Take the Shot

The air was hot and humid. The tension was so thick that it probably would have shattered if you breathed on it. A gnat buzzed his head a few times before he swatted it away; two more soon took its place only a few seconds later.

Sighing in frustration, he mentally walled out all the distractions around him, the buzzing gnats, the stifling, thick air, the whispering breeze-!

"Take the danged shot already, kid," hissed the old man beside him. "I ain't gettin' any older."

He glared daggers at the old man. He sucked in a deep breath, steadied his nerve, and let it out slowly, successfully clearing his mind once more. A calm passed over him like a cooling wave of water. His breathing eased; his pulse slowed. An image of the target formed inside his mind. He noted every single thing between him and the target and mentally eliminated them. A red crosshair landed on the target.

In one quick, fluid motion, his whole body tensed. All the nerves in his body focused to his hands. The golf club connected with the golf ball with a tiny clack!

Everyone fell deathly silent as they watched the ball's course across the putt-putt course. It rolled easily over the tiny hills, traveled under the narrow tunnel, curved around the water hazard, swiveled through the pipes, and dropped into the hole with a plunk.

"Hole in one," he said, turning to the old man. "That'll be ten bucks."