Hellooooo Lovely Readers 

I decided to write a story on cricket! This is completely real life (maybe not for a little bit), but I will leave you to decide. This is purely fiction.

So, it may make no sense, but the story is about overcoming the barriers that others have set for you. Now, no more words, read on and enjoy!

Luv, Val

My alarm rung.

I rolled around in my covers, wincing as my disabled leg twisted by accident. My frizzy brown hair was a tangled mess on my soft white pillow, and my blue eyes were tightly closed with eternal exhaustion. I groaned out loud.

I could just hear my dad downstairs shouting to every run, every bowl on the tv. I lunged for my phone on the bedside table. It wobbled dangerously as I grabbed it and sprung up from my pillow. It was the cricket world finals. I had to check the score.

"YES! It's a six!" I could hear my dad yell from a mile away. Someone would come knocking on our polished door at this point, I was sure.

I opened up my screen as I clutched my phone tightly. Was the score what I thought it was? It better be.

To the website I went, and my eyes bulged at the close score that was going up every minute. I could hear the neighbours snoring next door, and I barely restrained my screech of excitement. My phone seemed to be glittering, and the blue case had almost split in half due to the force I exerted on it with my tense hands.

"Hey Penelope! Come watch the game!" My father yelled. I could envision him jumping up and down next to the old brown couch. I would do that do, except my leg was.....disabled. I shuddered at the memory and decided to think nothing of it. It was in the past, the pain was in the past too. Nothing to worry and hyperventilate about.

"Coming dad!" I replied as I attempted to swing my leg over my bed. I ended up on the white carpet, clutching my leg close to tears.

"Owwwww" I complained. Seems that the pain wasn't in the past. I could feel my brain shift to the day when it was destined that I would never use my leg again. I shook myself, unwilling to stroll into the black monster of memory lane.

"Penny?" I heard my dad's work boots on the stairs before the visions began.

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This was the deciding ball of the girl's cricket national finals.

I was standing on the fake grass pitch. My shoes were scratched and my legs were bruised and sore. My snow white pads slipped  around my lower leg dangerously and I lowered my wooden bat into ready position to face the bowler. Sweat was dripping down my face and my hair was stuck to my forehead. My body tensed.

The bowler took a 6 metre run up and charged at me. My eye was on the ball, which was bunched tightly in the girl's hands. She did the windmill action and released.

Spinning, spinning, the red, rock hard ball flew towards me without bouncing. The ball was in a very awkward position, my left side. I distinctly remembered swinging my bat to meet the projectile before I felt a stinging pain in my leg as I twisted it to get to the ball. I heard the crack of the ball hitting my bat before I fell in a pile of agonised bones.

I could hear the ball soar over the boundary, as all my teammates were yelling the word six. I tried to stand up but couldn't. Out of the corner of my vision I saw one of the players of our opponent team stride towards me with the ball. I could do nothing as she threw it right at my legs, now free of my batting pads.

I heard the crack of a bone. I yelled in anger and tried to stand up, as all hell broke loose. My teammate began to wrestle with the others, as that same girl walked towards me. All I could do was punch her leg as she dragged me to the road. The parents were rushing towards us, but my vision was about to leave me.

I heard sirens in the distance as the girl dragged me onto the road. I could see my dad screaming as he ran towards me. Just a little closer.....

I was delirious at this point. Blood was dripping down my leg as the girl dragged me along the ground. I groaned as she chucked me straight into the middle of the lane. I couldn't call out, couldn't speak. I heard the chatter die down in the field as the fighting children were separated.

I tried to crawl, but couldn't prevent what happened next. The girl took off her mask and was revealed. She wasn't her age at all, in fact she sported the look of a serial killer with murderous red eyes and a pointy nose.

"That was enjoyable" She cackled as I felt the pain of a million bones shattering in my body. The truck ran over my leg and I screeched in anger and agony. The woman was gone as my eyes went black.

The last thing I heard was the ambulance arriving, as I passed out.

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My eyes flew open and I could feel the sweat sticking to my body. My dad stood over me, a worried and determined in his eyes. I panted with fear and looked at him, then shrugged. The pain of my leg was still there.

I could remember the doctor telling me that I couldn't ever play sports again. I remembered my friend's tired faces on my stomach dozing off as I cried. I steeled myself and decided to get back to the present.

"Flashbacks again? Penny, look, they caught the woman straight after, you have nothing to worry about, come on, let's go and watch cricket. It'll cheer you up, eh?" he consoled me as he helped me up carefully.

"Thanks dad, let's go" I was grateful that he didn't ask how I was. He knew that I would be shaking for 30 minutes after every flashback that my memory decided to throw me into.

We hobbled downstairs together and sat on the sofa.

"Well, let's watch the Tigers win shall we?" He teased

"Of course not" I smirked as the Sharks scored six runs.

I may be ok now, but I really needed something to dissipate the demons that haunted me about that day. I couldn't play cricket again. I sighed as we continue watching the game. It would get better. It WOULD.

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1 year later.....

It was a beautiful sunny day, as me and my dad stepped outside. I was wearing a blue shirt and jean shorts, and my phone was in my pocket. I drew it out to call my friend.

yo Macy what's up

She replied immediately, she must have been camping her phone.

Hi Penelope! the sky

Stop camping your phone dummy haha

Lol penny well you coming to my cricket game?

yeah duh i'm so envious right now

I can try to let you play, just be prepared, see you there!

Shocked, I showed my dad the text. He clapped me on the back as we hopped onto the plush seats of our black BMW.

"Hey, who knows, maybe you can play!" He laughed.

"Maybe I can.." I said.

Soon we arrived at the game and I stood at the smooth wire fence. I saw Macy's red hair from a mile away, and waved. Macy walked over to me and smiled.

"Hi Penny! Guess what???? They are letting you play!"

"THEY ARE???" I was celebrating at that moment. "Yay!"

"Now, come on, let's get you padded up." Macy dragged me away as my dad winked at me.

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I was all geared up to bat and waited at the side of the pitch. The opposition glared at Macy's team as they got into fielding positions.

Some people on the team haven't been friendly towards me. They would sneer at the ugly scars on my leg and jeer at my hobbling look. However Macy and her other friend, Helena, kept me company as we waited to bat.

One after the other Macy's team batted, and a battalion of fours and sixes appeared on the scoreboard in our favour. Macy held my shoulder tightly whenever the fielders managed a bowl out, or a run out. She punched her pad when they got caught out, and I was watching intensely the whole time. My eyes never left the ball.

I had been having less flashbacks for the past year. It was great, as honestly I thought I would have one then as I watched the ball soar past the fingertips of the catchers. I should be sweating but I was collected and calm. I had no confidence before this as I believed I could never do cricket again. But I needed to try to break the barrier of my comfort zone.

Soon it came my turn to bat. Last. My heart was pounding and whistling with both excitement and fear in my chest as I hobbled onto the pitch and faced the frowning bowler.

"She shouldn't play, she's disabled" She complained to the umpire, who simply silenced her with a glare. Snarling, the bowler prepared to run up.

There was a stinging pain in my leg as the ball whooshed past my left leg. I missed as I swung my bat weakly, supporting myself with one leg, as the next bowl came. I growled and closed my eyes. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. As I opened my eyes the pain was all but a buzzing background as I stared down the bowler.

Sweat was causing my hair to stick to my forehead, just like that day. My legs were sticking to the pad, just like that day. I readied my bat.

The ball came flying. It came spinning, and spinning, and spinning. It wasn't at an awkward angle this time. With a flying stride I hit it and fell over, and the pain came washing back like a forceful wave. I rolled around on the ground. 

I heard the cheer of my team. I heard the other team say wow. I could only assume that that was a six.

I climbed to my feet shakily.

"Time for the second half." I high-fived Helena as I walked off the pitch into Macy's embrace.

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It came time for me to bowl. My hands were shaking as I adapted them to use the rabbit drip on the ball. I was cold as the wind brushed past my bare legs and arms. i walked back to the point where the others started their run up. I readied myself and once again blocked out the pain, once and for all. They say I can't do it? I'll show them.

I walked my run up and bowled. The crisp feeling of the ball leaving my hand at exactly the right moment was delicious. I watched as the ball spun at the wicket, but went over it at the wicket keeper.

I dusted off my hands and caught the ball easily from Macy. My legs buckled for a bare second and I tried to hold myself up.

"Hey, take a breath" The umpire steadied me and I leant on her for a few seconds, steadying myself. "Thanks" I replied.

I bowled 5 more times, and each time was a wide. It was the last over and I could hear the team groaning. We needed 4 more points to win.

I glared at the wicket. I knew that this was basically match point. I decided to challenge my limits.

I took off jogging, hopping slowly towards the crease. I felt the seam of the cricket ball in my palm, and I met the icy gaze of the batter opposite me before once again focusing on the wicket. I did the windmill action perfectly and released the ball.

It was a simple second before the ball smashed into the wicket, as the batter swung and missed. The air was filled with chairs as I collapsed, taking in huge amounts of air. The team swooped around me and lifted me up. The blue sky smiled at me. I had overcome the intimidating opinion of others.

"OUT! The Harrington eagles win!"