#nicepii

She wasn’t very familiar with sports.

Shannon knew that there were all kinds of sports--one where balls were thrown or kicked or hit with sticks--and, she had even heard about a few of them from Jessica, and watched a game or two on the island’s TV set. She hadn’t played with the other children in the orphanage very much, though. She’d never gotten much of a grasp on the rules.

So, the diamond drawn in chalk in the park (with its plastic bases) was recognizable as a “sports thing”, but she didn’t think much more of it than that. There was plenty of space in the rest of the park--such as the great green field just outside of the diamond--for her to set up her blanket and enjoy the sunshine, having a picnic by herself.

The outfield might not have been the best place. Shannon didn’t realize that, and she didn’t see the ball spiraling precariously towards her, either.