Warning: Description of grievous injury incoming.
John held the end of the kite spool. Trapped between branches was the bright yellow kite they had been flying until a few minutes ago.
“Can’t you just pull it down?” Skylar stood next to John.
“Not without ripping it.”
“I could get it.” Skylar smirked.
“Don’t.” John hissed, nodding his head over his shoulder.
Not far away there was a family on a picnic. The three children were currently kicking a soccer ball around, laughing as their parents lounged on the blanket.
“Fine.” Skylar rolled their eyes. “I won’t be obvious.” Jack made the same gurgled whine as he did whenever Emily did something risky.
Skylar jogged towards the trunk of the tree, putting a little bit of an extra spring in their step when jumping up for the lowest branch. As it swayed with Skylar’s weight, John sucked in a breath. They scrambled up the next branches without a problem.
Skylar untangled the string and wiggled the kite free. “Got it!”
“Now get down.” John rubbed his forehead. “Safely!”
“Catch!” They tossed the kite down, but John let it crash into the ankle high grass.
Skylar swung off the branch, the smooth bark of the next branch slipping right out of their hands. The scream was cut off as they hit the ground. There was also a sickening crack which made his stomach roll.
“Skylar!” John rushed forward, jumping over the kite.
They had curled over themselves, eyes squeezed tightly shut. Blood was seeping between their fingers which were wrapped tightly around their calf. “Are you-” Skylar spread their hands a little, blinking at the wound.
His stomach lurched and his throat burned. Jagged bone had pushed through the skin, the marrow inside pulsing as blood oozed everywhere. He covered his mouth and swallowed back the acid.
“Is everything all right?” The deep voice of the picnicking father approached.
“Make him stay away.” Skylar hissed as they covered the injury again. “I can’t go to your hospital!”
“But-”
“I can fix it!”
John cleared his throat, more acid to burning the back of his mouth. He turned to face the man who was already way too close for John’s comfort.
“Everything’s fine!” He blurted. Now the back of his tongue burned and he started coughing. “Nothing to see here!” John couldn’t convince himself with the squeak in his tone.
“Your friend just-”
“You’ve been pranked!” John pulled his phone out and waved it. His stomach was still churning and his brain was on overdrive. “Everything’s good, go back to your picnic!” John and the man stared at each other for a moment, before he sighed and turned away.
John turned back to Skylar, who was pulling their hands away from a perfectly straight and healed over leg.
“Never again.” John jabbed his phone towards Skylar. “Don’t you dare do anything like that again or you’re on your own.”
“I promise.” Skylar rubbed their blood stained hands in the grass besides them.
Word count: 493
