He let the board fall on to the sidewalk and stepped on to it. He waved without looking as he started towards the city center. He immediately felt lighter, the wind swifter, almost like he was flying through the empty road. Immense pines lined both sides of the asphalt.

There was a dip ahead. He crouched on the board and let gravity take him full speed. He went from 15mph to 25mph. He leveled out to 20mph as the road straightened again. Then the coyote came out.

He saw it but didn't have time to stop. It felt like hitting a spongy wall of mist with a few hard bones in between. He flew off the board. It launched him straight towards a jagged tree stump. His left arm took most of the impact. He lay on the ground for a few seconds. He tried getting up but quickly fell back down. He lay still for a bit. His left ankle was slightly twisted but the pain wasn't horrible. He managed to get up, using his right arm to pull himself up with the help of the stump.

His left arm felt awful. It was torn up in multiple spots. Splinters and dirt filled the skin deep wounds. The pain in his ankle quickly subsided. He was able to walk with only a slight limp.

The coyote was gone. There was a red streak which led across the road in to the other side of the woods. It was dotted with tufts of grey-brown fur.

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Surprisingly the skateboard was fine. He checked his phone. The screen protector was shattered. He took it off and stuck it in his pockets. He limped over to the board and hopped on. He no longer felt pain. Endorphins already cursing their way through his body.

This is going to suck tomorrow. He thought to himself.

The somber light of early moonrise put the forest under a muddled shadow. He hurried home as the evening let go of its last hold on the day.

He was nearing the edge of town. He moved towards the sidewalk and occasional street lights lit the path. A passing car caught his attention and he glanced towards the road. Then he caught sight of the red. His arm was painted with it. It struck him strange how normal it felt.

He took a right turn at a four way stop that lay at the entrance to civilization. A few 3 story apartment buildings broke the monotony of the suburban landscape. This wasn't the most inspiring part of town. He got to the end of the development and stepped off the board.

The house was at the edge of the forest. Trees hugged the wire fence that lined the backyard. The front yard was unfenced as all of the other yards in the neighborhood. A short driveway separated it from his neighbors yard. A small garage was at the end of the driveway and to the right a small gate led in to the backyard.

He stepped off the board in the driveway and didn't bother to pick it up. Quickly, he headed in through the front door.