Creative Writing Class-time

Call For The Ball

Note: Every character and event is original and mine, though I did steal snippets of Haikyuu!! scenes

--------

The crowd cheered, cameras flashing and clicking in a dizzying array of lights, adding to the frenetic energy within the dazzling size of the stadium.

"Pass!"

"Hit it, hit it!"

"My ball!"

The screaming and shouting melded between the lines of the squeaking and thumping of the ball and the players dashing from one end of the court to the other.

Mizushi sprang forward, diving down onto the hard floor, his fist just barely bumping the ball back up into the air. His heart thumped in beat with the pounding steps of his teammates.

"Good save!" The crowd screamed alongside many of the teammates around the court.

Mizushi's save sailed high into the air, arching perfectly to meet the outstretched arms of the setter. The set was hard, fast, and whizzed right into the hand of a wing spiker;the hard strike shooting straight through a wall of arms trying to stuff the attack.

It slammed into the ground, resonating throughout the stadium, chorusing with shouts of excitement, exclamations of victory, and hurt jeers.

"Set point!"

Absolute pandemonium took over the climax of the game, the deciding rally. Mizushi cracked his knuckles.

"Bring it on."

The ball was struck down with a powerful serve. The other team's libero refused to lose, and with great energy plunged down to dig the ball. It ricocheted painfully off his arms, swerving through the air, right back over the net.

"Free ball, Kurohyaku!"

Mizushi kept his eyes on that ball, the spinning splay of colors illuminating his vision. The only thing on this court, in this stadium, that was on his mind was the ball. His ball.

He darted to the other end of the court, putting his arms together–his fingers folded over one another. Time nearly froze, the rush of the ball coming into contact with his skin was like no other feeling out there.

But where to send it? In that moment, there was only one person out there who he trusted their victory to.

"Call for the ball, Ace!" His scream was loud, resounding, and chock full of passion.

"Bring it here!" came the responding voice of the team's ace.

It bounced high, momentarily blockading one of the lights within the ace's vision. He shifted his foot, bounding to meet the place where his hand would meet the ball. In perfect synchronization, a rhythm sent waves of shock and excitement throughout the entire room;his hand met perfectly with the ball.

In a breath-holding moment, the ball sailed from the back row of the court, over the net, and right past the arms of the blockers. No one dared to touch the attack, the power of the ace.

In desperation, the opposing team scrambled to get a hand on the ball, a foot if they could. Their libero's leg shot out to the ball. His foot connected with the ball, sending it right back into the air. Another wave of cries followed the action, dragging the rally on.

"He creped the ball!"

The other team's captain darted to dig the ball, sending it in turn to their ace. This game was over.

Mizushi furrowed his brows and clenched his mouth tight. He was the guard of Kurohyaku's court. While he was still in play, the other team had no chance of stealing the victory. In a split second he tracked the ball's erratic course, diving down with outstretched arms to retrieve it. His arms couldn't make it, the few centimeters left deciding their loss.

The bitter taste of frustration only motivated him to shoot a single arm out. The only thing between the ball and the floor was the small back of his hand. He had three seconds to revel in this amazing chance play as the ball was already sailing back over to their setter.

Akira inhaled deeply. He was at the core of the team, whatever play he made was certainly the detrimental decider between the winners and losers in this kinetic game.

He felt the ball on the cusp of his fingertips. In a split second, his choice would write the history for his team. His eyes met those of the wing spiker on the other side of the net, to his left. He was going to be the hitter, should the ball make it back to the opposing team. Akira jumped up, arching his back, and with grace, dipped the ball right over the net. The ball fell, and silence came over the court. The spiker that would have spelled victory for his own team was too late to stop the ball.

It thudded softly to the ground. Another second of silence. A whistle blew.

"Game!"

Mizushi, Akira, all of Kurohyaku erupted in hollers and cheers, along with their many fans in the stadium.

Kurohyaku had claimed victory.