The+Devil+and+Ryan+G.

Namu P. November 26, 2007 The Devil and Ryan G.

It was 6 o’clock when Ryan woke up from his uncomforting sleep and began to throw clothes on himself. After eating a quick breakfast, which was usually nothing more than an apple or a granola bar, he left his house. When he reached the skate park, there was no one there, as usual. It had been almost ten years now since he began to practice skateboarding every morning. Then, he was just an amateur skater who skated just to show off to his friends but now he was a pro skater, proudly ranked 23rd in the nation. However, the number 23 did not satisfy Ryan at all. His goal was to be the best skater in the nation before he reached the age of 20. His dream started off successfully; he won numerous competitions and became the youngest to become a pro skater. But now, with his twentieth birthday few months away, his goal seemed so far away.

Just as he was going down a ramp, Ryan noticed someone standing on a rail, facing towards him. Picking up his skateboard, Ryan carefully approached towards the stranger. The stranger was covered with black colored clothing; he was wearing a black suit on top of a black shirt and a black-striped tie. When Ryan was only few feet away from him, the man began to talk.

“You can stop there because I cannot let you be too close to me. I mean you can be near me but it never hurts to leave some distance between things. Anyway, I am only going to say this once so listen carefully. I have been watching you for some time now and I was impressed with your hard working and dedication. Just about how much are you willing to give up for your dream?”

After a long hesitation Ryan responded, “I will give up ten years of my life if I can be the best skater in the nation by my twentieth birthday.”

The man chuckled, “I am here to help you, not to kill you”, he went on, “You will be the best skater in the nation by this time of next week.”

After saying these words the man disappeared. It was more like he faded out of the scene; where he stood was now a mist of dark smoke slowly blending with the air.

Next week was just like any other week, for Ryan at least. He visited the park every morning and practiced, wondering if the man was actually serious about the whole deal. While Ryan was living his ordinary week, terrifying things were happening to the other skater; all the skaters ranked higher than twenty third were becoming unable to skate from mysterious accidents. Some of them were actually killed in those irregular accidents. By the morning that the man promised, Ryan became the highest ranked skater in the nation.

Over the next few years, Ryan lived the life that he had hoped for since he was ten; he was considered among the skaters, the best skater ever to live. People treated him with great respect and he became both famous and wealthy very quickly. One day, he visited the Lincolnshire skate park, the one he practiced in, every morning as a young boy. As he entered the park he noticed a young boy skating alone. The boy reminded Ryan of his own youth, when he used to skate in an empty park, trying to become a step closer to his dream. Contented with dedication of the boy, Ryan went over to him and taught him some of his pro skills.

Next morning, Ryan was found dead in his bed. The autopsy said that he was most likely killed by a heart attack, though very rare for a healthy young man to have a sudden heart attack, there was no other explanation that would explain the cause.

Few weeks after Ryan's death, the media began to focus on another boy from the Lincolnshire skate park. The boy's name was Namu, and he became the best skater in the nation following Ryan's death.