A Non-Religious Classical Festive Song
Part Four.
The Future.
Part Four.
The Future.
Unlike the other two occasions, Connie did not manage to find sleep after the Spirit brought her back to the inn. She sat in the same wicker chair where Mr Hanson's ghost had sat, by the electric fire, and pondered what she had seen. She wondered how she could change, whether she had the strength of resolve, and above all, whether any of this was even real. She feared above all else what the third and final Spirit would show her, and hoped beyond hope that her decision to change would be enough to soften the visions from the future.
She had apologies to make, whatever happened, and whether she were being haunted, or just doped up to the eyeball, it didn't change the fact that she now wanted to run straight round to Ross' house say sorry for the way she had over reacted in the car.
That was it! That was what she would indeed do. There was no point waiting for another Spirit, she had learned her lesson and was unlikely to be such a miserable cunt ever again. (It wasn't impossible, of course, but her cuntiness had definitely been placated somewhat.) She checked her previously sodden clothes, which were now damp, but bordering on wearable. Dumping the dressing gown on the floor she pulled her garments back on, the socks being by far the least comfortable, and her wet shoes a close second. She considered texting Ross to ask for directions, but it was a small village, and an ungodly hour; she'd just look for his car. The walk would likely do her a power of good anyway. She had had enough shocks for one life time, and there wasn't a moment to lose. The Spirits, however, had other plans for her.
Connie was at the door of the hotel room when happened. The wall in front of her slowly dissolved into a black sooty vapour, as she was gripped by a terror worse than before. She stumbled backwards, as the mist now spread, engulfing the floor, and spreading to the walls. When she finally pulled herself back upright she was alone in a world of darkness, her own body the only thing left illuminated as she stared around desperately for something she recognised. She must have remained like this for only a few minutes, but it felt like days -- too frightened to move, too startled to speak.
Gradually - as if her eyes were merely adjusting focus - Connie became aware of the fact that they were in a room. It was a room that she did not recognise at first, but slowly, as more of the surroundings came into focus, it became apparent that it was populated by her belongings. She rushed to the window and looked outside. It didn't look like Whitehaven or anywhere in Ceni, or Schottia. It was a small studio flat - untidy, but when was her home ever not? There was a stench though, a smell she was unfamiliar with. It wasn't like the usual old bags of rubbish and pizza boxes, but like something was dead and rotting.
She ran to the door, colliding with a pile of beer bottles, at least one of which must have been full, as beer quickly soaked her already wet feet, as it poured over the hard wood floor.
She tugged at the handle, but the door was locked. Connie looked round the room once more. There was a shadow of dread hanging over the place, a presence which sent her heart racing. She needed to get out.
Once more she heaved at the door, and all of a sudden it sprung open, sending her tumbling back into the room. Collapsing into the pile beer bottles, there was an ear-splitting crash of broken glass, sent splintering in all directions. After checking to see if she had been injured, Connie looked back towards the door, which to her horror was filled by that same presence of dread, now having taken physical form. A tall hooded figure barred her exit, and took a step across the threshold, sending Connie scampering backwards for dear life.
'Spirit? Spirit Number Three?' While the ghoul's face was hidden, it still had a stare which was impossible to bear. Connie didn't know what else to do but recoil as it stood sentinel over her.
'This is the future, I know.' She muttered from her cowered position. 'You want to show me what a mess I'd live in if push all my friends away..?' The Spirit made no response. 'This isn't Ceni right..? Or Schottia..? I get that, I'm playing in some backwater league in some fucking hellhole...' Again the Spirit was unmoved. 'I get it,' She tried to continue through trembling lips. 'In this version of the future, where nothing changes, I end up pissing away my career, I'm like some sort of drunken thirty-year-old, who just wallows in their own filth..?'
As Connie looked around the room desperate for clues, the full horror of the situation began to unfold. Evidence of drug use could be seen, there was a gap where a TV had once sat, and had perhaps been recently sold or stolen. The dishes in the sink had clearly been there for longer than just one night, and flies buzzed around noisily, eating the left over’s, and no doubt laying their eggs in the water.
'You win, okay... You've scared the shit out of me. There's no way I'm going to go back to the way things were.' She frantically paced the room, disgusted by what she saw. 'I've already changed - you've done it, good job - now send me back. Look I'm all better, all happy, la-la-la-la. Merry Mid-Winter!'
The Spirit held its position, as unmovable as a stone pillar. Connie knew there was something else she needed to see, something told her that there something bigger she was meant to witness. 'I won't let this happen.' She sobbed, as she continued to search the room. 'Don't worry.'
Eventually she found what she was looking for, yet had hoped not to uncover. 'This isn't certain..?' She had known before she reached the bathroom, that the image of her own destruction lay beyond. How long had her body lain there - been left to lie there? The answer was simple: no one cared, and it was going to remain there a good while longer. This was why there was no football equipment in the flat; she hadn't played in years by the looks of things. The worst part of all was the fact that the lifeless remains in front of her did not belong to some aged has-been, they were of a young woman only a few years older than she was now. The clock was ticking.
'Please give me a chance to change...' Connie buried her face in her hands as she continued to weep. Of all the scenes she had been confronted with tonight, this was the one that filled her with the most despaired, yet it was the only one that could be changed. Perhaps the Spirit wanted to show her what lay at the end of the path she was currently on; a path she now needed to alter. 'Please give me a chance to change...'
Schottia 4-2 San Jose Guayabal @ Cove Port
Line-up: Gould, Hordern, M.Killanen, Paul, M.Ünterhausen, Conjure (Bánach), Stenberg, Coultan, Rudden, E.Killanen (Soria-Luna), Martel-Burns (Curren)
Goals: Martel-Burns, Stenberg, E.Killanen, Curren
After narrowly defeating South Covello, it was a much altered Schottia side, which took to the field to face San Jose Guayabal. Stephen Paul came in for the suspended Gareth Souter, Molly Killanen made a rare start in place of Paul Doig, while Line Stenberg, Chloe Rudden and Kim Coultan were all brought back into the starting eleven.
Schottia's opponents could not be written off, but there was no doubting the fact that this wasn't the SJG of old. The Mountaineers weren't flawless through qualifying, and their young side huffed and puffed their way through the group stages. Schottia would need to keep their wits about them, but looking at some of the last-sixteen fixtures they avoided, this wasn't a bad draw.
The match started out fairly open, which suited the Schottic high-tempo passing game. Evelyn Conjure and Eoin Killanen were particular effective early, putting the central defence of Julio Navas and Armando Coronel under a lot of pressure. Schottia had the better of the opening exchanges, and deservedly took the lead on 22 minutes, when Corinne Martel-Burns turned a Chloe Rudden cross past Ricardo Costa. Schottia doubled their lead on the half hour mark, as the Auks were in danger of looking comfortable for the first time in these finals. Line Stenberg skipped past the challenge of Óscar Chávez, before rampaging into the box and unleashing a fearsome strike into the bottom corner. The Kingsgrove midfielder is really starting to make a name for herself in this Schottia side, and the goal will do her reputation no harm at all.
It would have been foolish to think that SJG were out of this though, and they came back strongly in the second half, with Eliseo Salomón missing an excellent chance before Marco Palacios pulled one back for the side. There was an edgy ten minutes after the goal went in, however, Eoin Killanen restored their lead with a deflected effort from the edge of the box. A forth goal from substitute Lucy Curren put the result beyond any doubt, as the Hondo star's pace allowed her to get in behind the back line, before neatly tucking the ball past Costa. Lionel Mah will have been a little disappointed, by the way Schottia conceded a late goal to Alianza'a Kevin Santos, but at 4-2, it made little difference to the outcome.
