It's All on Us

Chapter 1: Start it up
As the bell rang, Nildan burst through the school doors and ran to the end of the concrete floor. Heat instantly burst on his exposed neck and created that noise that you couldn’t shake from your ears. Scrapes along the gravel property sound under the weight of his steps. As he pushes the learning centre further behind him. Peering over the edge. I reached for my harness under the cliff. I had to lean back quickly because I can’t be in that position without thinking I’m about to fall off. The bracket that holds the harness under the lip of the city came installed like that. The bungee cable isn't super bouncy, which makes for a slower landing. It was a great spot considering he needed one. If not, Lalike and his gang of bullies would attack Nildan physically and mentally, till they were satisfied with the harm they’d caused. But today was going to be different. Nildan had a plan. Usually the group could tell Nildan was outside once the front doors sharply creaked open, letting light enter their classroom. Minutes after, collaged armies of students would neatly walk past doors and down steps. The boys would stealthily use the students as cover and jump out at any time, to bruise him up and cuss him out. This time, the group decided to stroll in his direction, out in the open. “You’ll never get me”, Nildan shouted. Seven necks turn at once. Slow strolling erupts into short sprinting. Concrete is rumbling as the pack nears. The sea of white uniforms space out for this stampede. All these students are like a spilled pack of pencil crayons. Skin that is yellow, orange and purple. The boy is basically being chased by a rainbow. There isn't a colour in that spectrum he fits and maybe that is why he must run. Last straps are pulled. Nildan leaps off the edge. Lalike and the others arrived where he just left.
One of them grabbed the rope near its knot. Another stomped his heel, popping a knife handle out the back of his shoe. The boy grabs his heel and the blade slides with a sharp edge. Lalike was handed both. His chunky features tightened with delight. The sweat dripping from his purplish skin, runs down his forehead slow and oily. With one rage filled slash, he erased the tension from the rope. Nildan was anticipating a fast fall. A pile of leaves constructed in two weeks' preparation was supposed to provide a mostly soft landing. The goons glanced at the forests underneath them. Nildan is wrestling out the bombardments of leaves I was starting to sink in the fluffy pile. Then I pressed the clumps together behind my back. Giving me solid pieces to push off. I was able to wiggle out onto my feet.