After Every Hit We Take Novels & Stories

“Maybe next time you’ll land a hit.” I bit my lip, refusing to respond. Instead, I focused on catching my breath. My body ached, but there was something different this time. My movements were smoother, more controlled. Despite being thrown to the ground, I didn’t feel defeated. I knew I was getting better. Slowly, but surely. We were sparring again, just like we had countless times before. But this time, something was changing inside me. I could feel it. Each punch, each block, felt more natural. My body was adjusting, learning.

"What do you mean?" "Well, for example, I first smelt you half an hour before you arrived when we first met at the party. And when I fought Annalise. I felt the vibrations in the air before she hit me. I knew it was coming." "But you took a lot of blows. Why didn't you block?" "I could take it. I know how to live with pain. Allowing her to get close enough to hit me gave me just as much space to hurt her. Then it was a game of who could outlast."

"Why... why do you ask?" "Just... chill out." Logan frowned. "What?" "You heard me." The coach pointed at the starting line. "We're practicing, not playing a championship match. Control your hits." Logan nodded. "Got it." "Good." The coach turned away. Nathan approached Logan. "Serious, man." Logan looked at him. "What?" "That second hit." "What about it?" "You almost took his head off." Logan snorted. "He got back up."

"Got it." We won the opening coin toss and elected first possession. Now it's my turn to kick off. I look into the stands and miss our stadium. The number nine jerseys in the crowd always jump out at me and lift my spirits. Gold towels not so much. The whistle blows and I charge the ball. A Pittsburgh player catches it behind the twenty and starts running. I'm knocking pads with opposing players and running toward the player with the ball. He takes a hit and the ball flies out of his hands. There are players everywhere as I make a grab and feel the ball within my grasp. The hit I take knocks the air from my chest. I reach the ground sooner than expected and the impact is jarring. The number

I keep going and ignoring the ache on my shoulders that still reminds me of our previous rounds these past days. My body is sore in places I didn’t even know could bruise, but I don't stop. Even if I want to. I need this. "Five more hits to go…” Raelin encourages me with the reminder, not daring to shift his stance so I don't miss. After completing my set number of punches, I exhale deeply, rolling my shoulders as I take a few steps back and rub my knees. However, as I prepare myself to breathe more and wait for my breathing to stabilize, Raelin moves fast.

And our neighbor said that it might have been a big sum of money, judging by the way he was threatening my mother to pay up. “Class dismissed.” Everyone immediately stood up from their seats the same time the professor said those words. Being one of the few who was left behind because I was fixing my things, I heard a small tap on the desk. “Are you okay, Miss Santimoral?” I accidentally hit my elbow on the desk causing a numbing pain to fill my body. My professor immediately came to my aide and held onto my elbow while blowing from the end. “Are you alright? Did I scare you?” the man added, which I responded by shaking my head and putting his hand away from me.

I could never get the leg to move properly,I got up helping Hunter to his feet. "Okay, Very good. Now you have only learned this method where it's when a person tries punching, but now let's work on how you're going to defeat someone who's tackling you. "It's going to be one long day; I don't think I'll be able to walk out with all my bones intact. -*

My god was it satisfying to hit them. The coach called everyone who was hit to get off the court. Griffin took his hit without even moving. And I tossed a ball at the Teddy after he hit Nona a second time. I also hit Theodore. In the gut, obviously. It's all fun and games. 'Until someone gets hurt.' Precisely. "Point to the girls. One more game, volleyball." The girls cheered, and I high fived Alexis. "That was fun!" I squealed and so did she.

It smelled like black coffee, black coffee mixed with green tea, bitter black coffee, the type that he normally had in the morning, but I let him do what he was doing. “ Inhale, exhale”, he continued, “ and when the moment feels right, you strike”, he said, moving my hand with his so that we both hit the ball, and as I watched the ball roll away, towards the hole, I felt something hard behind me, poking at my hole.

I staggered back, but he didn’t give me space. He never did. Blow after blow landed, fast, relentless. A hit to my side stole the air from my lungs. Another followed before I could recover. I took it. I stood there and took it. “We were supposed to do this together,” I forced out, my voice strained, breaking through each impact. “Not this. Not… each other.” Another hit. “Do you remember?” I pushed, even as my body screamed for me to hit back. “The orchard… the night we swore we’d never turn into them?”