Deep within a narrow valley, the warmth of the autumn sun danced along the evening air and swirled through the trees of a rural village. Students, with the dream of having a wish fulfilled, lined around the old Water Grove baseball field, to test their skills for the upcoming season. While still in their plaid uniforms, they excitingly tossed their jackets and books to the side. Cherry Rose clung tightly onto his hood because he didn’t want to show his face or ears. He trembled with embarrassment, knowing he couldn’t hide his quivering pink tail. The anticipation made him sick to his stomach, and he wanted to run away. Was a wish worth all the hassle?
One after the other, a student’s name was called, and Cherry shuffled forward. He tried to avoid making eye contact with the other students because he was ashamed of who he was. He envied the others as they cheerfully chatted among one another or pranced around gossiping the latest rumors. He tugged on the strings of his hood and squished his pink hair along the rim, causing his swirly bangs to cover his face. He clenched his slender jaw as the hood mashed his fluffy ears down, forming two large lumps on his head. His emerald eyes peered through the strands of his hair, and he wished he could be more like the others. To his disappointment, Cherry was the only wolf-boy in this tiny town, but he didn’t want to be seen as an oddity anymore. Instead, at age seventeen, he wished to be seen as a person like anyone else, someone who could be accepted and appreciated for all that they are.
“Cherry Rose,” said a loudmouthed coach.
Cherry jolted as if a bolt of lightning had shot through his body. The others around him murmured and stared, making him feel queasy. He wanted to run away but was shoved forward.
“Oh, it’s you,” said the coach. His country voice was full of distain, and he couldn’t speak without spitting. He was middle-aged and well past his prime. He looked as though he tried to stuff himself in an old worn-out baseball uniform that was about to bust at the seams.
Cherry’s eyes locked onto those buttons along the coach’s stomach and feared one of them might burst free like a bullet and take him out. He was too distracted by the buttons to hear the coach and saw everything as a blur. Who needs bravery or a wish, he wanted a way out.
“Cherry Rose! Can you hear me?” The coach smacked his hand against his clipboard. “Hello. I know you’ve got ears under that hood!”
Cherry jerked and looked up, half gawking at his coach’s angry red face.
“Take off that hood and show us how you play.” The coach pointed his clipboard at the umpire and catchers on the field. “You’re gonna bat and pitch for us, today. We’re gonna find your strengths—you hear me.”
Cherry nodded and took a deep breath. He reluctantly pulled off his jacket and his hair and ears bounced into place. Two fluffy wolf ears stood atop his head and matched the swirling pink hair along his face. It was like there was a big pink rose sitting on his forehead. “Would you hold this?” He tried to hand his jacket to a student behind him, but the student took the jacket and tossed it on the ground.
“Get on with it, weirdo,” the student said.
Cherry frowned and twitched his mouth back and forth, trying to hide his feelings. “But I didn’t want it dirty.” He was too soft spoken to stand up for himself, and the other student may as well as have stabbed him in the heart. Cherry shook his head, he was used to this kind of behavior, but he wanted to think of happier things.
“Are you finished daydreaming?” The coach huffed and grumbled like an angry bull with its arms folded. “I’ve got other students to try out, ya know, so hurry up!”
Without wasting time, Cherry scrambled for his jacket, threw it on a bench and stood at the batting plate. He stared at the members on the field, they were students who graduated a year before. This was Cherry’s last year of school, and he wanted to do something outside his comfort zone. He overheard rumors of a wish granting star that’d be awarded to the most valuable player in an upcoming baseball tournament. He felt like this was a sign to make a change for the better.
“What are you doing, Cherry?” The coach asked.
“I’m standing here. Why?”
The coach groaned and rubbed his forehead. He looked up and furrowed his brows in anger. “Why haven’t you picked up your gear?! Hurry, boy, hurry, hurry!”
Cherry tried to shield himself with his arms to avoid the coach’s spittle. The other students snickered and laughed as he scrambled to grab some spare gear. Off to the side, he found a group of bats and gloves. He didn’t know which he needed, so he grabbed the closest gear and ran back to the base.
“Are we ready, Cherry?”
Cherry nodded.
“Alright, now, I want you to try batting.” The coach tried to direct Cherry with his clipboard, but when he leaned in, he gave off a gross onion-like odor. Cherry felt disgusted as the coach helped position him into a better stance for batting. “Now, I want you to focus on the ball and swing at the right time.” He dropped his clipboard and motioned as if he had a bat in his hands. He swung hard a few times and worked himself up into a sweaty mess.
If Cherry wasn’t frowning in disgust, he’d be in awe of this silly man.
“You got all that?” the coach asked.
Cherry nodded and turned towards the pitcher. He tried to blow the hair out of his face and narrowed his eyes on the pitcher’s ball. With one fast toss, the ball hurdled towards Cherry. As a reflex, he bent his body like a twig and dodged out of the way.
“Strike one!” said the umpire behind Cherry.
The coach groaned.
Cherry spread his legs apart, ground his feet in the dirt, and focused again. He gripped the bat tightly in his hands and swung it a few times. “Let’s go.”
“Two,” said the pitcher. He tossed the ball again and Cherry leapt out of the way.
“Strike two!” said the umpire.
“Sorry, sorry,” Cherry said. The pitcher threw the ball again, and Cherry leapt out of the way. “I can do it!” The pitcher tried again, Cherry swung too early, and dodged the ball.
The coach smacked his clipboard across his thigh and broke it in a fit of rage. “What’s wrong with you?!” He stomped over to Cherry. “What are you dancing around for?!”
Cherry trembled and dropped his bat. The pitcher reminded him of when he was younger, and when the neighborhood bullies would throw stones at him for being different. He couldn’t help but dodge out of the way, it was a reflex. He felt bad for angering the coach and even worse when the others laughed. Cherry sulked his head low and his ears and tail drooped. “I’m sorry.”
The coach sighed and placed his hand on Cherry’s shoulder. “It’s whatever, go out there and pitch. We don’t have all day.” The coach shoved him onto the field. “I want that wish!”
The pitcher was a kind looking boy with a round face. He handed Cherry a ball and his left-handed glove. “Try it like this, Cherry.” He wound his arm around in a circular motion and pitched the ball. “If you can get the batter out with a pitch like that, you’ll do fine.”
Cherry didn’t feel confident with everyone’s eyes on him. It made him feel like he was reliving the past, whether it was another sport, an art competition, or something on stage. He tried to fend off his worries and grip the ball with all his might. He wanted to show everyone that he could do this. So, he took a deep breath, wound his arm around, and leaned into the pitch. It was as if a gust of wind surrounded his arm when he threw the ball. It moved so fast it knocked the umpire off his balance, and everyone gasped with awe and excitement.
“Can you do that again?” the coach asked.
Cherry was baffled, he didn’t understand what had happened. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt him.” He turned to help the umpire, but the coach threw his hand up and stopped him.
“I’m alright!” The umpire patted his chest of armor and straightened his helmet.
Cherry didn’t know what to expect, but he pitched another hard ball and knocked the umpire down. The batter didn’t even have time to swing, it was like a fast-moving blur. The other students cheered and demanded Cherry pitch again. Their excitement made him feel good and for the next hour, Cherry pitched a ball that couldn’t be hit.
“That’s enough, Cherry.” The coach beckoned him over with a happy stary eyed smile. “Boy, you are amazing! I’ve never saw a throw like yours! I’d be proud to have you—” He fell quiet and looked away. “No, this won’t do. No one will cheer for someone like you. You’ll end up hurting someone. Then, what would they say about me for having a pink thing on my team?”
“Wait, what?” Cherry felt as if his world came crashing down like glass. “Are you saying, I’m good, but I’m not allowed to join a team?” He felt sick to his stomach. “But I can practice!”
“Be realistic. You’ll hurt someone and how often do you see a pink thing on a team?”
“I don’t understand. I thought you wanted to win, coach?”
“I want to show everyone I’m the best coach ever, but who will cheer for you?”
“What does it matter who cheers for me? I will support myself and help the team.”
The students’ faces turned sour, and they started to complain. They didn’t want Cherry on a team and said it would be unfair. With him on a team, no one would take him seriously.
Cherry’s ears and tail drooped as he quickly picked up his jacket. The rush of excitement and the hurtful blow of disappointment made him feel broken. He fought back the tears welling up in his eyes and ran off the field.
The setting sun cast its dark shadow across the town, and the streetlights began to glow. The cool autumn air embraced Cherry and made him shiver. He staggered forward until his tears burst free and he fell to his knees. He wrapped his tail around him and looked back with blurry eyes. He hoped no one could see him, but it was all too much to make sense of. It made him feel like no one in this world would ever accept him, and he wished he was home in bed.
“Hey, hey you,” came a voice.
Cherry sniffled and rubbed his eyes. The houses along the street were pinned behind picketed fences and shieled by overgrown trees. Not even the warm lights cascading out a few windows was enough to invite him in and offer some comfort.
“Hey, kid,” came a voice. It was gruffer than before. “Hey, come here.”
Cherry jolted onto his feet and looked around trembling. This was an old quiet street by the school, there was nothing to fear. Cherry’s ears twitched and listened to the howl of the wind, but he couldn’t see where the voice was from.
“Hey, down here.” The voice grumbled and mumbled. “Down in the hole.”
Cherry looked around and walked towards the streetlight. “Who said that? Who wants me?” He slipped his jacket on over his head and clutched onto his tail.
“Down here in the manhole, you silly wolf!”
Cherry was startled and stumbled backwards. A man was hiding beneath the lid of a manhole and beckoned him forward. He looked dirty and unkempt, without a tooth in his head. Cherry shook his head; he didn’t want to get any closer.
“Awe, come on. I saw how well you pitched, today. I wanna show you something.” The man sank into his hole and the lid slammed tight. Immediately after, he popped up through the manhole behind Cherry and grabbed his tail.
Cherry cried out in fear but couldn’t get away. “Let go of me!” He looked around for anyone on the street. “Someone, help me!”
“Come on, I’m not gonna hurt you. Follow me!” The man latched onto Cherry’s legs and pulled him down. “We’re gonna go someplace nice.” He laughed insanely.
Cherry kicked and screamed for help, but the man was too strong. Before he knew it, he was bumped and yanked into the hole without anything to grab ahold of. They fell through a slippery dark tube where tiny lights illuminated the slits in the metal walls. Cherry was tossed around and bumped his head on something hard. His head erupted with a blinding headache, and everything went black.
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