by Paul Cude
During all this time, Richie had touched the ball perhaps three times, and when she had received it, she'd moved it on quicker than a schoolteacher leaving for their summer holidays. Constantly aware of Attitude, all the time looking over her shoulder, getting deeper and deeper, further away from the opposition's goal, she'd figured out that her nemesis would only follow her so far, before letting her wander off. So she hung back, unsure of what to do, nursing the ever increasing pain that continued to shoot up the inside of her left knee.
When the ball next went out of bounds on the sideline, Emma and Sue called over to their captain and friend, to check that she was okay. She told them she was. But it wasn't so much the injury that was causing Richie to hang back and not help her team. It was fear. This was the first time she could ever remember being afraid on the lacrosse pitch... or anywhere else come to think of it, and she didn't care for it very much. Every second, deep inside her head she pictured Attitude's sneering face closing in on her, intent on doing her some more harm. Even though she was well back from the opposition's goal, she was constantly aware of where the big defender was. Abruptly, she knelt down on the gorgeous green grass, rubbing the side of her wounded knee carefully. But it was all an act. She could move, even take the pain. But the feelings inside her were something else. Images of the past flooded her mind, reminding her of how fearless and inventive she was, being the one that dragged her team, Salisbridge, out of trouble and on to winning, singlehandedly on more than one occasion. It was hard for her to understand why she felt this way. Something was different. Just as she thought this, the ring she wore on the chain around her neck, the one that Peter had given her to look after, seemed to burn her skin. Leaning forward, allowing the chain to swing away beneath her top, she was surprised to find the burning sensation still there. Taking a peek, she could see the ring was away from her skin, and there were no marks or obvious signs of burning.
'What the hell is going on?' she thought.
But that would have to wait, as the familiar sound of something small and lightning fast whistling through the air towards her, tickled her senses. Automatically she rose to her feet, turning instantly, the head on her stick a submarine's periscope searching for anything out of the ordinary, seeking the danger. Off to her right, the spinning orange ball zipped over her head. With just one hand on her stick, she thrust it out as high as she could, ignoring the spark of pain this caused in her knee. Having captured the ball perfectly she trotted off, not at full speed, but a fast jog, nagged by the unusual sensation, for her at least, of needing to get rid of the ball to a teammate... fast!
Unfortunately for her, there wasn't a single obvious pass on. Her teammates were doing their best, dodging, weaving, cutting inside and out, but none seemed to be able to get free of their marker at the moment. Richie's vision pulled back from her teammates, aware that Attitude was coming out of defence to meet her. Sweat scampered down her spine, her heart rate increased, it felt as though her boots had turned to lead, while all the time a wanting-to-run-away feeling nibbled at the insides of her stomach. In a panic, she threw the ball towards Rachel, one of the Salisbridge midfielders who'd raced up to support play. Unsurprisingly it was a rubbish pass, nowhere near her teammate, and had now allowed the Avalon Avengers to break quickly. About to turn around and head back in the hope that she could help in some way, it was then a hulking great form swung into view. Attitude!
"All your silky skills deserted you today, Tinkerbell?" she all but grunted.
Richie was frozen in terror, unable to speak or even move. It was such a strange and unfamiliar sensation; she had no idea what to do to get rid of it, if indeed she even could. Leaning right up into Richie's face, her nemesis's cloying breath washed over each and every one of the ex-dragon's freckles.
"None of your friends will be able to save you today. Before the day is out, you'll be visiting your city's fancy new hospital." And with that, she turned and plodded back towards her own goal.
Shaking inside and out, Richie wanted nothing more than to see the game end and be able to return to the comfort and safety of her home. Abruptly a shrill whistle forced her thoughts back to the here and now. Looking around, she could see one of the officials signalling for a goal. All the while she'd been caught up with Attitude, her teammates had been defending desperately but to no avail and had conceded a rather cheap goal from a lucky bouncing shot that had cannoned in off the post, leaving goalie Harriet with absolutely no chance.
As Salisbridge made their way back up the pitch, ready once again for the draw, a few of the players could be seen huddling together and their captain had a fair idea she was the subject of their discussions. Sue left the small group and sprinted over to Richie.
"Nobody's going to blame you for going off. If you're injured, you're injured," she stated.
Wanting to go off, more than anything, her comrades' faces caused a swell of emotion to spill out inside her. These were her friends, her teammates. They'd won together, lost together, drunk and dined together. She knew their families, their boyfriends, husbands, children. Tied together in victory and defeat, she was supposed to be their leader, the one they looked to for inspiration, the one they looked up to. And here she was, about to throw in the towel because of one single opposing player. It was all so confusing. But deep down inside her, something primordial, something ingrained in her very DNA screamed at her not to leave the pitch. And against her better judgement, she didn't. Instead, she stepped forward, determined to use her talent to gain control of the draw.
Aligning their sticks, placing the ball between them, the umpire gave a stern "Ready," which drifted across the silent pitch before, seconds later, blowing his whistle loudly. Turning her fear into anger and choosing that to fuel her muscles, Richie's stick powered into action, shooting the ball high above her head, almost exactly as she'd planned. Salisbridge gained possession with a ground ball pick up by midfielder Rachel. Quickly she propelled the ball out wide right to Ali, who caught the ball running full tilt, making this the fastest transition of the game for the home side. Emma had lost her marker and was swinging around behind the goal on the right hand side, with Joey out wide on the left, while Poppy and Sue had almost caught up with play. Ali sidestepped the defender, cutting in and then pulling back at the last moment, darting around the outside, using her momentum and the defender's flat footedness to her advantage. Adjusting her hands along a different part of the shaft, her stick twisted and turned, almost as if it had a life of its own, so much so that the ball itself must have been almost dizzy. Spotting Emma's raised stick behind the goal and off to one side, bending her run perfectly, Ali cast the ball into the path of the onrushing Emma.
Richie's experience told her to hold back, that and the fact that fear still threatened to consume her. Keeping one eye on what Attitude was doing, so far that threatening presence was content with being the extra player over at the back, hoping to double up on any attacker coming through, sure that she'd already done enough to take the former dragon out of the match. It was borderline, that's for sure. Richie was terrified, so much so that if she'd had to think about what was going on, almost certainly she would have frozen up or taken herself off the pitch with her injury. But her response was instinctive, a reaction to all the games she'd played, stimulated by all her accumulated knowledge and shared experiences. For the briefest time, her body almost didn't belong to her but to someone else, her spirit watching her actions from somewhere high above. And precisely at this very second, her body screamed,
"RUN! Run for all you're worth." And she did, directly towards the goal.
Emma snared the ball out of the air perfectly, continuing on her speeding arc, looking for what she'd seen hundreds of times before, hoping against hope that her teammate would be there. Sure enough, she was!
Sprinting at full speed now, Richie's trajectory was taking her towards the goalie's left hand post, stick raised in the air, waiting to capture the ball that would be spinning her way at any sec
ond. Emma, not one to disappoint, flung the ball as hard as she could, knowing before it had left her stick that her teammate wouldn't have to move the head of her stick even an inch, that's how perfect the pass was. Moving so fast it was just a blur, Richie recognised the slight change in the weight of her stick before anything else, at which point her body took over. By now she was closing in on goal, defenders (one of which was Attitude... although Richie was so consumed by it all, she had no idea which one) closing in on all sides, hoping to block her shot. Her body rolled with her gut feeling, as the rest of her looked on. Ducking underneath the closest defender, her movement was sublime as she cut inside and, with all the strength she could muster, let loose a low bounce shot that hit the exquisitely trimmed turf just in front of their goalie and leapt up past her outstretched boot, smashing into the taut netting behind her that she'd been guarding. Screams of jubilation echoed all around as friendly arms and faces engulfed her, all offering congratulations. Wheeling away with the others to head back to the opposite end of the pitch, a quick glance over her shoulder noticed the dark and foreboding expression etched into Attitude's face. It was only then that she started to realise just how much trouble she was in.
With the score being 1-1 now, the action came thick and fast, with adrenaline pumping for everyone on the pitch, including the officials. Transitions, when they came, were lightning fast with both teams leaving holes in their defence that their opponents continued to try and exploit. The Avengers went through a period of trying to constantly force Salisbridge out of bounds wide, which worked to a degree, but left a great deal of space behind, something the Salisbridge ladies took full advantage of with some mighty risky passes. But as the whistle blew to signal half time and the women headed off for the agreed ten minute break, it was only thanks to some more stunning saves by each keeper that the score had remained level.
Both teams filed off the pitch on the same side, but at opposite ends. For the sweat drenched players, taking on fluid was the first priority, and Richie was no different. As the cool contents of the water bottle worked its way down inside her throat, she could just make out Attitude glaring in her direction from the heart of the Somerset players. Turning away, the ex-dragon poured some of the water across the front of her curly hair, encouraging it to spill down on to her face and then run down the front of her neck and cleavage. A firm hand on her shoulder jolted her.
"You alright Rich?" questioned the accented voice of Harriet the goalkeeper.
"Uhh... yeah," she replied, panting. "Just worn out... you know."
Harriet nodded, understandingly.
Most of the team had taken to sitting down on the lush grass, stretching and flexing their tired and well worked muscles. Richie joined them, pulling her legs in close to her chest, all the time taking small sips from her water bottle. An aura of expectation hung over the team, waiting for their leader to speak. But try as she might, she just couldn't find any words for them. Still badly shaken up from her painful encounters with Attitude, she wanted nothing more than to leave and go home. In her life, she couldn't recall having ever been intimidated on or off the lacrosse pitch, and it was having a profound effect on her. More so, her silence was having a profound effect on the rest of the team.
"I think if your injury's that bad, that you should go off," announced Rachel.
One or two of her teammates nodded their agreement. Richie just clutched her legs tighter to her chest.
"My guess though, is that's not what's bothering you," exclaimed Emma, the closest of all of Richie's friends on the lacrosse team.
"So, what's up then?" asked Poppy politely.
"It's that girl, isn't it?" stated Sue.
Remaining silent, for the first time in a very long time their captain was unsure of what to say or do, so very unlike her. The team all looked at one another in the bizarre situation they found themselves in, insomuch as Richie had always been larger than life and full of an inexhaustible amount of energy and enthusiasm. Now... it was almost as if the life had been well and truly sucked out of her, leaving a husk in her place.
"Why has she got it in for you?" asked Jan, softly.
"I don't know," came the mumbled reply from their captain, her head still buried somewhere between her knees.
All of them were almost ashen as they sat surrounding their distraught captain, nearly half of the interlude having come and gone. It seemed that only now were they realising the degree to which they'd previously relied on the ex-dragon, not only for her stunning goals, her thankless running and her tactical knowhow, but also for the way she acted as a role model for each and every one of them. Only now could they sneak a glimpse into the real woman and see that they were not so different, that she had her fears and worries just like the rest of them. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the whole team could see Richie for who she truly was, and not the happy go lucky, super talented, score a goal from almost anywhere talisman that they'd so often thought her to be. On many occasions she'd saved them, dragged them by the scruff of their necks to victory, inspired and amazed them. Now it was their turn to save her, and by God they would.
Standing up, Emma spoke first.
"Rich! You're not here alone. You're part of a team, out there with all of us. I might be the one speaking, but I think everyone here agrees... we're all in this together. So many times you've carried us through matches, when either we weren't good enough, or we were playing teams who were so much better. But amazingly we won, and at times... that's been solely down to you. Speaking for myself, I recognise those as times that I haven't performed, haven't been at my best, despite giving my all. But to know that I can count on you and the others around me always encourages me to be more than I am, try harder than I would alone, punch above my weight. Others, including yourself, have lifted me up when I've been down, encouraged rather than criticised when I've lost the ball, and always, always, believed in me. And I don't think it's possible to ever express my gratitude in the way that I would wish or that you all deserve. So you see... we're all in this together. Your problems... even off the pitch, are our problems. And I for one won't see anyone here bullied, intimidated or downright hurt. We all play the game as it should be played... it's something that makes me so proud to be part of THIS team. Hard but fair, strong but just, no hint of cheating, always obeying the official's decisions, even when we know they are wrong. This, I believe, is how all sport should be played... not just ours!"
Every single player, including Richie, who had now lifted her head up from her legs, sat open mouthed, incredulous at what Emma was saying. More importantly, they all wholeheartedly agreed with every last word.
"YOU," observed Emma, pointing at Richie for emphasis, "have given so much to all of us, we could play for another twenty years as a team and still not be in a position to repay you. But here and now, we can and WILL help you. This isn't your problem... it's OUR problem. And if someone tries to hurt YOU, or anyone else on this pitch deliberately, then they can damn well answer to me! I for one would follow you almost anywhere, and certainly into battle on any lacrosse pitch, against any opposition the world has to offer. You're my friend, my teammate, my... CAPTAIN!"
The words carried more power than most nation states as they surged through the invigorated group of players. Optimism replaced apprehension, worry washed away by togetherness. Richie stood, her knee throbbing, as she embraced Emma in one gigantic hug. Only moments earlier, the ex-dragon had felt the most alone she ever had, but that had all changed with Emma's startling speech. Now she felt alive, rejuvenated, part of a team and much loved.
As one, the whole team stood and enveloped Richie and Emma, the two women at the centre of their improvised huddle. Off to one side, the official's whistle blew to indicate that it was nearly time for the match to resume. Before the group broke up, Richie whispered her heartfelt thanks to them all, before telling them what they were going to do.
Returning to their places on the field, a pensive mixture of fear an
d excitement rocked Richie's world. Mistakenly, she'd looked across at Attitude only seconds before, to see that familiar evil glower directed against her. The words of the team and in particular, her friend Emma, from only moments before, echoed throughout her head. Knowing she was safe amongst friends, and about to do what she considered herself born to do, hope and happiness flared up inside her. The opposing centre (whom she thought of as Pony Tail) joined her and the umpire for the draw. All thoughts of the outside world were forgotten now. No spectators, no other games going on around them, no sky, no clouds... nothing! Only the battle about to commence. And only WINNING! Fairly, of course, because otherwise there'd be no point at all. Who in their right mind would want to win any other way than fairly? Not her, that was for certain, and not her teammates either, the very thought of which made her chest swell with pride.
Placing the ball between the two sticks, the umpire said, "Ready," whilst backing away, and then blew his whistle to restart the match. Richie's tense muscles blasted into overdrive, flinging the ball far overhead in the very direction she'd wanted. As a team, Salisbridge surged forward, just as Sue seized the ball out of the air, already dashing at full speed into the opposition's half. The Avengers didn't know what hit them. There had been some fast attacks before, but nothing as quick and aggressive as this. Sue moved the ball quickly through the air to Joey who, after an audacious dummy, in turn played it straight down the line to Emma, again on one of her arcing runs.
Drifting outside, Richie feigned to go down the line and then cut inside and was now rushing with every ounce of energy in her body, powering towards the goal on almost exactly the same line that she'd scored from in the first half. Taking in the scene in a slow motion, high definition moment, Richie was rewarded by the terrified looks imprinted on the faces of the defenders before her, Attitude included.
