Kyle Rolinatis is a midwestern horror/comedy author. She is the two-time recipient of the prestigious “Pleasure to Have in Class” award at Prairie Lincoln Elementary School. Kyle spent most of her life with her nose in a Stephen King book, brooding, or writing poetry and short stories. These days you can find Kyle working on her debut horror/comedy novel “Ope!” between crippling bouts of procrastination and her day job in healthcare administration. In her free time Kyle spends time with her family and too many animals in Columbus, Ohio and loves to vacation in coastal Maine. Her debut novel is set to be released in 2024 and if you follow her on Facebook or Instagram she promises to get a website started as soon as a child or teenager shows her how.
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BATTER UP!
by
Kyle Rolinatis
Bobby Kramer stepped into the batter’s box. It was only the third day of baseball summer camp, and he was totally blowing it. He had struck out every time he had gone up to bat. He was never getting into the big leagues at this rate and that’s all he ever wanted. He was the grandson of the famous major league home run record holder, Tripp Kramer after all and everyone knew it. They expected greatness from him. Bobby took the Louisville slugger and hit it against each of his cleats to knock the mud off and got into position. The pitcher Liam Sutton was looking at Bobby with disgust as he shot a fast ball over the plate. “Steee rike 3! – You’re OUT!” the umpire said.
Bobby walked back to the bench humiliated. He looked down at the bat he found buried in his grandpa Tripp’s backyard after he died last month. His mom told him not to bring it because her father hated that bat, but he snuck it in his bag anyway. He looked at the Louisville Slugger emblem and right below that three numbers were carved into the wood very lightly. They said “666”. “Isn’t that supposed to be bad?” Bobby thought when he pulled the bat from the dirt in the backyard, and yes, this bat had given him nothing but trouble.
Just then, the two biggest bullies who just graduated 8th grade with Bobby and were also spending summer vacation attending the camp, walked up to him in on the bench. Angus and Jimmy were much bigger than Bobby and they really loved to stick it to him. “You suck Kramer! You should’ve gone to horseback riding camp with your little sister because I ain’t ever seen someone suck as much as you” Angus said spitting in the dust on the ground. Jimmy laughed and his braces nearly blinded Bobby as they caught the sunlight just so. “Leave me alone” Bobby replied. “Let me see that stupid bat!” Angus said and grabbed the end of the bat. Bobby pulled back as hard as he could and then Angus let go letting the bat slam into Bobby’s mouth. “You idiot, look what you did!” Angus snorted and they walked out of the bullpen.
Bobby knew his mouth was bleeding. His lip was cut pretty badly. He saw a few drops of blood hit the bat resting on his legs and he used his arm to wipe off the rest. He was sure he swallowed some. Just then he saw the blood on the bat seem to disappear, as if it soaked into the wood grain and it was immaculate. The bat thrummed in his hand. “Kramer! Let’s go! We don’t got all summer!” Coach Williams yelled from home plate. Bobby held the bat curiously and walked up to the batter’s box and took his stance. Liam rolled his eyes as if this was a huge waste of time and threw a curve ball right over home plate and THWACK! Bobby hit the ball out of the park. Literally. It sailed over the fence and landed near the adjacent lake. “Ho-ly shit!” Bobby heard Coach say under his breath. The bat sent an electric charge through Bobby’s arm that felt fantastic. “Let’s bring it in guys!” Coach yelled.
That night at chow all the boys were talking about the epic hit that Bobby made with the bat that day. Angus and Jimmy sat huddled in the corner talking and occasionally looked over at Bobby. After he ate his dinner of spaghetti, cold garlic bread, and milk Bobby cleared his plate, rushed back to his cabin, grabbed his bat and went to the lake. Bobby sat on the edge of the dock alone. The water looked like an oil slick this time of night. The bat looked like it was glowing in contrast. Especially the part where Bobby’s blood had made contact. The bat made Bobby’s hand feel numb but pleasant. “Hey asshole!” Jimmy yelled behind Bobby. “You think you’re hot shit huh? Well guess what? You ain’t” They closed the distance between them, and Angus kicked Bobby in his kidney so hard he almost flew forward into the water. Bobby stood up holding the bat. “What’s your deal Kramer?” Angus said, “Were you born stupid, or did you have to work at it?” Angus stepped forward and before Bobby knew what was happening, the bat took over. It was sealed to his hand and it started swinging right at Angus’s blonde head. It was dark outside, but Bobby could see the blood blooming on his curls as his hair turned a sickly black. Jimmy yelled “what the fuck man?” And started to turn and run. Angus was now on the ground and Bobby was chasing Jimmy down the dock the bat leading the way almost pulling him down.
The bat made quick work of Jimmy, hitting him several times until he fell in the grass by the dock. Bobby stood awestruck. He stared at the bat that was now covered with blood and gore and with only the moonlight illuminating it, he watched all the blood disappear again into the wood and the bat was clean again. He looked at the ground and back at the dock and knew what he had to do.
His mother got there early the next day to pick him up from camp. “It’s so sad about those missing boys. I hope they find them. Sorry your camp had to end early. I talked to your coach, and he said in the morning practice before they knew the boys were gone you hit home runs every single time up to bat. I am proud of you son! Great job. See you didn’t need your grandpa’s bat after all.” Just then the bag in the seat next to him shifted a bit. Bobby just put his head against the window and smiled.