Short Stories-Lingorm

Beyond the Lane

Orm had never been one for sports. In fact, she actively avoided anything that involved stadiums, cheering crowds, or people hurling objects at alarming speeds. That was why, when her best friend Pleng invited her to a national bowling match, her initial response was an unequivocal no. But Pleng, as always, knew how to wear her down. "Come on, Orm! It's Lingling Kwong! She's a legend! You have to see her play at least once!"

Orm gave in, mostly to stop Pleng's endless pleading. That’s how she found herself sitting in the back row of a crowded stadium, surrounded by excited fans waving banners with Lingling’s name scrawled across them. Orm sighed, trying to get comfortable in the stiff plastic seat. She wasn't particularly thrilled to be there, and she certainly didn’t understand why Pleng and thousands of others were so obsessed with this Lingling woman.

When the match began, Orm’s disinterest was palpable. She sat with her arms crossed, glancing at her phone every few minutes. But when Lingling finally stepped onto the lane, something shifted. Even from a distance, there was an undeniable presence about her. She moved with a grace and confidence that drew the eye. Her sharp gaze fixed on the pins at the far end of the lane, as if they were the only things in the world that mattered.

Orm found herself leaning forward, her attention completely captured as Lingling glided forward and released the ball. It rolled smoothly down the lane, spinning with perfect precision. The moment the ball struck the pins with a resounding crash, the entire stadium erupted into cheers. Orm blinked, surprised at the rush of exhilaration that coursed through her. She hadn’t expected to feel anything.

After the match, Pleng dragged Orm through the crowded halls of the stadium, babbling excitedly about how incredible Lingling had been. Orm listened with half an ear, her mind still replaying the image of Lingling’s focused face as she sent strike after strike down the lane. There was something about the way she moved, the way she owned every inch of that space, that Orm couldn’t shake.

It wasn’t long before Orm found herself attending more matches. She told herself it was for Pleng’s sake, but deep down, she knew better. She had become fascinated by Lingling—her calm confidence, her laser-sharp focus, and the way she seemed to block out the world when she played. Orm didn’t understand it, but she couldn’t stop herself from watching, from learning everything she could about the star bowler.

Lingling noticed her too. At first, it was just a glance in the crowd—a brief moment of eye contact during a pause in the game. But after a few matches, Lingling began to recognize Orm’s quiet, consistent presence. Unlike the other fans, Orm didn’t scream or wave banners. She simply watched, her gaze unwavering. There was something different about her, something that intrigued Lingling.

After one particularly grueling tournament, Lingling found herself in a small café near the stadium, trying to unwind after the intensity of the day. As fate would have it, Orm and Pleng were there too, chatting at a nearby table. Lingling hesitated for a moment, then decided to approach. She had been curious about the quiet girl in the stands for weeks now, and she figured this was as good a time as any to introduce herself.

“Hi, I’ve seen you at a few of my matches,” Lingling said, her voice calm but friendly as she approached Orm’s table.

Orm, startled, looked up from her drink. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Lingling standing there, tall and graceful, just like she had imagined. For a moment, Orm was too flustered to respond. She quickly composed herself, offering a shy smile. “Yeah, I’ve been to a few. You’re… really good.”

Lingling chuckled softly, sitting down across from Orm. “Thanks. I could tell you’re not the type who usually comes to these things. So, what brought you to bowling?”