The End Of The Day

The sun dipped low, bleeding orange and crimson across the horizon, the kind of sky that made even the dust in the air look poetic. The roar of engines was a distant memory now, echoing only in the biker’s bones as he pushed open the creaky door to his cabin.

With a grunt, he peeled off his scuffed leather jacket, the weight of the road still clinging to it. He tossed it over the arm of the thick, rugged leather chair that sat like a throne in the corner of the room. His boots thudded heavily against the wooden floor as he made his way to the fridge, popping open a cold beer with one flick of his thumb and snagging a battered tin of rolling tobacco from the shelf.

Sinking into the chair with a deep sigh, the beer frosty in one hand and a freshly rolled smoke in the other, he exhaled — a long, slow release that carried the day’s stories with it.

The ride had been something else. Winding roads that cut through hills like a snake through sand, the kind that make your pulse thrum in time with your engine. He thought about the brothers and sisters he’d ridden alongside — the laughter at roadside diners, the nods exchanged without a word, the deep connection only those who live for the ride ever truly understand.

There was old Mikey, still sporting that rusted helmet like it was a crown, and Red, the firecracker with the infectious laugh and a soft spot for stray dogs. Even quiet Jo had shown up, her custom bobber purring like a big cat beneath her.

They’d ridden hard, stopped at familiar haunts, raised a glass to absent friends, and picked up a few new stories to tell next time around. The road had been kind today — no breakdowns, no rain, just rubber on asphalt and the wind in their faces.

He took a long pull from the beer, letting the cold wash away the grit in his throat, then lit his smoke and watched the cherry glow in the dim light.

Another day done. Another ride remembered.

And as the night settled in and the world went quiet, he smiled to himself.

This… this was living.

This was the end of the day.

Author: India Hayes