A Few of Dugz's Short Stories

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Dugz surfaced the water breathing in a sturdy breath, calm and unhurried. He slipped off his mask and checked his watch. One minute, thirty seconds. He gave himself a small, satisfying grin and nod. I'll take it he said to himself.

He looked up towards his towel's and belongings on the beach. Snacks and some relaxing time were waiting for him-and after these dives, they were well deserved.

As he took in the cool scene around him, Dugz couldn't help but feel lucky. This was easily one of his favorite spots- Blind Pass Beach in Englewood. Just behind the stretch of white sand was Manasota Beach Road, quiet and peaceful. In front of him, nothing but stunning turquoise water and a wide, clear blue sky. Moments like this made everything else feel very far away.

Dugz took a deep breath and said to himself, "alright, lets go grab a little sunshine and beach time."

As Dugz slowly waded through the water toward the beach, a ripple to his right caught his eye. He turned- and gasped, "What the..?" Dugz froze. The hairs on his arms stood up. Scared? Nah- not scared . Hell Dugz had served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He knew fear. This was not that. Lets just say he was..... startled.

" Geez," he muttered, eyes locked on the Thing. "What the--"

The creature drifted closer, breaking the surface. It's eyes met his, wide and  glistening sort of.. It had a mouth. Ears. But...?

Then, impossibly, almost like a dream it opened it's mouth and said: " Howdy Dug. How's your day?'

Taken aback and a little spooked, Dugz couldn't help but grin. This was insane- but not the craziest thing he'd seen in his life.

He squinted at the creature, sizing it up. "A talking seahorse?" he asked, half laughing, half-wary.

The creature blinked slowly, as if offended. "Do I look like a seahorse to you, Dug?"

Then- to Dugz surprise- it actually smiled. A smooth, uncanny grin. "Am I talking to you, Dug?" it asked, tilting it's head. "Well then...I guess you just answered your own question." It floated a little higher in the water, grinning wider. "Sure enough, " it said with a shrug. "A talking seahorse."

"Dug, my name is Moultre Arte Zouz," the creature said, voice calm, almost melodic. "But out here, in this beautiful vast stretch of water, I'm known as MOAZZ." Moazz gave a courteous dip of it's head-part formal, part playful. "It's a pleasure meeting you." 

Dugz raised an eyebrow. "Moazz the...the talking seahorse?"

"Lets not get hung up on species," Moazz said, grinning again. You're here. I'm here. And life's about to change for both of us."

(July 25, 2025. James Towne) 

Dugz scanned the beach, still half-convinced it was some kind of setup. He looked around, trying to steady himself. A talking seahorse? No. That can't be real.

Just then he heard Moazz's voice cut through his thoughts. "You coming back out here to the beach tomorrow, Dug?"

Dugz looked back at Moazz. "Yeah, I was planning on being here in the morning. Why? What's going on tomorrow?"

Moazz smiled. "Nothing. I'd just like to talk more. But there are people coming down the beach, and I have to go. We'll see each other tomorrow. Man, Dug- it was awesome meeting you. See you in the morning, my friend."

Dugz turned, scanning the sand for anyone approaching. When he looked back, Moazz was slowly sinking beneath the water. In an instant, he was gone-no splash, no ripple, no trace at all.

Dugz’s mother eased the door open, careful with the squeaky hinge like she had done a thousand times before. He lay there on his back, one arm tucked under his head, eyes seeming to follow the slow sway of the ceiling fan blades as though each rotation carried a thought he couldn’t quite catch.
She paused- hand still on the knob- studying the boy she raised, sensing the questions or thoughts in his head.

She took a few steps into Dugz's room and eased herself down at the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping slightly with her weight. " You okay, sweetheart?" she asked her voice barely above the hum of the fan.

Dugz turned his head just enough to meet her eyes-half glazed, half somewhere-else, like his mind was still wandering where she couldn't see.

"Yes ma'am, " he replied softly.

Dugz's momma reached for one of his feet

Dug was playing-or kinda hanging out-in right field. He didn't get that much action out there, not as much as the infield. He didn't really mind. Geez, he got to see all his friends play in the infield, and just being on the team was cool for a 9-year-old kid. He got to hit, then run the bases.

Out there, he could see guys pitching, watch hits, watch everyone play defense, and see everyone running the bases. 

He loved baseball. And he was on one of the best teams in the eight-team league. Dug knew everyone in the league since pretty much everyone went to the same schools. And his older brother, William, was probably the best player on the team, manning the first base position in front of him. 

Before every few pitches or so, William would look out toward Dug.

"Hey," he'd call, "be ready out there. It could come to you."

Dug would pull at his glove and adjust it, like he was eagerly waiting for a ball to leave the infield and make it's way out to him. He knew he'd be ready if one was hit his way. And in his mind, he figured it probably wouldn't happen anyway-because nothing ever got past William and David at first and second base. 

Then Dug's attention would drift to the field off to his left- the Dixie Youth League. Those boys were tough. Dug watched them for a moment and thought to himself, I'll be over there in a couple years.

"Dug!" William shouted. "Be awake- this guy always comes our way."

Dug snapped back to the game, tightened his glove, and started blowing a bubble from the wad of bubble gum he had stuffed in his mouth.

And as if completely on cue, just as he started to breathe in the air from the huge bubble, Dug heard familiar sharp ping- the crack of a ball being hit by an aluminum bat. 

He started running in toward the infield, already knowing he was about to see a cool play from David or William. William took a step toward the spot where the ball was headed, but at the same time David was flying toward it. William retreated and started back to cover first. Dug watched David take a couple more quick steps, then plant his feet, just like he'd seen him do a hundred times before. Those two were like a finely tuned instrument.

Then Dug heard it-a scream. A painful scream. 

He saw David fall to the ground. Another painful scream followed. Dug saw William's glove rise to his face, like he was covering his eyes.

Dug was running full speed when he reached David. The ball lay helplessly in front of David. The little kid's game suddenly felt very cold and real.

"Get the ball" he heard William yell. "Get the ball, Dug!" 

Dug jumped over David's body as he winced in pain and grabbed the ball. He looked up and saw William running toward him. William glanced across the diamond toward the runner at third base. 

    "Watch third, Dug! Watch third!'

The runner at third took a couple steps. 

"Walk it home, "William yelled. "Walk it home, Dug." 

Dug's instincts took over. He gripped the ball and cocked his arm beside his head, ready to fire.

"Go Dug, go," William shouted. "Walk it home."

"Time, ump! Time, ump!' William screamed as he walked up on David. 

"Time! Time! Time!" was all you could hear around the field. 

William reached David. Ugh, he thought. He saw David's ankle bent in a way it wasn't supposed to be. 

David screamed, "My ankle, Will! My ankle!" 

William bent down. He grabbed his best friend's hand. "Don't show 'em no pain, Dav. Don't show 'em no pain."

David looked up at William.

The two elders of the team-and you could make a case, the best two baseball players on the team too.

Both Mr. Gold, the head coach, and Mr. West, the assistant coach, ran over to David and William. 

"Don't move, David" Coach Gold said.

David was taking deep breathes, fighting the pain.

Coach Gold, Coach West, and William stood there, comforting him. 

The park medic made it over. After a couple minutes of talking among themselves, Coach Gold told David, "We're gonna pick you up and carry you to the ambulance."

As the three men picked David up and started walking toward the ambulance-an old, outdated looking unit-the crowd was quiet.

But park rules were clear: anytime a live game was being played, it had to be there for just such circumstances.

All the players on Dug's team circled around and gathered at second base. After just a few minutes, the vehicle backed out and made its way down the road with its lights flashing.

Coach Gold and Coach West walked toward the team.

"David's gonna be fine, guys. Just one of those unfortunate events," Coach Gold said. "He told me to tell you...we need this win!"

Coach Gold looked at the team. "Lets get on with this."

He turned to Coach West. "Okay, we're gonna move Tommy to second. We're taking-uh,uh-we're taking Chip from left and-"

He paused.

"Ummm..."he muttered, taking off his cap and scratching his head, looking a little unsure.

Just then William spoke up.

"Sorry for the interruption , Coach, but Dug can play second. He's always snagging balls with David and me."

Coach Gold looked at William. " No, Will, I think we're going with Tommy." 

Coach Gold paused, then looked back at him. "You think so?'

William didn't hesitate. "I know he can."

Coach Gold glanced at Coach West. "You good with that?' 

"Definitely, was all Coach West said.

Coach Gold looked at Dug, then back at William.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't know, Coach."

Coach Gold turned back to Dug. Dug still held the ball he had picked up beside David just a few minutes earlier. 

"You got this, Dug?"

"Sure, Coach Gold. I got it."

Coach Gold turned to Coach West. Putting his cap back on, he said, "Alright. Let's put Peppler in right." 

"Okay, guys, let's throw it around and loosen up."

Coach Gold and Coach West walked toward the umpires standing at home plate.

William looked at Dug. "Let me get ball, man," was all he said.

Dug tossed it to him-underhanded and a little loose. 

"You'd better put some heat on that if you're playing next to me," William said with a grin. 

Willaim jogged back to first. 

The umpire yelled, "Pitching in two minutes!"

With that, William fired a ball into the dirt in Dug's direction.

Without hesitation, smooth and fluid, Dug snagged it clean out of the dirt and fired it straight and hard into William's glove without William having to move.

"There we go," William said, smiling as he sent the next one skipping toward Tommy at short.

"Play ball!' the umpire shouted. 

Everyone readied themselves as Tony began his windup. 

"Ball!"

William looked over at Dug. "Get ready, dude. He usually comes to you or short. And he hits it hard."

Dug pulled down on his glove and punched his fist into the webbing.

Tony fired the pitch.

PING!

That was all Dug heard as he automatically lunged to his right and saw the ball skip off the red clay dirt.

He thrust his glove toward it and felt it pop into the webbing as he fell to the ground. But as soon as he was down, he was popping right back up.

He grabbed the ball, twired toward first. William was just turning to face him, foot on the bag, glove out front-a perfect target.

Dug let it go.

POP!

William's glove snapped shut.

They both looked at each other and smiled. 

"That's three!" Coach Gold yelled. " Come on, guys! Let's get on these bats!"

The team ran into the dugout. "Come on, guys, let's start hitting this ball!"

William high-fived Dug as he put on his helmet and grabbed a bat. "Nice snag, Dug."

Dug just smiled.

The top of the fifth started, and Dug's team piled out of the dugout, gloves in hand. 

"Dug," Coach Gold said, " let's dig 'em out of that dirt again," and he smiled. 

Dug gave him a thumbs-up and smiled back.

"Strike!" the umpire yelled. "That's two outs."

Tony quietly pumped his fist.

Dug thought, Man, Tony throws that thing hard. 

As the next batter dug into the box, Tony looked in at the catcher.

Dug saw the same thing.

One finger down.

Here we go, Dug thought to himself. Here comes the heat.

      PING!

Dug lunged to his left.

     POP.

That's what he felt and heard as the ball skipped into his glove, dirt pelting the leather. 

Up and firing.

The ball popped into William's glove.

"There ya go, Dug! There ya go, baby!" Coach yelled. "That's three! Let's go, boys!"

William stood by the bag as Dug jogged past him. Dug smiled. William was grinning, fist stuck out.

Dug bumped fists with his brother as William smacked Dug on the backside with his glove.

Coach Gold was waiting for Dug at the entrance to the dugout. 

"Digging that ball out of the dirt! Good play, Dug!"

"You're up, Dug!" Coach West shouted.

Dug made his way to the on-deck circle. He finished his practice swings and was about to step toward the plate when Coach West came up beside him.

"Let's go, Dug!" Coach West pumped his fist.

 Dug bumped it.

As Coach West turned away, Dug heard him whisper, "Bunt. Bunt it."

Did he just tell me to bunt? Dug thought.

He walked to the plate and casually glanced down at third base. Coach Gold looked at him, clapping his hands and nodding. 

"Let's go, Dug! Need a hit!"

Dug adjusted the brim of his helmet as if to say, Gotcha. 

He dug his cleats into the clay and settled in. Dug looked like he wanted to hit the threads off the baseball as the pitcher started his windup. 

As the ball left the pitcher's hand, Dug casually laid down a perfect, unsuspecting bunt.

The pitcher came off the mound, moving to his left. Dug saw the first baseman charging in.

Neither got to the ball before Dug reached first.

The stands and the dugout erupted.

Dug smiled to himself. I'm on first. No outs. Bottom of the sixth. Last inning. Down 1-0

As Dug rounded third, he saw Coach Gold waving him home.

"Safe!" he heard the umpire shout as he crossed the plate.

He turned and looked back towards third. Tony was running hard. The left fielder came up firing the ball. 

"Get down! Get down!" Dug yelled, flinging his arms toward Tony.

Tony slid hard. "Safe!" the umpire yelled as Tony slid into home, the throw drifting safely over everyone's head.

Tony popped up and grabbed Dug.

"We won! We won!"

Dug could do nothing but smile.

The team huddled around Coach Gold and West just outside the field. Coach Gold stood while all the players took a knee.

"Good win, guys. Sorry about Dave. We've got one more to go. One more win and we're in the playoffs!"

As Coach talked through the plans for the next practice, everyone listened. 

Then he looked at Dug.

"Good job out there, Dug. You stepped into a fierce situation. Really good job at second. Nothing got past you, buddy. You dug every one of those balls out of the dirt."

Coach Gold paused and smiled.

"I'm gonna call you Dugz. That okay with you?

"Sure, Coach," Dug said, smiling. 

Coach Gold looked at the team.

"Guys-your new second baseman....DUGZ."