Endless Summer

You Always Have to be the Hero

The crowd roars as the quarterback lines up under center for the snap. Your school's stadium is packed to the brim for the weekend of freshman orientation.

"Omaha! Ninety-six double!" Number five, Sean Gayle calls out.

In the stands, you cheer alongside your new dormmates. Diego grins beside you. "Man, if every game around here ends like an inspirational sports movie, I might actually have to keep showing up!"

Only seconds remaining in the clock. Freshman Sean Gayle surveys the opposing defense and taps the shoulder of his left tackle, a fellow freshman.

"Watch the weak-side! Linebacker's on a delayed blitz!"

Number sixty eight, Craig Hsio, nods. "I see him!"

Massive bodies collide like forces of nature! Gayle sprints left. The linebacker hurtles toward him for the tackle and so does the free safety.

Gayle growls in frustration. "There's two of them!"

Hsio stands next to him. "I can block them both! Follow me!"

Hsiao summons all of his strength and pancakes the linebacker into the safety. He throws his arms in the air. "Ha! Told ya, I-"

He looks back. Gayle has already run the other way, going totally on his own. Gayle stiff-arms a cornerback, hurdles a linebacker, and leaps toward the goal line. A defender blindsides Gayle in mid-air, cracking his back.

"Come find me, Y/N."

You look to your side. Diego is gone. Everyone's gone. The stadium's empty, except for Estela.

"Come find me."

You're suddenly in the sprawling rainforests of La Huerta. Vines wrap around Estela, dragging her back into darkness.

"Estela!" You try to reach her.

The ferns swallow her. An animal's paw comes to rest on your shoulder. Something's behind you. You look back and see the claws emerging from the massive paw of the sabertooth.

You snap awake, sweating through your bedsheets. You look at your shoulder and find a paw still there a tiny, blue one.

You pet Furball to reassure him. "Don't worry, Furball. It was just a bad dream. That's all it was, right?"

Furball nuzzles his nose into your neck, and you feel a chill emanate from his soft fur. It cools you down, and you feel your heart slow. Outside, it's still dark. The horizon is only just beginning to tinge orange with the dawn.

"Estela's been gone for two days now. I hope she's okay out there." You look to the fox. "I don't think I'm getting back to sleep after that dream. You up for a walk?"

Furball perks up and runs to the door. You open the door and wander the halls, half-awake. You're not sure where your feet are carrying you. You hear a rustling coming from an ajar suite door.

You knock and poke your head in. "Sean?"

Sean looks up. On the bed is a backpack nearly full of supplies. "Hey..."

You step into the room. "Where are you going at this hour? I'm guessing you're not hitting the gym."

"l'm going to the Observatory, Y/N, to see if we can call for help with the satellite uplink." He sighs. "And I'm going alone. I was hoping to head out before anyone could stop me."

"Alone? But why?"

"I don't want anybody else getting hurt out there. Better to just... get this done myself." He slings his bag over his shoulder and tries to pass you, but you're blocking the doorway.