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A boy tumbles forward through maple leaves while a kneeling girl in a red cardigan holds a football out of his reach.

The Kick That Never Landed

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A boy is caught in midair above a leaf-covered lawn, his legs kicked high and his arms reaching forward. His open mouth registers the surprise of a football kick that has gone wrong. Beside him, a girl kneels on the grass with the ball held safely to one side. She looks toward him with a mischievous smile as maple leaves scatter around the two children.

The frozen movement gives the photograph its comic timing. The boy's yellow shirt and brown shorts twist with his momentum, while his sneakers point toward the bright canopy above. The girl's red cardigan stands out against the leaves, and her long dark hair falls over her shoulder. Their separate poses make the cause of the missed kick immediately clear.

Low autumn sun lights the airborne leaves from behind, revealing their curled edges and warm colour. A broad tree and a familiar house frame the front lawn in the background. No landing or injury is shown. The scene holds one exaggerated, playful instant in an ordinary afternoon, with the football still firmly beyond the would-be kicker's reach.

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Photo: SiLOS

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Halloween Special, autumn leaves, football, comic timing, front lawn, childhood play