James stood frozen. Normally, he would have run too. Every part of him wanted to join the others, to avoid the inevitable confrontation with the witch. But this was no ordinary ball. It was the one his dad had sent him. He couldn’t just let it go, not without trying to get it back.
James stood there, his heart hammering in his chest. Every part of him screamed to run, but he couldn’t. His dad’s new ball was lying just a few feet away, too close to leave behind. Slowly, he gathered what little courage he had left and started walking toward the shed.