Extreme! by J A Mawter

and legs flailing around like a marionette. As he glanced behind and heard the so-close grunt of Mio he wondered if he’d met his match. And when he noticed the others, all riding like ghosts in a slipstream, he knew he was in trouble.
    Along the path he flew, every so often propelling himself with his left foot.
    Up ahead, a group of mothers were taking their babies for a walk. They went side-by-side downthe path, pushing custom-made buggies and sleek new strollers. Everything sparkled as the mothers strolled and chatted in the sunshine. The air was filled with easy laughter and the occasional baby’s cry.
    Dunk Dog noted that up ahead the path was bordered by a cement wall with a feature layer of stone on the top. Mio could see that they were about to become enclosed in a narrow walking space. She glanced around, trying to work out how Dunk Dog would escape, when all of a sudden he stopped, threw his skateboard over the top then scaled the wall after it, landing with a fireman’s roll on the other side.
    ‘ Oya! [Dear me!]’ thought Mio. ‘I’ve lost him.’
    But not quite.
    The wall started low, then rose with a gradient before it reached full height. Picking up her speed Mio mounted the wall, balancing on the stone ledge as she rode up the slope. Mothers shrieked as they tried to jerk their prams away, and babies wailed. From her vantage point at the top Mio could see Dunk Dog running again, his board clamped to his chest. Lifting her front wheels she leapt from the fence, grateful for all those times they’d practised after school at ‘Pump to the Jump’, a fence notorious for its height and narrow ledge. She hoped she hadn’t upset the mums andbabies too much but there was nothing she could do about it now except keep on pedalling.
    From outside the park Clem had caught a glimpse of Mio on the wall and headed for a path that she thought might lead to her. Bella sat in her basket, thrilled to be out on a ride, her tongue lolling and her ears flapping as they raced along.
    By now Dunk Dog was getting tired. This girl had a lot more staying power than he’d given her credit for. He knew he was no longer toying with her—that now, she was toying with him. It was time to skate smart. Not far away was a huge office building, linked to a shopping mall on the street below by a pedestrian walkover. He would head for there.
    Again, Dunk Dog ran on foot, clutching the edges of his board with two hands. He didn’t know where the exit path was but he’d find it. He was grateful his faithful Duffs gripped the path, their rubber soles putting more spring in his step than his weary legs could supply.
    Mio was getting tired, too. Her legs were burning and her throat felt raw, as she tried to gain some control over her jagged breath. It occurred to her that maybe it was time to give up. But she knew that if she wanted to sort out this clash over Wheels Park, she’d have to keep going. It was with relief that she could hear the panting of the others and was glad that they were close by.
    ‘He’s heading for the fence,’ called Darcy. ‘He’s getting away.’
    As Dunk Dog approached the iron fence he pushed his skateboard under the lowest railing to send it flying to the street below. Using the middle railing as a foot-up he propelled himself over the top railing, flying through the air like a stunt-man in a movie. Mio reached the fence and pulled up. There was no way she could follow without ruining her bike. She watched as Dunk Dog landed on his hip, bounced twice like a pebble skimming on water, then skidded along the asphalt.
    ‘Finally!’ thought Mio.
    But Dunk Dog was a veteran of such stacks and, pushing himself up onto his feet, he kept running with only a wince to show his pain.
    ‘This way,’ cried Darcy, finding the gate to exit the park. Up ahead they could see Clem and Bella waiting, two pairs of eyes watching them approach.
    ‘Over there!’ cried Clem.
    Five bikes zoomed down the street, spokes