Silver Wheels and Setting Suns

Penny Starwhisper rolled her skateboard across the smooth concrete of Sunset Skate Park, her silver hair catching the late afternoon light. The graffiti-covered ramps stretched before her like colorful waves frozen in time. She loved coming here when the park was quieter, before the serious skaters arrived for evening practice.

"Nice board!" called out a voice behind her.

Penny turned to see a tall boy with messy brown hair jogging over. He wore a bright red hoodie and carried his own skateboard under his arm.

"I'm Jake," he said, grinning. "Haven't seen you here before."

"Penny," she replied softly, glancing toward the ocean where the sun hung lower in the sky. "I usually come earlier."

Jake dropped his board and hopped on. "Want to try the half-pipe? I can show you some tricks."

Penny watched him glide effortlessly up the curved wall. Something about the way he moved seemed different from other skaters, almost like he was floating.

The Floating Practice

Penny watched Jake push off the curved wall of the half-pipe with his feet barely touching the surface. His skateboard seemed to drift through the air longer than it should have.

"How did you do that?" she asked when he rolled back down.

Jake shrugged. "Just practice, I guess." He glanced around the park, which was filling up with more skaters. "Want to grab some food? There's a bakery across the street."

As they walked toward the park's exit, Penny noticed something odd. A small seagull perched on the fence post had stopped moving entirely, like a statue. She blinked, and it was normal again, preening its feathers.

At Coastal Crumbs Bakery, Jake ordered two muffins while Penny stared out the window. More skaters were arriving at the park now, but something felt different about them. They moved with the same floating quality as Jake.

"The annual contest starts tomorrow," Jake said, handing her a blueberry muffin. "Everyone's getting ready."

"Contest?" Penny asked.

"The Cosmic Skate Contest. It's been happening here for three years. Winners get something special." His eyes seemed to shimmer for just a moment. "You should enter."