CHAPTER TWELVE - THE PARK
Lara dog-eared the page in her book. And looked up. Seeing Catcher on his belly. Facing Agatha. Who was on her belly too.
They were staring at a dandelion. Which had died. And was now sitting with a full head of seeds. Like a feathery snowball. On a stalk.
"One..." Agatha began counting.
Catcher licked his lips.
"Two..." she drew it out. Seeing the impatience in his eyes.
"Remember," she tricked with a smile. "It's on three..."
She waited.
He watched.
"Three!" They each blew their hardest. The little dandelion shuddering. Spilling its seeds.
Agatha had to shut her eyes. To keep the hundreds from going into them.
"Okay! Okay!" she relented. "You won!"
He stopped blowing. Her laughter subsiding.
Then she fingered the stalk. Snapping off the head. Watching the milky stuff come out.
"But you only did though because you have bigger lungs than I do." She said. Making sure she still had her dignity.
"You just have a smaller mouth." He reasoned.
"No," Agatha picked the empty stalk. From the grass. Looked at it. Then cast it to the side. "Mom says I have a big mouth. 'One too big for my own good'." She had to squint one eye. And look up into her head. To remember the words exactly.
Catcher leaned forward. And put his thumb and first finger. On the corners of her mouth. Then pulled back. And measured his own. With his other hand.
Comparing them.
"Mine's still bigger." He said.
"You sure don't talk very much for having a big mouth then." She pondered. Reaching out. Touching his mouth. Gauging. Like he did. Spreading his lips. To see teeth.
Giggling. She wiped the wetness onto her shirt.
"Should I talk more?"
"If you want." She rolled over onto her back. Looking up at the clouds. "Mom says I talk a lot. I bet I have to talk a lot to keep my lips from melting together. It's like if you make a silly face, they say it stays that way."
"Does it?"
"Probably," she offered. Her voice almost like a librarian. Who knew everything. At the age of six. "Nikky said she saw a girl pull her lips out from the sides and they stayed that way forever."
"How does she know that it's forever?"
Agatha rolled back over. Coming to face him again. Catcher was picking at the grass. He looked up.
"I don't know." She looked at him. Even though it wasn't answerable. She liked that question.
Her little head cocked. "Do you like it here?" She set it down on her crossed arms.
"In the park?"
"No, with me." her shoulders shrugged up a bit. As she too picked at the grass.
"Yes."
"Good." She smiled. "I like you here too." Rolling fully. She got up. And wiped the grass from her clothes.
Catcher did the same.
"Do you know how to play 'Captain Shadow'?" Looking towards the ground.
He shook his head. Looking down. Standing in front of her.
"I can teach you. You wanna play?"
He shrugged. And nodded. At the same time.
"Kay. The game is, you try and step on each other's shadows. And the last person that gets stepped on. Is 'it'."
"What's 'it'?"
"It's the last person that gets their shadow stepped on. Understand?"
Catcher shook his head again.
Agatha sighed. "Come here," she took his hand. And pulled him around to her other side. "See my shadow?" She pointed down. And he nodded. "You're standing on it now. So, you're 'it'."
"Because I'm standing on your shadow?"
"Yeah!" Agatha answered. "Now, the tree's base."
"What's 'base'?"
"The tree is." Agatha would never grow tired of teaching him. Even when he still didn't get it. She explained. "Base is where you can't step on someone's shadow."
"Even if you're 'it'?"
"Even if you're 'it'." She confirmed. "Alright." She stepped back. So he wasn't on her shadow anymore. "You're 'it'."
"Why am I 'it'?"
"Because I say so."
"Why do you get to say so?"
"You're making this a lot harder than it needs to be." She sighed with a smile. "We definitely need to work on you some more. Here, do you want me to be 'it' first then?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I'm 'it', you go run."
Catcher took off.
"But you can't run too fast!" She called after him.
"Why not?" He called back.
"Because I can't run as fast as you!"
"Isn't that the point?"
"No! That makes it unfair!"
"Okay." Catcher slowed down. Puffing. Already.
Agatha came up easily beside him. "But you have to run so it's hard."
"Oh." Catcher sped up. His hand on his chest. And Agatha followed suit.
They weaved in and out. Sprinting through the grass. Both laughing. Until Catcher went under the tree.
"Base!" He called. And Agatha stopped at the edge of the shadow. Smiling.
"Yeah, but you can't get out now." She smiled cockily. Her arms held wide. Shifting back and forth on her feet. Ready for his any move.
"Yes I can." He ran straight for her. Something she didn't expect. And vaulted right over her head. Barely touching her shoulders. He took off running. When he landed.
"Hey!" Agatha called as he ran off. "You can't do that!"
"Why not?" He called back. Stopping. Huffing. Something hurt. His hand went to his chest again.
"Because you're 'it' now." She stuck out her tongue.
"But you didn't step on my shadow..."
"But you can't touch. And touching's the same as stepping on a shadow.
"I touched you though, you didn't touch me. That doesn't make sense."
"It doesn't have to make sense. Touching's touching. And it doesn't matter who did it to who. You touched me - who was 'it' - and now you're 'it' for touching me."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is!" She came back. Then turned to her mom. Who was sitting on the bench. Watching them. "Mom? It doesn't matter who touches who right?!" She called.
"She's right Catcher, you're 'it'." Lara claimed. Turning a page in her book. Smiling. Cocking an eye to him. Not noticing his hand. Massaging his chest.
"See!?" Agatha stuck her tongue out again.
"Fine." Catcher breathed. Smiling devilishly. As he swooped down upon Agatha. Lightning fast.
She yelped in surprise. And delight. And ran.
She barely escaped him. Her little legs pumping. While his swallowed the ground. Like a giant.
She hurried up a rise. Her little heart pumping. As she made it to the top. Triumphant. She turned back.
Only to see him stooped over. Clutching at his chest.
His knees buckled. And he fell. Wheezing. Clenching at his borrowed shirt. Dark. And blue. Trying to reach his heart. Which was hurting.
And fell over onto his side. Breathing hard.
"Catcher! What's wrong?" Agatha came streaking down the hill. Stumbling once. Before she was over him. Her hands on his arms. He couldn't speak. Only pant. "Is something hurting you?"
He looked up at her.
There was pain in his eyes. And fear.
"MOMMY!"
Lara dog-eared the page in her book. And looked up. Seeing Catcher on his belly. Facing Agatha. Who was on her belly too.
They were staring at a dandelion. Which had died. And was now sitting with a full head of seeds. Like a feathery snowball. On a stalk.
"One..." Agatha began counting.
Catcher licked his lips.
"Two..." she drew it out. Seeing the impatience in his eyes.
"Remember," she tricked with a smile. "It's on three..."
She waited.
He watched.
"Three!" They each blew their hardest. The little dandelion shuddering. Spilling its seeds.
Agatha had to shut her eyes. To keep the hundreds from going into them.
"Okay! Okay!" she relented. "You won!"
He stopped blowing. Her laughter subsiding.
Then she fingered the stalk. Snapping off the head. Watching the milky stuff come out.
"But you only did though because you have bigger lungs than I do." She said. Making sure she still had her dignity.
"You just have a smaller mouth." He reasoned.
"No," Agatha picked the empty stalk. From the grass. Looked at it. Then cast it to the side. "Mom says I have a big mouth. 'One too big for my own good'." She had to squint one eye. And look up into her head. To remember the words exactly.
Catcher leaned forward. And put his thumb and first finger. On the corners of her mouth. Then pulled back. And measured his own. With his other hand.
Comparing them.
"Mine's still bigger." He said.
"You sure don't talk very much for having a big mouth then." She pondered. Reaching out. Touching his mouth. Gauging. Like he did. Spreading his lips. To see teeth.
Giggling. She wiped the wetness onto her shirt.
"Should I talk more?"
"If you want." She rolled over onto her back. Looking up at the clouds. "Mom says I talk a lot. I bet I have to talk a lot to keep my lips from melting together. It's like if you make a silly face, they say it stays that way."
"Does it?"
"Probably," she offered. Her voice almost like a librarian. Who knew everything. At the age of six. "Nikky said she saw a girl pull her lips out from the sides and they stayed that way forever."
"How does she know that it's forever?"
Agatha rolled back over. Coming to face him again. Catcher was picking at the grass. He looked up.
"I don't know." She looked at him. Even though it wasn't answerable. She liked that question.
Her little head cocked. "Do you like it here?" She set it down on her crossed arms.
"In the park?"
"No, with me." her shoulders shrugged up a bit. As she too picked at the grass.
"Yes."
"Good." She smiled. "I like you here too." Rolling fully. She got up. And wiped the grass from her clothes.
Catcher did the same.
"Do you know how to play 'Captain Shadow'?" Looking towards the ground.
He shook his head. Looking down. Standing in front of her.
"I can teach you. You wanna play?"
He shrugged. And nodded. At the same time.
"Kay. The game is, you try and step on each other's shadows. And the last person that gets stepped on. Is 'it'."
"What's 'it'?"
"It's the last person that gets their shadow stepped on. Understand?"
Catcher shook his head again.
Agatha sighed. "Come here," she took his hand. And pulled him around to her other side. "See my shadow?" She pointed down. And he nodded. "You're standing on it now. So, you're 'it'."
"Because I'm standing on your shadow?"
"Yeah!" Agatha answered. "Now, the tree's base."
"What's 'base'?"
"The tree is." Agatha would never grow tired of teaching him. Even when he still didn't get it. She explained. "Base is where you can't step on someone's shadow."
"Even if you're 'it'?"
"Even if you're 'it'." She confirmed. "Alright." She stepped back. So he wasn't on her shadow anymore. "You're 'it'."
"Why am I 'it'?"
"Because I say so."
"Why do you get to say so?"
"You're making this a lot harder than it needs to be." She sighed with a smile. "We definitely need to work on you some more. Here, do you want me to be 'it' first then?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I'm 'it', you go run."
Catcher took off.
"But you can't run too fast!" She called after him.
"Why not?" He called back.
"Because I can't run as fast as you!"
"Isn't that the point?"
"No! That makes it unfair!"
"Okay." Catcher slowed down. Puffing. Already.
Agatha came up easily beside him. "But you have to run so it's hard."
"Oh." Catcher sped up. His hand on his chest. And Agatha followed suit.
They weaved in and out. Sprinting through the grass. Both laughing. Until Catcher went under the tree.
"Base!" He called. And Agatha stopped at the edge of the shadow. Smiling.
"Yeah, but you can't get out now." She smiled cockily. Her arms held wide. Shifting back and forth on her feet. Ready for his any move.
"Yes I can." He ran straight for her. Something she didn't expect. And vaulted right over her head. Barely touching her shoulders. He took off running. When he landed.
"Hey!" Agatha called as he ran off. "You can't do that!"
"Why not?" He called back. Stopping. Huffing. Something hurt. His hand went to his chest again.
"Because you're 'it' now." She stuck out her tongue.
"But you didn't step on my shadow..."
"But you can't touch. And touching's the same as stepping on a shadow.
"I touched you though, you didn't touch me. That doesn't make sense."
"It doesn't have to make sense. Touching's touching. And it doesn't matter who did it to who. You touched me - who was 'it' - and now you're 'it' for touching me."
"That's not true."
"Yes it is!" She came back. Then turned to her mom. Who was sitting on the bench. Watching them. "Mom? It doesn't matter who touches who right?!" She called.
"She's right Catcher, you're 'it'." Lara claimed. Turning a page in her book. Smiling. Cocking an eye to him. Not noticing his hand. Massaging his chest.
"See!?" Agatha stuck her tongue out again.
"Fine." Catcher breathed. Smiling devilishly. As he swooped down upon Agatha. Lightning fast.
She yelped in surprise. And delight. And ran.
She barely escaped him. Her little legs pumping. While his swallowed the ground. Like a giant.
She hurried up a rise. Her little heart pumping. As she made it to the top. Triumphant. She turned back.
Only to see him stooped over. Clutching at his chest.
His knees buckled. And he fell. Wheezing. Clenching at his borrowed shirt. Dark. And blue. Trying to reach his heart. Which was hurting.
And fell over onto his side. Breathing hard.
"Catcher! What's wrong?" Agatha came streaking down the hill. Stumbling once. Before she was over him. Her hands on his arms. He couldn't speak. Only pant. "Is something hurting you?"
He looked up at her.
There was pain in his eyes. And fear.
"MOMMY!"