The Narlington Chronicles

Pratt & Whitney Stadium, a $4.1 million multi-use sports complex, was a venue a coach envied, and collegiate athletes wished they called home. This massive sports complex was the site of the NCAA Women's Division I Soccer Championship, featuring the favored underdogs and Northeast-10 Conference champions, the University of New Haven Wizards and current reigning champions, and Ivy League conference champs, the Yale Bulldogs. Winners of this contest would claim top billing and the coveted MAC, Hermann Trophy.

The sun's rays cast a warm, comforting glow on the chaotic playing field as time slipped by in the 2nd half. Players' shadows danced up and down the field like a choreographed ballet. The roar of the nearly packed stadium was deafening. New Haven Wizards were attacking with under 2 minutes left, the score knotted at one since the first 5 minutes. Wizards were all but written off this season if not for Coach Madoc Brookhouse to take the team in a different direction. Under his tutelage, he assembled a talented and eclectic group of young women. Walk-on sensation Bianca La Bouchère, a freshman and Parisian transplant made the Wizards relevant, Along with Americans' own Cinderella story and Bianca's step-sister, Katie D'Amboise. These dynamic duo superstars made the Wizards relevant this season, giving them a fighting chance with an impressive 10-2 record.

The thunderous cheering didn't affect the Wizards as they mounted one last calculated offensive. "Go, Katie, Go, Katie!" The Wizards' sideline chanted in unison. With the game on the line, Katie D'Amboise raced up the field. "Pass it!!" Coach Brookhouse yelled; he was an undersized dark coarse-haired, disheveled man with a brilliant mind for the game. Katie juked, deked, driving up the field, weaving seamlessly through the Yale defense. She spotted #47, the Wizard's top forward Bianca La Bouchère trailing not far behind. Bianca La Bouchère, who wore #47 for the Wizards, was moving in lockstep up the field, patiently tarried on Katie D'Amboise's next move. They had rehearsed this same scenario a hundred times.

"Pass it, Katie, Pass the goddamn ball!!" Amber O'Grady screamed till her face turned red. "Bitch pass to Bianca!!" Amber was straining to yell. Bianca was the Division I player of the week. She was swift like lighting a virtual genie in a bottle the ESPN announcers dubbed. Her elusiveness and knack for being in the right place at the right time was the number one reason the Wizards were competitive this season.

The screams of the crowd intensified as the Wizards mounted their attack. The wind picked up unexpectedly the listless flags dotting the stadium had snapped to attention in response to the changes in the impending weather. Ominous shadowy clouds formed to block the warm rays of the sun. What started as a pleasant, calm day turned into something out of a natural disaster movie. Bianca moved surreptitiously up the field. Unbeknownst to the Bulldogs, defenses, she made her way up the right-wing channel and into prime striking position.

Katie had two defenders to beat, and she'd be clear. Bianca shouted, "Heads up, Katie!!" Katie signaled to her and launched the ball towards the goalkeeper. A collective silence descended over the crowd. An audible gasp had replaced the tangible and ear-piercing cheers.

Like she had done a hundred times before, Bianca positioned herself to receive the pass from Katie. Bianca La Bouchère accelerated with blinding quickness; like a cheetah on the hunt, she performed a seemingly faultless bicycle kick.

The stadium erupted in jubilant unison as time expired. "Goal Goal!!" echoed over the stadium PA loudspeakers. "The New Haven Wizards are the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer national champions!" announced Brooke Winters, Fox's color commentator for the local CBS affiliate. The celebration was a short-lived surreal moment; an otherworldly supernatural storm engulfed the stadium after they scored. Fans and players scrambled for the closest shelter. Thunderclaps were vociferous while lightning rained down from the sky with a vengeance. A torrent of hail and sleet inundated the massive outdoor venue. Players had lost sight of each other in all the confusion and chaos.

"Amber, have you seen Bianca?" Katie said with an exacerbated look as she pulled her jacket, shielding her eyes from the sleet and hail. "No, Katie, after she scored, things became chaotic," Amber said with a cautious smile. Trish scanned the sidelines for a sign of Bianca. Her gaze focused and centered on the vast playing field. "NOOOOOO NOOOOO!" she screamed, pointing at someone lying on the field. "Is that Bianca?" Trish gasped.

"God Dammit! Get the trainer," Coach Brookhouse ordered. Despite their best efforts, it took nearly five minutes to reach her. "This is all my fault." Katie began to break down, practically sobbing. "I didn't kick the ball high enough." "You can't blame yourself, Katie; Bianca knows how risky that maneuver is," Amber said in a calming, reassuring tone, laying her hand on Katie's shoulder. "Where is the GD Fucking Ambulance," Coach Madoc screams franticly, pacing the field.

"Bianca, Bianca, Can you hear me? It's your old buddy Fung." Fung Telt knelt and leaned over to whisper in her ear. "She is still breathing, thank god!" Mike Ragmussen, the head Wizards' trainer, chimed. "Bianca, can you feel this?" Fung asked. She was conducting a SANF (Standardized Assessment of Neurologic Function) test. "Bianca's eyes dilated slightly," Mike said with a worried tone. "What the fuck does that mean!" Coach Madoc barked in an aggravated manner. "It means she is not brain dead, probably only had the wind knocked out of her," Mike said hopefully.

Bianca La Bouchère's imperceptible reaction lay motionless in a frigid muddy pool of water in a quasi-state of consciousness. Bianca assessed her current situation, only to find herself choking on a mixture of bodily fluids. She fumbled for any words, realizing they were not coming out, yet she could hear and see the bedlam unfolding. "Bianca, I am here for you. Please don't leave me as dad did." Katie D'Amboise's pulse continued to quicken, and her breath was shallow, "it's all my fault, it's all my fault," Katie mumbled.

"Katherine D'Amboise, look at me!" as Amber gently held her face, "Look into my eyes and breathe in one, two, and three; hold one, two, and exhale one, two, three, four. You're working yourself up and will be in no condition to help Bianca." "You are right, Amber," Katie knew Amber was right. She would be of no use to Bianca if she were in a frantic state.

"It's about freaking time!" Coach Madoc exclaims, hearing the screeching whine of the approaching ambulance's sirens, alerting them as it drew near.

Senior paramedic Edvin Thue and Kevin Spencer, accustomed to this particular stadium, were here countless times during the NCAA Division II Northeast-10 Conference Men's rugby finals. They had no shortage of experience among them; they were New Haven's leading first responders with over a combined twenty-five years. They witnessed their fair share of casualties within that period, not counting the ones they personally overcame. Their experiences and determination were in direct succession to today's journey, rewarded by piloting ambulance #1, a prestigious and desired honor. A massive two-ton vehicle equipped with state-of-the-art life support and a portable life support lab; was the first of its kind. Edvin and Kevin had the most advanced tools at their disposal and had extensive training to resolve any crisis as they neared the ravaged 75-acre sports complex. The mysterious biblical storm had recently subsided, leaving a debris field spanning miles across the surrounding countryside. Downed trees and power lines would make for a treacherous voyage back to the hospital.

Coach Brookhouse was a man of great fortitude, and his patience began to wane. The earlier spirited celebratory mood turned into one of dire concern. Edvin and Kevin promptly exited the ambulance and assessed the chaotic scene that had just unfolded. Soak-drenched players and coaches huddled over an unconscious young woman lying purportedly peaceful on the field. Katie D'Amboise's eyes and awareness focused on Bianca's motionless listless body; unpleasant memories surfaced from the past. When she discovered the remains of her late father, all those years ago much in the same way at their Madison county home. It took her a considerable time and a singular failed attempt at her own life to realize the universe had a plan, yet she was not privy to it. After her mom remarried, they adopted Bianca, and they became the tightest duo and step-sisters. Her purpose was unmistakable now and more apparent than ever. "What does the universe have planned for me now?" Katie with her arms wrapped tightly around her, fending off the cold reality she found herself in.

Edvin and Kevin moved with certainty, having saved countless lives through the years. They weren't going to let some bizarre storm prevent them from accomplishing this mission. Arriving after what seemed forever, both men stood towering over the players and coaches, huddling around their fallen teammate. Edvin spoke with a soothing tone, "Back-up, ladies! She is in good hands now!" Edvin paused, glimpsing down at an alabaster-toned woman with the fairest skin and whitest tresses. Bianca looked content and peaceful, waiting for her prince charming to arrive among all the mayhem. Kevin's deep voice disrupted Edvin's transient stare as he resumed with confidence, "Everything will be okay. Who do we have laying here? Did anyone see what happened?"

Katie D'Amboise's eyes darted back and forth, scouring for words in her mind. Katie began to recount the match's final minutes in a raspy voice. Her waterlogged soaked body grew colder, struggling with what energy she had left. She grappled with staying coherent; her spirit and mind could not sustain anymore, woozy, collapsed in Amber's arms. Reacting quickly caught her and tightly wrapped a fleece-lined coat around Katie's small frame. After a few moments, Katie said, shivering. "Bianca usually lands on her feet." "You cannot doubt yourself. Life is too short." Kevin reassured Katie that Bianca would be okay. "After I passed the ball to Bianca, I was tripped. I didn't notice what happened." Katie spoke up with more life in her voice. "The next thing I know, the ball is in the back of the net; at the precise moment, the hail and ice shower hit. After the storm let up, we saw Bianca." Katie's voice trembles as she starts to sob. "There there." Amber continues holding her close.

"Let's take this show on the road and get her to St. Narlington Neuroscience Hospital," Edvin said with an earnest tone. "Can we ride with her?" Katie asked with hopefulness in her voice. "Are you related?" Kevin asked. "Both Katie and Amber are her step-sisters," Coach Madoc said convincingly. "Yeah, we're here, Step-sisters!" Amber boasts.

"What are you waiting for, a golden invitation?" Edvin said with a wily smirk on his face. "Has someone notified her parents?" Kevin barked, loading Bianca on a gurney. "Her biological parents died in an avalanche several years ago. She has a distant Aunt in upstate New York." Katie added. "Bianca, my name is Kevin. We're going to take good care of you. we're heading to St. Narlington Hospital with your sisters."

"Vitals look good, breathing is slightly labored, pulse ox normal, pupil dilation degraded," Edvin called. An unfolding grim reality was beginning to set in for Coach Madoc Brookhouse. He didn't care about winning the championship anymore; these girls were like his daughters. The New Haven Wizards were his only family, dedicating his life and making it; his mission is to see them succeed on the field and in life.

Bianca La Bouchère hadn't been this cold since they pulled her lifelessly from the snow in the Swiss Alps. Today's fortuitous events evoke the unpleasant memories of a once long-forgotten harrowing ordeal. A wall of frozen snow and ice tumbling down the mountainside sounded like a freight train to her young, untrained ears. Bianca had worked so painstakingly to put it all behind her. Losing Mama, Papa was alone terrifying, but her fear of falling off the top bunk would be her saving grace. Yet proved deadly for her twin sister Annie, who slept by her side most nights, but unfortunately, this cabin rental had bunk beds.

After several years of self-reflection and a cross-continental journey to America, she would be whole again. Katherine D'Amboise was exceptional in every way. She was Bianca's missing piece. The day Katie's parents adopted Bianca, she felt genuinely complete again with a new lease on life. They were closer than step-sisters; they were soul mates that spanned the fabric of space and time. Ostensibly time stood at a standstill when they were together. An unerring tangible connection formed, fear, anxiety all melted away in her presence; she felt something she hadn't in a long time, love. Bianca was grateful for this newfound, spiritual, mystical connection.

"Katie, can you hear me? I am so tired. The kick was perfect. I lost my footing and hit my head." Bianca labors to speak. "Don't cry, Amber. I will be alright. I hope this play makes the highlights" a single drop of tear rolled down her cheek. "Amber, can you hear me?" Bianca La Bouchère knew all too well the predicament she found herself in. It took a rescue team three days to locate her and the remains of her family. They said it was a miracle she survived; she would have perished if not for the pocket opening under the top bunk. "I cannot move my legs or hands. THEY CANNOT HEAR ME!" Flashes of varying shades of light were all Bianca could see. Voices were becoming muffled, and sounds were fading.

"O, so cold now, Ah, that's better; someone must've covered me." Bianca fought to stay conscious. "Katie, I can feel you holding my hand." Her mind drifted from her surroundings to a warm and safe place. "I cannot blink, o shit, fuck, I am dead?" Bianca's mind was vacillating from conscious to a semi-comatose state. "Mama, Papa, Annie, is that you…? I am so sleepy now..; I am not leaving you, Katie; don't cry. I love you. I wish I were brave enough to show and tell you how much; I am going to rest now."

The two-toned white and off-gray ambulance roared to life and raced towards the hospital. Bianca's mind surrenders to the darkness and the cold void. On the surface, her body and mind relaxed and at ease, or so she thought…