>>6295807
He takes a step back, raising his right hand over his shoulder. You swear you can see his hand twitching right before his arm snaps forward, nailing you in the chest.

You are suddenly reminded of the jackhammer. The first time you'd seen a jackhammer was when you were three and went to New York. Your uncle was starring in a Broadway play, and your family had tickets. As you walked along the streets of Times Square, you noticed a construction worker using a jackhammer to break up the concrete. You noticed the pulsing, crushing force of the machine, which itself kept a constant grating tempo. You imagine what it would be like to die for the first time.

That pulsing, crushing feeling radiates from your chest to your extremities. You double up. Blood drips out of your mouth, staining your teeth red. You try to speak, but you cannot.

>ACROBATICS. You've got to get your footing.
>BRAWN. You've got to tough it out through the pain.
>CHARISMA. You've got to lock in; the hoes can't see you like this.
>VIGILANCE. You've got to make it through.
>INTELLIGENCE. You've got to keep your mind sharp.