Chapter 99
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The sun had begun to dip low in the sky, casting golden streaks across the field like spilled honey. The sharp scent of sweat and turf lingered in the air, mixing with the cool breeze that brushed against my cheeks. I leaned down, resting my hands on my knees, catching my breath as the final whistle blew.
“That’s it for today!” Coach barked, clapping her hands. “Good hustle, girls. Let’s keep that energy for the coming game!”
A few cheers echoed, sticks hit the ground, and some of the girls flopped onto the grass like they’d just survived a war. I straightened up, wiping the sweat off my forehead, when Sheela bounded up to me with her usual sparkle.
“Lucy!” she chirped, bouncing on her toes. “We’re all heading out. Thor is here to pick us up. You coming?”
I let out a breathy laugh. “Tempting. But I think I’ll stay a bit longer.”
“No way,” Rubina walked up beside her, holding her water bottle, a tired but content smile on her face. “You are coming with us. You worked hard today–you deserve to crash like a potato on a couch.”
“I want to,” I replied, putting my hand against my chest. “But I also wanna practice more–catch up on the sessions I missed.”
Both of them blinked at me like I’d just declared I was voluntarily taking an extra math class.
“Girl,” Sheela narrowed her eyes. “We’re teenagers, not robots. Who practices more after practice?”
“I do,” I said with a teasing smirk, rolling my shoulders and fidgeting my stick between my fingers. “I haven’t been the most consistent lately. I need this.”
Rubina tilted her head, watching me closely. “Are you sure?” she asked gently.
I paused for a moment. Missing quality time with friends was indeed a loss, but practice was important as well, especially now that we are soon having a tournament.
“I just need to be better,” I said finally, quietly.
Rubina didn’t press. She just gave me that warm, understanding smile that always felt like a hug without arms. “Alright. But don’t stay too long. The field gets lonely after sunset.”
“I won’t,” I promised.
Sheela threw her arm around Rubina’s shoulder and started walking backward. “You better not! If some ghost drags you into the shadows, I’m not fighting any spirit for you. I’ll just light a candle and move on.”
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I laughed, shaking my head. “Thanks for the loyalty.”
“Anytime!” she called, twirling dramatically as they both walked off toward the gate.
I stood alone now, in the soft hush that follows the noise. The field stretched out in front of me like an open challenge, and my heart thudded with something that felt a lot like determination. I adjusted my gloves, gripped my stick tighter, and took a deep breath.
Let’s do this.
In the empty field, just me, my stick, and the echo of my breath against the silence was thriving in the extra practice session. The sky above had faded into a soft lavender, with streaks of orange bleeding through the clouds like bruises. Each time the ball clacked against my stick, it sounded too loud, too sharp–like it didn’t belong in the stillness.
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Chapter 99
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I dribbled past the cones again, faster this time, sweat dripping down my spine. My ponytail clung to the back of my neck. I bent, flicked, turned.
Then I paused.
A chill slid down my arms.
I straightened slowly, my breath catching in my throat. I glanced toward the gate–empty. The bleachers–silent. The parking lot just beyond the chain–link fence–bare.
But that feeling….
The feeling like eyes were on me. Watching. Waiting.
My heart thumped harder, echoing in my ears louder than my stick against the turf. I tried to shake it off, but my palms grew clammy inside my gloves. My body was tense now–coiled, alert, like it knew something I didn’t.
I forced myself to take another shot at the goal. The ball missed. Wide.
The wind picked up slightly, rustling through the nearby trees.
That’s it. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t focus like this. Maybe it’s the universe’s way of telling me that I should stop practicing and go home.
My hands moved quickly, almost clumsily, as I shoved my shoes into my bag and zipped it shut. The locker room was too quiet. The kind of quiet that made you feel like you were being dared to make a sound. My heart hadn’t slowed down since practice–I kept telling myself I was being paranoid, but that feeling of somebody watching me hadn’t left. If anything, it had gotten worse.
My water bottle clinked as it hit the bottom of my bag. I flinched.
I slung the strap over my shoulder and stood, ready to bolt. But just as I turned toward the exit, I heard it.
A faint shuffle.
Footsteps. Slow. Deliberate.
Somewhere just beyond the lockers.
I froze.
It could’ve been the wind. Or the janitor. Or one of the girls coming back for something.
But it didn’t feel like that.
It felt wrong.
I took a shaky step forward, my voice barely a whisper, “Hello?”
Silence.
I swallowed hard and stepped closer to the doorway leading into the hallway. The lights flickered slightly.
“Probably the old wiring,” I said to myself to calm the chill feeling, but it didn’t help. Something deep in my gut whispered it again and again like a warning.
Something was wrong.
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Chapter 99
I wet my lips. “Excuse me…” I said louder this time, my voice echoing eerily in the tiled space. “Is anyone there?”
Nothing.
But then-
A shadow moved across the floor outside. Not fast. Not slow. Just enough to tell me someone was out there.
I backed up instinctively, gripping the strap of my bag like it could protect me. My pulse thundered in my ears.
“Hello?” I called again, my voice trembling now, trying to stay steady, brave.
No answer.
Just the sound of the wind brushing past the entrance door. And my breath. Shaky, uneven.
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Someone had just passed by. This isn’t paranoia. I am one hundred percent sure. I can feel it. And the feeling is not very pleasant, in fact, if it is anything then it’s obnoxious.
To be continued…
