Looking down at the ground, Toby saw a fuzzy line of white painted on the waxed wood. His eye scanned next to the unfocused line and finally found a blotch in the ground. It took him a few times, but eventually he fit the metal rod in the hole and secured it.
Doing the same with the other rod, Tobias felt sweat dripping down his forehead due to his intense concentration. Feeling the sweat soak his eyepatch, he hesitantly took it off and tossed it on the ground.
He opened his right eye gradually and only saw black. Parts of the vision in his right eye were starting to clear up, seeming gray rather than black, but it was still a shock. Already a week in, and Tobias still could not distinguish anything with his right eye. His left eye, on the other hand, was progressively getting better with the eye drops, but everything was still a chaotic, hazy mess. It was like he needed glasses, but there was no pair that would be able to make his vision clearer.
Tobias fumbled with the net, and at last hung it up on the poles. After grabbing a volleyball, Tobias made his way to the end of the court. Deciding that he was going to nail his killer serve, he threw the ball up in the air.
The feeling was so familiar to him, to use a jump serve. Lifting himself off the ground he angled his arm back and swung forward to hit the ball. But nothing hit his hand.
He heard the ball land on the gym floor as he fell down to the ground. He stood in shock and glared at the obscured ball. He let out a sigh and picked it up off the ground, ready to try again.
But failure only came. And it only came again and again and again for half an hour, until Tobias felt tears sting the back of his eyes.
He breathed erratically, adrenaline rushing through his veins. He could feel himself give into restless tendencies. It felt like it was taking over his body, engulfing him. He couldn’t escape. He was falling, deeper and deeper into the darkness of his mind, until-
“Seamus,” he said loudly. “Seamus, are you here?”
“Why are you here?” Tobias snapped.
“You weren’t at home when I got back. I figured you would be here,” said Seamus.
“Right.”
“I know you can do this, please, just let me help you.”