"Stationary Bike" by Stephen King

Just came home from watching Sherlock Holmes. Pretty good flick.

My thoughts on "Stationary Bike" by Stephen King. This story can be found in his latest collection Just After Sunset.

"Stationary Bike" starts out normal enough, with a man named Richard getting a lecture from his doctor about proper health. Richard has let his cholesterol get out of control, and the doctor is letting him know it.

Soon after, Richard (who is a freelance artist by trade) begins a painting based upon an analogy the doctor had given him regarding the body's metabolism as a "work crew". The painting begins to consume Richard, and an odd obsession begins. He buys a stationary bike and places it in the basement, and his obsession grows.

Richard paints the road that he imagines himself riding on his bike onto the basement wall, and as the days go by his fantasy deepens. He paints deer on the wall one day, and rides his bike around a bend and comes across a herd of deer. He paints some littered beer cans on the side of the road the next day, and mentally scolds his "work crew" for missing them.

Then things get strange. The beer cans are gone the next day.

Is Richard alone on the road? Is the road only an obsession within Richard's mind, or has the road itself become real? Will Richard's newfound dedication to exercise save his life, or will it lead to his death?

You will have to read the story to find out. The ending may surprise you.

Memorable quote: "It was a beautiful evening for a ride in the woods."