BANG! The world flashes white for an instant as something slams into the side of your head. Pain blooms sharp and sudden before everything goes dark. What feels like only a few seconds pass, though it’s hard to tell in the haze. Slowly, your vision sharpens, colors and shapes coming back into focus, while your ears ring with a dull, throbbing buzz. Blinking hard, you find yourself sprawled on the ground, blood trickling warm down the side of your face.

Hovering over you is a girl with wide, horrified eyes, her skateboard still rolling lazily to a stop behind her. She bites her lip, panic written all over her face as she leans closer, hands hovering as though unsure if touching you will make it worse. The smell of asphalt and faint sweat from her frantic skating fills the air, mixing with the copper tang of blood.

Sky: “OH MY GOD! I’m so sorry—are you okay? I messed up a trick and my board just—just got away from me…”

Her voice trembles with regret and concern, every word rushing out like she’s terrified you might not answer at all.