Contents

MEGAN

and the

CYCLIST

OWEN JONES

Copyright © August 14th 2023 Owen Jones

Contact me at:

The Psychic Megan Series

DEDICATION

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

CONTACT DETAILS

1 AN AWAY DAY

2 CYCLING IN THE COUNTRY

3 THE ACCIDENT

4 THE PATIENT

5 WACINHINSHA

GLOSSARY

THE DISALLOWED

Owen Jones

1 MR. LEE’S PREDICAMENT

MEGAN

and the

CYCLIST

A Spirit Guide, A Ghost Tiger and One Scary Mother!

by

OWEN JONES

Copyright © August 14th 2023 Owen Jones

Megan and the Cyclist

by Owen Jones

Published by Megan Publishing Services

https://meganthemisconception.com

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

∞ ∞ ∞

The right of Owen Jones to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. The moral right of the author has been asserted.

∞ ∞ ∞

In this work of fiction, the characters, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or they are used entirely fictitiously.

∞ ∞ ∞

All rights reserved.

Contact me at:

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Other novelettes in the same series:

The Psychic Megan Series

A Spirit Guide, A Ghost Tiger and One Scary Mother!

The Misconception

Megan’s Thirteenth

Megan’s School Trip

Megan’s School Exams

Megan’s Followers

Megan and the Lost Cat

Megan and the Mayoress

Megan Faces Derision

Megan’s Grandparents Visit

Megan’s Father Falls Ill

Megan Goes on Holiday

Megan and the Burglar

Megan and the Cyclist

Megan and the Old Lady

Megan’s Garden

Megan Goes To the Zoo

Megan Goes Hiking

Megan and the W. I. Cookery Competition

Megan Goes Riding

Megan Goes Yachting

Megan at Carnival

Megan at Christmas

Megan Catches Covid-19

DEDICATION

This edition is dedicated to my wife, Pranom Jones, for making my life as easy as she can. She does a great job of it.

Karma will repay everyone in just kind.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

Believe not in anything simply because you have heard it,

Believe not in anything simply because it was spoken and rumoured by many,

Believe not in anything simply because it was found written in your religious texts,

Believe not in anything merely on the authority of teachers and elders,

Believe not in traditions because they have been handed down for generations,

But after observation and analysis, if anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, accept it and live up to it.

Gautama Buddha

∞ ∞ ∞

Great Spirit, whose voice is on the wind, hear me.

Let me grow in strength and knowledge.

Make me ever behold the red and purple sunset.

May my hands respect the things you have given me.

Teach me the secrets hidden under every leaf and stone, as you have taught people for ages past.

Let me use my strength, not to be greater than my brother, but to fight my greatest enemy – myself.

Let me always come before you with clean hands and an open heart, that as my Earthly span fades like the sunset, my Spirit shall return to you without shame.

(Based on a traditional Sioux prayer)

∞ ∞ ∞

“I do not seek to walk in the footsteps of the Wise People of old; I seek what they sought”.

Matsuo Basho

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

1 An Away Day

2 Cycling in The Country

3 The Accident

4 The Patient

5 Wacinhinsha

Glossary

The Disallowed: Chapter One

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My thanks to the artist who did the cover for me,

Jacqueline Chavarria.

If you want her contact details, just let me know.

CONTACT DETAILS

http://facebook.com/MeganTheMisconception

http://twitter.com/Megan_and _Grrr

owen@meganthemisconception.com

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http://owencerijones.com

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1 AN AWAY DAY

While Megan was shopping in the Mall with her parents one Saturday afternoon, she bumped into her best friend, Jane.

“How are the holidays going? Are you getting bored yet?”

“Yes, I am a bit, why don’t we do something to cheer ourselves up?”

“What have you got I mind, Megan?”

“I don’t know, it’s getting a bit late to do anything today, but we could go somewhere tomorrow… Why don’t you come ‘around after tea and we can work something out?”

“OK, six thirty?”

“I’ll just check… Mam, is it all right if Jane comes ‘round after tea for a chat? Not doing anything are we?”

“No, that’s fine, but she can come earlier, if she likes and have something to eat with us.”

Megan asked her. “OK, Mam, five o’clock all right?”

“OK, there you are then, Jane, I’ll see you at five, we’ve still got a bit of shopping to do. I need some more gym kit… Mam reckons my skirts are getting too short and the hem has already been let down as far as it’ll go, you know what she’s like.”

“Yes, I’m really glad that my Mum is not as strict as yours. In fact, my Mum has mine taken up to as short as the school will allow. Still it’s better to have parents who care than none at all or ones who don’t, eh? Anyway, see you at five, Megs.”

“That’s nice for you, Megan, you haven’t had a friend around for tea for ages, have you? Not vegetarian, is she?”

“No, I don’t think so… Least, she wasn’t when we last had school dinners.”

“Good, I’ll get some lovely honey-roasted ham in for sandwiches and some Caerphilly cheese… I’ll have to buy a cake too because I’m not baking until tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Mam, I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

When Jane arrived promptly at five, Megan let her in. Megan had been forced to change for the occasion and so had her father. He had put on his best cardigan, but taken his tie off as a minor protest. The fact was that although their guest was only one of Megan’s school friends, whom they had known for many years, they were not used to receiving visitors of any kind, especially for tea.

“I didn’t know you were going to get changed for tea… I feel scruffy now,” said Jane.

“I’m sorry about that, it’s Mam again, she made us do it. Don’t worry about it, you look great, you always do. Come on, let’s go in and get tea over with then we can go up to my room and leave them to watch TV.”

Tea was over-polite and stuffy, with Suzanne constantly asking someone, “Would you like another…?” It started with ‘sandwich’, and then ‘cup of tea’, followed by ‘slice of cake’ and then ‘cup of tea’ again. Megan’s father, Robert, could feel that it wasn’t going quite right, despite his wife’s best efforts, but there was little he could do. He tried making jokes, but Suzanne tutted him and he tried making conversation, but was told that he was talking too much. He soon gave up, increased the volume on the TV and sat back in his armchair.

Suzanne was her own worst enemy in social situations. She tried too hard and that put a strain on herself and everyone around her. To be fair to her, she was aware of the problem, but was too frightened that people would think she lacked the social graces to be natural, even with a thirteen-year-old girl, lest she tell her parents that the Evans’ were uncouth.

Neither of the girls ate as much as they would have liked to if the atmosphere had been relaxed, but they just wanted to get upstairs where they could be themselves again. Anyway, Megan knew that if she asked her mother for refreshments later, she would bring them something up. In fact, she would not have put it past her to do it whether she was asked to or not.

“I’m sorry, Megs, I don’t want to be rude, but your mother puts me on edge.”

“Yes, I know, don’t worry about it. That’s how she is. She doesn’t mean to, but she gets sort of flustered, you know?”

Jane flopped back on the bed and fell through Grrr without noticing her. The big cat purred and looked at Megan as she sat down next to her friend. “Show me what they bought you today then.”

Megan went to her dresser and retrieved two navy-blue skirts and two white polo tops. She held first a top against and then put it down and next a skirt.

“Mmm, lovely!” she said sarcastically. “Didn’t they get you anything nice?”

“No, not this week, just replacement kit for school, like I said. I’ve got plenty of clothes anyway… perhaps not in the way you have, but I’m not complaining.”

“I would be if my Mum tried to make me wear a skirt like that. Regulation says three inches above the knee, but most girls get away with four if they say that they’re growing fast, but yours are four inches below the knee! Would she raise the hem if you ask her to?”

“I doubt it… I wouldn’t even ask, it’s not worth it.”

“You don’t mind?”

“Look, I know I look like some Victorian kid, but I don’t mind really, no. Mam worries, but she does try hard and to be honest, well, this is nothing compared to some of the things that have gone on around here.”

“Each to her own, I suppose, but I’m glad my Mum is more fashion-conscious than yours is.”

“I think that Mam knows what’s going on in fashion, it’s just that she scared of it and of anything happening to me. As you said the other day, in five or six years’ time I’ll be able to do what I like and for the moment, I can wait. So, what do you fancy doing tomorrow?

“Well, we used to go cycling on Sundays, we could go again tomorrow.”

“That’s a good idea, we could set off at ten, stop somewhere for a picnic… then carry on and be back for four or five o’clock. That would make a nice trip out of it. Would your Mam let you go?”

“I think so, I’ll give her a ring and ask. Ask yours too just to be on the safe side.” They both phoned their mothers.

“No probs,” said Jane, “there never is.”

“Mine said all right as well. Right, that’s the first obstacle over, now where do we want to go?”

“Somewhere flat, it’s too hot to be cycling up and down mountains.”

Megan laughed, “I agree. We could cycle to the river, follow it to the old ruined castle and then down to the sea and come back here. If it’s hot, at least we’ll be running downhill with the river on the way home.”

“OK, and we could watch the boys fishing!” exclaimed Jane.

“Yes,” agreed Megan a little less enthusiastically, “… this will be the furthest we’ve ever been, so we’ll have to take care.”

“Yes, I suppose so, but what precautions can we take?”

“We can wear the correct safety clothing – a helmet at least, I’m not sure what else. Let’s work out our route now and give it to our parents so they’ll know where are. Don’t look at me like that, Jane, my mother will want to know and there’s nothing I can do about that.”

“My phone will give my parents my GPS so they’ll know were I am anyway.”

“OK, but what if you fall off your bike and crush your phone?”

“Happy soul, aren’t you? We’re only going for a bike ride in the country, not over the Artic Circle.”

“I like to prepare for any eventuality I can think of, it’s just how I am too.”

“Fair enough. In that case we’ll need a puncture repair kit and a First Aid kit as well… and loads of food, like biscuits, cake and chocolate!”

“We can justify that under the heading of energy food…” They both laughed and then Jane became more serious.

“Megan? We’re best friends, right?”

“Yes, of course we are. We have been for years.”

“Good, do you mind if I ask you something?”

“No, of course not, anything…”

“OK, well, you used to tell us, your friends, about your dreams and your ghost friends… I was wondering whether you still have them? I mean, I haven’t been in your house or room for ages, so those dreams and stories of your tiger happened on this bed, right?”

“Yes, that’s right, but not only on the bed when I was asleep.”

“So, I was wondering, is there anyone or anything here now?”

“Grrr is here.”

“Where? I’d love to see him.”

“Well, she’s a girl, not a him… it’s hard to explain, but you are sharing the same space as her on the bed… you are sort of sitting on her.” Jane instinctively put her hands to the bed to her sides are lifted her weight off the cat, “Sorry,” she said.

“Don’t worry, you’re not hurting her. Can you really not feel her all around you?”

“No… well, I don’t know, do I? I don’t know what to look out for.”

“No, I suppose not, and I can’t tell you either, sorry, Jane, I wish I could, but when Grrr is with me, I just feel her presence… it is so, er, commanding, so powerful. She can make you feel at peace… calm, but I have seen her scare the living daylights out of people as well., although they didn’t know why they were frightened, I’m sure. Give me your hand and I’ll try to help you feel her. Here, can you feel her head?” Jane made an indeterminate gesture with her own head that indicated she wasn’t sure. “OK, your hand is over her nose now, can you feel her warm breath? Admittedly, her breath is not as powerful as ours, but there is still a warmth there.”

“I don’t think so…”

“OK, don’t worry, hold your hand out palm up, that’s right, now I’ll pass my hand over it palm down… feel anything… a change in temperature or pressure?”

Jane laughed, “Yes! I can.”

“Well, that’s what you are looking for with Grrr. Let’s try again…”

“Did you feel anything that time?”

She looked Megan in the eyes and smiled, “Yes, I think I did, now that I know what to look out for, but I still can’t see her… I wish I could.”

“Perhaps you will be able to one day if you stick with it. I guess some people are naturals, others have to learn and some never will, but isn’t that the way with everything?”

“Do you really think that I could learn if you taught me?”

Megan thought that she might have said too much already, she didn’t want to promise her anything she couldn’t deliver. In a way, she wished that she hadn’t allowed herself to be drawn into the discussion at all. She wanted to call on Wacinhinsha, her Spirit Guide, for advice, and she knew that she could, but not at that precise moment. She didn’t want to compound her difficulties.

“We can talk about that again, Jane, when do you want to set off?”

“Oh, like you said, tennish, is fine.”

“OK, do you want to watch a DVD and I’ll ask Mam to bring something up to snack on.”

“Sure… are these them up here?”

“Yes, pick one out, I’ll go and have and have a chat with Mam about the food.”

When Megan had left, Jane felt around for Grrr and called her name quietly in case anyone overheard and thought her foolish, but she felt nothing. She didn’t even know whether Grrr was still in the room. When Megan arrived with a tray of food and drink, she turned the desk chair around and placed it on that between them, then she took the DVD that Jane was holding out to her and put it in the player.

“Is Grrr still here?” asked Jane.

“Yes, she lying on the floor in front of us.”

“Oh, good,” she replied feeling silly for having felt along the bed for her. The film was a Harry Potter and Megan dimmed the lights for it. It was one of Megan’s favourite films, but Jane would rather have tried to find out more about real ghosts and spirits. It was the first time that she had come close to understanding what her friend had been talking about all those years ago, but which she rarely mentioned now that she was getting older and learning to control her tongue.

When the film was over, Jane excused herself to go home, but couldn’t resist asking whether Grrr was likely to be joining them on their outing the next day. “I’m pretty sure she will go with us. She rarely leaves my side unless I’m somewhere safe like in class or at home. Why do you ask?”

“She won’t have any trouble keeping up with us then?”

“No, why would you think that?” replied Megan astonished. “When she was alive, she could run all day, and now, well, she only has to want to be somewhere and she’s there faster than the wind. She doesn’t really walk anywhere. See you tomorrow morning.”

2 CYCLING IN THE COUNTRY

The girls met at Megan’s after a hearty breakfast, a session of making hampers with their mothers and receiving safety advice from both their parents. “You’re a sensible girl, Megan,” said her mother, “but I’m not sure about that Jane! I mean, the clothes she wears sometimes. She’s a lot more flighty than you, so don’t you go letting her persuade you to do something you normally wouldn’t do. You trust your own judgement and you’ll keep the both of you out of mischief.” There was a ring on the front door and they both started.

“That’ll be her, Mam, I have to go now.”

“No, you don’t. I want to have a look at her, see what she’s got on and I want a word too.” Megan’s heart sank at the thought of the impending embarrassment. She followed her mother to the front door and then out onto the pavement. Jane was sitting on her bike with her finger over the buzzer ready to ring again if no-one came quickly.

“Good morning, Mrs. Evans, lovely day for it, isn’t it?”

Suzanne looked her up and down. She was wearing her hair held back with a pink tiara, her large, over-size white shirt which was open half way revealing her bra, looked as if it belonged to her father. Her feet were on the pedals, so her knees were up, meaning that Suzanne couldn’t help noticing her micro mini skirt. “Your mother didn’t let you go out like that, did she? I can see all your underwear, top and bottom!”

“No, you can’t, Mrs. Evans, I haven’t got any on, it’s in my bag, this is my bikini. I may go for a swim in the river later.”

“But, … but, boys won’t know that, they’ll think…”

“It’s none of their business, if I go for a swim or not.” She was toying with Megan’s mother who was becoming flustered again.

“I don’t mean that young lady and well you know it! The boys are going to think that you’re displaying yourself for their benefit.”

“Well they’ll be wrong, won’t they, but if I find a nice spot on the river, they’ll get a lot more to look at than they can see now. I’ll strip down to my swimming costume and there is nothing in the world wrong with that. Megan was standing just behind her mother and wanted to laugh or at least smile, but she knew that her mother would catch her and perhaps stop her going. She span around, almost bumping into Megan, put her arm around her shoulder and pulled her forward.

“Look! This is sensible attire for cycling when you don’t have an adult to protect you.” Megan was wearing shorts to two inches above the knee, a blouse with the top two buttons undone and a crash helmet. Suzanne pulled the blouse forward and looked inside. “Good, you’re not wearing your costume.”

“No, Mam, it didn’t cross my mind to go swimming. I did that yesterday in the club.”

“Good girl, that’s the best place for it! No prying eyes.”

“There are boys in the club too, Mam.”

“Yes, but there is an adult there as well to put a stop to any shenanigans.” Megan had got her bike from the shed earlier and put it in the hallway; she went in to fetch it.

“Right, let’s go,” she said, “or it’ll be time to stop for lunch before we get out of town.”

“OK, but you be careful and no talking to strange men… or boys, and stick to the route you gave me. I want you to call me every hour on the hour, all right, like you promised and if you’re five minutes late, I’ll phone the police and give them your route so they can go looking for you, and don’t think I won’t do it because you know that I will… and as for you, young lady, when I see your mother, I’m going to tell her how you go around flaunting yourself. It’s disgraceful – you’re thirteen not thirty!”

“You do that, I’m sure she’ll have a good laugh and tell you to mind your own business. We don’t all still live in the Victorian era, you know?” she pushed herself off the wall and rode past Suzanne brushing against her slightly. Megan took off too, glad to be getting away before her mother thought of stopping her going altogether. When they got onto the main road there was a cycle lane so they were able to ride two abreast.

“You shouldn’t wind my Mam up like that, Jane, she really does mean well and she could have stopped me going.”

“Maybe she does mean well, but it’s bad enough how she treats you, but I’ll be hanged if I’ll let her treat me like it too. You wear much less that I have on now when you go swimming or sit on the beach, but because I’m on a bike, I have to conform to what she thinks I ought to be wearing? I should coco!” In an act