Racing Day by Pent Ghelsburg
Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this work are purely fictional. Any resemblance to persons alive or dead is purely coincidental. They are the original and rightful intellectual property of their creators. I use them with permission and respect. This work involves underaged characters. You have been warned.
A stadium looms in the distance. You can hear the crowd roaring and engines soaring. You cannot see inside but you know all too well what is going on. It’s race day and the competition of the moment has sent emotions soaring. Cars wrapped around the ovular track weaving in and out of non-existent lanes. With each turn they take, they come ever dangerously close to hitting the sideboards designed to keep them from catapulting into the audience.
A car speeds forward, its colorful design and red emblazoned numbers make it seem like a streak against the pavement. The driver has the pedal to the metal, using the wheel to dart through the small cracks created by their competition. They can see the final car in front of them, the lead continues to speed forward as their following cannot seem to keep up. But this particular driver is determined…they will have victory no matter the cost.
Nelson awakes from his dream, his heart racing and eyes expanding from the thrill of the moment. He is breathing hard but looking around he is in an all too familiar place, his room. It’s dark, save for the moonlight peering in from the outside into his room through the blinds on his window. The small dalmation puppy looks around his room and peers for a second at one of the many posters on his wall.
The particular decoration in question, a representation of his favorite driver Candice Freeley. The woman had been on the circuit for some time now and had quite a few titles under her belt. Freeley had become established on the track even before the boy knew of her existence. She was old by the sports standards and news reports had consistently stated that she would be retiring and yet that day had never come to fruition…yet.
Nelson laid back down on his back staring at the ceiling, trying to clear his mind of the dream. Even if it wasn’t a nightmare, the vision had definitely stirred him up. His mind continued to wander a good while before exhaustion once again took over his young form. This time he was not visited by the same dream and was able to sleep without any sort of issue as the night carried onto the morning.
The next morning came without an alarm. It was the weekend and Nelson’s parents permitted him to sleep in when he didn’t have school. Nelson rolled out of bed with a yawn. He was always slow in getting up as he wasn’t exactly a morning person. He sat on the end of his bed, allowing his short legs to dangle over the side of it. He stretched and yawned before considering what he should do for the day.
He hopped out of bed and began to dilly dally around his room with no particular objective in mind. It wasn’t long before he heard the familiar sound of his mother's voice. She had overheard him rousing out of bed and had already prepared breakfast for him previously. The words were not discernable but Nelson figured it was about food and he wasn’t about to turn that down.
Nelson skipped down the hall already smelling the faint smell of maple syrup in the air. He figure that pancakes or something must have been on the menu and already his stomach was growling in anticipation. Upon his arrival to the kitchen, his mother hugged him tightly against her upper torso. He wasn’t quite that big yet and she very much treated him like her little boy, especially since he was an only child.
“So…going to watch the race today? The news said it’s going to be a good one.” The tall dalmation woman asked as she let him go.
The cub frolicked to the table where a plate was already waiting for him. “Oh yeah! I completely forgot about it.”
“It will be on the racing channel. Word has it it’s Candice’s last race.” She made extra sure to mention that since she knew that was his favorite racer.
Nelson rolled his eyes. “Whatever. They say that every race. Number 61 will never quit!” The boy said as he stuffed his face with a mouth full of pancakes.
“Well, she’s getting older. She has to retire eventually and didn’t she get hurt in her last race?” The mother approached the kitchen table and peered over it looking over at her son.
The cub had a confused look on his face, speaking with his mouth half full. “Retire? What does that mean?”
“Please wait until you eat your food to speak, so you don’t choke. That’s when someone stops working because they think they are too old or want to take a break.” She crossed her arms casually and sat down across from him.
Nelson stopped eating for a moment. “Oh, I see…”
“Well, hon it has to happen eventually and there are plenty of other races you can follow.” She placed her paw over his right shoulder and patted it softly.
The boy sighed. “I guess.”
“It will be just as good. I promise. Just watch the race today and enjoy. Make sure you clean up when you finish breakfast.” The woman walked away from the table and went into the living room.
Nelson was distracted now and picked at his food for a bit, only occasionally putting it into his mouth. By the time he finished the last bite of the pancake was cold but it didn’t seem to bother him. He got up from the table and went about disposing of what was left, forgetting all about taking his daily fruit. He overheard the tv from the next room and could make out that his mother had already put on the sports channel from the commentary they were going on about.
The cub could barely see over the opening overlooking the counter. The sound of the announcer was telltale of what was going on even despite not actually seeing what was happening.
“Good morning race fans. Today is a day unlike any other. An event in which every driver in the circuit is invited. The track? 400 Laps around the perilous asphalt of the track. The winner takes home 1 Million Big Ones. Fans at home, we have a special event just for you. We will be asking a series of questions during each pit stop intermission. 5 Lucky fans will get to come to the next event and meet the driver of their choice…”
The rest of the feed fell outside Nelson’s interest. He had already focused on the contest. He ran out of the kitchen and into the living room, immediately his spirit perked up in response to the words from the screen. His mother watched as he bounded from the kitchen, glad to see that he was back to his chipper self.
The dalmation pup hopped over the armrest of the chair and plopped his behind on the opposite side of the sofa to his mother. He turned his attention to the television which had the same two broadcasters that spoke a moment ago, drumming up the pre-race ceremonies. Occasionally the camera would pan to the track itself, the audience, or to the racers who were currently at rest. Only the pace car was on the track making sure that there was no debris or any other thing that might prevent a more fluid race.
Of course, there was the chance for wrecks but they could not prepare for such things. Once they began speaking of the weather forecast today, the camera panned out to the horizon which seemed to be mostly clear except for a few clouds here and there. Already Nelson was at the edge of his seat, waiting in anticipation for the final moments leading to the race. Conveniently a countdown clock was at the bottom right of the screen showing there were just about 15 minutes before the race actually began.
Nelson looked over at his mother who smiled and got up from the couch. She had no intention of watching the race, she just wanted to make sure the boy watched it after being told that his favorite racer would retire. As with most children, he was fickle and didn’t always see things in the most rational sense. Now that the space was entirely his own, the dalmatian pup sprawled out on the sofa, allowing his knees to buckle a bit so that he could fit on the length of the furniture.
Several minutes passed and the broadcasters passed the mics off to some people who were interviewing the racers. Each of them already had their gear on, except for their helmet. Many of them Nelson had seen before but he wasn’t really interested in their answers to the same questions that were being asked to each of them. As they got through each of them, Nelson grew more impatient in believing they would never get to Candice.
It wasn’t until the last cycle that Freeley showed up. Just like Nelson, she was a fur but she was a feline. The woman was a spotted African cheetah and had immigrated from Kenya many years ago. The fact she was a big cat didn’t really bother the boy as she was one of the few furs on the circuit and definitely the most accomplished among her peers. The interviewer approached her. Her long sand bleach blonde hair blew along with the wind as she stood their idly.
“We’re here with Candice Freely, who has recently announced that this will be her last race. How do you feel about that?”
This made Nelson frown but as he explained herself his frown turned into a smile.
“Well, it’s about time my life shifts from focusing on work to my family. I appreciate everything racing has given me but it’s about time to move on.”
Nelson was young but not too young to not understand the importance of family. He was still sour about it but he was no longer of a mind, thinking that she needed to stick around.
“And will you be participating in the contest with our audience today?” The man asked to see if she planned on seeing that through.
“Of course, I don’t want to upset my fans. This will be my last time I participate in that as well.” She said before she flipped her hair with her paw.
The interviewer walked away from the woman and back towards the broadcasting booth. He arrived among several other workers and looked back towards the camera, which had returned to the main showing.
“Alright, so for the first try. We have a simple question. You can call our toll-free number to answer. The question is; Who won the last race at Las Capos and how close was the race? The first 20 callers to answer the questioned will be entered into the raffle. One of the 20 will be called later today to announce the winner. Good luck.”
Nelson quietly thought to himself. He was quite certain he knew the answer. He looked over at the house phone. He wondered if he would be allowed to call the number and decided to ask his mother before he did.
He shouted into the next room. “Can I call the number to enter the contest?”
The mother shouted back. “Sure, hon.”
The cub picked up the phone and dialed the number on the screen. He waited for it to pick up. The number picked up automatically with an automated response.
The machine had a prerecorded message and began to instruct him.
“Thank you for calling the contest hotline. By answering the questions you agree that you will be entered into the contest and agree to its terms. The terms can be found on the league website. Please answer the question after the beep and leave your name and number. We will contact you if you are selected at the end of the race. Good luck.”
Nelson left his answer and then hung up the line. Once he was done, he sat back down on the sofa and continued watching the coverage of the race. It wasn’t much longer until the actual race itself began in full. All of the racers started to line up in rows along the starting line waiting for the auspicious green flag.
The clock began to count down from 1 minute. Already Nelson’s heart was racing in anticipation for the event to begin. The clock reached 30 seconds and the racers started to rev their engines, in sort of a show of vehicular power. The clock expired and the cars took off around the corner. The crowd roared and screamed as they stood up to show their excitement for the coming show of sportsmanship.
The first few laps were fairly uneventful. It wasn’t about the 50th lap until there was an accident that anything really happened. This forced a pit stop and a commercial break for the network which was already behind on advertisement for the day. This gave Nelson a much-needed bathroom break. When he returned the race had already started. The racers had returned to the track after cycling their wheels and getting fresh oil.
For the entirety of the race Nelson kept a close eye on number 61. Freeley’s vehicle was colorful and had but a single graphic emblazoned upon it. The eye of the tiger was plastered over the hood of her car. On the roof, her neon green numbers highlighted against the sun made it rather easy to keep track of her. To her compatriots, Freeley was known as a competent driver, but to the audience, she was a diligent and often aggressive driver.
Halfway through the race, she was already in the top 10 but hadn’t made much progress overall since she had started from the middle of the pack. Freeley was known for usually making up the distance when it came towards the end of races and Nelson was hopeful today would be no different. When the race resumed once again, a second wreck occurred and the race was halted as it was more dangerous than the last.
While there was an intermission, a phone call occurred. Nelson never answered the phone as his parents had not yet afforded him that freedom.
“Nelson, the phone is for you.” His father beckoned to him from another room in the house.
Nelson’s heart skipped a beat after he heard those words. He traveled back towards where the phone was sitting.
He picked up the receiver and spoke into it. “Hi, this is Nelson.”
“Good morning. Your call earlier to the contest was correct and you have won the contest to meet whichever racer would you like. Would you like to come to next week's race? It’s in Newcastle. If so, who would you like to meet?”
The cub's heart soared upon hearing those words. He nearly jumped in place as he stood there idly for a moment, just soaking in the emotion that came along with it.
“Hang on, let me ask my mother.” He said after finally coming back to reality.
Nelson shouted to hit mother who responded in kind, already assuming that he had won the contest that she had heard about earlier. The boy wasted no time in responding after he got his answer.
“Heck yeah, I want to meet Candice Freeley.” The cub literally was bouncing in place.
The man on the line hesitated a second before answering and uttered a few incomprehensible words before once again speaking again. “Alright. Come to the Newcastle raceway next week and be there early. We will see what we can do. We will send you a VIP pass in the mail for you and your mother. Make sure you have it.”
The man on the other line hung up without waiting for a response. When Nelson overheard the familiar sound, he dropped the phone and began bouncing around the room with joy. He had almost completely forgotten about the race, entirely focused on the auspicious future before him.
Eventually, Nelson settled down to watch the rest of the race. Freely didn’t do that poorly but she didn’t win either. When the race was over, they allowed her to participate in the victory lap all the same. Her car was laden with all sorts of decorations and when she got to the finish line, the crowd roared in jubilation. Upon her exit from the vehicle, she was in tears even if no one could see it.
After the event was over, Nelson went to share the news of his reward with his mother. Of course, she already knew and hugged him tightly against her thigh. The wait over the next few days was painstaking. Nelson had quite a few days where he couldn’t sleep, especially as the auspicious day got ever closer. When it finally arrived, Nelson was a mixture of emotions between ecstatic and full of anxiety.
On the day in question, his mother took him to the track. Newcastle was a long drive from where they were but since Nelson was a good kid, she wasn’t about to turn his request. It was the weekend so she didn’t have to worry about work. The trip in the car wasn’t that bad with the radio on. Though the entire time they listened to the pre-race broadcast which mentioned nothing about the previous contest or its winners.
On their arrival to the track, they checked in at the ticket booth. The name reserved informed the staff that they were VIP’s and they were taken behind the scenes. Nelson and his mother got to tour the entirety of pit row and even got to meet some of the drivers. Of course, Nelson only cared about one of them and it wasn’t until he was given a full tour that he was shown into a garage with a woman who was not garbed in racing regalia.
The woman was recognizable and her fur was aged from ages at the wheel. Her green eyes pieces anyone who looked upon her and Nelson knew who she was right away. Nelson hugged the woman who was caught off guard but did not turn away the sudden affection. It was a moment of shared silence, and the boy's mother stood back just watching and appreciating the moment.
Eventually, he got around to questioning Candice. She gratefully answered each of them with tact and was more than happy to meet the boy's enthusiasm. When all was said or done, she signed a jersey that had been brought to her and gave the boy one final parting gift. Reaching into her pocket she afforded him the very same keychain she had used all those years. Looking at it the boy cried and knew not what to say, his mother thought the day could get no better and realized this was a day he would soon not forget.
The mother murmured to the racer…” Thank you” and she nodded back in silent affirmation said nothing to ruin the moment.
