He was having fun, laughing and joking around with the other kids, pushing aside the worries about his dad and the unsettling thoughts about the shed. For a moment, everything felt normal. The smell of fresh grass, the sound of the bat hitting the ball—he was at peace.
But then, it happened. One of his friends flung the ball too hard, sending it sailing over the fence, straight toward the yard of the shed. Everyone stopped, their faces going pale as they saw where the ball landed. Immediately, the kids scattered, all of them running away as if the ball had fallen into a pit of poison.