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The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle
Season 2 , Episode 10
Vlcsnap-265301
Air date August 28, 1993
Written by Cassandra Schafhausen
Directed by David Winning
Episode guide
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The Tale of the Full Moon
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The Tale of the Magician's Assistant

The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle, is the Tenth episode of the second season of Are You Afraid of the Dark? as well as the Twenty-Third episode in total.

Cast

Midnight Society Cast

Story Cast

  • Matthew Edison as Mike Buckley
  • Jamieson Boulanger as Ben Buckley
  • Benjamin Shirinian as Ricky Hagerty
  • Mark Camacho as Mr. Buckley
  • Pauline Little as Mrs. Buckley
  • Joanna Noyes as Mrs. Westwood
  • Amanda Strawn as Nurse
  • Jamie Elman (uncredited) as Mike's school friend

Intro

That evening four members of The Midnight Society, Frank, Kiki, Betty Ann and Gary are sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows waiting for David and Kristen to show up. They show up together and Kristen apologizes for them being late. Gary apologizes to David for hearing that his bike got stolen and asks him if he's all right. David says he is and what can one do about it? Kiki says in a disgusted tone how anyone can steal a bike? Gary says yeah it's a like ripping off a part of somebody.

David tells them he's thought about all of that, because he was pretty mad that someone could take from him something that was so important to him. Because once you have the right bike, it's yours forever no matter who has it. Kristen then tells them that it's not a total loss, David has come up with a great story about it.

David explains that his story is about this kid who's bike meant so much to him, he took it with him everywhere he went, including his own grave. when hearing Kiki who was about to eat her roasted marshmallow seems a bit intrigued, and so does Frank. David submits his story for the Midnight Society, calling the story "The Tale of the Shiny Red Bicycle" and begins.

Story

David tells the story, The story begins with two young boys Ricky Hagerty and Mike Buckley excitingly racing each other on their bikes along a road path, coming close a bridge near a waterfall dam. Just as they're ending their race a water Dam employee routinely opens the floodgate to let some more water flow into the river. When they end their race they stop to talk on a bridge with a very poorly built wooden fence and the water has filled up massively into the river. They talk about how excited they are about fishing season coming soon and they joke about how they are better than each other.

Suddenly as they were busy talking Ricky who was standing on his red bicycle against the fence accidentally pushes the single plank off and his shiny red bicycle falls into the river. Mike tries to save him by grabbing his hand but his hand slips and then he tries to pull Ricky up by his backpack but it still doesn't work. Mike tells Ricky hold on hold on I go got you! as Ricky falls into the river Mike then yells " NO!" Then in a dark bedroom a teenager wakes up in a terrified shock yelling " RICKY!" The teenager is Mike Buckley and it's now been 5 to 6 years later and he still has nightmares about what happened. Mike's younger brother Ben asks him if he is okay but after seeing Mike is sweating and in seeming shocked he can guess that he's had another nightmare. They go back to sleep for the rest of the night.

Then the next morning at breakfast time Mike's Dad can see that Mike is so tired he is about to fall asleep right at the table right into his food. His mom asks him if he is all right. Mike tells them he is okay he just had a bit of trouble sleeping. Ben then tells their parents that Mike had another nightmare. his parents seem pretty concerned because it's happened a lot now. Their dad tells him he can stop blaming himself for Ricky's death. Mike tells his dad that he was there and he had a chance to save him but he couldn't. Their mom tells him they loved Ricky so much almost like he was one of the family, and his dad tells he's got to stop blaming himself for Ricky's death and if he does the nightmares will go away.

Then Mike is seen about to enter school for the day with classmate of his. They were busy talking when suddenly Mike looks over to one of the school's Bike racks and can see Ricky's Shiny Red Bicycle there. When Mike sees it he had a traumatizing flash back to when the Bicycle fell into the river and his young voice in the background saying "Hold on Ricky!". His friend comes back to get and can see him standing, staring in complete awe and asks him if he's all right. Mike looks again and the bike that was there is now a completely different bike and is about to ask his friend if he just saw it but then tells him to forget it and they head to class.

When they're in their class, Their teacher Mrs. Westwood is discussing John F. Kennedy and Apollo 11 and the first men on the moon when the teacher can see Mike is daydreaming and not paying attention. She asks Mike if he is paying attention and if anything is wrong. He tells her he is and she tells him just to pay attention more.

Then suddenly a quiet whispering voice comes into the classroom saying "Mike.. Mike..Mike.." Then as the classrooms door entrance is the ghost of Ricky Hagerty looking looked he soaked and freezing cold slighting shinning and almost walking in to reach for him.. Mike freaks out saying " Look it's Ricky! it's Ricky! it's Ricky and begins to stand up, knocks over his desk and begins backing away in the shock. His friends, his classmates and his teacher all try to help and he collapses.

Next he's being treated by the school nurse. The nurse asks Mike who Ricky is and she tells him he's a friend. The nurse asks him if they had a fight. Mike tells the nurse he was just a friend. The nurse still asks him he was a friend wondering if they had a fight and if some conflict was going on. He tells the nurse that Ricky is dead because he drowned. Then after thinking for a moment she remembers it's the Hagerty boy that was in the news.

The nurse gave Mike an Ice pack to rub on his neck, because supposedly Mike bumps his head and neck when he fell down in the classroom. The nurse asks him if still has a hard time dealing with Ricky's death. Mike says yes because every now and then he keeps having nightmares about Ricky's death and in the dreams he's always trying to save Ricky's life but he can't and he keeps dreaming that one dream he'll finally be able to. Then he tells the nurse that no one ever even found Ricky's body. The nurse tells him that even when he does have the good dream that he saves him it won't change the fact that he is deceased.

Mike then tells her that Ricky isn't gone because he's saw him that day. The nurse is shocked when he tells her that. Then he tells her he's not feeling well. The nurse gives him permission to go home early that day because she think he is having these dreams brought on from stress and lack of sleep. Then he can hear Ricky calling him in a whispering look tone. Mike looks outside and sees Ricky standing with his shiny red bicycle then he vanishes and just the bicycle is there.

Mike looks around saying it's him and he sees Ricky sitting down and backs away scared. Then suddenly the nurse reappears. Then his dad comes to drive him home first they go too see their family doctor and is advised to rest and relax all weekend long missing the first day of fishing season. Mike claims he never missed the first day of fishing season before not even when Ricky when still alive. Then suddenly he sees what appears to be a kid in gray hooded sweater with blue jeans riding right by them on a shiny red bicycle.

Mike insists his dad drive after the person to prove to his dad that he's not going crazy and that it's Ricky riding the bike. When the stop the car, Mike is surprised to find out that it's Not Ricky on the bike but when the hood of the sweater is pulled down it's revealed a young girl, who coincidentally is riding the same kind of bike and wearing the same kind of clothes. Mike's dad is fed up and brings him home right now to get some rest.

Then at home his mom reveals that he does have a bit of a fever. Then his mom and dad leave him at home to rest while they go out to the movies, and his younger brother stays behind to keep him company. His brother is kind of discouraged that he won't be joining him to go fishing the next day. Mike is about upset about it too, he had been going there since he was 10. Ben asks Mike if he really saw Ricky and Mike confines in him that he did but no one believes him and everyone think he is going crazy, Ben says he believes him. Then since Mike isn't really sick they make a plan to wake him about after mom and dad go out grocery shopping the next morning.

However that night Mike has another nightmare. During the nightmare he wakes up thinking Ben is up. Then door swings right open and Ricky is there echoing in whispering tone "Mike.. Mike..Mike..Mike" walking closer and closer to the bed to reach him. The mike wakes up terrified and sleeps in the next day.

Then next morning their dad finds Ben awake trying to sneak Mike up to go fishing after their parents go grocery shopping but their dad insists on giving Ben a ride on the way to the grocery store. Then when Mike wakes up not too soon after he can hear "Mike Mike it's Ricky come out!" Mike is fed up son he gets dressed and finally decided to go outside and embrace saying okay he wants me he can have me.

Their dad drops Ben off at the lake where Ben meets up with two of hie friends. The two friends aren't too nice and one of them is very rude and mouthy. on the way to the river the rude one points out to the bridge that has now been reinforced and given a danger sign and asks him if that was where his brother's friend got killed. Ben tells him he doesn't want to hear any more about Ricky and they go off fishing.

Mike runs outside and spins around in circles telling Ricky he's there and and asking where he is. Then suddenly Ricky shows up and tells him here I am Mike. Mike responds in shock as to why he would just show up and asks want he wants from him. He grabs him to try to talk to him and he feels freezing cold. Then back at the river Ben accidentally knocks over his rude friends can of juice, he apologizes saying it was an accident. The rude friend then takes one of Ben's lure and throws it into the shallow part of the river. When asked why he did it the rude friend sarcastically says "oh another accident" and Ben climbs down into the river to go get it.

Then back outside the house Mike pleads with Ricky telling him that he was sorry and that he tried to saved him but he just couldn't. Ricky then tells Mike he won't hurt him because Mike's his best friend. The reason he came was to warn Mike that something horrible is about to happen to his younger brother Ben. Ricky says he is in danger and he tried to warn him the other day at school. He tells Mike he must go to him before it's too late and he's at the bridge "his bridge" to be exact.

Then back at the river after Ben climbs down near the waterfall to get the lure his foot gets stuck between two rocks and he can't get it out. Ricky lends Mike his Shiny Red Bicycle Mike. gratefully thanks him and tells Ricky he misses him. Ricky tells him that he misses Mike too and too hurry because it's a long ride and they don't want Ben on their side just yet.

Ben calls for help but his two friends don't answer, either because they can't hear him or because they just don't really care. Mike rides over to the lake on the bike at full speed. Then just as he gets there a water dam employee prepares to open the dam to let the water come in.

Mike is about to climb down into the river but when he see's the now reinforced repaired fence he has another brief traumatizing flash back of hearing his younger self saying "No! Ricky!" But finally he shakes it off and run down. Mike helps his brother free just as the water comes rushing in and it's revealed that Ben has either sprained or broken his ankle. When they climb back out, in slow surprising shock Mike finds Ricky's shiny red bicycle all rusty except for the wheels and the pedals and the back wheel is all bent out of shape.

Ending

Then as the story ends, David says that the very next day a fisherman found the remains of Ricky Hagerty. No one could ever figure out why it took so many years to find them. Mike Buckley would tell you because he wasn't even down there. Not until he could pay back an old favor to the one who tried to save his life. Everyone seemed satisfied with David's story and Gary pours the bucket of water onto the fire and declares their meeting officially closed.

  • Mark Camacho had previously appeared in the series before in the episode "The Tale of the Nightly Neighbors" as The Delivery Man.
  • Pauline Little previously appeared in the series before in the episode "The Tale of the Lonely Ghost" as Aunt Dottie. Then after this episode she appeared again as The Librarian in the episode the "The Tale of Prisoners Past".
  • Mark Camacho and Pauline Little are married in real life.
  • Amanda Strawn who portrayed the nurse in this episode, later reappeared two more times. The second time was in the episode "The Tale of the Chameleons" as Mrs. Robinson. Then the third time was in the series revival's episode "The Tale of the Night Nurse" as Emily's Mother.
  • Jamie Elman who made an uncredited appearance as a student in "The Tale of the Sorcerer's Apprentice" made his second uncredited appearance as Mike's school friend in this episode.
  • Four years after this aired, Ross Hull co-starred with Jamie Elman as best friends Chris Sheppard and Cody Miller in the T.V. show "Student Bodies"

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