The local softball field in West Richland wakes up to something new.
The two regular employees in charge of maintenance and mowing, Brad and Gene, don't notice it at first. They're focused on their job. That, and it wasn't all that unusual to have a citizen out early doing who knows what.
When he does spot someone crouching behind home plate, Brad gets a grin on his face. He automatically wonders if this person just got so drunk last night that they didn't make it home. "That would be funny," he thought to himself.
That and it wouldn't be the first time.
His mind went back to the morning after the church league playoffs. That day he had found three men passed out on the infield. He chuckled at the memory.
Brad begins to walk toward the person to let them know the grounds crew has a job to do. That's where his mind is focused as he walks closer.
At least until he gets about even with where the first base would be.
Then Brad realizes that it's not a guy passed out.
No. It looks like a woman sitting behind home plate in a chair.
The woman is wearing catcher's gear.
But as he continues to walk up closer, he sees something horrific.
It takes a few moments for his mind to totally comprehend what he's seeing.
Then his brain kicks in. It suddenly goes from wanting to tell this woman that she should probably go home to an overwhelming desire to run away himself.
He wanted to unsee what was sitting right there in front of him.
The woman is dead. That much is obvious.
He tries to tell his feet to stop. To turn around and go the other way. Only his feet aren't listening. They still seem to think they maybe they can help the lady.
The closer Brad gets the more outrageous what he's seeing becomes.
Suddenly his stomach sends him an alert. What he ate for breakfast is on its way up.
He turns toward the first base batter's circle and throws up. He wretches from deep inside and empties his stomach.
Gene sees his buddy Brad getting sick and starts to run over.
Out of the corner of his eye, Brad sees Gene beginning to head toward him. He holds up his left hand and motions for Gene to stop.
He spits out his last mouthful of puke and hollers toward Gene, "Go call the cops!"
Gene stops, "What?"
"Go call the cops," Brad hollers as loud as he can. "Tell them to get over here right now!"
