Building a community-authored narrative for the world of Jelle's Marble Runs.
By the time they had trudged up the field, Rapidly was completely covered in sand. At their station was a towel—the team was waiting in the stadium.
Though other athletes were frantically drying off, Rapidly lazily slung the towel around themself. Sure, they were happy to medal, but silver was no longer a cause for celebration.
Orlango’s beach was perfect for a postcard — its sun-kissed sands and glittering waves, its cotton-white clouds in the sky which were trimmed with silver in daytime and gold in sunset, its seafoam which swirled in hypnotic eddies, round and round.
Watching Red Eye, Bumble and Pinky Panther vanish with their coaches into the podium preparation room, one they hadn’t come close to stepping into themselves, left Speedy feeling strangely deflated. Another championship was on the line and they’d only advanced a single place in the order. Keeping the overall bronze was a cold comfort, though they were sure they’d feel differently on the podium later.
It was Rapidly who approached them first after the race, bringing them off to the side.
They’re going to be the first Marble League champions to not win a single event. It’s as if with every revolution around the bell that statement made its own loop back into their minds, a reminder of what they couldn’t reach four times over this season. At least those saying it admitted to their eventualContinue reading “ML2023 Memo #14: Shadow of a Doubt”
Project Marblearth