The Legend of Mighty Tall:

A New Beginning
 

The Battle

After Linda revealed her plan, everyone gathered on the court early that evening. Everyone except Linda joined hands and started humming a Joni Mitchell ballad. Jeff Lantis was feeling the energy and was about to break into a spirited a capella rendition of “Oh Canada” when Linda cleared her throat and entered the room. She went to the center and stood there calmly, tightly clutching a Bible in her hands. It wasn’t long before Mighty Tall made his appearance.

He marched in with his head down but popped it up abruptly when he saw the circle and met Linda’s steady gaze. A fierce demonic visage seemed to flicker across his face for but a moment. As planned, the circle opened and engulfed Mighty Tall like a giant ameoba. Everyone began singing

“Mighty Tall, he’s our guy!

He can let the hard ones fly!

With a hip hop dillywag, give the man a bone,

this old ghost is going home!”

At which point Linda began a fierce recitation from The Book of Volleyball. Seeing that Mighty Tall was dazed but still standing, she resorted to a more direct approach somewhat akin to Mike Malmon Berg’s Sudden Impact Counseling technique and began whacking Mighty Tall with the Bible while shouting “Begone wretched spirit, begone!”

With each whack she propelled Mighty Tall backwards till he broke through the circle. She kept after him, delivering mighty blows upon his mighty frame until he was backed against the mighty exterior doors mighty quick like.

 

 

Linda was breathing hard and sweat glistened on her brow. Suddenly, she twirled around on one foot, let out a howl, and jump kicked Mighty Tall through the doors with a resounding crash. The sight of this caused two of the younger male volleyball players to swoon.

Both combatants stumbled into the awaiting darkness.

As the exterior doors swung closed, one of the others mumured, “That’s a mighty physical form of exorcism. I really think the Catholics do it differently.”

“I hope she’ll be okay out there in the darkness with that dark spirit”

“Oh man! Maybe she needs help!”

Suddenly a horrific scream penetrated the doors.

It took a moment for everyone to gather their wits but then they all rushed to the door only to be greeted by the door itself swinging open to reveal a rumbled, but smiling, Linda Morgan and a rather small shape behind her in ill-fitting gym clothes.

“It worked! I have banished the spirit of William G. Morgan back to that big locker room in the sky.” she exclaimed.

After a quick wardrobe change, the two combatants battled for the possessed man's soul.

 

Out from behind her stepped a small man, not much taller than about five foot six. He resembled Mighty Tall in a manner that most individuals with Y chromosomes do but seemed tired from the ordeal. Indeed his hair had turned noticeably grey and oddly enough, he had a beard.

“The spirit has left and what remains is the man he possessed. Praise be the lord, after all of this, he still wants to play volleyball!”

There was much rejoicing and several games were quickly organized and played with unbridled enthusiasm. It soon became apparent that this dispossessed man had all the skills of Mighty Tall except delivered in a five foot six form. After the game the others approached him and asked, "What should we call you, surely Mighty Tall might bring up bad memories and Mighty Small seems appropriate but somehow derogatory.”

At that, the short little man drew himself up to his full height, thrust his chin out and proclaimed,

“You can just call me Chuck.”

And so a new legend was borne.