Anna

28 - Ambushed

"El, catch," Joe flicked his wrist and sent the Frisbee floating toward Ellie. She held her hands out, but the disc sailed past her and into a tree for the hundredth time that afternoon.

Ellie sighed in exasperation as the green disc clattered to the ground.

"That's alright," Tessa encouraged. "You can try again."

She retrieved the disc and turned back to Tessa.

"Remember, it's all in the wrist," Joe said.

Ellie planted her feet against the dirt and bit her lip in concentration. Lining the disc up with her target, she sent it wobbling through the air directly into Tessa's hands.

"Good throw!"

Ellie smiled and returned to her spot in the imaginary triangle. Tessa passed the disc to Joe, who turned to Ellie again.

"Ready?"

She resumed her exaggerated stance and held out her hands. The disc soared overhead, but her hands shot up to sandwich it between her palms before it sailed too far behind.

Ellie stood in amazement before she cheered for joy at her accomplishment.

"I caught it!" Joe and Tessa joined in her minor celebration.

She tossed it back to Tessa when Joe excused himself to answer a phone call.

"Hey, Ryan..."

The disc flew back to Ellie, who once again caught it with little effort. She performed a celebratory dance before sending it back, but it sailed past Tessa into another tree.

"We're at the park. Can I call you back later?"

Tessa retrieved the disc as Joe hung up the phone.

"What did Ryan want?" Tessa asked, spinning the disc between her fingers before tossing it to Joe.

"He wants me to give that fucking studio another chance." He snatched the disc out of the air with one hand and shook his head in annoyance.

"Joe," Tessa scolded.

"Sorry. Freaking."

They tossed the disc back and forth a few more times, and Ellie actually caught a few. Eventually, when she held her hands up with confidence, it glided over her head again. Instead of crashing into the tree, it disappeared at the bottom of the hill.

"I'll get it," Ellie half-offered, half-groaned. She turned to shuffle down the hill in search of the Frisbee.

The rest of the park consisted of flat, open space with towering oak trees scattered across the lawn for shade. Ellie scanned the grassy field. When her search came up empty, she wondered whose bright idea it was to buy a Frisbee the same color as grass.

She examined the surrounding area, her search taking her farther away from Joe and Tessa. Finally she spotted the dark green disc camouflaged amongst a tall patch of grass.

With the disc in hand, she turned to head back up the hill, but someone stood in her way.

Startled, she jumped back, clutching the disc to her chest. A man around the same age as Joe had snuck up on her. To her horror, he tried to talk to her.

"Ellie, right?"

Her body tensed. She turned away from him, hoping he would leave on his own. Yet he persisted.

"Oh, come on. Let's talk for a minute."

Ellie sucked in a breath and shoved past him. The man's shoes rustled through the grass as he followed her.