𝘚𝘖𝘕𝘋𝘌𝘙 ⁽ʲ ᵐᵒˡⁱⁿᵃ⁾

𝘚𝘐𝘟𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘕

It had been far too long since Elise last dedicated an afternoon to riding around the busy streets of Hollywood; trespassing wherever she managed to sneak off to on her skateboard.

Head once again full of raging thoughts after her conversation with Julie earlier that day – who she now seemed to have an “undefined” relationship with – Elise decided it was time to bring some adventure back into her life. Of course, her life at the moment was a bit of a trip, but this was something she had control over.

She was the slightest bit out of practice. Though various types of the skateboard were her main mode of transportation, she only dedicated that time to a simple, calming journey. Now, she channeled the lessons her dad had let her take when she’d first showed an interest.

Elise smiled widely as she jumped the curb onto the sidewalk, swerving to avoid the families that she liked to view as an obstacle in some unpredictable course. Parents complained loudly, children gawked. She laughed as one little boy stopped in his tracks and nearly let his bright orange balloon slip through his fingers. She kept a constant eye out for any drops or cracks that she might accidentally hit straight on (she’d had a collision with a large rock that sent her clean to the cement only thirty minutes earlier) and grinned as she spotted the beginnings of a large decline in front of her.

Her sights were set now on the beach; currently a small metallic band that sat below the beating sun just on the horizon. At this speed, she’d be there in only a few minutes.

She hadn’t bothered to grab any sort of padding, which was a probable cause of the tiniest traces of blood on her ripped jeans. After her final class ended, she ran quickly to Carrie’s car and dropped of her bag. She was gone in what felt like seconds. The wind in her hair, the loud beating of air in her eardrums. It was exhilarating.

The hill approached, much larger than she’d imagined it to be; Elise bent her knees in anticipation. It was small at first, but a swift kick and a little convincing later she was already soaring faster and faster. More, more…

And-

Pain shot through her body, heat now in her chest radiating through her limbs which spasmed and locked as if she were being electrocuted. She flew, instinctively lifting her arms to brace herself as she tumbled a few feet forward. Her board was kicked backwards, rolling off the sidewalk and colliding into a tree with a smack that echoed through her head.

Her back settled on the pavement, her breath left her body and she struggled to take in air for the seconds that followed. She grabbed at her chest and she took in shallow gulps, eyes watering from the pain that covered her entire body. The static faded, but she was undoubtably bleeding. Everywhere.

When the shock faded, and her lungs finally recovered from the fall, she took in a few deep and shaky breaths before finally lifting herself onto her elbows. She didn’t quite sit, her eyes scanned her surroundings in hopes that nobody witnessed what had just happened. Partially because it was embarrassing, but also that panic that was following. That jolt, it was worse than the other two. This time she was almost certain; something about this had no business in the living world.

She’d left the majority of the crowd behind with her last turn, she was in the clear. Or so she thought.

Elise brought herself to her knees, pressing her weight onto her knuckles and finally putting the rest of it on her shaking legs. She brushed off her clothes weakly, feeling at her head to assure herself that she hadn’t slammed it too hard into the concrete.

She didn’t think she had a concussion of any sort, at least that was a win. Aside from that, blood was seeping from small wounds all over her body. Her elbows, her knees, her palms. But it wasn’t any more than she could handle, she’d taken worse beatings.