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After an hour, the skate park was filled with kids. Now was my time to shine! I was a show-off and I loved to show off what I could do. So, I stood up on a bench and yelled out at the top of my lungs, ‘Okay everyone, who wants to see something cool?’ I paused and listened to the cheers and shouts of the other people in the skate park. ‘I need everyone to clear out of the bowl, please!’
Everyone began to slowly trickle out of the bowl as I walked over to a clear spot. I looked around and saw people with their phones out and chattering amongst each other. I closed my eyes and breathed out. I opened them and dropped into the bowl. I pushed so hard on the concrete I might have put holes in my shoes. Then I came up the side and pushed into the air. This was my chance, so I did it. I tilted myself and I flipped! As I came to the ground it was clear I wasn’t going to make it. Instead of landing I hit the ground, hard. Everything began to fade, until it went black.
***
I woke up still lying in the middle of the skateboard bowl with people surrounding me, their eyes fixed on my face. I couldn’t make out any of the blurry faces. I lay there for a bit letting my senses readjust. Once I felt my vision reappear, the only face I could see was Holly’s.
‘Holly,’ I said, in a quiet voice.
Holly’s eyes widened. ‘You’re okay!’ she yelled, as she held out her hand for me to hold onto. She hoisted me up and back onto my feet. ‘You good?’ she asked.
I nodded and began to climb out of the skating bowl. ‘So, what exactly happened?’ I asked.
‘Dude, you did the coolest biggest flip I’ve ever seen! But you didn’t stick the landing,’ she said, frowning. ‘You sure you’re okay?’
I looked at her. ‘Holly stop worrying. Trust me, I’m okay.’
We began walking to school, staying silent for a while. We passed Mrs Allen’s house, which looked a little different. Flowers were dying and there were overgrown vines and shrubs. It was very different from when I passed it this morning. What happened? I thought.
‘Hey Hol?’
‘Yeah.’
‘What happened to Mrs Allen’s garden?’ I asked.
Holly looked at me funny. ‘You mean Mrs Jennings? Yeah, her garden has been like that for years. Remember?’
No, I don’t remember. What is going on?
I didn’t want to make Holly worry, so I just went along with it. ‘Oh yeah, sorry I forgot,’ I said.
We were about to turn to corner onto Michael Street with the big statue of Michael Thomas (the founder of this estate) when a bang echoed through the street. It sounded like it was coming from the school.
‘What was that?’ I asked, in a panicked voice.
‘The signal that school is starting in ten minutes, we’d better hurry. We don’t want to be late,’ Holly replied. ‘Come on, you remember!’
She laughed and I laughed with her.
Then we turned the corner into what was meant to be Michael Street. To my surprise, the statue that had always been Michael Thomas was now someone else. The man had a very large shotgun in his hands and on the plaque, it read ‘Lucas Robinson’. Who’s that? I thought. I didn’t want to say anything out loud because it seemed like Holly was getting worried about me. Suddenly, I felt nervous and scared. I wanted to go home to my Mum and little Ellie. My head felt funny and my ears were ringing with the same thought: What is going on?
‘I’m not feeling too good, um, I think I might head home now,’ I said.
Holly looked at me with a worried expression and then said, ‘Okay, you haven’t been looking too good since your fall. Do you want me to take you home?’
I hesitated. ‘No thanks, I think I’ll be okay,’ I replied, starting to turn away.
‘Okay, see y–’
But I didn’t hear the rest of Holly’s sentence, because I was already jogging away. After I was out of Holly’s view, I ran. I ran, trying to get home as fast as possible. To Mum and Ellie.