Sitting in Jeremy�s basement, surrounded by stray playing cards and snack paraphernalia, it quickly became evident that we needed to find something to do. As usual, Pilot Down was quickly suggested as both a way out of the house and as a clever form of entertainment. The group collectively agrees, and so we find ourselves trudging up the steep wooden stairs to properly prepare for the bitter cold that awaits outside. Layer upon layer of thick, black clothing is applied as an assortment of Jeremy�s family members watch in amusement. We constantly trip over one another as we try desperately to locate our shoes in the pile. Miraculously, the entire convoy finishes their preparations and begin to shuffle out the doorway in a disorderly fashion.
Standing in the parking lot of the Church (Jeremy lives in a parsonage), we quickly run over the rules and guidelines for the game. One person is selected to be the "Pilot," who will hide from the rest of the group somewhere around the Church or house. The others will split into two "Rescue Parties" who individually try to find the Pilot and escort him back to the "Base" without the other group discovering and tagging the Pilot. Shane is selected to be the Pilot, and so the rest of the group splits and awaits inside the house for him to hide. Strategies are devised and plots are hatched as we linger in anticipation.
After giving Shane a fair amount of time to conceal and disguise himself in the darkness, we once again venture out into the winter night. My group decides to sneak around the left side of the house and search the fenced in area for any sign of movement. We silently slink through snow and brush while scanning the yard for Shane. After little success in our first attempt, we decide to turn around and investigate near the Church. As we round the corner and brush past a large pine tree, the sound of footsteps could be heard from a distance. Though muffled by the piercing wind, the footsteps were becoming increasingly evident. We crouched down and softly moved toward the Base, waiting in anticipation of whoever was running towards it. The Base was a small, underdeveloped pine tree near the edge of the parking lot that stood no taller than three feet and had lost nearly all of its needles throughout the course of winter. If Charlie Brown were there, he would have surely chosen it as his Christmas Tree.
About halfway between the house and our destination, we catch a glimpse of Shane sprinting towards the base, kicking up clouds of snow in his wake. The Pilot had been discovered and was dangerously close to reaching his destination. We had to act fast; we had to stop Shane. Alan immediately took note of the desperate situation and rose to his feet, a look of purpose blazing in his eyes. He swiftly tore across the yard in pursuit of Shane, unimpeded as he dashed uphill . Their paths were nearly perpendicular to one another, spelling trouble for the impervious Shane as he continued to speed across the snow-covered tundra.
Directly before the collision, time seemed to slow down. Everything that would have happened in an instant was displayed in slow motion as we watched on in disbelief. Shane was so close to his mark; so close to reaching the Base. Just before arriving at the little pine tree, he finally realized the danger he was in. He dug in and dove toward the tiny structure, reaching out in desperation. At the exact same moment, Alan sprang into the air, his arms folded in, extending his elbows. Their bodies met directly above the pint-sized pine, crashing together with an incredible amount of force. The tackle sent a shockwave throughout the area. Alan had plunged into Shane�s ribs, tossing Shane�s limp body further into the air. Alan brushed past the top of the tree as he hit the ground rolling. Shane�s battered anatomy finally toppled to the ground with a deafening thud as he lay motionless for a brief moment. He then curled into a ball and silently mumbled sweet nothings to himself as we backed away slowly and left him crying softly in the snow.
None of us will ever forget that moment of gratuitous violence bestowed upon Shane. We lost a part of our innocence that night as we came to realize how fragile the human body and spirit really are. Our virgin eyes became exposed to the reality of mankind�s hostility and brutality towards one another. Nothing could have prepared us for that experience, but I truly believe that only Shane would have wanted it to end some other way. The rest of us? We enjoyed the spectacle and didn�t mind the mental scarring.