE OF EMERGENCY? Although that would be a lot to put on one button.
I had to try something else. I hopped off the back of the float, stumbling onto the pavement. Someone had to know how to stop this thing. I just needed to get that someone’s attention. I ran around to the front of the crystal monstrosity, waving my arms in the air, shouting, ‘Stop! Stop the float!’
No one reacted.
‘Fire!’ I shouted.
A few Bremys spared me a glance, but they didn’t break their choreography. ‘Fire!’ I screamed again. ‘The engine’s on fire!’
Again, nothing. Gah, it was probably the windbreaker. I ran into the crowd of dancers, bumping into as many of them as I could. Once I had the attention of a small few, I screamed again, ‘Fire! The float! React! Scream! Anything!’
Angry faces turned confused.
‘Look!’ I yelled, point-jabbing to the float. Smoke had now risen to alarming proportions at the back of the moving crystal palace. A dancer behind me suddenly shouted, ‘Fire!’
‘Finally!’ I yelled, throwing my hands into the air. ‘Thank you!’
More shouting started up. ‘Okay people,’ I ordered in my loudest voice while running towards the front of the float. ‘If we all push together, we can stop it from going over the hill!’ I placed my hands on the front bumper, walking backwards quickly so as not to get run over.
Another shrill scream pierced the air. ‘The float’s going over the hill!’
‘Run!’ another person shrieked.
‘No!’ I screamed back. ‘Don’t run! Help me!’
Dancers scattered in a million directions, making for the sidewalks. In the chaos, I suddenly lost my balance. I hit the ground hard in a seated position. My eyes widened in terror when I realised the front bumper was mere inches away from my face. The r in princess was about to knock me out! I smacked my back down to the concrete, bumping the back of my head, just as the underside of the float rolled over me. Stars pinpricked my vision. Maybe I was in shock, but I found my thoughts were slowing down to a solitary mantra. This couldn’t be happening. This just couldn’t be happening. I was literally being run over, like literally. And for once I was using literally in the right context.
I watched the dirty underside of the float pass inches above my face. Suddenly my survival instincts snapped back into focus. I craned my head to the side to see if I was almost out. Uh-oh, that was a lot of smoke and fire coming my way. I quickly log-rolled out from under the float and popped up to my feet.
I took a moment to do a quick pat down. Good. Everything was still attached.
Now what?
My eyes snapped back to the float inching its way forward to the crest of the hill. There was no way to stop it now. The Bremys had to abandon ship!
I ran back around to the front of the float, giving myself at least a few more feet of wiggle room. ‘Bremys!’ I shouted waving my arms again in big Xs over my head. ‘You need to jump!’ Dozens of fake-eyelashed eyes turned in my direction. ‘Seriously! You need to jump before you go over!’ I shouted, pointing back to the hill. I couldn’t tell if they heard me. The music from the sound system was still blaring. I shot my eyes up to the top … to Ricky. ‘Tell them to jump!’ I shouted, acting out a little hop. ‘Abandon ship!’ I had moved back as far as I could without going down the hill myself. No way was I going under the float again. I scuttled over to the side. ‘Bremys!’ I shouted one last time. ‘Get down here this instant!’ But I knew in my heart was too late. The float tipped over the hill. I squeezed my eyes shut. I did not want to see this. I only flipped them back open when I heard the screams. I shook my head slowly back and forth. ‘No. No. No.’
The crystal juggernaut gathered speed as it rocketed down the hill. Flash-mobbers rolled and dove out of the way.
Then, without any thought, I was running after the float again.
‘Hold on, Bremys!’
It wasn’t a long hill, but it was steep. This could only end in disaster.
A woman suddenly grabbed my arm, yanking me to a stop. ‘Oh my God!’ she shrieked. ‘A head! Her head came off!’ I snapped my gaze to follow hers only to see one of the Bremys’ heads flying into the sky! No! It couldn’t be. She had been decap— Wait. It was only her wig.
‘You’re not helping!’ I screamed, yanking my arm back.
This was horrible! Even if all the people on the street managed to get out of the way, the me-s on the float were done for—at the bottom of the hill, the street ended in a T-shaped intersection—and the float was headed straight for the sheet metal wall of a factory right on the other side. The wall looked flimsy enough. There was probably just a parking lot on the other side, but it wouldn’t matter with the speed of the impact.
I had to do something! But what?
I took off following the path of the float. I knew I’d never catch it in time, and even if I could catch up to it, what was I going to do? I kept running anyway, knowing it was hopeless. No one could stop its momentum now. Not me. Not any of the people on the street. Not even the police in the cruisers that I could now see fishtailing to a stop in the street below. No, no one could help those poor souls now. No one but …
‘Ryder!’