Dying Embers

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen: Sunshower

ᯓ★ play this while reading: golden hour — jvke 𝄞 ⋆ˎˊ-

"Get back to base, Nimbus!" sigaw ni Henry, boses niya matalim at may halong kaba habang pinapanood si Nimbus na tumatakbo papunta sa third base. Pero parang walang naririnig si Nimbus. Determinado siyang makarating doon, kahit pa biglang ibinato ng pitcher ang bola sa third baseman, mabilis, at parang kidlat, sinubukang i-tag siya bago pa siya makatakbo ulit.

Sandaling natigilan si Nimbus; hinigop ng hangin ang hininga niya. Sa gilid ng paningin niya, papalapit ang second baseman, mabilis at kalkulado ang mga hakbang.

"Great! Now you're fucking surrounded! What now, Nimbus?!" sigaw ni Henry mula sa first base, halatang inis at kinakabahan.

"Seriously, ang ingay mo! Hindi ka nakakatulong!" sigaw ni Nimbus pabalik, hindi pa rin umaatras.

Chance chuckled quietly from the sidelines, stretching his arms as he prepared himself. He was up next, right after the current batter. His gaze was focused, but there was a hint of excitement in his eyes. You could see him shifting his weight from one foot to the other, loosening his grip on the bat and taking a deep breath, readying himself for his turn.

Pinagpapasaan nila ang bola mula sa third baseman at sa second baseman. Nimbus was cornered, his options dwindling as the field closed in around him. But instead of panicking, he came to a sudden halt, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips. The second baseman held the ball, ready to throw, but Nimbus had other plans.

"Hari! Run, man!" Nimbus's voice rang out, loud and clear.

Henry's eyes went wide with realization, and he took off like a bullet toward second base. The second baseman, startled by Henry's unexpected sprint, instinctively gave chase. It was a costly mistake — a setup by Nimbus, and the poor guy had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.

"Jackson! The fuck?!" sigaw ng third baseman sa kakampi niya, halatang nainis sa sablay na play.

Natawa si Nimbus, saka mabilis na tumakbo papuntang third base, tuloy-tuloy hanggang home plate. Bago pa man mahawakan ng catcher ang bola, narinig na ang tunog ng sapatos niyang sumayad sa base — safe. Tumawa siya, pawis na pawis, habang nakipag-apir sa batter at kay Chance.

"Damn you, Nimbus! My butt hurts!" reklamo ni Henry mula sa second base, halos nakatihaya pa sa lupa. Sa bilis ng slide niya, napuno ng alikabok ang uniform niya — may bakas ng putik at gasgas sa braso. The way he hit the ground made everyone wince; you could tell the pain crawled up his back and down his legs.

Habang ang mga fielding team ay nagsisisihan dahil sa nangyari.

"Henry, you really need to work on those trust issues..." Chance said, his voice low and teasing, a light chuckle escaping his lips.

Then he faced me. "Wala ba akong good luck galing sa girlfriend ko?" He said with a hint of smile on his lips.

I smiled at him too. "Good luck." I mouthed.

He chuckled softly, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he leaned in closer. With a playful grin, he puckered his lips in my direction, crafting a teasing kiss in the air. Naiiling na natatawa ako sa ginawa niya.

"Baliw." I suddenly commented.

"Ha? Sino?"

Natigilan ako nang bumaling sa akin si Jilliana at nagtanong.