365 Days.

The Death Ramp is huge,
but up close,
it was massive.
Massive,
scary,
malicious,
malevolent.

I look over and touch Chase’s arm,
“Maybe you could find another way?”

Chase jerks his arm away from me,
“Don’t be stupid.
I’m not a pussy,
don’t make me look like one either.”

“I’m making you look like one?
Are you kidding me?”
I throw my hands up.
“You’ll die!”

Chase snorts and looks away.

Mickel wheels his bike over,
he’s going first.
If anything happens to him,
Chase isn’t going on after.
A sneer plays on his lips as he looks from Chase to me,
“Faggot,”
he murmurs as he brushes past.

Whether that was to me or to Chase,
I’m not sure,
not that I care personally.

I don’t care if he is pathetic,
don’t care if he’s mean,
don’t care if he tried to rape me just a few days ago…
He doesn’t deserve to die.
I don’t want him to die.

Running after him,
climbing up the stairs to the top of the ramp,
I call out,
“Mickel!
Wait, please!”

Mickel pauses in strapping on his helmet,
glances at me,
frowns.
“What?”

“Why are you doing this?”
Stupid question.
“Can’t you settle it some other way?
Why the Death Ramp?”

Mickel laughs.
“You wouldn’t understand.”

“At least tell me what happened.
A hint, anything?
Mickel,
please tell me.”
I plea,
looking up at him.

Mickel’s gaze darkens,
he looks out over the ramp.
“Let’s just say that we are lions.
Chase has his pride here.
I am a new grown lion,
seeking my own pack.
Chase’s pack is interesting to me,
any pack is interesting,
but I know Chase,
I know where to strike,
know how to attack.
With his position,
I’d rather have his pride that anybody else’s.”
Mickel laughs out.
From somewhere down there,
someone yells for Mickel to hurry up.
Mickel glances towards me,
smiles coolly,
“I’m the type that doesn’t want to travel alone,
I don’t want to be ‘packless’.
I’ll fight.”

I throw my hands up.
I’m so annoyed,
at Mickel,
at Chase,
at their stupid packs,
and all this stupid nonsense!

“Fine!”
I snap,
“Let it be.
Fight on,
don’t be calm and don’t think.
Take out your dicks and see whose is bigger.”

I turn around sharply,
and at that moment,
realize how close to the edge I had been.
My foot hits air,
I lose my balance,
flail about for a few seconds and feel my weight take me over the edge.

Mickel’s eyes widen,
he reaches out to grab my hand,
but it’s too late,
he’s too slow.

I fall.

I fall hard.