+ C'mon, git a glove and come with us. We're going down to south forest beach.

= Ok. Let me get it from my locker.

+ No, no . . don't use your glove . . git one of the ones from the gym office.

= But those really suck, they're half rotten ..

+ Yeah, there's a reason for it . . you'll see.

= Why are we going to the beach? I thought we had practice..

+ Coach is outta town . . We're having batting practice, marine-style.

# Yeah, it's that_time_o'_year again .

= Huh?

# You'll see . .

= I don't wanna get all muddy.

+ Don't worry, we aint goin' in the mud flats. You should like mud. Wasn't it your brother got stuck out there?

= Yeah . . . He was out collecting loose nets and tackle, wandered too far and got stuck in a mud bank. . sunk up to his waist. They had to call a firetruck to haul him out.

& Heh. Yeah. He made it on the front page of the 'Packet.

= Yeah, right famous he is . . . Don't we need some baseballs? You got everything else.

+ Nope. Don't need no baseballs.

= Then what are we supposed to hit?

+ Well, you're gonna pitch.

= I can't pitch, you know that.

+ Not overhand, underhand, slow pitch like softball.

= Then let's raid the girl's stuff and get some softballs.

& Heh, don't need no softballs. Where we're goin's got plenty of 'em.

= Huh?

# You'll see . .

= Oh, . . . wait a moment, . . . all those jellyfish wash up now . . that's it. . . We're gonna use jellyballs . . . . I don't wanna pitch.

+ You're gonna pitch, an see, we're gonna hit . . Joel's got right sandbar, Pinckney's gonna take center slick and Earl's got the left side of the dunes. You pitch.

= Aww, c'mon, that's gonna be gross. Those things are so huge. I can't toss 'em that far . .and they smell funny too, not quite rotten, but kinda fishy and cucumber-like . . and, oh . . ick . . you hit one o' them and their guts go flying everywhere . .

# Jellyballs don't got guts, it's all like pickled watermelon, 'cept for the sex fringe on the bottom, but they usually lose that after they've washed ashore.

& Yup! mmm WHAP! SMASH! FLLPPHH! jellyfish everywhere ..

% Hey!, How're we gonna determine outs this time?

# What was it last year? If three or more pieces can be caught, you're out! . . And if it doesn't bust on the first try you getta hit again with a runner on base. . . and if it skims off the bat that's ok, unless it gets too sandy, then it's a strike.

= What if you hit it and it doesn't bust, but somone catches it anyway?

& A three pound ball o' jellyfish is gonna land on your head and you plan to catch it? Nosirree. I say 'Step_Outta_The_Way.' I say if someone 'aint man enough to smash it on the first try they're out. They getta play in near the pitcher.

= What's wrong with playing infield?

% How far do you think those parts fly . . .

= Um. . nnnnn . . what if I get stung.

+ Jellyballs don't sting.

= No, but those little ones that sometimes get trapped in the fringe do. They hurt like heck. I got a bunch of streaks across my back last summer from a whole herd of them.

+ A _Herd_ you say . . . It's too early for the little ones . . of course, we could wait a week for the moon jellies to come in . . how'd you like that . . handful o' glop .. Now those are chock full o' guts. They don't smash up so good though.

# Yeah, might stick to the bat, might get hit and stick to the pitcher's face, might never come off . . all those guts, all that glop stuck across half your face .. What do you think it would look like, having to see through the guts of a jellyfish? Or maybe you could just suck it all off like if your nose is extra runny . . mmm . . That's all jellyfish is anyway, nose runs from clams, sea cucumbers and horseshoe crabs.

Retournez