High School Royale

3〛Settlement

Rowan Kohler - 10:13AM
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Rowan awoke on the side of a hill.

The morning sun streamed into his eyes, and he coughed, rolling over, his feet hitting the tires of his bike. His head laid on a hard boulder.

With his mind scattered, he tried to stand up, but stumbled back down, groaning. His leg burned. However, the bed of grass and moss beneath him was soft, cushioning his back like a pillow.

What the hell? Where am I? Did I fall off my bike?

That must've been the case. A single earbud remained in his right ear, his phone was a few feet away next to a log, and his bike was lodged between a few rocks. His backpack was thrown across a tree. Rowan's heart sank, as he began clawing through the dirt.

Where is my other earbud? I saved up for four months for these!

He continued digging through the dirt, his eyes searching frantically, before they finally landed on a white speck. With a sigh of relief, he dug out the case from his pockets, and put his earbuds back. Next, he reached for his phone and tried to turn it on, yet the screen remained black, showing a red battery.

Crap! I left the house with only 23%. The music must've kept playing after I crashed!

Rowan's mind still foggy, he attempted to piece together the events that led him to where he was now; there was a stone, or some sort of animal, but something had caused him to swerve.

The memory came back–him late for school, pedaling at twice his usual speed. Something causing him to swerve, and him tumbling down the hill.

His watch showed that it was 10:14, so he must've blacked out.

But for 2 hours? That means I must have a concussion or permanent brain damage. Or... Did I only black out for a few minutes, wake up, and fall asleep?

The morning sun was soothing, and the moss beneath him felt like a cloud, especially since he had stayed up until 4 a.m. last night on his computer.

Whatever the case, he needed medical aid. His left foot burned like fire when pressed. On light feet, he picked up his bike and backpack, gritting his teeth with each step upwards.

The wooden railing was broken where Rowan swerved down the hill. By the time Rowan reached the top, his feet pounded with agony. He mounted the bike, pushing off the ground with his good feet.

He scurried across the sidewalk, a simple revelation then occurring to him: The street was dead silent. No cars, no lawnmowers, no birds chirping, no ambience at all. A cold sweat rolled down his back, despite the warm sun; something felt very off.

Shaking the feeling away, he continued propelling himself forward, turning the final corner to the school. The tall building emerged in the distance, and he smiled. He could get to the nurse's office, charge his phone, and get either Soren or his parents to take him home. He'd get to skip the algebra test!

He pushed himself across the parking lot, past a car with two girls inside. He made eye contact with one, and she screamed, pulling her and the other one beneath the seats.

What was that about? They must've thought I was a teacher catching them skipping.

Without another thought, Rowan continued on, rolling himself up the bike ramp onto the sidewalk leading into the school's main entrance. Yet still, a chill ran down his back.

No birds chirped. There was no wind. During his entire bike ride, no cars passed.

Rowan hesitated for a few seconds, before pushing his way onto the school's main entrance and turning to face the door. Under the large awning, a cold wing swept.