The silence was louder than any noise could possibly have been. In reflection, the crushing weight of competition only felt heavier now that it was over. Wind ripped through the air like a great shout, and though it wasn’t yet night time, dark clouds covered the world in gloomy shadows. Gloomy as Red Eye felt, sat under a tree watching the world move past. It seemed only yesterday that the competition had begun and Red Eye was once more determined to prove themself. It wasn’t even a want any more, racing was what they were good at, so they had to do well.
And now it was over.
“Captains don’t cry,” Red Eye whispered into the wind, but still their tears fell to the sodden ground, telling a story of pain and anguish. This wasn’t just a disappointment, this was an embarrassment. Red Eye didn’t want to have to see their team again, to try to hide their brokenness with a smile, step back up to their responsibilities as a captain, and prepare for Marbula One. And yet something deep within them knew that they must. That no matter how hard they cried now, life would keep moving forwards and they better be moving with it when all was said and done.
There was no room to stumble. And yet, surrounded by the bitter winds that danced around ferociously, all Red Eye could think about was all of their previous successes and how they had just let it all go. It was a tremendous amount of pressure, to live up to every previous success. How could the Marbula One individual champion outdo themselves? How could a Marble League winning captain- a two-time gold medal winner- outdo themselves? How could they surmount a bar set up at the ceiling? It’s what they had wondered the entire time, and it had been to their detriment. The pressure that they had so courageously worked through in previous years had brought them to a breaking point and it was here and now that it had collapsed so terribly.
A twig snapped behind them, and they looked back to see a timid looking marble, small in the silhouette of the great trees growing around. It was Murky, who looked surprised to have company.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize anyone would be —” Murky started quietly, but Red Eye shook their head, turning back to gaze into the distance without saying a word as they tried to quickly wipe away tears before they were noticed. “I’ll just leave you alone,” Murky said, starting to roll away, but Red Eye spoke out, causing Murky to turn back.
“No, don’t. Please. You’re probably the only one who knows somewhat how I feel,” Red Eye choked, sniffing quietly. Murky nodded solemnly and approached with caution. It was only as they drew near that Red Eye noticed the redness of Murky’s own eyes, and Red Eye knew that they were not completely alone. They sat in silence for a while, listening only to the wind that whistled through trees and down the hill, before Murky spoke, their voice cracking with despair.
“How do you cope? I feel like I’ve let my entire team down. This… this is a total failure… our reputation… I don’t know how I can ever face them again.”
The same words Red Eye had spoken silently to themself were now presented back to them, and Red Eye could only answer with the truth.
“I don’t,” was all they responded.
“Oh.”
They continued, “At least, not at first. It hurts. Goodness, it hurts. And you think you’ll never make it out the other side, you think you should give up. But you don’t. You just go for the next thing and maybe you’ll fail that too but maybe you won’t. You did your best. It didn’t work out, but that’s all anyone can ask of you.”
The wind slowed briefly and the sky lightened, a sort of warmth filled them both. A moment of silence passed once more, and Red Eye considered what they had just said to Murky. It was easier to say it than believe it, and nothing was taking the vicious pain away for now. Meanwhile, Murky’s mind was cast back to the moment they discovered they had been eliminated.
It was a blow, a shock.
It left them feeling scared and confused and for the first time in a while, completely and utterly isolated from the world and their team. Ashamed and miserable, Murky couldn’t help but wonder what could have been, where they would be if they hadn’t been eliminated, if they were still out celebrating and preparing to continue the fight. But Red Eye was right. No matter how hurt you feel, you just have to keep going. And right now that meant returning to where their team was probably frantically searching for them. Murky thanked Red Eye and got up, gazing down the hill once more. The leaves rustled as Murky sighed.
“What’s next?” Murky asked no one in particular.
“I’m going back to train for M1. But I’ll be back to watch what I can when I can,” Red Eye responded after a brief pause, the decision to keep going feeling final and comforting.
“I’ll stay, I think,” Murky responded. “There are teams, and there are teams.” And with that, they rolled away into the darkness, leaving Red Eye feeling bemused.
Credits:
- Writer: Phoenix
- Editor: Millim
- Artist: Toffeeshop
- Reference: Marble Race: Marble Survival 100 – R28 ❌ ELIMINATION ROUND ❌
- Release: 08/04/2024
Project Marblearth 
🙂
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