Dawn Hollow

XX

Kane hugged his legs covered in his new jeans, simply watching the world go by. It was nothing new. He had done it merely every day but never so close to the ground before. Now, he was on the same level as them instead of just seeing people the size of ants from his place high in the mountains. He could hear their conversations, understand their motives, and even watch and learn as they slowly became better people. It was oddly harmonious in his weird little world.

One by one, student by student, they would leave campus. Some took the last bus, others got in cars and added to the many hazards already on the road. A select few chose to stick to the sidewalks and carry themselves home by their own two feet, which Kane admired.

When a majority of the people seemed to have left, he picked the grass to pass the endless time. If there was anything he learned from being in the woods by himself for two years, it was how to weave grass. He started making little rings around his fingers and a small, itchy crown for his head. He formed a small figure of a person like a cornhusk doll in his hands which only made him sad when it got carried away in a strong breeze.

The sun was almost entirely set, just streaks of pink and orange with marshmallow clouds mixed in. It was a dramatic change of pace from the grey undertones that had remained all day, but at least now he had a small idea of how late it was.

Just as he began to think that the coast was clear as the last car exited the parking lot, another car pulled in. And then another did. And another. And a few more after that until there were nine new cars in the parking lot. Kane groaned with a shiver, just wanting to make it inside before the harsh chill of the winter air struck him to suffer and freeze.

"What are you still doing here?" A mildly accented voice called out to him. The forest boy looked behind him to see Noah walking down the field's hill to him, fully dressed in some kind of uniform under the required street lights of the school.

"Oh, I'm sleeping in the gym tonight, so I was waiting for everyone to leave so I can sneak back inside. But then all these cars just showed up, so I have to wait a bit longer before going in. What are you still doing here?" Kane returned.

"Baseball practice, remember? It just ended at seven," He said coldly.

"So is that why all these cars are here?"

"Everyone has to get home somehow." Noah let his bag slip off his shoulder and crash into the grass before sitting down next to Kane, looking in every other direction but his as he watched his teammates get in cars and leave.

"So, how do you play baseball?" Kane mumbled, with more grass weaved around his fingers.

"Why do you care?"

"Just trying to strike a conversation. It's better than sitting in complete silence."

"I get that you probably don't like silence because you've lived by yourself for so long, but I actually enjoy peace and quiet after a day as shit as this one was," Noah barked, fire practically sparking from his throat as he spoke. They sat in silence for a long minute, "What do you want to know about it?"

"How do you play? What are the rules or positions? Just explain it to me like I've never seen the sport before," Kane instructed him. Noah nodded, a slight smirk flashing on his lip for a tiny second. The forest boy adjusted his seat towards the baseball player with one knee up and over the leg under him.

"Okay, basically there are two teams; one bats while the other is in the field. The opposite team's pitcher will throw a round ball about the size of a fist at the other team's batter. That batter wants to hit the ball far out into the field with their baseball bat to buy them enough time to run to as many of the three bases as they can. If they do all three and make it back home, it's a home run that gets them a full point. If not, they can just stay on a base until the next batter hits it and buys even more time to run. If the opposite team catches the ball and throws it to a baseman, that batter is out."