Chapter 4: The Board of Legends

5

My failure to make varsity finally alarmed Coach.

Coach Reynolds, over seventy years old, with white hair and beard, wearing a windbreaker and holding a whistle, was the very image of a legendary coach.

No wonder the people of the Midwest hang his portrait, praying for their kids’ success.

I’d seen his old black-and-white photos at the local barbershop, the kind where his smile was all confidence and his eyes sharp as a hawk’s.

But now, he fixed me with a sharp gaze. “Tommy, why haven’t you made varsity?”

“I don’t know, Coach.”

“You losing your edge, Tommy? You sure you want this?”

“My heart’s in it.” I lifted my hoodie and dropped to one knee, head down, like I was praying for a Hail Mary. “Please, Coach, see for yourself.”

On the bench above, Coach was silent for a long time. Then he blew his whistle, and a force lifted me into the air. Immediately, ‘energy’ swept through my entire body. He examined me thoroughly.

The more he probed, the deeper his frown. “There truly isn’t the slightest sign of a varsity line… how strange.”

He set down the whistle, and I staggered to my knees. “…so I can’t make varsity.”

But Coach shook his head. “You understand water flow, can judge the land, and find springs in the open plains: you’re naturally gifted, don’t doubt yourself.”

He thought for a moment. “Here’s what: I’ll go seek another supplement for you to help you break through to varsity.”

The Silver Hollow Academy’s buildings are grand and imposing. In the main hall, seventy-two coiled eagle columns loom with majesty. As an ordinary kid, to have the chance to make varsity: I should be overjoyed. I had no reason to refuse. Pretending to be delighted, I said, “Thanks, Coach.”

And boldly added, “I know I’ve broken the rules and I’m ashamed of letting you and the team down. When you request another supplement, may I go with you, so I can thank the board in person?”

Coach sized me up for a moment, then smiled. “No one’s dared make such a request before. You, kid, truly have heart.”

“Fine: I’ll go check with the board first.” Coach praised, “Seeing your sincerity, they should agree.”

6

The board’s offices are at the northernmost, deepest part of Silver Hollow. Here, trees are dense and the grass is lush. Eighty-one steel columns soar into the sky, and above them, the admin building is shrouded in morning fog, with floors stacked high.

Some folks said the school was built over an old Civil War fort, and the place always felt colder than the rest of campus, especially in the mornings when mist curled around your shoes.

I followed Coach all the way up to the board’s suite. There are many ranks in this world: Varsity, then All-State, All-American, Pro, Hall of Fame, and finally Legend. The board members at Silver Hollow have reached Legend status. It’s said they can spot talent and create supplements, helping new recruits quickly make varsity.

Coach’s name is Reynolds; he’s lived over seventy years, but before these board members, he’s just a rookie learning the ropes. He respectfully saluted in the lobby. “Greetings to the Chairman. This is the newly accepted recruit, Tommy.”

The waiting room smelled like old books and lemon cleaner. A faded pennant for the 1982 state champs hung crooked above the receptionist’s desk.

I also bowed my head in greeting. “Tommy, reporting in.”

After a long time, from beneath the ancient and solemn hall, came the hoarse voice of an old man:

“Generation after generation of newcomers. Reynolds, when you first entered Silver Hollow, you were about his age. In the blink of an eye, over fifty years have passed, the world has changed…”

I cautiously raised my head, hands folded, and said:

“The world is uneasy, but thanks to places like Silver Hollow and those who act for the people. I also wish to stand tall and be worthy of my heart.”

The Chairman laughed. “Look, your words are not much different from when you were young.”

Through the ancient oak window, I could clearly see, coiled in the hall… a giant monster.

I didn’t dare meet his eyes. I just stared hard at the carved patterns of eagles and baseballs on the wooden window, letting my gaze go blank, then using the corner of my eye to catch every detail I could.

The Chairman was no longer like a person. Several feet tall, his abdomen swollen, bulging veins covering his whole body, and his face, also swollen several times over, was covered in layers of fat. The whole figure looked bloated like a Thanksgiving turkey, skin stretched tight and shiny. And at his core, a sticky tentacle poked out. It must have been a sucking mouth, full of fierce fangs, twisting in the air for a moment, then spitting out a golden, radiant bead.

“Here, the varsity supplement. Give it to this young man.” The Chairman gently supported the bead and handed it over. It passed through the wooden window and landed in Coach’s palm.

My stomach flipped. I wanted to run, but my feet felt bolted to the floor.

And I was already cold from head to toe. I had thought these sticky worm monsters were a means used by the Silver Hollow authorities to control people. I was even thinking of finding the nest and destroying it all at once.

But I didn’t expect… I never expected… Everyone in Silver Hollow… was shrouded in the shadow of these worms.

How could the Chairman be called a person? He is the breeding ground for insect eggs.

The air in that office was thick, and it seemed like time itself slowed down, like in those old movies that played at the drive-in on summer nights. I stood as still as the trophies in the case, trying to look small.

7

And Coach, after thanking the Chairman, handed me the ‘supplement’, saying, “Tommy, take it. This time you’ll definitely make varsity.”

I looked at the golden insect egg. A bead of cold sweat slid down my brow.

My fingers trembled around it, slick with sweat. I wondered if Coach could hear how hard my heart was pounding.