Never before has such a game been seen involving two teams with equal skill and strength
Deadlock
By Paul McCann
In the town of Killbrainum they were playing a game on the top of Nogoman’s Hills . The snow had fallen down on the old football ground and the teams had been deadlocked for a while . It was nil all at full time and nil all after extra time so they agreed , a goal the winner would do . But that was a week or two ago and wouldn’t you know that they game was still going on to this day .
Nonstop they had run and they were still playing on , with no one scoring in all that time . For heaven’s sake , they said , will somebody score so the game can come to an end and we can all go home . But both teams were equally matched . There was no mental edge , unwilling to bow to defeat . Each team were uncompromising and unyielding when it came to courage and control , each player was super fit , they were powerful and precise and would play until they dropped off their feet . One by one players started to drop with fatigue and died on the playing field . .
The end of the game was still nowhere in sight , Day after day , night after night , attack and counter attack , it was the game of the century . Anybody could win . Luck would have to play a role in deciding who the winner would be . Up and down and around and around the filed they went . Never before in history had a game like this ever been played .
The silver cup was waiting to be lifted and held in the air by the victorious team .
All it required was a goal . Different spectators would arrive each day to watch in the hope they would see that goal being scored . There were only five players left not in each team and their legs could hardly life them . They were struggling to kick the ball and tactics were to remain upright and slowly advance to the goal .
Through the wind and rain. hail and shine they played on . A goal the winner .
Tooth and nail they went with a rare determination .
It was now a game of survival and both teams stood their ground with a sharp edge to their skill , never bowing or letting their head drop . They would fight to their last breath with death in every tackle , more players died , the referee had long since passed away . The remaining players discarded their shin-pads and rolled down their socks . They left one poacher on the half way line hope to send him a loft or through ball for him to latch on to . Some recent shots had gone wide .Some swerved some hit the woodwork . One of them had to go in . Sooner or later there had to be a goal; scored . In the hearts of all the players they were still a team and they all did their part . It was nerve wrecking and yet inspiring . It was beautiful and
also, bleak and boring but there was a buzz about the game .
No one spoke they were saving their strength to scream one word .
They were now all mad .Everyone . Completely mad but it was the best game anyone had ever seen . Headers and flicks with square balls and back kicks but no goal scored . It was still nil all with just one player from each team left on the field .when one of those collapsed and died . With only one player left for both teams they couldn’t run and couldn’t call for the ball , their only hope was to make a brave attempt to walk the ball solo to the goal but suddenly one played fell and died leaving /just one who remained . All he had to do now was walk with the ball up to the goal and kick it in . He never had the fast , he was the last one left the game was as good as won however he decided to run with the ball at his feet . You could hear the death rattle before he fell and then as he died all the ghosts of both teams arrived to continue the game and still to this very day the two teams are battling it out there on the pitch at Nogoman’s Hills In the town of Killbrainum . The game is still at a deadlock and it will never be won but then again it can never be lost either . There is no rest for all those who await to life the silver cup and forever it will go .
Never to be forgotten , still looking for that winning goal their ghosts are doing their best to score that decisive goal to bring the game to an end .
One of your best short stories in a long time. Seeing players play until they die is something that the movie should pick up on.
There is an old movie, They Shoot Horses Don't They, about the dance marathons held in the US in the 1930s where a young couples with no job would dance to their near death to try to win some money.
The Butcher's Boy
- 2011 Readers Favorite Award Silver Medal Winner in Horror - Fiction
A Paranormal/Chiller by Michael Robb
Thirty-one years ago, Buxly the Butcher went to trial for killing h
Deadlock
