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he let it go. He tapped his shoe; but before he set his stance, the next pitch came at himso fast he barely knew he had been hit until he was rolling in the dirt with a sharp pain between his shoulder blades. |
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Mitch was quickly at his side, helping him up. Tears pressed from Matty's eyes, and through them he could see Bobby beaming with delight. Had his reflexes been a fraction duller, Matty knew he would have caught the pitch in his face. |
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The crowd applauded as he slogged down the base line. He took the bag, and before the next batter, Bobby cast an eye on him. Matty caught it fast and held him long enough for Bobby to feel the exchange. No wild pitch. Bobby had aimed and fired before his guard was up. |
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The next two batters struck out wildly, leaving Matty on first. He got his glove and headed to the infield. It was the top of the sixth, the last inning, with the Cardinals now one run up and raring to take home another victory. |
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Matty positioned himself between second and first. The sun had dipped over the treeline, casting blue spikes across the field. He could not wait for the game to be over. The clamor in his head was getting louder by the minute. Worse, there was that weird, tingling sensation in his legs and handsa kind of warm giddiness that rapidly spread from his fingers up his arms and neck and across his scalp. He opened and closed his hands. They were humming to do bad stuff. |
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He looked toward the Magog Woods. He would give anything to be in there now. In the cool dark shadows, running to put out the wildfire coursing through his veins. Running as fast as he could "to sweat the poisons out," as his dad would say. |
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To sweat the poisons out. |
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To clear the madness jamming his head. His brain felt like a radio playing every station at once, the volume on max. He could hear the bright chittering of the things swarming around the night lights on the poles. He prayed the game would end fast. He prayed that he would not be involved in a play, because he'd fumble around and blow it. He could barely focus enough to stand still. |
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Mercifully, the first batter popped up to right field. The second |
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