But then, suddenly, everything changed.
"Marcus, watch out!"
As Marcus stepped forward to block her path, Talia's stumble worsened instead of recovering. Her graceful balance completely collapsed, her body accelerating straight toward him with uncontrollable momentum.
It was too fast.
This time she was not weaving past him or setting up another trick. Her footwork was completely chaotic, the basketball forgotten as she pitched forward helplessly.
"Ah!"
She's actually falling.
Panic flashed through Marcus. Instinctively, he reached out with his right hand to catch her while pulling his left hand free from behind his back. But her fall came too suddenly. His reaction lagged just a fraction of a second behind reality.
His right hand barely extended. His left hand had not fully come free. His center of gravity shifted awkwardly.
Then came the impact.
Thud.
