“Quick! Come on, Max,” shouts Zig Zaleia, grabbing her boyfriend’s hand before rushing toward the pedestrian lights, which cross the main road.

“I’m with you,” replies Max, alongside Zig and matching her stride for stride.

The young couple stand at the roadside, where Zig gazes intently at the red pedestrian light opposite. Then Max hears the roar of a powerful motorbike and feels the whoosh of air as the mighty machine blasts past at high speed, only a meter in front of the couple.

Max turns to see a large, all-black motorbike with its rider wearing all black leathers and a black crash helmet.

“Wow!” shouts Zig, stepping backwards quickly before freezing on the spot and ruffling her black hair around her ears due to the deafening roar of the powerful machine. 

 Max can smell the faint fumes of the two-stroke engine as he steps backwards to face Zig.

“I’ve got you!” says Max, stretching to put an arm around his girlfriend’s waist to steady her balance while straining his neck in an attempt to look over her shoulder to see the speeding motorbike's licence plate.

“Maniac!” shouts Zig, still standing fixed on the spot and looking toward the pavement. 

Zig ruffles her hair before stamping her right foot and shaking slightly due to agitation.

Max comforts his girlfriend as she gradually calms down. Then, she reaches for his hand and raises her head to take a small, tentative step toward the pedestrian crossing.

“I don't want to be late,” says Zig, forcing herself to move as a shiver runs down her spine and her breathing races as she returns her focus to Max and her friends.

“You okay?” asks Max, knowing all about Zig’s fear of loud noises.

“Yeah!” she replies quickly.

“Jeez, I haven’t seen you this excited in a while,” says Max, changing the subject as Zig’s eyes sparkle and a smile returns to her face.

Max looks left and right at all the speeding traffic directly in front of them, only now with a firm grip on Zig’s hand.

“I can't wait to see Nari and Dal. It’s been an age since we last met,” says Zig, still slightly jittery while edging closer toward the kerb edge.

Max looks at the red light, and as soon as it changes from orange to green, he feels a sharp tug on his arm as Zig starts to move forward.

“No!” shouts Max as a car screeches to a stop in front of the crossing.

“Now!” he yells quickly.

As the couple dash across the main road past six lanes of stationary traffic, several people walking in the opposite direction give them stern, disapproving looks and grunts of annoyance as they sidestep or dodge the quick-moving young couple.

Zig and Max reach the opposite side of the busy main road to turn right.

Before rip! … 

Zig snags her t-shirt on a long, bent bolt on the steel pedestrian railings.

“Dam!” shouts Zig as she stops running to inspect the damage.

“Come on! I’ll buy you a new one,” says Max, tugging Zig’s hand.

“You want to meet Nari and Dal, remember!” he adds.