PROLOGUE
“Hello and welcome back everyone! In case you missed it before the break, England’s Phil Doyle
just threw down one of the most spectacular displays of skill ever to grace this arena. He started out a little slow but his final Tech has landed him firmly in first place with a comfortable half point lead. Doyle finally nailed the Heaven n’ @#!*% Drop. Yes, you heard that right, a wall hanging inward front flip, a drop of EIGHT feet straight down, CATCHING the next wall lip, and then seamlessly popping off into a layout back flip. Keep in mind; no one has even attempted that combo since Romero Nunez nearly ended his career trying it a year ago. But that flash of insanity might clinch 37-year-old Phil’s chances at a fourth international title. A good thing too for the oldest competing Runner because he has confirmed this is his last shot at glory.”
“The volume has doubled and the screams are more intense than ever. That can mean only one thing: Andre Levy has taken his position at the starting gate. 24-year-old Andre just entered the
international scene early last year but he has already taken the PK/FR world by storm. He’s won
three back-to-back continental titles, landed the first ever Wall Double Side Simi in competition and now, he’s taking aim at the world title. His music is blasting, the bass rocking the arena seats. Andre's signal is that he’s ready to begin and there he goes! Diving front flip over the starting gate, a trademark of his, rolling out of it and seamlessly dropping in off the first wall. He takes aim at the
monkey scaffolds and…”
“…10 seconds left on Andre’s 90 second run here. It’s been pretty impressive so far but I don’t know if it’ll be enough to top Doyle’s. He’s slow as he climbs back up the retaining wall, breathing hard. These Freestyle runs are rough on everybody, especially at this top tier of competition. A bit of lag as Andre regains strength at the wall top, staring down the Big Gap. Probably looking forone last big Tech here. He winds up, leaps and…WHOA! Oh my God! Holy @#!*%! No way, NO WAY! Pray you did not just blink folks, pray!"
"Coming out of a dead sprint, Andre pulled a Layout Gainer over the Big Gap, dropping down six feet into a BLIND RAIL PRECISION! And he hit it clean, standing straight on the rail as the buzzer blared! The crowd is going ballistic, even the judges are on their feet! The other Runners are losing their minds, tackling Andre to the ground in excitement! No question about it. Andre Levy has up
set Phil Doyle to take this year’s 18th Annual World Parkour/Freerun Championship!"
Rusty pointed the tiny silver remote at the drop screen and paused the playback. He had watched this run dozens of times in the past week. Every time it ended the same way: Andre twisting and soaring, the entire world holding its breath. Silence as he hit the bar. Then the cheers erupted, the explosion of noise, every time. Each time Rusty would pause the video, right as Andre hit the peak of his jump, trying to imagine himself there. There, in the crowd, or as one of the Runners, or even as Andre himself. Trying to imagine that feeling of accomplishment, of awe, of pure unadulterated freedom. But his imagination always fell short. Without being there, without knowing what even a single jump or Tech felt like he could never measure up to what he saw on screen. So he’d watch the run again, and again, and again. Frustrated and annoyed, he’d turn it off again and again, unable to taste that pure feeling. He glanced at the clock and did a double take. @#!*% , 7:54, now he’d have to run to catch the Mag-Lev train at 8:05. He snatched up his backpack, swatted the light switch to off, and hustled out the door, locking it behind him. Then he ran. The year is 2028. PK/FR, the abbreviation for Parkour/Freerun, has become a household name, nearly replacing soccer and football as the most widely practiced and watched sport in the world. Every child, parent, and even grandparent knows about it. There are PK/FR clubs in every town, basic Techs (the slang term for moves and tricks) are taught in school P.E. classes, and competitions are held regularly for amateurs and professionals alike. The champions become legends, idols, and bigger celebrities than David Beckham in his prime. PK/FR has become the mainstream, and the mainstream has become PK/ FR. Russell Klein, nicknamed Rusty, is a 17-year-old high school student living in The City. Ever since he could remember he has worshipped Runners, the name for PK/FR athletes. Their power, skill, and confidence captured his imagination. But he has never trained in the sport. His mother has forbidden training of any kind ever since his father, one of the first massively popular Runners, died from a fall in the middle of downtown. So Rusty has been forced to merely watch his dreams, to follow the champs online, and to sneak the occasional vault into his classes at school. But today he will miss his train. He will meet a man. And nothing will ever be the same.
MORE CHAPTERS TO COME IN THE NEAR FUTURE...
