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Description
I looked down at the glittering network below and shifted on my board a little.

"Ready?"

I looked sideways to see Fleka grinning at me, smile sharp as the night air. No, I wanted to say. No, I'm not ready. Please let me down. But I didn't want to seem scared in front of him, he who had brought me up here and bought me a board and was so eager to share this world with me. So I shrugged.

He rolled over to the edge of the platform, peering down at the distant lights. "A bit high up, I guess. But what's better for a first ride?"

A starting point closer to the ground, I wanted to say, but Fleka was giving me that crazy grin again, all teeth and acute angles, so I just shook my head and stared back down. The lights glared back, bathing my face dimly in their glow. Hoping, still, that I might delay this a bit longer, maybe back out all together, I looked towards Fleka to say something. But where he had been was only space.

"Go," his voice said behind me. His breath tickled my ear as a violent shove pushed my board. I swayed, trying to balance, and my board tipped off the edge.

I screamed. One pure note, descending as I did. The wind grabbed my hair and made it stream upwards, whipping strands in my face and into my open mouth. My board barely clung to my feet, seeming to desire to fall faster than I could.

I heard wild laughter above me. I didn't dare look up, my eyes glued to the shimmering lights below, my face permanantely tipped downward. "We'll hit the lights in a sec!" Fleka's voice barely reached me, snatched away almost immediately by the wind. "Hold on!"

To what? I wanted to scream, and then we hit the lights.

My board bounced violently under me and I waved my arms desperately, trying to find a center of gravity. Instinctively I leaned forward, like a surfer, putting my hands behind me. I could just see the path of lights stretching out in front of me through my blurring vision. I knew I should have worn goggles.

"You're doing great!" Fleka called. I slid my eyes sideways and saw him creep up beside me, riding the same light pathway. That grin of his still hadn't gone away. If anything, it was even wider. "Try to treat it like any other sort of boarding! Stand up! Lean with the curves! Trust me!"

You shoved me off a platform miles above the ground, I wanted to yell, but the wind was taking my breath away. So I took as deep a breath I could manage, straightened, and shifted my feet, one in front, one behind, stretching out my arms. I felt free, airy, ...light.

"Woohoo! There ya go!" Fleka turned his gaze back towards the lightpath. A junction was coming up. "Follow me!" He leaned forward and coasted up and in front of me, accelerating as he took the sharp right curve. Startled, I just barely shifted my weight in time to land the turn. As my board wheeled, my head got thrown back, and as I looked up I could see the stars.

Light above me, light beneath me. I lowered my eyes back to the path. Light before me, light behind me. Light around me. I smiled. Light in me.

I suddenly shifted my weight to my back foot, flipping my board up in front of me. I soared up, up and up, flying over Fleka's astonished face. Look out, I wanted to say, but I was afraid of biting my tongue.

I came down hard on another junction, board juddering. I barely nabbed the turn, sharply angling off towards another path. This one eventually descended into darkness, my board slowing as the light dimmed.

Fleka coasted up behind me. "Whoa. That... was awesome."

Yes, it was, I wanted to say. Instead, I looked forward as my board shuddered to a stop. I stepped off my board and kick-flipped it up into my hands, landing softly on the earth.

The lights were gone. We stood alone, silent, in the dark.

"You've been pretty quiet for your first time," Fleka said. "There anything you want to say?"

I turned towards him, expecting to see his board-edge sharp grin splitting the night. It wasn't there.

So instead I gave him my own, smile as bright as lightways through the darkness.

There's been plenty, I wanted to say. But instead, I let the light speak.

Description
I looked down at the glittering network below and shifted on my board a little.

"Ready?"

I looked sideways to see Fleka grinning at me, smile sharp as the night air. No, I wanted to say. No, I'm not ready. Please let me down. But I didn't want to seem scared in front of him, he who had brought me up here and bought me a board and was so eager to share this world with me. So I shrugged.

He rolled over to the edge of the platform, peering down at the distant lights. "A bit high up, I guess. But what's better for a first ride?"

A starting point closer to the ground, I wanted to say, but Fleka was giving me that crazy grin again, all teeth and acute angles, so I just shook my head and stared back down. The lights glared back, bathing my face dimly in their glow. Hoping, still, that I might delay this a bit longer, maybe back out all together, I looked towards Fleka to say something. But where he had been was only space.

"Go," his voice said behind me. His breath tickled my ear as a violent shove pushed my board. I swayed, trying to balance, and my board tipped off the edge.

I screamed. One pure note, descending as I did. The wind grabbed my hair and made it stream upwards, whipping strands in my face and into my open mouth. My board barely clung to my feet, seeming to desire to fall faster than I could.

I heard wild laughter above me. I didn't dare look up, my eyes glued to the shimmering lights below, my face permanantely tipped downward. "We'll hit the lights in a sec!" Fleka's voice barely reached me, snatched away almost immediately by the wind. "Hold on!"

To what? I wanted to scream, and then we hit the lights.

My board bounced violently under me and I waved my arms desperately, trying to find a center of gravity. Instinctively I leaned forward, like a surfer, putting my hands behind me. I could just see the path of lights stretching out in front of me through my blurring vision. I knew I should have worn goggles.

"You're doing great!" Fleka called. I slid my eyes sideways and saw him creep up beside me, riding the same light pathway. That grin of his still hadn't gone away. If anything, it was even wider. "Try to treat it like any other sort of boarding! Stand up! Lean with the curves! Trust me!"

You shoved me off a platform miles above the ground, I wanted to yell, but the wind was taking my breath away. So I took as deep a breath I could manage, straightened, and shifted my feet, one in front, one behind, stretching out my arms. I felt free, airy, ...light.

"Woohoo! There ya go!" Fleka turned his gaze back towards the lightpath. A junction was coming up. "Follow me!" He leaned forward and coasted up and in front of me, accelerating as he took the sharp right curve. Startled, I just barely shifted my weight in time to land the turn. As my board wheeled, my head got thrown back, and as I looked up I could see the stars.

Light above me, light beneath me. I lowered my eyes back to the path. Light before me, light behind me. Light around me. I smiled. Light in me.

I suddenly shifted my weight to my back foot, flipping my board up in front of me. I soared up, up and up, flying over Fleka's astonished face. Look out, I wanted to say, but I was afraid of biting my tongue.

I came down hard on another junction, board juddering. I barely nabbed the turn, sharply angling off towards another path. This one eventually descended into darkness, my board slowing as the light dimmed.

Fleka coasted up behind me. "Whoa. That... was awesome."

Yes, it was, I wanted to say. Instead, I looked forward as my board shuddered to a stop. I stepped off my board and kick-flipped it up into my hands, landing softly on the earth.

The lights were gone. We stood alone, silent, in the dark.

"You've been pretty quiet for your first time," Fleka said. "There anything you want to say?"

I turned towards him, expecting to see his board-edge sharp grin splitting the night. It wasn't there.

So instead I gave him my own, smile as bright as lightways through the darkness.

There's been plenty, I wanted to say. But instead, I let the light speak.