Chapter Forty: Liss

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Something isn't right.

I've had this stupid feeling since I woke up this morning. It's hard to explain but I feel like something bad is going to happen. We've been back from Alabama for about three days. It's my first rugby game back, it's halftime. I go to grab water and Rikki walks up to me.

"You're doing great babe, three tries already." He smiles and I smile up at him.

"I feel like something is gonna go wrong." I admit and he looks at me worried.

"What do you mean?" Rikki wonders.

"I can't explain it, baby. Just a feeling, I'm sure it's nothing." I smile.

"Swagger!!" My coach yells.

"I gotta go." I say and Rikki kisses me quickly.

"Kick ass!" He calls.

"You know it." I say as I slide my mouth guard into place.

"Fireball!!" I yell when there's only a few minutes left. I want the ball in the back line.

The ball gets to my hands and I take off like a bat out of hell. I keep glancing back and my back line is no where in sight. I keep running and I get closer to the try line. I look over to see them pulling a fullback. What? They're leaving their line open? I keep running and out of the corner of my eye, I see this big brute come out of nowhere and the bitch is running at me.

"Oh shit!!" I yell when she makes contact.

I'm sitting in the living room in the house in Brooklyn, I was two? Two skinny arms wrap around me and I look back. Beautiful green eyes, framed by black hair and a faded Yankees cap face me. My mom's warm smile greets me.

"Ally-gator, I think it's nap time." Her voice is like a song.

"But mama, I not tired." I smile and she laughs.

"Babe, I think you are." She answers. "Come Ally-gator, I'll sing you a lullaby."

We walks me to my room and lays me in a baby bed. Mom sits on the end of the bed and smiles.

"Ninna nanna, ninna oh
Questo bimbo a chi lo dò ?
Se lo dò alla Befana,
Se lo tiene una settimana.
Se lo dò all'uomo nero,
Se lo tiene un anno intero.
Ninna nanna, ninna oh,
Questo bimbo me lo terrò!" She sings in Italian first then sings the translation.

"Lullaby, lullaby, ooh,
Who will I give this baby to?
If I give him to the old hag,
For a week she will keep him, ahh.
If I give him to the bogeyman,
For a whole year he'll keep him,
Lullaby, lullaby, eeee
I will keep this baby for me!"

Luca

"Lissa!!" Andy screams as Liss goes down.

The girl gets red carded and sent away. Liss hasn't moved. We all watch as the referee, coach, and trainers all crowd around her. None of us can talk, Rikki looks about ready to kill.

"We need an ambulance!" Her coach yells and Rikki snaps back.

"Liss!!" He yells.

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